Issue #888 Jan. 31, 2015
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Free Media Leads
- How to Title a Book
- What Big TV Shows Want
- Hound Video of the Week
This Weekend in the Hound House:
I’ll be rooting for the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl even though they left my Packers shell-shocked two weeks ago. Did you see the deflated chocolate footballs made by a Pennsylvania candy maker to mock Patriots quarterback Tom Brady? The candies are spelled B-R-A-D-I-E for legal reasons. What a smart publicity idea! Take a look.
1. Free Media Leads
Wanted: Books by and about key female influencers across a wide variety of industries.
Wanted: Editors and publishers to discuss the pros and cons of syndicating content.
Wanted: Law experts to explain the ins and outs of taking a roommate off your lease.
Wanted: Experts to explain what’s really in organic baby formula.
Those are called media leads-—and they can be a Publicity Hound’s ticket to publicity. They’re written five days a week by living, breathing journalists, bloggers, freelancers, broadcasters and others who need sources just like you to round out a story. They work for companies like FOX, DowJones, Gannett, ABC, AP and your local Weekly Tattler.
Authors can submit queries, too, when they’re writing a book and need a particular source to interview.
I plucked the six items you see above from one month’s worth of leads supplied by HARO, the biggest of several free publicity leads services. If you aren’t using HARO or one of the others, add them to your book publicity toolbox and prepare to drown in leads, most of which won’t apply to you. But if you’re patient, you can discover a few golden nuggets.
Read the rest of this article on The Future of Ink.
2. How to Title a Book
True or false: A book title should help sell as many books as possible.
Marketer Marcia Yudkin says that’s a big misconception, and author’s shouldn’t buy into it or they can be inviting bad publicity.
“Given the importance of social media and online reviews today, you want to sell as many books as possible to the right readers for your book,” Marcia wrote at my blog. “A title that oversells or misleads people about what’s in the book leads to complaints and negativity that can hurt your success.”
She’s right. On Amazon, you see comments from reviewers who say, “I thought this book was about (fill in the blank) but I was disappointed to learn it’s really about …
Her advice:
Start your brainstorming for a title with a clear idea of your intended readers, and finish your title selection by checking to make sure you’re giving the right impression to those who will most appreciate what you’ve written.
Read about the other three big misconceptions regarding book titles.
I have a few slots open for telephone consulting in the next three weeks, but my schedule is filling up fast. Read about how we can work together, and the $100 coupon you’ll get when you spend an hour with me on the phone.
3. What Big TV Shows Want
Each year, TV producers get piles of books, CDs, DVDs, media kits they don’t want–all from eager Publicity Hounds who want to get onto their shows.
That’s the wrong way to do it.
If you want to be interviewed on a top national TV show on ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox, do it right. One appearance on a big show can catapult your book to the top of the Bestseller List.
Join Steve Harrison on a free 90-minute telephone seminar on Thursday, February 5. He’ll interview a group of his producer friends:
–Mariann Sabol, “Live with Kelly”
–Tommy Crudup, “Rachael Ray”
–Dan Fitzpatrick, “The Wendy Williams Show”
–Stacy Rollins, Telepictures Productions
…and others to be announced. Together, they’ll share publicity tips that 9 out of 10 other Publicity Hounds don’t know.
The call is free except for your normal long-distance charges. Register here.
On the call, you’ll learn things like:
–How to increase your odds of getting on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.
–Understanding the mindset of national TV producers and what gets them to book you as a guest.
–The strategy a husband-and-wife team used to land a 7-minute segment on the Today Show.
–What you should send TV producers (and what you shouldn’t).
–The most important question you must be able to answer to land a TV appearance.
–The biggest mistakes to avoid when pitching TV producers (including ones that could get you black-balled forever).
–Case histories of three authors and entrepreneurs and the strategies they used to get on top TV shows.
Again, to register go here now.
You’ll receive all the details back within five minutes. I’m promoting this free calls as one of Steve’s affiliates, and I earn a commission if you buy anything from him down the road.
4. Hound Video of the Week
Eclipse, a black lab mix, is a regular on Seattle’s public bus system. She rides to and from the dog park–all by herself.
[Tweet “RT @Publicityhound #Free #Media Leads”]
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