I’m off to PMA University, sponsored by the publishers marketing association, and BookExpoAmerica in New York City. If you’ll be at PMA, I’m on a panel from 10:15-11:45AM Wednesday on “How to launch a proftable 30-day Internet publicity campaign. On Thursday, I’m part of a morning panel from 10:45-1:15 on “How to slice and dice… Read More
Publicist
Clear pronunciation needed for a stint on NPR
Among the most loyal listeners of National Public Radio–ready for this?–are taxi cab drivers in Washington, D.C. and probably those elsewhere through the United States. Many listeners who are non-English speaking immigrants say that NPR and public radio in general give them the best information and the clearest diction on American radio. They appreciate NPR’s… Read More
Do homework before hiring a publicist
One of the most frequent complaints I hear from Publicity Hounds is the one about what went wrong when they hired a big PR firm, or a lousy publicist. The nightmares sound like this. Whopping monthly retainers but few media placements. Fresh-out-of-college graduates with little PR experience assigned to major accounts. Sweet-talking publicists who promised… Read More
How to make book reviewers open your package
Book publicist Kate Bandos says authors who send their books to book reviewers, reporters and other media people must know how to make their packages stand out from all the rest. That could mean sending the book in a purple envelope so that when you make your follow-up call, you can remind the reporter to… Read More
Help weeklies cover sports
If your daughter plays on the junior high soccer team, but your local weekly newspaper acts like the team doesn’t exist, quit grumbling and find a notebook and a pen. If your son participates in ice skating competitions, but the team has never had its photo in the paper, get a camera and learn how… Read More
Media summit like “speed-dating with top media”
If you’re looking for a way to get the attention of top national journalists, pay attention to these four tips courtesy of Mahesh Grossman, author of the book “Write a Book Without Lifting a Finger”: –Relationships are the name of the game. –You need to be your own publicist. –Try to tie in with the… Read More
How to revive a dying book marketing campaign
Two to three months after the typical book hits bookstores, sales usually start to diminish, sometimes for as long as eight or nine months. Many authors go into panic mode, frightened that their sales can’t possibly regain momentum. Book publicist Lissa Warren knows the feeling. And she tells her clients that the slump is to… Read More
“Side door strategy” relies on not-so-obvious angles
Proteges in The Publicity Hound Mentoring Program heard me lecture recently on the “side-door strategy” to publicity during a teleseminar I hosted just for them. Even though I’ve always understood and promoted the concept, I first heard the phrase “side-door strategy” when I read an article by publicist Jodee Blanco. The “side-door strategy” means pitching… Read More
Cable TV shows draws clients for Illinois PR pro
Publicist Robert Smith wanted something more than the standard brochure to set himself apart from all the other public relations practitioners in the U.S. So after seeing a tip in this newsletter about starting his own TV show, courtesy of his local cable TV station’s public access channel, he tried it. “I had never heard… Read More
Children’s troupe takes its act to trade shows
Publicity Hounds have tips for Melissa Pagan of Tequesta, Florida. She works for a performing arts troupe that specializes in children’s entertainment. Their live shows have an education component that focuses on literacy, and some of their school programs address test-taking tips and techniques for relieving the anxiety of the high-stakes standardized testing. They will… Read More