Dan Janal of PRLeads says no authors came forward to prove they made at least $10,000 in book sales after one appearance on “Oprah.” Thousands of authors read this newsletter and some of them have been on “Oprah.” So I’m not quite sure what to make of it. “I am so sick of hearing authors… Read More
TV & Radio
Publicity stunt on baseball’s opening day generates TV publicity
Thanks to Jeff Crilley, an Emmy Award-winning TV reporter from Dallas, Texas for letting me excerpt this tip from his ezine: A disc jockey in Dallas named Alan Kabel knew he couldn’t fight the media attention being given to opening day for the Texas Rangers. So he came up with an angle to complement the… Read More
Does a gig on ‘Oprah’ guarantee book sales?
Does an author’s appearance on “Oprah” automatically guarantee fame and fortune? My good friend Dan Janal, president of PR Leads, a company that provides leads from working journalists, and a former journalist himself, is skeptical. Last week, he blogged here and said he doubted whether any author could sell more than $10,000 worth of books after just one… Read More
Fitness, weight loss still big during February sweeps
Several weeks ago, I posted an item about how January was a big month for fitness and weight loss stories, because people were trying to get back on track after the holidays. The media’s love for these stories spills into February, one of three Sweeps months. Today, for example, “Oprah” is supposed to feature a woman… Read More
Dateline’s troubling predator program begs for comment, follow-up
After watching “To Catch a Predator” on NBC’s “Dateline” Friday night, I was so upset I could hardly sleep. It was the third installment of a show that illustrates a growing and horrific epidemic in the U.S.—grown men, trolling the web searching for minors in hopes of engaging in sex. To expose them, “Dateline” set up… Read More
Piggyback onto prime-time TV shows for publicity
So much for the Rev. Daniel Webster, the pill-popping Episcopal priest, and his dysfunctional family. NBC has canceled “The Book of Daniel,” the Friday night drama that featured the Vicodin-addicted priest, his boozing wife, gay son and a bisexual aunt. Oh yeah. And don’t forget Jesus. What a shame. I never saw the show. But the… Read More
TV Weatherpersons Day is February 5
You can score a great publicity hit if you tie into TV Weatherpersons Day on February 5, which this year also happens to be Super Bowl Sunday. I’ve been preaching about this for years because so many Publicity Hounds have told me it works. A few days before February 5, send your local TV weatherperson… Read More
Dying to get on ‘Oprah’? Check her website
When Publicity Hounds think of ways to get onto “Oprah,” they spend days and sometimes even weeks crafting the perfect pitch that will appeal to her producers. Most of them, I’m guessing, probably miss a vital step that could save them a lot of time. They fail to visit her website and click on the… Read More
Forget the cufflinks on TV, guys
If you’re a guy, and your local TV station wants to interview you, how would you dress? If you’re in the corporate world, the logical assumption might be a dark suit, white shirt, red tie and gold cufflinks. Sandy Dumont, also known as The Image Architect, says that would be a good choice, except for… Read More
TV loves fitness, diet stories during January
My Jazzercise instructor has already warned us to be braced for packed classes this month. That’s because this is the month when everybody tries to take off what they gained over the holidays. TV stations everywhere want to know about these stories. Here’s an almost guaranteed way to get your company on the local TV… Read More