Thanks to those of you who nominated The Publicity Hound website for this year’s Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers.”
My website made the list again this year, and I’m thrilled.
“Consultant Joan Stewart shares tips on self-promotion and how to get free publicity—a key for any writer living on a tight budget.”
When I plucked the magazine from my mailbox today and saw that I was on the list, I immediately wrote a letter to the editor, hoping for additional free publicity. To increase the chances that the letter will be published, I didn’t just thank the magazine for the designation. I offered tips on how others who made the list can promote the honor.
Here’s the letter:
I’m thrilled that you’ve chosen my website, PublicityHound.com, for your 10th annual “101 Best Websites for Writers” list.
Your endorsement has pulled traffic to my website, encouraged sales, and helped position me as a valuable resource for writers.
Here’s a publicity tip for writers or anyone else who make these prestigious “best of” lists. Let your blog and ezine readers know about the honor. Write a press release and distribute it through one of the paid distribution services. Send press releases to your local newspapers. Add the information to your MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. And display the logo by the organization that has honored you on the homepage at your website.
I’ve been searching for the “101 Best Websites for Writers” logo from Writer’s Digest and can’t seem to find it anywhere on your website. It appears that the logo or a photo was once on your “Best 101 Websites” page, but it has disappeared. If you tell me where I can find the logo, I’ll be happy to give Writer’s Digest some publicity by placing the logo on my homepage. I’ll bet many of the other 99 website owners would too.
I Googled “Best 101 websites,” and clicked on “images” and eventually found the logo, so I’ll be adding it to my website. By the way, displaying logos of your trade associations, or groups like the Business Business Bureau if you’re a member, or any “best of” listings adds credibility to your website and makes visitors more inclined to hang around—and maybe even buy.
What logos can you add to your homepage today to boost your credibility?
Congratulations, Joan, on the well-deserved honor!
Here at Holiday World, we put our “Golden Ticket Award” for the world’s top wooden roller coaster on the front page of our website (HolidayWorld.com). But come to think of it, we’ve also won for Friendliest and Cleanest Park for years in a row, so those awards need to find a home on our site as well.
Thanks for the nudge — you haven’t directed us wrong yet!
Paula Werne
Director of Public Relations
Holiday World Theme Park
Santa Claus, Indiana
Congrats, Joan, and what a brilliant move. How could they *not* run your letter?
Shel Horowitz, author of five marketing books including Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World
http://www.frugalmarketing.com
Joan:
Thank you for your sweet note of congratulatons. Glad to know you’ve been honored. You certainly deserve it. I know. I’ve been a subscriber (and reader!) for a long, long time. (We both know there may be a difference between subscribers and readers!).
I find WD a bit hard to navigate, too. I’d love the link to that page on which you found your logo. I’ve just begun (Can you believe!) to include logos of the organizations I belong to at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
Just so you know, though. The ONLY way I know that I was listed on WD is that a friend let me know. I haven’t even been able to find that.
My best to yu always,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Award-winning author of The Frugal Book Promoter, The Frugal Editor and The Great First Impression Book Proposal.
Blogging at SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com
Congratulations Joan! A well-deserved honor and another great idea for getting additional publicity.