Issue #838 July 29, 2014
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Is Your Web URL Radio-Ready?
- Gorgeous Quotes, in Seconds
- Lots of Help for My Slogan
- Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
So many Publicity Hounds commented on Saturday’s item about cream puffs at the Wisconsin State Fair that I know you want more. If I’m not having too much fun, I might take photos in the Cream Puff Pavilion and share them on Facebook.
1. Is Your Web URL Radio-Ready?
If you’re building a new website and choosing a URL, think about what it will sound like when you do radio interviews.
Here are four potential pitfalls:
–Your first name, part of the URL, isn’t spelled like it sounds. Example: Your name is Dianne instead of Diane. If your website is DianneSmith.com and you say that on the radio, listeners will type DianeSmith.com and get an error message unless you spell it for them.
–Your website address is hyphenated. If it’s Publicity-Hound.com, I’d have to say, “Visit my website at Publicity hyphen Hound dot com.” That sounds awkward.
–Your URL includes a numeral. Listeners won’t know if “5 Corners Pizza Pit dot com” is 5CornersPizzaPit.com or FiveCornersPizzaPit.com.
–Double entendres. Pen Island Pens, a company that sells “elegant writing instruments” actually has the URL Penisland.net. Yikes! You’ll also find Therapist.com, “your guide to wellness.” And Therapistinabox.com. And Teacherstalking.org. And ChooseSpain.com. Not only are these bad for radio, they’re just plain bad.
Once your URL is radio-ready and you’re set to do interviews, read Margaret Larkin’s two-part series on how to be a perfect radio guest. The first of two installments is at my blog. Margaret produces the popular podcast RadioGirl.
2. Gorgeous Quotes, in Seconds
Here’s another fun, free tool that lets you start with a quote–yours or someone else’s–and into an image that you can use for your blog, Facebook cover, Twitter cover, Google+ cover or marketing materials.
Type your quote into the box, or search for quotes using a keyword. Then decide how you want to use it. Change the color, font or background, tweak it more and save it.
This is a fast way to create social media covers and banners.
3. Authors: Free Training Tomorrow
Learn how to gather book blurbs, endorsements and reviews, even before your book launches.
Join me and three other book publishing experts when we host the first of four weekly webinars from 6 to 7 p.m. Eastern Time tomorrow. They’re designed to whet your appetite for our second annual Publishing at Sea cruise Jan. 18-25 to the Eastern Caribbean about Royal Caribbean’s “Allure of the Seas.”
Tomorrow’s session will be presented by book distributor Amy Collins, with help from book shepherd Judith Briles and me.
Amy will explain the difference between a blurb, an endorsement and a review. She’ll tell you how many of each you need, where to find them, and how to use them.
Register for the free session.
We’ll give you time to ask questions and we’ll explain how you can save $300 by registering early for our cruise. We’re leaving from Fort Lauderdale and visiting the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. The fun starts with a private, open bar Bon Voyage party.
We’re still nailing down the workshop topics, but you can take a sneak peak at the website.
Don’t forget to register for tomorrow’s free session.
4. Hound Video of the Week
Lots of cute babies laughing hysterically at lots of cute dogs.
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