Issue #820 May 24, 2014
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Raves for Media Kit Templates
- PR Bloggers Calling It Quits
- Would You Use Photos This Big?
- Hound Photos of the Week
This Weekend in the Hound House:
My Garden club’s annual plant sale is today. I’ll return home with a car full of plants. Most of them will sit on my back lawn for weeks, and I’ll have to move them every time I mow. Then I’ll complain all summer that I have to keep watering them. In September, I’ll pluck the crisp, shriveled things from their plastic containers and toss them onto the compost heap. It reminds me of this quote from Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood: “Gardening is not a rational act.”
1. Raves for Media Kit Templates
Rave reviews are pouring in from people who have bought “Quick & Easy Media Kit Templates for Indie Authors,” or from our volunteer beta testers:
From Marjorie Turner Hollman, author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts and a journalist for 17 years:
“I put your suggestions right to work and am finding that I need exactly what you described as I reach out to venues to promote my new book…I was lacking the important pieces you recommended. For those who feel unsure about writing a press release, bio, a blurb or a speaker introduction, buy the templates!”
From Barbara Lyons Stewart (no relation):
“You have saved me weeks and weeks of time doing things just one step at a time–and losing motivation because with that process I always feel that ‘I am missing something.’ I listened to your webinar and purchased your program as soon as you signed off (as any listener with an ounce of good sense should have done).”
From Edward Vilga, bestselling author of Downward Dog and Yoga in Bed:
“Joan Stewart’s QUICK AND EASY MEDIA KIT TEMPLATES reflect her media savvy, no-nonsense approach to PR success for authors. Her clear explanations and pre-formatted templates are a terrific time-saver and guarantee a professional, effective publicity campaign.”.
From Dr. Marlena Corcoran, author of an International Student’s Guide to Getting into Top U.S. Universities:
“I love the templates, and the concept of a complete template book. The templates are truly paint by numbers!”
From Author Melanie Abed:
“You have no idea how grateful I am to have access to this kind of material. You have helped cut my stress in half!
What’s all the excitement about? Go take a look.
If you’re at all interested, please act now. Don’t let yourself get distracted by all the events this weekend. Our discounted offer and the big bonus package goes away at 11:50 p.m. Monday night, May 26.
2. PR Bloggers Calling It Quits
PR/social media blogger Danny Brown, a giant in PR circles, is calling it quits to spend more time with his family.
He’s one of a half dozen major PR bloggers who have decided, for whatever reason, they don’t want to blog anymore.
Almost all agree it’s a very different landscape today than it was a decade ago when there were only a handful of top-notch PR bloggers. Some said it’s too hard to compete against the “content machines” like Social Media Examiner. Others have become very successful and say it’s time to move on.
You’ll find Arik Hanson’s article fascinating: Is the age of the independent PR blogger over?
As for me, I’m not going anywhere.
I don’t blog to compete with the “content machines.” I blog because of you.
3. Would You Use Photos This Big?
Blogger Arik Hanson, who wrote the blog post I referred to above, does something that will startle you.
He publishes gigantic headshots, almost 900 pixels wide, of people he writes about at his blog.
I was taken aback when I stumbled across this post that featured his friends answering the question, Who’s the ONE mentor that changed your PR career trajectory?
I would never have thought to use photos this big. But I have to admit, I stared at them, one by one. And then I moved on to read what they wrote.
Such a simple technique. And so effective.
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