Issue #1073 Nov. 15, 2016
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Topics Perfect for Radio
- Big Changes at Wall Street Journal
- List of Writers Conferences
- Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
I can hardly wait to be at the big family birthday party on Saturday when my twin great-nieces turn a year old. At a yarn shop, I found two adorable finger puppets–a turkey and a mama kangaroo with a little baby in her pouch. I thought they’d be cute birthday gifts because I can tuck a check inside each one. And then my sister told me both girls are teething, drooling and biting everything in site.
1. Topics Perfect for Radio
Now that you aren’t competing with election-related topics for publicity, here’s a reminder about the types of guests and shows that do well on radio.
Media consultant Walter Sabo suggests this easy way to know whether your topic is likely to get you booked as a guest: Would two friends discuss it over lunch?
“The parent-teacher conferences are this week. How should I dress for that? The engine light is still on and I’m not paying 150 bucks to make it turn off. Why am I fat? Am I getting fired? The vet now costs more than my doctor. Please don’t let your brother stay at our house again. Why did Brad Pitt marry that crazy woman anyway?”
In an article for Talkers.com, Walter says any one of those topics can easily be dismissed as trivial. But together, they comprise life.
“Put on the air, those subjects mirror the interests needs and takes of listeners with kids, under 55, with busy lives and discretionary income.”
Unless you’re pitching a business show, stay away from business topics that do little to boost ratings.
To do: Read his article “What Are You Going to Do on Wednesday?” Then listen to the free training I hosted with radio deejay Wayne Kelly on “How to Promote Your Book to More than 10,000 radio Listeners for Free, Month After Month.”
#pitchingtips #talkradio #radiopublicity
2. Big Changes at Wall Street Journal
If you read the print edition of Monday’s Wall Street Journal and noticed it looked different, here’s why.
To cut print costs, it debuted a reformatted print edition that eliminates and combines some sections.
The Journal is introducing a “Business & Finance” section that combines its previously separate Business & Tech and Money & Investing sections. It also folded the Personal Journal and Arena sections into a Life & Arts pages that will be included in the A section. The Journal also eliminated its standalone Greater New York section, folding that into the A section as well.
To do: Before you pitch, study the print edition so you aren’t pitching the editor of a section that has disappeared.
#wallstreetjournal #wsj #newspapers
3. List of Writers Conferences
If you’d like to attend or speak at a conference for writers, here’s a handy free resource that will help you find them.
It’s a Google Doc that’s chock full of names and contact information for the people and groups who sponsor these events, courtesy of Melissa Wilson at Networlding.com. Check back periodically because some of the groups mentioned will be updating their information.
A big thanks to Publicity Hound Dan Janal of PRLeads.com for tipping us off to this one.
To do: Discover a conference that will teach you a skill you need, or perhaps bring you in as a speaker. See the 2017 Guide to Conferences for Writers.
#writersconference #authorconferences #conferencesforwriters
4. Hound Video of the Week
Watch as Otto the Skateboarding Bulldog tries to make it into the Guinness World Records by riding through a human tunnel of 30 people. Will he do it without wiping out?
[Tweet “RT @PublicityHound #PublicityTips –Topics Perfect for Radio #talkradio #radiopublicity”]
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