Reporters are taught from Day One to always get pertinent details. Like the name of the cat that died in a housefire. Or the height of the basketball star who hit his head on the top of a doorway and had a concussion. This amusing post by the Poynter Institute titled “Get the name of that bra” reminds us of… Read More
press kits
Spy on your competitors in their online media rooms
Thanks to Publicity Hound George McKenzie for this tip, which you’ll find in his “Free Publicity Action Plan.” Use your competitor’s online media room to generate publicity for yourself. Simply check the media room on their website. George says they’ll probably be crowing about their media successes (as they should). You can contact the media… Read More
Create media kits that scream ‘Read me!’
Back in September, just before McGraw-Hill published Maria Grace’s book “Reel Fulfillment: A 12-step Plan for Transforming Your Life Through Movies,” Maria worked with me to create a media kit that would scream “Read me!” She joined The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, and I helped her with the eight items that needed to go inside… Read More
Research media outlets before sending expensive press kits
Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London and New York sent me a copy of their slick, beautiful 2006/2007 course catalog, which must have cost a fortune to produce. I plucked it from my mailbox this morning. As soon as I opened the envelope, I asked myself, “Why are they sending this to me?” I’m not… Read More
6 ways to improve writing news releases, media kit content
Write like you talk. That’s the easiest way to communicate a message in a clear and compelling way. I harp on this repeatedly to those in my Mentor Program. Yet far too many writers build roadblocks when they write. They use stodgy words and phrases that slow down readers. Here are six writing roadblocks you… Read More
How to find freelancers for news releases, media kits and more in a hurry
Within the last several weeks, two projects have been driving me crazy: something I needed written very quickly, and a PDF document of an ebook that I need to update. But the Word file that I used to create the PDF was corrupted. It’s possible to edit a PDF but it’s time-consuming and it would… Read More
PMA Update: Book reviewers don’t want press kits
Do you know what book reviewers at newspapers and magazines do with those fancy press kits you send them? They throw them away. Or, if it’s Bob Minzenheimer of the New York Times, he throws away the contents and takes the folders home to his kids. A panel of book reviewers told members of the… Read More
Fodder for bios
A frustrated Publicity Hound wrote to me recently, asking how she can write an interesting bio, even if she doesn’t have any “newsworthy” accomplishments. “How can you write a bio when you don’t have an MBA, have never received any awards, and haven’t appeared on TV or radio or in magazines?” she asks. Bios or… Read More
Is your website ready to welcome journalists?
Right now, as you’re reading this, a journalist could be nosing around at your website, looking for clues that will help determine whether you’re worth covering. Will the reporter find typos galore, outdated news releases or incomplete contact information? PR pro Carolyn Moncel said there’s a checklist of items you should have at your website–things… Read More
Less is more when contacting the media
Inexperienced Publicity Hounds make the frequent mistake of inundating media people with too much information. For example: –Sending an unsolicited media kit along with a pitch letter, with grand illusions of the journalist spending hours poring over your materials. (Dream on). –Sending an unsolicited book, with hopes that a radio talk show host will find… Read More