If you have advice, opinions, story ideas or a question related to small business for BusinessWeek.com, a high-traffic destination for anyone looking for business tips, check out their frequently asked questions. It includes tips on how to contact Karen Klein, who writes the Smart Answers column, and has a weekly podcast series. I suggest you contact Karen and offer yourself… Read More
Pitching
Artists, new book shows how to meet your PR goals
Lots of books on PR dole out advice on how to generate publicity, but few encourage the reader to take the next step needed to reach a particular goal. Power Up with PR—A publicity guide for artists by Jackie Abramian does just that. The 105-page softcover book (ArtNetworkPress, $14.95) is packed with information on how artists can claim their share of… Read More
PR interns shouldn’t pitch the media on your behalf
Companies that want to hire a PR firm, or do their own publicity, can find some helpful suggestions in the Forbes.com article The Single Greatest Marketing Tool. One tip, however, is just plain wrong. The article recommends hiring a PR intern from a local college on the cheap, and then using that intern to deal with the press: “Mine… Read More
Holistic health coach needs publicity, marketing tips
Nancy L. Jerominski of SeaTac, Wash. writes: “I’m a holistic lifestyle coach who has pitched a variety of story ideas, including ‘maddening menopausal symptoms stopped without meds’ and ‘stop doing crunches for flatter abs.’ “I actually HAVE pitched Oprah several times with no results. There are lots of miserable menopausal women, and I can help… Read More
Your media pitch isn’t dead until you hear the word ‘no’
Several readers saw the item in last week’s newsletter about getting onto “Oprah” and wrote to tell me that they pitched ideas months ago and still haven’t heard back from Oprah’s producers. Can they assume their pitches are in the “deleted” folder? Never! While getting onto “Oprah” is always a long shot, I’ve heard of cases… Read More
Publicity ops for DIY weddings, coaches & franchises
If you haven’t subscribed to the free media leads courtesy of PitchRate.com, you could be missing the chance to score a big hit in a top-tier media outlet, or reach your target audience with your message in a niche media outlet. You can read more about this media leads service that matches sources with journalists. Of the many leads… Read More
How can a D.C. artist piggyback onto recent publicity?
Karren Jeske, APR of Milwaukee, Wis. writes: “My friend is an emerging fine artist in the Washington, D.C. area. “He was recently featured in Elan magazine, a publication that showcases talented North Virginia artists. The magazine imcluded a photograph of one of his paintings on the magazine cover and included photos of six more inside. “What are… Read More
11 publicity tips for retailers who sell tea—or anything else
Publicity Hound Ruth Furman, a PR specialist and a speaker at this weekend’s World Tea Expo in Las Vegas will be among panelists who will discuss ways tea retailers can generate publicity. She asked if I could provide some tips for her handout, and I thought I’d share them here. These tips are written specifically… Read More
Journalists’ blogs offer valuable clues about how to pitch them
The next time you’re ready to pitch a journalist, particularly at a top-tier media outlet, stop what you’re doing and take this important step. Find out if the journalist blogs. Some journalists blog as part of their job. Others blog on the side because they’re passionate about a topic. It will take only a minute or two, and the… Read More
Writers, pitch your idea to TV producers, agents on Tuesday
If you dream of writing for TV—comedy, drama, reality, or alternative—but you’re not sure you’ve got what it takes, you can pitch your idea to a literary agent and TV producers next week and hear their feedback on your pitch. And it’s all free. Chad Gervich, author of the book Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer’s Guide to… Read More