Still Spraying & Praying?

Issue #866 Nov. 4, 2014
Publisher: Joan Stewart

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

In This Issue

Still Spraying & Praying?
Traditional vs. Indie Publishing
Sell Stuff on Radio Shows
Hound Video of the Week

This Week in the Hound House:

That blur of blaze orange walking the streets of Port Washington, Wisconsin is me in my new hoodie. It’s almost hunting season here, and Bogie and I sometimes walk in the early morning when it’s still dark. So I’m not taking any chances. The extra-large sweatshirt is big enough to slip over my bulky winter jacket. It has what the tag calls a “media pocket” in the front. I call it a convenient place to store ready-to-use poop bags.

1. Still Spraying & Praying?

Less is more, especially when you’re pitching.

The next time you need publicity, hand-pick three bloggers or journalists you want to pitch. Spend about 10 minutes researching each one. Then write a customized pitch that sounds like you wrote it only for their audience.

You’ll be much further ahead than sending the same pitch to 300 contacts.

That’s called “spraying and praying” and it almost never works. Media outlets are so segmented these days that a one-size-fits-all pitch will appeal to no one.

That’s what I told Pat Lynch when she interviewed me for her show on WomensRadio.

At my blog, read more about pitching and where to listen to the 10-minute interview Pat did with me. You’ll pick up some great tips. It’s all at my blog.

2. Traditional vs. Indie Publishing

Thinking of writing a book? Don’t spend months deciding whether to try for a contract with a traditional publisher or go the indie route.

Many authors want a publisher so they don’t have to get their hands dirty with marketing and publicity.

Surprise!

Either way, you must work your butt off to sell books.

There’s an interesting conversation about this topic under way in the Author U group on LinkedIn. Here’s what group moderator Judith Briles, who has published more than 30 books, has to say about being self-published:

“My experience with the indie route–which I did 14 years ago and have never looked back after 18 books with the traditional N.Y. crowd–is about four things: quality, control, timing and money.

“Understanding that this is a business–publishing and that your book is a product that has to be sold–is the deal breaker. You, the author, are the CMO–Chief Marketing Officer and it doesn’t matter if you are NY published or on your own. You are doing the lifting here.”

I’ll be presenting a daylong presentation at Judith’s annual Author Bookcamp Nov. 15 in Denver. I’d love to see you there. Because you’re one of my Publicity Hounds, she’s letting you attend at the Author U rate of only $129 instead of $169 for everybody else.

You could be one of the lucky winners of an afternoon hot seat. You sit on a chair in the front of the room and ask for advice for your book. The audience joins me in brainstorming one idea after another. Someone is taking notes for you, and you walk away with the foundation for a marketing plan.

You might even win the big foam Cheesehead hat I’m giving away as a door prize.

3. Sell Stuff on Radio Shows

Here’s another tip on how to sell books or products on radio shows.

Be ready for the pre-interview because you might not recognize it.

After you pitch a radio show, the host or producer might call you to chit-chat about your topic for a few minutes and ask you a few questions.

This, my friend, is actually an audition.

If you keep mentioning your book or your product and it sounds like a free commercial, you’ll never get on the show. If you pass, you get booked.

You’ll hear many more tips during a free webinar at 2 or 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Nov. 6. Steve Harrison will interview a self-published author about the system he has used to get booked as a guest on 1,264 radio shows, land more than $4.5 million of free airtime and generate more than $1.5 million in direct sales.

His system works for products, not only books.

You’ll learn about the “secret” online forum where radio producers share good guests and why being mentioned there can skyrocket your bookings.

You’ll also learn the 7 keys to landing radio appearances and how to tell the big stations from the little ones.

Register for the free call. Even though this call is free, I earn a commission from Steve if you buy anything from him later.

4. Hound Video of the Week

I hope you laugh as hard as I just did when you see this compilation of short clips. My favorite is the one at the 2:31 mark.