Rebecca Witek of Buffalo Grove, Illinois writes: I created a website for young designers that focuses on the soon-to-be or newly graduated. I was in their shoes not too long ago, and I’ve realized as a graphic designer that it’s important to understand and learn skills that compliment their creative talents such as marketing, networking, public relations… Read More
Authors lose during writers’ strike
An article in Publishers Weekly says the Hollywood writers’ strike is affecting authors by suspending production of the late night talk shows that publicists rely on when launching a book to a national audience. Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, for example, had interviews scheduled this week with Karen Greenberg, author of The Torture… Read More
Google Alerts leads to ‘Good Morning America’ gig
What’s a valuable, time-saving tool that every Publicity Hound should use? Publicist Renee Young can tell you. Her client, Dr. Amiya Prasad, a New York City plastic surgeon, appeared on a two-minute segment on this morning’s “Good Morning America” as a result. Google Alerts is a nifty service that notifies you as soon as something appears online… Read More
Nonprofit bios: Keep ’em short and credible
Nancy Schwartz, one of the foremost experts in marketing for nonpofits, passes along handy reminders for nonprofit execs and others on how to write a bio. She recommends: —No more than two paragraphs. Make note of any professional designations, associations and awards. These show you have deep connections in the field. —Write bios for program, communications, fundraising and… Read More
Oprah scandal: A lesson in crisis management and a correction
Please note the correction in the seventh paragraph of the post below, which was brought to my attention today, October 4, 2008 when a reporter from People magazine called me for a comment regarding this story. The story states that Oprah’s former headmistress has filed a defamation suit against Oprah, the Huffington Post, and me.… Read More
Dryer vent cleaning company needs newspaper publicity
Publicity Hound Janice Bittner of northern Virginia writes: “Our company, Dryer Vent Wizard, cleans, fixes and installs dryer vents in an effort to help prevent dryer fires. I’ve sent at least three media kits to 10+ newspapers in our area over the last year that covered fire safety. I even gave out free dryer vent check… Read More
Tweak Your Pitch
When you pitch a story to a magazine editor and the editor declines, sometimes all it takes is a little tweaking to change the editor’s mind. That’s what happened when Tina Lancy emailed the editor of Go, Airtran’s inflight magazine, last November. She pitched a story about College Assistance Plus, the Rochester, New York-based consulting… Read More
How to get your book or other product into Target
If you sell a book or other product that’s a good fit with customers who shop at Target, you have a lot of work to do. For starters, you should be pitching a story to the Minneapolis Star Tribune that ties into what you’re selling. That’s because most buyers for Target live in Minneapolis, where the… Read More
Songwriter needs to reach music supervisors, film execs
Tamra Engle of Oakland, California writes: “I’ve worked for over 25 years as a musician. But the ‘rock star’ in the mirror is now in her late 40s, but still able to crank out tunes that TV, films and new media are willing to pay me for. I write songs to pitch to the few… Read More
How to pitch bloggers–21 tips
Darren Rowse of ProBlogger offers a comprehensive list of almost two dozen excellent tips for anyone pitching bloggers. Most bloggers say they hate being referred to as journalists. But when you read his tips, you’ll notice how many of them also apply to pitching journalists.