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Hook the Media

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:04:59 +0000

This Month’s Issue

1. Pam Lontos Column: Hook the Media

2. Inspirational Quote

3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

4. This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…

5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on How to Sell More Books to Corporations

6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Increasing Sales without Expanding Inventory

7. Have a Need for Publicity?

1. Pam Lontos Column: Hook the Media

How can you differentiate yourself from your competitors in troubled economic times? The best way to attract more clients and customers is to create a level of celebrity for yourself that only the media can bring, and because today’s media are more fragmented than ever before, you will need to reach out to many different types. While they all do things a bit differently and cover different topics, one thing will remain consistent when it comes to you getting coverage: the hook.

Even though one publication may appeal to a narrow audience, or an Internet news site may focus on a single topic, or a radio talk show treat just one subject line – even with that reality you can still appeal to them all if you have a great hook.

What is a hook? It’s the essence of your story, the angle, the concept that can be boiled down to a few words that make the reader or listener tingle with anticipation about what comes next. In a way, your hook is the bait, like a headline that makes someone want to read the whole story.

You may adapt your hook when moving from one medium to the next, but its core essence will remain the same. Suppose, for instance, your expertise is in helping business and organization leaders produce better results through a focused, fired-up and capably led workforce.

For a press release about why business leaders should consider corporate culture and employees’ perspectives during mergers and acquisitions, the merger of Northwest and Delta became the hook. The release was successfully pitched as “Why Delta/Northwest Merger is a Bad Idea.” This hook resulted in two interviews with major city newspapers.

But that same hook could also be used to approach a syndicated how-to columnist or a general-interest magazine editor with a more consumer-oriented twist on the idea, such as “How to Reduce Your Pink-Slip Chances When Your Company Merges.” Or you could write a feature or op-ed article such as “The Delta/Northwest Merger: What They Didn’t See Coming.”

You can get a lot of mileage from a single hook. Just remember to keep your hook angled to what the media are looking for. Here are examples of hooks – and how they came about – that succeeded in generating rich media coverage. You will easily see how your own experiences, knowledge and expertise can be mined in a similar way.

o Hook: “Obama out-Googled McCain: Do you?” Area of expertise: Search Engine Optimization, specifically how small business owners can maximize their Internet exposure. The idea: How small business owners should use Google keyword search results to better understand how their potential customers search the Internet. The news angle: the presidential election, which was then in full swing. Research showed that Barack Obama had 100,000 more searches than McCain, therefore he was the more popular search, which gave an unprecedented view into the mind of the searchers.

o Hook: “Will Microsoft survive Gates’ retirement?” Area of expertise: business consulting, specifically how organizations achieve success by adopting a practical framework of thinking during times of change and opportunity. The idea: adapting to large changes and transitions in the business world. The news angle: Bill Gates’ retirement and Microsoft’s predictable adjustment process.

o Hook: “Trick or Treat? Halloween Etiquette Rules for the Office.” Area of expertise: business etiquette. The idea: how to incorporate the fun, party aspect of Halloween at work, but in an office-appropriate way. The news angle: Halloween!

And here are three hooks that tied directly to serious breaking news. These hooks scored homeruns with the news media:

o When President Bush announced his new green initiatives, an environmental expert felt his action steps were too small for any kind of environmental change. She wrote a strong opinion editorial commenting on this timely issue, which was picked up by several newspapers.

o When Heath Ledger’s death was exposed as an accidental overdose derived from mixing too many prescription medications, a medical doctor and clinical pharmacy specialist was the perfect source for stories on this topic. Several celebrity magazines agreed to interview him, including Star Magazine and US Weekly.

o When a major earthquake hit China, a disaster readiness and recovery expert spoke with authority on preparedness and why China recovered so quickly when compared to Myanmar. This resulted in an interview with the Associated Press, which was distributed internationally.

As you can see, it doesn’t matter what the source of your expertise is. You may be Joe the Plumber or you may be a life planner. You may be an alternative-medicine author or you may be an accountant. Whatever your field, you offer a unique perspective because of your background, so use this to your advantage as you develop a hook.

Adaptation is the foundation for creating your hook. Use the examples above as inspiration. Soon you’ll be developing your own unique hook with each Web site, magazine, newspaper or talk show you approach to get more interviews and more articles published. Watch your scrapbook – and your fame – grow!

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the new book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

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Special Announcement!

PR/PR Now Offers Social Media Marketing

If you want to see your name everywhere on the Internet, we have what you need!

- Stand out from the competition

- Get your name and products on the best sites

- Book more speeches and sell more products online

- Use social networking sites to drive business to your Web site

Call Pam for a free consultation: (407) 299-6128 or e-mail: Pam@prpr.net

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2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“Your rewards in life are in direct proportion to your service.”

- Earl Nightingale

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3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are a communications consultant, expert, speaker or author, you’ll want to let the media know about your expertise for “Effective Communication Month” in June. You can share your advice on how to break the ice, communicate effectively at the office, improve listening and communication skills, and more.

Use these dates to create your own media opportunities by writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print:

- June is Effective Communication Month- Created to improve and commit to more active listening, verbal language, paralanguage, body language and written communication.

- June is Entrepreneurs “Do It Yourself” Marketing Month- This is a time to stand out from the competition and get more media attention and clients, while still achieving your goals. This is done by applying, discovering and applying creative and effective problem solving marketing ideas, and removing barriers that are in your way.

- June is Professional Wellness Month- A month designed for professionals to increase their worth in the marketplace by adding to their company and customers, being accessible and reliable, and increasing their skills and learning their business completely.

- The second week in June is National Business Etiquette Week- This is the time to recognize your own organization’s need for proper business etiquette and intelligence in order to compete in a growing global marketplace.

- The third week in June is Meet a Mate Week- Created to inspire singles who are seeking a mate to take advantage of the summer by pursuing warm-weather meeting opportunities.

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4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Star Magazine Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Medical Diagnosis”

Go, Air Tran Airlines Nathan Jamail on “Sales and Giving Away Your Products”

Best Health Theresa Rose on “Body Image”

Sacramento Bee Theresa Rose on “The Recession is a Good Thing”

My Family Doctor Dr. Donna LaMar and Betsy Laney on “Health Tips” LavaLife.com Theresa Rose on “New-Age Love Tips”

Success Magazine Pat Heydlauff on “Home Office Efficiency”

MSN.com (Small Business) Jay Arthur “How to Recession-proof your Startup”

La Opinion Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

1320 AM – Michigan Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

3WZ radio – Lexington, VA Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

America Tonight radio Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

KWIX – Moberly, MO Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

CKNX Radio, Ontario, CAN Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

TalkStar Radio Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

The Daily Buzz Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Spreading Germs”

WTIC News, Hartford, CT Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

850 KOA, Denver, CO Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

CBS Radio Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Swine Flu”

Reelz Channel Dan Burrus on “Terminator Cyborgs”

MyBusiness Magazine Nathan Jamail on “The Upsell”

Law Office Administrator Theresa Rose on “Annual Reviews”

Wearables Jay Forte on “Handling Rapid Growth”

Law Office Administrator Jay Forte on “Workplace Personalities”

Athens Banner-Herald Pat Heydlauff on “Spring Cleaning with Feng Shui”

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5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on How to Sell More Books to Corporations

Publishers seeking sales in non-bookstore markets often think only in terms of selling to retail outlets such as discount stores, warehouse clubs, airport stores or gift shops. However, there is an often-overlooked segment made up of buyers that frequently purchase books in large quantities, pays in 30 days and does not require a distributor. This niche is comprised of companies that buy books not necessarily for re-sale, but to motivate their sales forces, educate their employees, improve their images or use as sales incentives to sell more of their products.

This market can be lucrative, if you know how to sell to the buyers. This begins with an understanding of why they might use your books to improve their circumstances, to make their companies more profitable. An appeal to traditional buying motives may not work under these conditions.

The people with whom you will be negotiating are skilled professionals, used to dealing with knowledgeable, competent sales representatives. The buyer is probably not the Purchasing Agent for the companies, but perhaps the Human Resources Manager, Sales Manger or Brand Manager. The content of your book will determine the prospective decision maker.

Many of these businesspeople have never thought about using books as promotional tools. So if you come across as a consultant with ideas to help them, you are more likely to make the sale. If you know how they could use your titles to sell more of their products or services you will find a willing ear. Below are suggestions to fuel your discussion. Use this list to help plan how they might best use your titles.

1) Human Resource planning. If you have a concept that would help employees plan for their retirement, ask people in the Human Resources department if they could use your titles in their retirement-planning programs. They might also consider titles that would help them implement other parts of their benefit programs.

2) Training and motivation. According to Frank Fochetta (VP, Director of Special Sales and Custom Publishing at Simon & Schuster), “Companies such as Herbal Life and Amway buy motivational and business books to resell to their distributors.” In many other businesses, managers regularly seek new ways to train and motivate their employees, too. Your titles on leadership, motivation, self-help, selling techniques or new business topics could be useful to these executives.

3) Gift to customers. Fiction and nonfiction titles may be the perfect gift for customers, employees or to recognize unusual events or special marketing periods. Mark Resnick (partner in FRW Company) tells us, “Some cruise ship lines, give passengers a thank-you gift upon departing the ship. Sometimes they use a book about one of the destination ports as the souvenir.

4) Sell through their stores. If companies have stores for employees, either on the premises or online, they may purchase your books for resale. Majors Internet Company provides a service called The Company Bookstore. This is a business-to-business solution for selling books to employees of corporations. In effect, Majors puts a bookstore inside the corporation. Purchasing managers, Corporate Library Professionals, and Information Service Managers can link to a customized version of the company bookstore to offer employees access to a comprehensive database of titles.

Brian Jud hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. Post your own reviews and add your favorite suppliers. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/judslist/trial.asp Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com.

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

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Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Increasing Sales without Expanding

Inventory

How can a new, one-book author-publisher reach quantity of scale? How can he or she increase sales?

One way is to carry other books on the same subject but you do not want to pay for them and a 40 percent discount is not enough. Instead, look for other books that compliment your book. Think: “If a person were to buy my book, shouldn’t they also buy this similar book?” Hopefully they realize it is cheaper to buy several books on a subject than to make a mistake.

Contact other (small) author-publishers (there are 86,000 to choose from) and offer to exchange a few cartons of books. Now you each have two offerings—at no additional investment. You traded your books for their books. Add the new title to your website, etc.

For example, I wrote “The Expert Witness Handbook.” Rosalie Hamilton wrote the “Expert Witness Marketing Handbook.” They are complimentary; they do not compete. Rosalie and I exchange several cartons of books at a time. See http://www.parapublishing.com/subsites/expertwitness/ and

http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/witness/information/product2.cfm

Now here is a larger advantage: you can afford to wholesale the other title; you can give 40 percent or more off for quantity orders. One customer buys quantities of each book from us for their conference. You can give them a full discount on both books because each title cost you just the printing price. Think about that and consider carton exchanges.

It is easier to trade cartons of books than to write another book.

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine: http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

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Use the Media to Get Your Career to the Next Level in 2009

Order “I See Your Name Everywhere” NOW!

Go to Amazon.com or e-mail: Pam@prpr.net for your copy!

“If you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

Check out the in-depth publicity advice in Pam Lontos’ new book, “I See Your Name Everywhere” published by Morgan James. Order now for $12.95 plus shipping! Pam’s first book, “Don’t Tell Me It’s Impossible Until After I’ve Already Done it!” is available at $12.95 or you can order both for the combination price of $19.95 plus shipping.

Order yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call: 407-299-6128.

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7. Have a Need for Publicity?

PR/PR can help you with all of your publicity needs, from magazines and newspapers to television, radio and online media. If you want to sell more books, get more speaking engagements and be hired for more consulting jobs, you need publicity.

To receive a FREE consultation, contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

The Dos and Don’ts of Dealing with the Media – Part Two

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:19:31 +0000

This Month’s PR/PR Publicity E-Newsletter
1. Pam Lontos Column: The Dos and Don’ts of Dealing with the Media – Part Two
2. Inspirational Quote
3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
4. This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Mix and Match Your Promotion – Part Two
6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Encourage Reader Feedback
7. Have a Need for Publicity?

1. Pam Lontos Column: The Dos and Don’ts of Dealing with the Media – Part Two

Here is the second half of Pam’s article on the tried-and-true ways to get the most out of your media contacts, and ensure reporters, editors and producers answer your calls and respond to your e-mails:

8. DON’T expect the media to cover your topic when another story is dominating the news. DO be aware of what is happening in the news and tie your topic into those stories. Natural disasters, big trends such as the failing economy, harmful lead in children’s toys – the headlines will shape the media’s agenda. DO wait 24 hours to pitch your topic if you can’t tie it in with the news.

9. DON’T delay when returning calls from reporters or fact-checkers. DO understand journalists are on deadline and need to speak with you now. If you snooze, you may lose the chance for an interview.

10. DON’T call a magazine a week before a big holiday, such as Valentine’s Day or Thanksgiving, with your holiday-themed idea. DO remember that magazines put out holiday issues four or five months in advance. Time your pitches well.

11. DON’T leave your contact information off your press releases or e-mails. DO err on the side of giving too much information. Leave behind or mail in a business card. Send a follow-up email with your phone number. Put all contact information on your news releases.

12. DON’T just talk about what’s important to you during an interview. DO answer the questions asked during the interview. You need to be responsive to the questions asked by the interviewer, or else the interviewer will be frustrated and never want you back. Also – you need to know for a fact that the information you’re giving out is accurate. DON’T give out information unless you’re sure of it.

13. DON’T demand the article mention your company, your products or the book you have written. DO be happy that you are being interviewed! DON’T try to overly control the outcome. You’ll seem pretentious or worse if you try to put conditions on the interview, such as insisting you are the first person quoted in the story or the only expert mentioned. High-and-mighty attitudes will get you dropped from the interview lists immediately.

14. DON’T complain if the reporter gets the slightest thing wrong in the story. DO be happy if the reporter includes you, even if he or she left out a point or quoted someone else more than you. A mistake that seems big to you may be small in perspective. DON’T ask for a correction unless it’s absolutely necessary.

15. DON’T contact the reporter’s boss – editor-in-chief – or the publisher if you’re unhappy with the way the story turned out. DO let an interviewer or reporter know if you’re unhappy, but do it respectfully, remembering to listen during the conversation. He or she may say something that will change your feelings. Always try to work out the difficulty directly with the journalist – it will deepen your relationship in the long run.

Work these do and don’t practices into your behavior when dealing with the news media, and soon have the media relationships you’d always hoped for. Exercise a little courtesy and common sense, and you’ll have the reporters and producers seeking you out time after time.

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Special Announcement!

PR/PR Now Offers Social Media Marketing

If you want to see your name everywhere on the Internet, we have what you need!

- Stand out from the competition

- Get your name and products on the best sites

- Book more speeches and sell more products online

- Use social networking sites to drive business to your Web site

Call Pam for a free consultation: (407) 299-6128 or e-mail: Pam@prpr.net

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2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“The man who has no imagination has no wings.”

- Muhammad Ali

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3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are a productivity consultant, expert, speaker or author, you’ll want to let the media know about your expertise for “National Effectiveness Week,” in May. You can share your advice on how to create a more efficient workplace, the benefits of managing your time better, and provide insights on improving productivity at home and work.

Use these dates to create your own media opportunities by writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print:

- National Family Month is May 10- June 21. National Family Month is a celebration of the American family. Annually, from Mother’s Day through Father’s Day this national observance celebrates strong and supportive family ties.

- National Family Week. May 3 – 9. Traditionally the first Sunday and the first full week in May are observed as National Family Week in many Christian Churches. National Family Week is a celebration of the American traditions, the values of family life and the importance of our beloved one’s.

- International New Friends, Old Friends Week. May 17 – 23. A week to celebrate and make time for old friends and new friends and remember how vital friends are for our emotional and physical health and well-being and even professional or career success.

- National Effectiveness Week. May 18 – 22.This week, promote tolerance of different styles of getting things done. We celebrate National Effectiveness Week to get the importance of getting things done with minimum stress.

- May 2 is Kentucky Derby Day. The Kentucky Derby is the America’s premier Thoroughbred horse race, inaugurated in 1875. The race is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May, and is held at Churchill Downs.

- May 10 is Mother’s Day. Call your mother!

- May 25 is Memorial Day

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4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Star Magazine Dr. Donna LaMar and Betsy Laney on “Cycle of Violence”

Communication Bulletin Jay Forte on “MaxPerformers”

Go, Air Tran Magazine Nathan Jamail on “Sales and Promotion”

MyBusiness Magazine Nathan Jamail on the “Art of the Upsell”

Go, Air Tran Magazine Nathan Jamail on “Sales and Giving Away Your Product”

Best Health Theresa Rose on “Body Image”

Sacramento Bee Theresa Rose on “Is the Recession a Good Thing”

My Family Doctor Dr. Donna LaMar and Betsy Laney on “Health Tips for Women”

LavaLife.com Theresa Rose on “New-Age Tips for Getting Love”

Go, AirTran Airlines Linda Bishop on “Sales & Promotions”

ECT News Network Heather Lutze on “Google’s New Features”

Working Mother Lauren Rikleen on “Using Flex Time to Reduce Expenses

Future Intelligence Dan Burrus on “Real Estate and Technology”

PayScale Ron Price on “When to Ask for a Raise”

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5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Mix and Match Your Promotion (Part Two)

Here are the rest of Brian Jud’s tips on creating the right promotional mix.

6) You create a promotional frame of mind. As you begin to see results from your efforts, you will feel a sense of momentum, a belief that your big break will occur soon. You never know where or when it will appear, but you know that if you persist, something will happen to jump-start your sales.

7) You receive an implied endorsement. Media appearances create an implied endorsement by the medium itself and by the show’s host. The loyal viewer may decide to buy your book simply because you were on his or her favorite show.

8) You create additional opportunities. You never know who will be in the audience. There could be a publisher looking for the rights to a book just like yours, a meeting planner seeking a keynote speaker, the regional buyer for a national book chain or the person who arranges guests for a national talk show.

9) You grow professionally. Most media appearances begin with a question by the host to establish your credentials. As your qualifications are repeated over and over again, you will rapidly become the expert to whom people will come for advice.

10) You study and practice. Do not seek an appearance on a national show immediately. Instead, take the time to learn how to be a good guest. Study and practice the skills that will enable you to make a superior performance.

11) You reap personal benefits. Evaluate your performances by objectively critiquing yourself and practicing what you can do to improve the next time. Subsequently, you will grow personally and professionally.

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

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6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Encourage Reader Feedback

Writing and publishing your book is not the end of your literary involvement. When readers have questions, authors have a responsibility to respond by email, mail, telephone and in person at book signings and other events.

Use these opportunities to gather material for the book’s revision or your next book. Maybe you were not clear enough in your writing or perhaps the customer is interested in an important area you did not cover.

Bernard (Bear) Kamoroff, CPA, of Bell Springs Publishing, displays at book fairs and other industry events for the express purpose of gathering user feedback for Small Time Operator (23 revised editions and 53 printings in 21 years). At one fair, a woman said the business book was not for her because she was self-employed. So, Kamoroff added to the

cover: “For All Small Businesses, Self-Employed Individuals, Employers, Professionals, Independent Contractors, and Home-Based Businesses.” Also, due to customer feedback, he has increased the index from three pages to seven.

“Oh—I listen more and talk less. You can’t learn anything when you’re talking”

—Bing Crosby (1904-1977), American singer and film actor.

If people are asking questions, they like your work. Note their questions and your responses in a “correction copy” of your most recent edition and keep it on your shelf so you will be able to easily find the updates when the inventory runs low. Put the new information in your next revised edition—and sell the book to them again.

Listen to your readers. Your best customer is one you have sold to previously.

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine: http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

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Use the Media to Get Your Career to the Next Level in 2009

Order “I See Your Name Everywhere” NOW!

Go to Amazon.com or e-mail: Pam@prpr.net for your copy!

“If you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

Order yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call: 407-299-6128.

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7. Have a Need for Publicity?

To receive a FREE consultation, contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part Two

admin — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:37:17 +0000

This Month’s Issue
1. Pam Lontos Column: Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part Two
2. Inspirational Quote
3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
4. This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Performing on TV
6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on No More Autograph Parties
7. Have a Need for Publicity?

1. Pam Lontos Column: Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part Two,

Continued from November’s newsletter

*Based on a radio interview with Pam Lontos and Brian Bartes of the JWC Group, WorkLessMakeMore.com

Q. We were just talking about the differences between publicity and advertising, and you mentioned the term, hook. Can you explain that concept?

Pam: The hook is kind of like what you use when you go fishing. You’re out there and all the fish are swimming by. Then, all of a sudden one them bites because you’ve got a

good hook. And it’s the same thing with the media. You’re out there dangling your

story and you know the creative, unique hook is the one that’s going to get attention. A good hook is figuring out what’s in the news. A great example of a hook of that worked is from our client, Paul Kowal. Paul works with telephone systems and voice recognition systems. At the time, we were looking for different hooks to pitch because it’s not necessarily a topic that’s going to be in all the newspapers. This happened to be around the same time as American Idol’s final vote between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, and there was a controversy that many people’s votes didn’t get counted due to problems with the phone system. We called up USA Today and told them that we had an expert, Paul Kowal, who could talk about phone line scamming and phone systems. They called back immediately to interview him and he ended up on the front of USA Today with a story that featured a picture of everybody from American Idol.

If you just call the media and give your expertise, they won’t care and that’s the main mistake most people make. They call up a reporter and say “I did this, I did that,” and they don’t think about what’s in it for the media. Every time you talk to the media, you should think of them saying, “Who cares?” Basically, the “who cares” part means, are their readers going to like it and will it increase subscriptions? Will their audience enjoy the show and tune in?

One of the ways to create your own hook is to tie your expertise into the news. There’s a good publication to get, called “Chase’s Calendar of Events.” It has all the different days and holidays listed. For example there’s “Get Organized Month,” and “Clean off Your Desk Day.” When we promoted Barbara Hemphill, author of “Taming the Paper Tiger,” we would send out press releases to hundreds of newspapers. The release would talk about how Barbara could give different tips and advice on how to keep your desk clean for “Clean off Your Desk Day.” Our goal was to get them interested so that they would interview Barbara – all because of a unique, timely hook.

Q. So, a hook is something dynamic, right? If you were a divorce attorney, you would want to create a special hook … depending on the situation or maybe what’s going on in the news, like a special event that’s coming up.

Pam: That’s right. Especially if something happens in the news. If suddenly, two huge movie stars get divorced, that’s when you want to reach out to the media, and make sure it’s within 24 hours. You can send a press release to radio, television and newspapers and let them know you can comment. Even if it’s a special holiday like “National Marriage Day” you can put something different in your release and say how to keep your marriage from ending up in a divorce.

Q. Now, it seems like you see a lot of the same people in the media, whether you’re talking about national media or even local media. For example, a friend of mine in Las Vegas is a criminal defense attorney and whenever there’s a trial in Las Vegas, he’s on TV and he’s in the newspapers with his take. I’m sure that it helps his law practice to be doing these things. Does this work for other businesses as well, and if it does, how do we position ourselves to be the go-to source for media stories?

Pam: Well the more media interviews and placements you do, the more your name gets out there. People see your name everywhere then you become the celebrity. And that’s when you’re really in demand because everybody wants to have a celebrity guest! It’s not to say even if you’re not the celebrity you can’t get on. But that’s why you have to get your name out there, over and over and over.

Celebrity status is all about frequency and repetition. You don’t want to say something like Time Magazine is too big and you can’t get it because you can do it! The biggest magazines in the country are looking for experts like you. But also remember the importance of doing interviews with small magazines as well. One of the best examples is our client Pam Ammondson who had a book about the importance of taking sabbaticals. A very small magazine wanted to interview her. Well, after she was featured in this magazine, a reporter from Time Magazine called and wanted to interview her. It turns out that journalist was writing a story on sabbaticals! When Time Magazine came out, Tom Brokaw and the NBC news called her and sent a film crew to her business. So, imagine if she had said, “Oh, that magazine is too small!” She would have missed out being on the national news with Tom Brokaw AND Time magazine.

Q. So that’s really what causes the ball to start rolling! Let’s go back to what we were talking about before, which was being proactive and calling newspapers or magazines with your hook. Does that eventually change [with name recognition] to the point where people start calling you?

Pam: Absolutely! The more you’re out there, the more the media will notice. Reporters need good story sources all the time. It doesn’t matter if they have a TV show to put on each day, or a daily newspaper to run – they need you! So when you’re out there a lot, that’s how you start to gain expert or celebrity status. All of us see celebrities that in our own field and you may think, “I’m better than him” but why is he the one making more money? Why is he the one they feature in the news?

When you start out, you’re not going to be famous in any one thing. But if you’re in the newspaper, say every month, and people pick up Entrepreneur magazine or Forbes or Cosmopolitan and there you are, again, you will start to create top-of-mind awareness. After people see you in these publications and on TV, month after month, you become a celebrity. You know, there are people out there who are famous for being famous. They haven’t even done anything! They’re just in the news a lot. They’re making this huge amount of money just because they’ve been on TV or they’re quoted all the time as the expert.

Q. Now that you’ve mentioned they make huge amounts of money, let’s jump into that! I think there are a couple of things that are attractive about being that go-to person in the media and one is just the celebrity status. But really what we’re talking about is not to become famous, although that might happen, but it’s really how do we use publicity to increase our business. To either get more clients or to do more business with our existing clients. So how does that happen through publicity?

Pam: When people know your name, they immediately perceive you as the best. Let’s take a plastic surgeon, Dr. Smith, for example. He is on TV, giving advice about the latest celebrity’s facelift. Now, when somebody wants facework, they will think of him as that “well-known plastic surgeon” and go to him. They want the best, after all. Even if the price is higher, they’re going to expect it because Dr. Smith is so well known.

Often, the difference between a speaker who makes $1,000 a speech and one who makes $25,000 a speech is publicity. The one who charges more is the one who has been quoted in the media all the time. People are willing to pay for the best, and the best is always perceived as a person who is an expert featured in the media.

It’s not only about getting higher fees, but also having people come into your business, or call you because suddenly they need your services. Rather than you having to mine for new leads or cold call, people will start calling you after seeing you in the media.

If the public doesn’t even know your name, they don’t know what you do, so you’re not going to get the calls. Is your phone ringing? Are people calling you? Are your fees or rates going up? That’s what you want to happen. And, you can do less work but make more money, and that’s the whole key, isn’t it?

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

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Use the Media to Get Your Career to the Next Level in this New Year 2009

Order Pam Lontos’ New Book Now!

“I See Your Name Everywhere: Leverage the Power of the Media to Grow Your Fame, Wealth and Success”

“If you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

“I love the title … it describes the results of a well-executed publicity campaign: I see your name everywhere. This book is a must-read.”

- John Kremer, author of “1001 Ways to Market Your Books”

“This book tells you how to improve your image, credibility and market – faster and cheaper.”

- Brian Tracy, author of “The Psychology of Selling”

Want to See Your Name Everywhere?

Order yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call: 407-299-6128.

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2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“Only those who risk going too far will ever know how far they can go.”

- Anonymous

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3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in book promotion, you’ll want to let the media know about your expertise for “Book Blitz Month,” which is January. You can share your advice on how to find an agent, how to promote books and how to get your book on the best-seller list.

Use these dates to create your own media opportunities by writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print:

January is Book Blitz Month – Created to focus the attention on improving the relationships between authors and the media to establish a best-selling book.

January is International New Year’s Resolution Month for Businesses – Designed to set in motion a successful year by focusing on PR and marketing efforts guaranteed to steer any business into increase profits and success.

January is Financial Wellness Month – Created to help establish financial balance after all the bills from holiday shopping come rolling in, and set new goals for budgeting.

The first week in January is Diet Resolutions week – The purpose for this week is to emphasize the importance of watching one’s weight by paying close attention to the type, not amount, of food eaten.

The second week in January is Thank-Your-Customers Week – This is a week dedicated to thanking those who make business possible.

The fourth week in January is Take Back Your Time Week- Created to establish good time management habits and the importance of prioritizing activities and demands.

January 1 is New Year’s Day

January 19 is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday (Observed)

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4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Wall Street Journal Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Associations Skimping ”

The New York Times Lisa Lane Brown on “Navigating a Bad Review”

Woman’s Day Theresa Rose on “Mindfulness”

SellingPower.com Chris Witt on “Taking Your Speech to the Next Level”

Entrepreneur Heather Lutze on “Humor in Marketing”

Entrepreneur Scott Jeffrey on “Humor in Marketing”

WESH TV Dream Balloon Productions on “Red Carpet Film Festival”

First for Women Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Finding Focus”

Good Housekeeping Scott Jeffrey on “Why Boredom is Good”

Capitalist Chicks Brenda Bence on “Women Doing Business Overseas”

CRM Management Scott Halford on “Be A Shortcut”

Ragan Communications Chris Witt on “Motivating Your Staff”

Insight Magazine Jay Forte on “Curbing Unnecessary Business Costs”

Success from Home Scott Jeffrey on “Boost Your Creativity”

AOL.com Holly Green on “Lending an Employee Your Car”

Examiner.com Jay Forte on “Surviving Your First Performance Review”

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5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Performing on TV

Television is the glamour medium in the broadcast industry, making you instantly recognizable to millions of people across the country. But appearing on the air does not guarantee book sales. There are three major elements that control the way you are perceived by the viewers – your physical features, clothes and body language:

1) There’s not much you can do to change your physical features, but you can work with them. Use makeup to hide or accentuate certain physical features. Most women use makeup regularly and feel comfortable wearing it. If you are not familiar or comfortable with makeup, get assistance from a media trainer or from a sales representative at a local theatrical or cosmetic shop.

2) Dress to feel comfortable and create the image you want. Choose clothes that will not distract from your message. People should pay attention to what you say, not what you are wearing.

Choose colors that are best for you, given your hair and skin coloring. In general, dark colors are best for suits, and blue is a safe color. Earth tones and neutral colors work well on television, too. Before you choose your attire for any particular show, watch it or call ahead to find out the background color of the set.

Accessories should be simple, non-distracting and quiet. Use them to complement your intended image. Jewelry should be functional, subtle and not so bright as to cause camera problems. Glasses may be worn if needed to read.

3) There are volumes written about body language and how you project an image through your posture, movements and gestures – intentionally or unintentionally.

Here are a few tips:

Be seated comfortably with your forearms placed on the armrests. Sit toward the front of the chair and lean slightly forward. If you are seated in a large sofa, sit near the front edge so you are not enveloped in it, particularly if you are short.

Use your hands strategically and naturally. Do not use quick, stiff, contrived gestures, but practice making smooth ones that appear spontaneous. Use your hands and arms to reinforce what you are saying. Do not look into the camera as you answer the interviewer’s questions. You are having a discussion with your host, so focus on his or her eyes.

Relax, enjoy yourself and you will sell more books when you are on the air.

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

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6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on No More Autograph Parties

One of the joys of being a published author is being appreciated for your work. Getting a favorable response to your book from a crowd of people is an event most authors look forward to. But many authors and author/publishers misunderstand the purpose of a book signing and they attend unprepared.

Book signings are a form of product promotion not available to producers of other goods or services. But autographings are not a party in your honor – you and your book are not even known yet. Bookstores, both chain and independent, stage events to attract potential customers into their stores. The stores supply the venue; the author supplies the

audience.

“Never do an autographing; always offer a mini seminar. Attract buyers to your autograph parties.”

- Terri Lonier, author, Working Solo

An “autograph party” says, “Come and appreciate me (and buy a book)”; a “seminar” says, “Come on down and I will give you something free (information) that will improve your life.” Always think of the benefit to the potential customer. How can you lure them out of the house and down to the store? Your appearance is a promotional opportunity for you and it will require hard work.

Patricia Bragg (Health-Science) publishes health and fitness books. To promote her mini-seminar at a local bookshop in Santa Barbara, she posted handbills in all the local health food stores. Then she made a postcard mailing to her customer list within a 50-mile (driving) radius. The store was packed and she was on for over four hours – until closing time. The store sold out of many of her titles and gave out rain checks. (www.bragg.com)

Authors are celebrities; they are the draw. People think if you wrote a book, you know something. And, you probably do. Nonfiction books are written from the best research you can do, you direct your material toward a certain type of reader and you further explain your advice with your own experiences. Book writing is a journey. Often we do not know where the process will take us. We learn everything there is to know about our subject and, in effect, we are gaining an advanced degree in our area of interest: we do the research and then we do the paper. So, authors are pretty special, often interesting and do know quite a bit about their subject area.

When my parents taught me not to write in books, they did not know they were raising an author who would autograph them. They turned my last book tour into a guilt trip.

The store might publicize your appearance with a sign in the window for a few days and may place a notice in their event schedule. Attracting the rest of the crowd is up to you.

These mini seminars may lead to longer ones for other groups at other locations—for money. Go for the exposure and go prepared. Your book deserves it.

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine: http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

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PR/PR’s Client Quote of the Month:

“Pam Lontos has it right. With PR/PR working for me, my book reached the top two percent of books on Amazon. Every time a new article of mine was published, my book sales soared!”

- Al Auger, President CCVI Real Estate Company, author and speaker

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7. Have a Need for Publicity?

To receive a FREE consultation, contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

************************************************************************

Permission to reprint: You may reprint any items from “PR/PR Pulse” in your own print or electronic newsletter, but please include the following:

“Reprinted from ‘PR/PR Pulse,’ a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To subscribe, send an e-mail to newsletter@prpr.net with ‘Add Me’ in the subject line.”

If you like any of the advice from this e-zine, please pass this on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

We would love to hear from you! Please e-mail your suggestions and/or questions about publicity to: newsletter@prpr.net.

PR/PR

President: Pam Lontos

775 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 104

Orlando, FL 32811

www.prpr.net

Phone: 407-299-6128

Fax: 407-299-2166

If you no longer wish to receive this e-zine, please e-mail: newsletter@prpr.net and include “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.

Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part One

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:40:55 +0000

This Month’s Issue
1. Pam Lontos Column: Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part One
2. Inspirational Quote
3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
4. This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Sell No Book Before Its Time
6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Be Grateful for a Bad Review
7. Have a Need for Publicity?

1. Pam Lontos Column: Low-Cost, High-Impact Publicity Tips – Part One

*Excerpt from a recent radio interview with Brian Bartes

Q. What is publicity and how do you distinguish between publicity and marketing?

A. Well, publicity is when somebody else basically talks about you. You know, so when you pick up a magazine and you’re reading an article on the topic that you’re interested in, and a person is quoted and giving advice in that article, or you turn on the TV and there they are! It’s promotion that you don’t pay for, but it’s even better than advertising or marketing because it’s someone else endorsing you, so you’re the perceived expert. In marketing, that’s when you do mail outs, you know such as direct mail, you buy advertising and things like that. So people know it’s coming from you but they don’t trust it as much as they do publicity, because that’s someone else saying you’re great.

Q. Most of us really understand the concept of marketing; we’re out there, advertising our businesses, whether it’s sending mailers or through the yellow pages or whatever we do, but what can publicity do for us?

A. Well, publicity gives you that third-party endorsement and it gets your name out everywhere. If you pick up your newspaper and you read a story about someone’s business on the front page of the business section, and it’s talking about what they do, the first thought you have is “Man, this must be the best person in town!” If you pick up a national magazine like Entrepreneur or you read Cosmopolitan or The Wall Street Journal, and there’s someone quoted giving their advice, you immediately assume they’re the top expert in the country. So, right there [publicity] sets you apart from your competitors. And what you want to get is top of mind awareness; that’s when someone sees your name over and over, like, you know, I see your name everywhere. When they see your name over and over, because they need to see it at least seven times to remember it, then when they need your product or service what will happen is … they will think of you first.

Q. As you know, our listeners are entrepreneurs, business owners, self-employed professionals, salespeople. Really, they are people who are in control of their income and in control of their time. What are some specific ways that our listeners can gain this top of mind awareness and use publicity to promote their businesses?

A. Well, one of the ways is to call up national and local magazines. And you don’t have to start local, but go national. Because if you are national, not only is your name out there everywhere and you can get business from out of state, but even if you work mainly local, if you’re in national magazines it still puts you ahead of all the other competitors in town. So, call your local newspaper, call … the city magazines… as well as calling, you know, Forbes and Entrepreneur and New York Times … to get quoted. And the whole key to getting quoted is to decide what you have that’s going to help the media. The same thing in calling radio stations, locally and nationally, and television stations locally and nationally. And the key to getting your name out there is knowing that the media doesn’t care about you, and you don’t even have to worry about your credentials until later. All they care about is the hook or the story idea. And the great thing about that is, when you get the hook, it doesn’t matter whether you are … famous. You don’t even have to be well known. If you get the right story idea and you have credentials, [the media] will want to interview you. And the reason for that is, the media, whether it’s a magazine, a newspaper or radio or television show, they make their money based on their advertising rates. Their advertising rates go up for television and radio at higher ratings. With magazines and newspapers, the higher subscription rates. So when … someone wants to get into the media, if they look at who the readership or audience is of that show or that publication, and then decide what the audience would want and what problems would the readers have, and then solve that problem, that’s your hook and that’s how you get interviews.

Q. So what I heard you say is, that you can basically just call up not only your local newspaper but you mentioned some national newspapers like Investor’s Business Daily or even magazines. It just seems like you’d have to be well known to get somebody to even take your call, let alone interview you or elicit information from you related to particular topics. That isn’t the case?

A. Not at all – I mean, they’re looking for what your credentials are. So someone may have never been in the media, they’re not well known, but let’s say they’re attorneys… or they are in sales, but they are excellent at what they’re selling. They could do gardening supplies. IF something is in the news that they can comment on … and the media likes the story, they’ll interview you. There was a speaker several years ago … when she started she had never wanted to be a speaker. She didn’t have any paid speaking engagements, she was brand new to speaking, and she talked about the use of humor to overcome obstacles. Because in one year she had gotten cancer, got a divorce, and her mother and her father died. Well, I found out that U.S. News and World Report was doing this story on overcoming cancer, so you know we called them up [to] you know, pitch Sandy. And they said, “Well, we’re not really doing the psychological [aspect of the story].” I said, “Well, most people [who] overcome cancer say the psychological is the most important part. They said, “Well, maybe, you know maybe we should have it.” So, I had Sandy call them back …immediately, once you get [the reporter’s] interest. And a week after that, the very first thing she got for her media kit was U.S. News and World Report! And so it was, you don’t have to necessarily have a degree or whatever. You could have a degree; [or] it could be your experiences, as in Sandy’s case.

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

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NEW PUBLICITY BOOK!

Be the First to Buy Pam’s NEW BOOK

“I See Your Name Everywhere”

For a Limited Time, Pre-Order Your Copy for $12.95

“If you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

“I love the title … it describes the results of a well-executed publicity campaign: I see your name everywhere. This book is a must-read.”

- John Kremer, author of “1001 Ways to Market Your Books”

“This book tells you how to improve your image, credibility and market – faster and cheaper.”

- Brian Tracy, author of “The Psychology of Selling”

Want to see your name everywhere? Check out the in-depth publicity advice in Pam Lontos’ upcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” published by Morgan James. Order now for a special pre-sale price of $12.95 plus shipping! Pam’s first book, “Don’t Tell Me It’s Impossible Until After I’ve Already Done it!” is available at $12.95 or you can order both for the combination price of $19.95 plus shipping.

Order yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call: 407-299-6128.

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2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

- Mark Twain

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3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in communications training or public speaking, you’ll want to let the media know about your expertise for “Better Conversation Week” which is the fourth week in November. You can share your advice on how to improve public speaking skills, enhance your relationship skills through conversations and advance speaking and listening skills. By writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print, you’ll be able to boost your brand. Here are more publicity opportunities:

- November is National Life Writing Month – This is an opportunity for people to celebrate themselves and their families by writing down their life stories to preserve autobiographies for future generations. Writers and writing coaches can pitch the media with their expertise and help others learn to communicate more skillfully.

- November is “I Am So Thankful” Month – In honor of Thanksgiving, this is a month to give thanks to people who help you on a day-to-day basis and have opened doors for your career. Send them a thank you note to let them know how grateful you are.

- November is Vegan Month – This outreach is a great opportunity for diet experts, doctors and nutritionists! They can contact the media about educating and encouraging people to adopt a way of life by not eating or using any animal products in order to promote an ethical, healthy and environmentally conscious lifestyle.

- The third week in November is American Education Week – This week is designed to focus on the importance of education and everything that it stands for.

- The fourth week in November is Better Conversation Week – This week was created to embrace and improve conversation between family members, friends and different age groups through the holidays, in order to deepen relationships through communication.

- November 4 is General Election Day

- November 11 is Veterans Day

- November 27 is Thanksgiving

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4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Investor’s Business Daily John Haskell on “Managing Your Sales Manager”

Good Housekeeping Theresa Rose on “Why Boredom is Good”

AARP Bulletin Patrick Astre on “30th Anniversary of the 401(k)”

Bankrate.com John Baker on “Coping with Bankruptcy”

SellingPower.com Lisa Lane Brown on “Making Yourself Irresistible”

CNN.com Theresa Rose on “Is Confession a Good Idea”

HowsMatter.com Scott Halford on “A Good Way to Lay People Off”

Investor’s Business Daily Nathan Jamail on “Dealing with Bad Performers”

Bend Bulletin Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Returning from Maternity Leave”

LoveToKnow.com Pat Heydlauff on “Feng Shui Design”

Women’s Health Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Double Your Salary”

Woman’s Day Pat Heydlauff on “Cleaning Tips”

Woman’s World Pat Heydlauff on “Pack Away Holiday Decorations”

Investor’s Business Daily Ken Whiting on “Hiring Teens in the Workplace”

First for Women Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Embarrassing Moments”

American Medical News Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Brain Fitness”

First for Women Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “OTC Medication Dangers”

History Channel/Modern Marvels Dan Burrus on “Obsolete Technology”

Wall Street Journal Francie Dalton on “Associations Skimping on Meetings”

Advance Publications Lauren Rikleen on “Women’s Salaries”

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5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Sell No Book Before Its Time

An engineer can look at the foundation of a building under construction and tell you its eventual height. The deeper the base, the higher the structure will be. Similarly, an independent publisher must create a strong foundation to support a title’s future growth. This preparation is performed in five phases.

1) The Planning Phase

Focus on creating a strategic marketing plan for your title at least six months prior to its publication date. Outline the tactics you will perform, and establish completion dates for each, in four functional areas:

* Production. How many pages and what size should the book be? What type of binding? Will you use illustrations or half tones?

* Distribution. Will you distribute your books through the traditional distributor_wholesaler_ retailer channels? What special markets–mass merchandise clubs, associations, premium sales, corporations, foundations, book clubs or home shopping channels–are suited to your title? What about Internet marketing?

* Promotion. Plan your strategies in four areas: publicity, advertising, sales promotion and personal selling.

* Financial. Determine the list price and forecast potential sales. This will determine your initial print run. Calculate expected costs and create your preliminary cash flow statements and other financial reports.

2) The Production Phase

The next month or two (four to five months before pub date) are devoted to the production process. Finish all illustrations and photography. Complete the front cover design and internal layout, which presupposes all registration information (ISBN, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number, Bookland EAN bar code and CIP data) has been compiled.

Once you have all the production information, submit Requests For Quotation to several printers. Each RFQ should list the quantity to be printed and books’s trim size, number of pages, number of colors (on the cover and internally), number of halftones, type of binding and the weight of the cover and paper.

3) The Promotion Phase

Promotion begins here and never ends. Three to four months before publication date, begin contacting book clubs, inquiring into serial or other rights’ sales. Prepare galleys to send to reviewers as well as for peer review and endorsements. When you receive testimonials, add them to the rear cover copy and all your promotional material.

Think in terms of the four parts of the promotion mix: publicity, advertising, sales promotion and personal selling. Create and place prepublication announcement advertisements (some trade papers have 90-day deadlines). Produce sales-promotional items. Decide upon the trade shows at which you will exhibit. What direct-mail letters and sales literature must be written and printed? Plan non-traditional publicity programs that will stimulate as much attention as possible.

Prepare press releases for relevant newspaper and magazine editors. Do not overlook the broadcast media as a source of low-cost, high-yield publicity. Develop a list of television and radio shows suited to the topic of the book.

4) The Distribution Phase

During the two to three months prior to publication, your objective is to create distribution. Research and contact relevant wholesalers and distributors. Do not forget that separate channels may be required for marketing to libraries, bookstores and special markets. When you contact a prospective distribution partner, describe the comprehensive marketing plan you have in place and how your promotional efforts will support their sales efforts.

Continue your preliminary promotional efforts. Once your books are being printed and your distribution is in place, send your press kits to the media. Also, provide your distributor with copy and cover-art for its catalog.

5) The Introduction Phase

The final month before publication is devoted to following up and catching up. You must follow up with your printer, editors, producers, buyers and reviewers to consummate your programs. And make final arrangements for your media tour and book signings.

At the same time you must implement last-minute promotional programs. This may entail mailing literature to buyers at major chains and independent stores, sending book covers to distributors, participating in cooperative mailings with SPAN, and getting your web site up and running.

When your book is finally released, the real work of sustaining its momentum begins. However, the publishing process is more rewarding and productive if it begins well enough in advance, building steadily upon a strong foundation of strategic planning and effort.

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

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6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Be Grateful for a Bad Review

Reviews are the least expensive and most effective form of book promotion. More than 300 titles are published each day. There is no way anyone can know and rank them. That is why bookstores, libraries and readers rely so heavily on book reviews. Reviews sell books.

Occasionally a book receives a negative review. The reviewer might be having a bad day, might be envious of your success or may dislike your stand on some issues. Take heart. Any review is a good review because it results in ink. Exposure, kind or unkind, will bring in orders. Focus on the amount of ink, not the character of the words.

No one remembers the negativity of the review but they do remember the title of the book. – John Kremer, 1001 Ways to Market Your Book.

While some readers may be discouraged from buying your book from a bad review, others will see through the review and buy the book because the subject interests them.

Many book reviewers are mean spirited. Even if a reviewer likes a book, he or she must find fault and write snide and/or patronizing little asides about the author’s character or motives that demonstrate the reviewer’s intellectual and moral superiority.

– Andrew Greeley, author

Most reviewers are underpaid and overworked. Their contributions to bookselling go unrewarded and unrecognized. No one ever built a statue to honor a reviewer.

Just write the best book you are capable of writing; then, take solace in the fact that most people do not buy books on the basis of any review they actually read.

– Steve Wasserman, book editor, The Los Angeles Times

Few new products get the free publicity showered on books. Authors, publishers and booksellers owe a debt of thanks to reviewers. Hope for good ink and be grateful for bad ink. Ink is ink and ink is free.

A bad review is better than no review.

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine: http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

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PR/PR’s Client Quote of the Month:

Pamela S. Harper says, “After only a few months of having my articles and quotes appear in the Chicago Tribune, AirTran Magazine, and CNBC.com, executives and conference organizers are already inviting me to chair and speak at national and international conferences and symposia. This is beyond anything I expected in such a short time!”

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7. Have a Need for Publicity?

To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

Permission to reprint: You may reprint any items from “PR/PR Pulse” in your own print or electronic newsletter, but please include the following:

“Reprinted from ‘PR/PR Pulse,’ a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To subscribe, send an email to newsletter@prpr.net with ‘Add Me’ in the subject line.”

If you like any of the advice from this e-zine, please pass this on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

We would love to hear from you! Please e-mail your suggestions and/or questions about publicity to: newsletter@prpr.net.

PR/PR

President: Pam Lontos

775 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 104

Orlando, FL 32811

www.prpr.net

Phone: 407-299-6128

Fax: 407-299-2166

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Not Your Niche? Still Do the Pitch!

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:37:01 +0000

This Month’s Issue

1. Pam Lontos Column: Not Your Niche? Still Do the Pitch!
2. Inspirational Quote
3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
4. This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on I Only Have “Ize” for You
6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Make Your Book Worth the Money
7. Have a Need for Publicity?

1. Pam Lontos Column: Not Your Niche? Still Do the Pitch!

Do you see other experts’ names in the media and wonder why you’re not getting the same exposure? Are their fees going up and up, with increased publicity, while yours stay flat? Are they selling more product as well? Consider expanding outside your niche topic.

A speaker whose topic is accountability wanted to be interviewed on his topic and his topic only. He once turned down an interview on teamwork in Inc. magazine because it didn’t address his specific topic. If the expert had only stretched a little and spoke on how teamwork takes accountability and how everyone needs to pull their weight or else the team falls apart, then he could have had his name and book in one of the most widely read business magazines in the country.

If a writer from the New York Times is doing a piece on pets in the office, and you keep your four-footed friends near you, then do the interview! It doesn’t matter if it’s not directly related to your topic. If you have experience in the area, simply ask the writer to mention that you’re a speaker or an expert and your topic (and the title of your book, if you have one). It doesn’t matter that pets are not your topic, what matters is getting your name out there repeatedly to gain top-of-mind awareness. Just remember, ask politely to have the writer mention your speaking topic and book title.

During the interview, remember this tip – telling a reporter your topic is motivation can be the kiss of death. It conjures up images of a snake-oil salesman on late night TV hocking their wares. Instead, stretch your topic into other areas, such as: productivity, overcoming stress, willpower, dealing with deadlines, creativity. All of these will set you apart in the field of motivational speakers and experts, while giving you creditability and creating name recognition that will raise your fees and increase product sales.

The media likes success stories, current events and solving the problems of their viewers or readers. When pitching editors and producers, point out a problem their audience is facing, and then present yourself as the expert who can offer a solution.

If your topic is management, and your book is on hiring, don’t limit your pitches to recruitment issues. Branch out into all HR issues, and then steer the interview back to how the situation being discussed could have been avoided with proper hiring techniques. If the media is doing a story on listening to employees or solving conflict, do the interview and ask the writer to mention you’re a speaker and the title of your book on hiring. The people who would be interested in reading a story on solving conflict between employees would also be interesting in how to hire better. These are the same people who hire speakers for conventions and meetings.

A speaker was hired to be the keynote address at a major convention after their article appeared in a multi-level marketing magazine. The convention had nothing to do with multi-level marketing, and it wasn’t even the event planner who read the article. A friend, who knew the event planner was looking to hire a keynote speaker, called and then faxed the article over when she read it.

If your topic is business or management, don’t limit yourself to business and trade publications. If Cosmopolitan is doing an article on getting promoted, do the interview. Both men and women read newsstand magazines, like Cosmopolitan, at home and on airplanes. Being read in Cosmopolitan helps boost your level of celebrity, which will lead to larger fees.

However, don’t limit yourself to just big publications either. Trade and industry journals are consistently read by executives and meeting planners cover-to-cover. They want to keep up with their industry and competition. Many specialty industries, such as suntan shops, doors and alarms, real estate brokers, have large conventions that hire speakers for $20,000 or more. A single article can get placement in several publications.

The key to increased booking and fees is getting your name out in the media repeatedly. You don’t want meeting planners to say, “Who?” when they hear your name, you want them to say, “I see your name everywhere!” This only happens with constant exposure over a period of time.

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

************************************************************************

NEW PUBLICITY BOOK!

Be the First to Buy Pam’s NEW BOOK

“I See Your Name Everywhere”

For a Limited Time, Pre-Order Your Copy for $12.95

“If you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

“I love the title … it describes the results of a well-executed publicity campaign: I see your name everywhere. This book is a must-read.”

- John Kremer, author of “1001 Ways to Market Your Books”

“This book tells you how to improve your image, credibility and market – faster and cheaper.”

- Brian Tracy, author of “The Psychology of Selling”

Order yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call: 407-299-6128.

************************************************************************

2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination. Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.”

- Napoleon Hill

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3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in communications training or public speaking, you’ll want to let the media know about your expertise for “Better Conversation Week” which is the fourth week in November. You can share your advice on how to improve public speaking skills, enhance your relationship skills through conversations and advance speaking and listening skills. By writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print, you’ll be able to boost your brand. Here are more publicity opportunities:

- The third week in November is American Education Week – This week is designed to focus on the importance of education and everything that it stands for.

- November 4 is General Election Day

- November 11 is Veterans Day

- November 27 is Thanksgiving

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4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Investor’s Business Daily John Haskell on “Managing Your Sales Manager”

New York Daily News Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Health Hazards and Ike”

Women’s Health Lauren Rikleen on “Alpha Wives”

Family Circle Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Transforming in Midlife”

Best Practices in HR Carrie Brown-Wolf on “Celebrate with Diversity”

Growing Wealth Scott Halford on “Starting a Business in Recession”

Microsoft Small Busines Heather Lutze on “Signs You Need a New Web Site”

American Baby Theresa Rose on “Marital Lies”

Working Mother Scott Jeffrey on “Overcoming Creative Blocks”

Growing Wealth Scott Jeffrey on “Start Your Business Now”

Law Office Administrator Dr. Gary Bradt “Little Leadership”

Law Office Administrator Ingunn Aursnes on “Write Your Own Paycheck”

Entreprenuer.com Brenda Bence on “Overseas Business Etiquette”

Examiner.com Ken Whiting on “Mentoring Teens”

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5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on I Only Have “-ize” for You

Too many independent publishers use the Christopher Columbus method of planning -

they do not know where they are going. When they get there, they do not know where they are. And when they return, they do not know where they have been. This is not a good way to run a business.

You can avoid this situation by writing a strategic, functional plan to market your books. Your plan should identify the most promising business opportunities. It should clarify your goals and the procedures you will use to move toward them efficiently. And it should integrate all the elements of a complete promotional mix into a strategic program to launch coordinated action. For a view of a new planning formula, look through these “ize.”

Recognize. A basic premise for successful marketing is to find a need and fill it. You do this by researching three major areas. First, discover what product opportunities exist. Second, learn the demographics and psychographics of your prospective customers. Finally, determine your potential market’s size, growth and competitive status.

Crystallize. According to a proverb, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. But what if that step is in the wrong direction? Start your trek by deciding where you want to go. Write a specific objective and the date by which you will accomplish it.

Strategize. With your destination etched in your mind, begin to plan how you will reach it. Start by creating strategies in each of the Four Ps of marketing: Product, Place, Price and Promotion. Should your product be a book, an audio package or a video program? Will you market it through the traditional distributor/wholesaler channels or directly to selected niches? Answers to these questions will dictate your distribution network and discounts which in turn impact your pricing strategy. Finally, describe how you will coordinate the elements of your promotion mix by manipulating your advertising, publicity, sales promotion and personal selling strategies.

Once you determine your general strategies you must plan the specific actions you will take in each of the four strategic areas. If your product is to be a book, what size, color and shape will make it most saleable? At what price? Which distributors will you contact? To which reviewers will you send galleys or review copies? What will be in your press kit, and to what television and radio stations will you send it? Which trade shows will you attend? Will you conduct a direct mail campaign?

Capitalize. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of actions you can take to market your book. However, most publishers do not have unlimited funds to perform them all. Therefore, you have to create your financial statements to determine how to allocate your existing money as well as when and how much you will need to borrow.

This is a good time to review your entire marketing program. If expected revenue will not cover your planned expenditures and no outside funds are available, what tactics will you eliminate and what impact will they have on your income? For example, if you eliminate a planned direct-mail campaign, you will also have to reduce your earnings by the amount you forecasted that program would generate. And do not forget to account for returned books.

Energize. Without action, planning only gives the illusion of progress. Now it is time to put your plan into action. Marketing a book successfully requires perpetual promotion and it is up to you to do it. Perform each step according to the way you planned it.

Scrutinize. Action is not synonymous with accomplishment. You may be busy promoting your book but you may not be getting closer to your goal. Periodically assess your progress and make any changes that are necessary. Know where you are at all times.

Realize. This planning formula organizes and directs your thinking and actions to best exploit available opportunities. It coordinates and unifies your efforts to make your budget more efficient. And it helps you regain your bearings and look back to see how far you have come.

Decide where you are and where you want to go. Then set your course for smooth sailing toward a new world of publishing success.

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

************************************************************************

6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Make Your Book Worth the Money

Size matters. Your book has to appear to be long enough to be worth the money you are charging.

Today, many of the high-speed web presses print signatures of 48 pages. As the paper goes through the press, 24 pages are printed on the topside and 24 on the underside. The most economical page-counts are in even signatures. One signature (48 pages) or two (96 pages) will not command the price you want for your book. A good minimum page count is three signatures or 144 pages. Additionally, since paper it the most expensive

component of a book, 288 pages is a good upper limit.

I hope you got as much out of reading my book as I got spending the money you paid for it.

- Anonymous

If you need to lengthen your book, add resources to the Appendix: List other relevant books, videos, courses, mailing lists, associations, suppliers, etc. Now your useful text becomes a valuable reference. You do not want to pad the book with extra writing and dilute your message.

Adding resources is a better alternative. Other ways to lengthen the book – while making it more valuable and more interesting – is to add quotations, stories and illustrations to the pages and/or summaries at the end of each chapter. Be sure to lay out the pages with plenty of white space.

Leigh Cohn took three of his wife’s 30-page pamphlets on bulimia and combined them into a single book. They added resources, a two-week program to stop bingeing and a guide for support groups. Lindsey Hall’s 160-page “Bulimia; A Guide to Recovery” has been through five revised editions for more than 100,000 copies in print. Since then, they have written nine books, established their own publishing company with more than 20 titles currently in print, launched an eating disorder resource catalog, and published a clinical newsletter. (http://www.gurze.com)

A book full of resource material is not just a quick read, it is a valuable reference.

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine:

http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

************************************************************************

PR/PR’s Client Quote of the Month:

Ellen York says, “I was absolutely amazed at how fast PR/PR turned my stories into articles accepted by national magazines, newspapers and trade publications. Once an author writes a book as I have, you must have a company that can make this happen. PR/PR is the company that can make it happen!”

************************************************************************

7. Have a Need for Publicity?

To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

7 Surprising Facts About Publicity

admin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:36:30 +0000

This Month’s Issue

Pam Lontos Column: 7 Surprising Facts About Publicity
Inspirational Quote
Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
Guest Column: Brian Jud on Free Advertising
Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Writing Without Interruption
Have a Need for Publicity?

Pam Lontos Column: 7 Surprising Facts About Publicity

Think you know all there is to know about marketing yourself? Well, think again. These surprising facts may have you approaching the media in a whole new way!

1. According to a recent USA Today article, 81 percent of 18 to 25-year-olds say getting rich is their most important or second most important life goal; 51 percent said the same about being famous. Publicity will get you there! Appearing in the media creates visibility at a much lower cost than advertising, and its more credible. You will be seen as the authority in your field, standing out from the competition. When people start to know you and know your name, you will be the one they go to when they need your product or service.

2. The typical Fortune 1000 CEO is more likely to have watched “The Simpsons,” listened to Howard Stern and identified all of the new Survivor cast members than to have watched the presidential debates or listened to Bloomberg radio, a survey by Jericho Communications found. So, if you think the only way to get famous is by appearing on Oprah, think again. Publications and media outlets of all sizes are important for your publicity. Why? Because you never know who will be reading these publications and watching these shows.

3. Being mentioned in or interviewed by a major national publication with one million readers is impressive, but will it make you an overnight success? Not likely. To become a household name or a celebrity, you need to develop top-of-mind awareness. That’s when people think of you first to fulfill their product or service needs. And the only way to get top-of-mind awareness is through repeated exposure in the media. People need to see your name over and over again!

4. The medium that is right for you, may not be the right one for someone else. Know your mediums before you decide. What is your topic? If you have a heavy, hard-hitting business topic, radio may not be the right choice. Most radio stations are looking for a sexy story that will reach the masses and keep them tuned in. But, if you are an expert on diet, exercise, sex or relationships, radio might be the perfect medium for your topic!

5. Size doesn’t matter when it comes to publicity. Any and all publicity opportunities should be taken. In fact, many small interviews in small publications can lead to bigger things. Publicity tends to have that “snowball” effect. When one media outlet starts writing about stress, others will follow suit. Soon, stories about stress are on the headlines of all the major newspapers, magazines and TV shows. A Wall Street Journal reporter may see your article in that tiny trade publication and decide to call you for an interview. You never know what might happen with publicity!

6. A press release is not an advertisement, contrary to what some people might think. A press release is an informational document that contains a “hook,” followed by short paragraphs about the benefits to the readers, the credentials of the expert or company providing the information, and lastly, a call to action.

7. If you think publicity is the final piece of the puzzle, you might be missing out on one very important step. Yes, publicity is about getting your name out there. But if your potential clients and prospective customers don’t know about it, how will it help your business or boost your career? For example, put the publicity you’ve earned in your media kit, on your website and include it in your e-mail signature. Use it in your pitches to potential clients. Post your media successes in the entryway or in the hallways of your office. You need to keep your name in front of the people you most want to see it. For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net. Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net. ************************************************************************ NEW PUBLICITY BOOK!

Be the First to Buy Pam’s NEW BOOK “I See Your Name Everywhere” For a Limited Time, Pre-Order Your Copy for $12.95 AND Get Pam’s 1st Book FREE!

“If you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

“I love the title … it describes the results of a well-executed publicity campaign: I see your name everywhere. This book is a must-read.”

- John Kremer, author of “1001 Ways to Market Your Books”

“This book tells you how to improve your image, credibility and market – faster and cheaper.”

- Brian Tracy, author of “The Psychology of Selling”

Order yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call: 407-299-6128.

************************************************************************

2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value.” - Albert Einstein ************************************************************************ 3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in diversity training, you’ll want to let the media know about your expertise for “Global Diversity Awareness” Month in October. You can share your advice on how to promote diversity in the workplace, discuss the different ethnicities and religions, and promote the understanding of other cultures. By writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print, you’ll be able to boost your brand. Here are more publicity opportunities:

October is Global Diversity Awareness Month- This is a month to celebrate, appreciate and promote the global diversity of our society through learning and understanding other cultures.
October is Emotional Wellness Month- This is a time to turn the frowns into smiles through the practice of laughter, stress reductions, balancing activities and always keeping positive attitudes in check. This may mean taking a special course or seeking the help from a professional, family or friends.
October is Halloween Safety Month- Learn and educate yourself about the steps you can take to make this holiday safe one for children and teens. Many people are unaware of the dangers, it’s not only the candy, costumes can come with many hazards as well.
October is Workplace Politics Month- This month was created to learn how to deal with workplace politics instead of trying to avoid them. We can do this through communication and strategizing teamwork projects and activities.
The second week in October is Improve Your Home Office Week- This is the time to spend improving your workspace at home. It’s important to pick the best area or room in your home, have the right technology for your business and make sure the office fits your work style.
October 31st is Halloween- Safe trick-or-treating!

4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In… New York Daily News Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Health Hazards from Natural

Disasters”

Self Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “New Year’s Resolutions Alternatives”

Women’s Health Lauren Rikleen on “Alpha Wives”

Investor’s Business Daily Russ Granger on “Decision Triggers”

Investor’s Business Daily Doug Vermeeren on “New Approach to Goal Setting”

Investor’s Business Daily Scott Jeffrey on “Using Creativity at Work”

First for Women Dr. Duggal on “Natural At-Home Cold Remedies”

Good Housekeeping Paul Kowal on “Words that Yield Better Deals”

The Examiner Ken Whiting on “Networking as a Job Search tool”

Growing Wealth Dan Burrus on “Hybrid Car Feasibility”

Massage Envy Theresa Rose on “Relaxation Techniques”

Greenwise Theresa Rose on “Using Five Senses to Relax”

Pharmawire Dr. Duggal on “The Avandia Trial”

Illinois Meetings & Events Susan Meredith on “Green Meetings”

CareerDiva.com Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “How Honest Should You Be”

************************************************************************ 5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Free Advertising What if there were a way to make your title known to every potential buyer–for free? There is, and it is called word-of-mouth advertising–people talking to people–the most inexpensive and productive way to spread the word about your new titles. Fortunately, there are ways you can stimulate word-of-mouth communication that will build your sales, reduce your costs and increase your profits.

People singing your praises removes the aura of commercialism and instills a sense of objectivity about their recommendations. However, you lose control over what they are saying because, through exaggeration or misunderstanding, people may distort your intended message. Since word-of-mouth conversations can be either positive or negative, you must make sure people are talking about your titles constructively. You can do this by stimulating word-of-mouth advertising through the copy on your book’s cover, your publicity and communicating on the Internet. Stimulate word-of-mouth advertising with your cover copy Use your cover copy to establish kinship with your readers. Jay Saffarzadeh did this when he changed the subtitle on his book Introduction to E-mail and the Internet from “For those of you who are inexperienced…” to “For those of us…” By changing you to us he affiliated with the reader.

Testimonials on your rear cover can also work in your favor, and there are several groups of people can start people talking better than others. One such group is commercial authorities, people (i.e., the author) who have demonstrated greater knowledge on a topic than the average consumer. In addition, celebrities have proven to stimulate positive feedback because their influence is attributed to prominence in another field. Connoisseurs have excellent credibility because of their authentic but nonprofessional opinion of the title or topic. These influential people serve particularly well with topics involving individual taste, such as cooking or art.

Similarly, the sharer of interest brings similar, credible significance to the topic. An expectant mother singing the praises of your book about pregnancy or the criminal investigator endorsing your murder mystery fit in this category. They are not experts, but are everyday people who have read the book and deem it interesting and informative. Stimulate word-of-mouth discussions through your press releases Publicity is an inexpensive and productive way to spread the word about your titles. And you have some control over how your story is told because in many cases the media use the copy in your releases verbatim for their articles.

One way to stimulate positive communication in your press releases is to give proof through your words and actions that you have your customers’ best interests in mind. For example, avoid the sense of urgency in your publicity. Shun terms such as, “buy now or lose this offer forever.” In addition, make your message exciting, helpful and informative. In fact, understating your sales points may enhance the communication and instill a sense of kinship with the reader.

In addition, use the shock-of-difference approach, describing your title from a different, more compelling angle. Utilize this technique by offering a challenge (Can You Pass This Memory Test?). Or, make your story take an unexpected turn of events. For example, many press releases urge some form of positive, immediate action. Your headline advising the reader not to buy something (Don’t Buy Car Insurance Until You Have Read All These Facts) is an effective way to motivate personal communication. Finally, involve the reader by using verbal play. Use a sequence of words or sounds that provoke repetition through its rhythm or alliteration. Stimulate word-of-mouse advertising on the Internet Perhaps the fastest way to stimulate word-of-mouth communication is over the Internet. First, actively participate on a listserve, but remember that most moderated groups frown upon tactless commercialism. Instead, simply steer the discussion to your topic, reply to every question related to your topic and include a descriptive signature with your reply.

Secondly, motivate word-of-mouse advertising through the design of your web site. Create a site that is educational, simply designed, fast to load and easy to use. Provide better service, more timely information and advice so visitors can find answers to their questions or improve their circumstances in some way. Give visitors inside information — something new and unique — and tell them to pass it on to others. Also, suggest that people bookmark your site so they form the habit of returning to it.

Word-of-mouth communication can help you sell more books by urging people to tell others about them. And it is free! Stimulate people to spread the word positively and frequently by using your cover copy, press releases and Internet activity strategically. Brian Jud hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. Post your own reviews and add your favorite suppliers. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/judslist/trial.asp Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up! 6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Writing Without Interruption Good writing requires concentration. Interruptions often occur when you are deep in thought and producing your best work.

Emergencies such as earthquakes, fire, and flood are interruptions we can accept. We may even weave the unexpected experience into our future work. Telephone calls, visitors and unnecessary questions are interruptions that may make a writer a bit snippy. This is perfectly normal. If people do not want to hear you yell at them, they should leave you alone.

Novelist Judith Krantz places this sign on her door: DO NOT COME IN. DO NOT KNOCK. DO NOT SAY HELLO. DO NOT SAY “I’M LEAVING.” DO NOT SAY ANYTHING UNLESS THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE.

Explain to your housemates: “I love you, but I am working now. Working requires concentration and one brief interruption can cause me to lose a train of thought and lose an hour or more of time. Your brief greeting or question could cause me to lose a precious thought that will affect our income.”

Set boundaries and unplug the telephone. God made the earth in six days and then he rested. He could have done the job in just four days if it had not been for all the interruptions.

Sue Grafton lives in Santa Barbara. In 1993 she returned to the University of Louisville to accept an honor. On a lark, she went to look at houses—and bought one. Now she writes in both places. She says “It’s really quiet in Kentucky because no one knows when I’m there.” Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking. —Lawrence Clark Powell, author

Whether you are crafting fiction or nonfiction, you must to be able to focus on the entire manuscript. You need and deserve not to be interrupted. As Sue Grafton says: “Writing has to come first.”

Unleash Your Inner Author… RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine: http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

Client Quote of the Month: Dan Coughlin says, “With PR/PR, my book ‘Accelerate’ was #4 on Barnes & Noble’s Business Bestseller List and I booked 75 presentations.” ************************************************************************************** 7. Have a Need for Publicity? PR/PR can help you with all of your publicity needs, from magazines and newspapers to television, radio and online media. If you want to sell more books, get more speaking engagements and be hired for more consulting jobs, you need publicity.

To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net. Permission to reprint: You may reprint any items from “PR/PR Pulse” in your own print or electronic newsletter, but please include the following:

“Reprinted from ‘PR/PR Pulse,’ a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To subscribe, send an email to newsletter@prpr.net with ‘Add Me’ in the subject line.”

If you like any of the advice from this e-zine, please pass this on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

We would love to hear from you! Please email your suggestions and/or questions about publicity to: newsletter@prpr.net.

PR/PR

President: Pam Lontos 775 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 104 Orlando, FL 32811 www.prpr.net Phone: 407-299-6128 Fax: 407-299-2166 If you no longer wish to receive this e-zine, please email: newsletter@prpr.net and include “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.

15 Tips to a Great Interview

admin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:44:10 +0000

This Month’s Issue

Pam Lontos Column: 15 Tips to a Great Interview
Inspirational Quote
Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
This Month Our Clients
Have Appeared In…
Guest Column: Brian Jud on Special Sales – Divide and Conquer
Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Book Covers Sell Books
Have a Need for Publicity?

Pam Lontos Column: 15 Tips (Plus a bonus!) to a Great Interview

Besides spreading the word about your speaking services,
what’s the best thing about landing interviews? The answer is: you can conduct
the interview wearing your pajamas! But there’s a catch. You can’t sound like
you’re wearing your pajamas. That’s right. Even though you’re talking on the
phone to the reporter and no one can see you, you still have to communicate a
professional image. Otherwise, you might get bumped form the story and they
definitely won’t call you back for future stories.

So how can you ensure that you make the right impression
and, perhaps more importantly, that you’re called back for more interviews? You
can use the following fifteen tips for giving great interviews:

Allow
yourself private time prior to the interview. Use this time to relax
and focus. Imagine that you are speaking with the interviewer face to
face. Rehearse the points you want to make and remember that you can never
be too prepared.

Seek
a quiet spot for the interview. If you are speaking from home, close
yourself off in a room with few distractions. Turn off your computer, TV,
or radio, and clear your desk so nothing can take your mind off the
conversation.

Write
your main points before the call begins. Do not read scripted
responses from a pre-printed sheet, because reporters can tell when
something is being read to them versus when you’re giving honest answers.
But do prepare a note card with three to five topics you would like to
touch upon during the interview. That way you won’t struggle with an
answer during the interview.

Show
that you care about the reporter and their story. Be helpful and
responsive to their requests. Ask the interviewer what you can do to make
his or her job easier. Then really listen to their answer and be an eager,
accessible source of information.

Stand
while giving the interview. Even though you’re talking on the phone,
act as if you are giving a live presentation and stand tall. Standing will
raise your energy level, and you will be more alert than if you were
sitting. Interviewers love energy and really pick up on your mood.

Smile,
and answer honestly and sincerely. People can hear your smile over the
phone, and a reporter will feel more comfortable after hearing the joy in
your voice. Also, the sound of smiling builds a rapport with interviewers.
If they feel they can trust you, they will think of you first for their
next interview.

Put
energy and spunk into your voice. No one wants to listen to a
monotonous drone, and the reporters and producers are no different. So put
energy into your voice. This could make the difference between a mundane
interview and a great conversation.

Have
backup information handy. Reporters will inevitably ask you one
question you don’t want to or can’t answer (this is another place your
note card comes in handy). In case you are unable to respond, you can say,
“That brings up an interesting point…” then go on to one of your prepared
statements. Or, offer to find out the answer to the questions and get back
to them as soon as possible.

Be
concise. The average answer given is only nine seconds long. If you
cannot convey your message in this short amount of time, your answer will
not be used. So be careful not to ramble and be sure to stick to the
facts. Don’t overload the reporter with unnecessary information that is
not directly related to the story.

Be
forthright. Answer the reporter’s question accurately and thoroughly,
and don’t be afraid to give away too much information. Many speakers fear
that they might give away too much information and then no one will book
them for events. But it’s impossible to spoil years of experience and
training in a short interview, and the audience will actually want more
when you give them a little. So answer the questions and don’t say,
“You’ll find the answer to that when you hire me for a keynote.”

Use
the word “you” often. The word “you” draws the audience in and helps
them relate to what you’re saying. And always give them a reason to pay attention
by adding benefit statements to the facts in your presentation.

Let
the reporter lead the conversation. The reporter most likely has an
agenda for the story’s development already in mind, so don’t attempt to
take over the conversation or talk about points the reporter does not want
to cover.

Incorporate
personal experiences into your responses. Audiences love to hear
firsthand accounts of experiences relating to the topic. It helps them
feel as if they know you personally. But make sure you stay on topic and
don’t get distracted with your story.

Be
prepared to back up your claims. Reporters want factual information.
So instead of saying, “The majority of people do this…” say, “Eighty-five
percent of my clients do this…” And don’t say, “I think” or “maybe.” Speak
with authority and confidence.

Find
future stories. After the interview, thank the reporter and ask what
other stories they’re covering. Even if their stories don’t directly
pertain to your speaking topic, explain how you can be beneficial to what
they are investigating.

Interviews in the future. Although
interviews usually entail a relatively short phone call, you still need to
take your time and prepare for it beforehand. You don’t have to shower and
shave, but you do need to have energy and excitement in your voice. During
the call, you want to put your best foot forward with clear, honest and
accurate responses. And when you’re finished, don’t forget to thank the
reporter and offer to help on other stories.

When you use these fifteen tips for
giving great interviews, you’ll communicate a professional, expert image to the
reporter and the audience for you and your speaking career.

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations
firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author,
speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of
getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book
sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name
Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

************************************************************************

NEW
PUBLICITY BOOK!

Be
the First to Buy Pam’s NEW BOOK

“I
See Your Name Everywhere”

For
a Limited Time, Pre-Order Your Copy for $12.95

AND

Get Pam’s 1^st Book FREE!

“If
you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob
Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

“I
love the title … it describes the results of a well-executed publicity
campaign: I see your name everywhere. This book is a must-read.”

-
John Kremer, author of “1001 Ways to Market Your Books”

“This
book tells you how to improve your image, credibility and market – faster and
cheaper.”

-
Brian Tracy, author of “The Psychology of Selling”

Want
to see your name everywhere? Check out the in-depth publicity advice in Pam
Lontos’ upcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” published by Morgan James.
Order now for a special pre-sale price of $12.95 plus shipping! Pam’s first
book, “Don’t Tell Me It’s Impossible Until After I’ve Already Done it!” is
available at $12.95 or you can order both for the combination price of $19.95
plus shipping.

Order
yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call:
407-299-6128.

************************************************************************

2. Inspirational Quote for the
Month:

“Man is a goal-seeking animal.
His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals.”

-Aristotle

************************************************************************

3. Calendar of
Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of
these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper,
television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if
you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in disaster preparedness,
or let’s say you are a doctor who practices emergency medicine, you’ll want to
contact the media about the second week of September, which is National
Emergency Preparedness Week. You can share your expertise on how to prepare for
emergencies, reduce the stress and costs of one, and provide creative ways to
overcome disaster situations. By writing press releases on these topics,
contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on
television or in print, you’ll be able to boost your brand. Here are more
publicity opportunities:

-
September International People Skills
Month- In order to improve one’s environment and/or situation, it is
important to refine your people skills and learn how to “de-puzzle” human
behavior.

-
September
International Strategic Thinking Month- This is a month-long effort to bring awareness of the need
to improve thinking skills by expanding our views and removing thought
barriers.

-
September
Subliminal Communications Month- Learn how to put to use your entrepreneurial thinking to achieve your
goals and to increase visibility in the corporate world.

-
The first week of
September is International Enthusiasm Week- Display genuine enthusiasm to every person, every project
and every possibility that comes your way.

-
The second week
of September is National Emergency Preparedness Week- An important week for employers
and employees to create a plan for any type of emergency or disaster.

-
The third week of
September is Build a Better Image Week- It is important to remind ourselves that in order to be
successful, you need to look the part.

-
The third week of
September is also National Love Your Files Week- Having a good filing system can be a powerful
asset, and if set up correctly, can be easy to maintain and a pleasure to use.

-
September 1 is
Labor Day

-
September 11 is
the Anniversary of 9/11

4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Good Housekeeping Pat Heydlauff on “Surviving the
Witching Hours”

Good Housekeeping Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Surviving
the Witching Hours”

Corp. & Incentive Travel Dan Burrus on “Meetings on a Budget”

HR Magazine Contented Cows on “Disengaged Senior
Employees”

Counselor Kim Marcille on “Motivating Sales
Staff”

American Medical News Dr. Maurice Ramirez on “Physicians
in Second Life”

Washington DC Examiner Francie Dalton on “Versatility”

Woman’s Day Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “How You Respond to
Stress”

Olympia Airlines Magazine Susan Meredith on “Alternative Sources of
Energy”

On Wall Street Patrick
Astre on “Too Wealthy for Long-Term Care?”

Entrepreneur.com John Baker on “The ‘Fear’
Factor”

Broward Health Dr. Narinder Duggal on
“Supplements”

Copley Newswire Service Susan Meredith on “Fuel Sippers”

Tech Talk Radio Show Susan Meredith on “Home Improvement
Technology”

************************************************************************

5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on
Special Sales – Divide and Conquer

The term special sales is
commonly used to represent revenue opportunities outside of bookstores. Tales
of corporations buying hundreds of thousands of books whet our appetites and
generate visions of grandeur. However, after spending fruitless months or years
contacting corporations, most independent publishers learn that these visions
can be mirages.

This doesn’t have to be so. If you
divide the special-sales market into its component parts, you can create
tributaries that feed a significant revenue stream. This task is made easier if
you view special sales as comprised of three segments. The first is special
distribution that utilizes existing distribution channels to reach consumers.
Second is the commercial sector encompassing sales to corporations that use
books as sales-promotional devices. The third entails marketing directly to
niche groups that have an identifiable need for the information in your book.

1. Special distribution is
similar to the way most independent publishers currently market books, i.e.,
distribution partner Þ retailer Þ consumer. Examples of this network are
having Advanced Marketing Services sell your book to warehouse-buying clubs, or
Anderson Merchandisers reselling to Wal-Mart or Levy Home Entertainment to
discount stores. There are also distributors that will take your titles to
educational markets and the military.

The similarities to the traditional
bookstore distribution channels do not end here. These discount retailers
rarely buy directly from publishers and their choice of titles is a marketing
decision, not a literary one. Distributors know exactly what their customers
are likely to sell – either fiction or nonfiction — and they will reject
others. In addition, returns are endemic, the discount schedule can reach 70
percent and payment terms may exceed 90 days. On the other hand, the rewards of
immediate national distribution can be significant.

However, there are companies in
this category that will buy directly from publishers. For instance, book clubs
offer increased revenue, credibility and exposure for appropriate titles — not
just the major clubs but many niche clubs, too. There are book clubs for
children, religions, foreign languages and teachers. Another example is
mail-order catalogs that can move a large quantity of books. Catalogs can be
segmented demographically (catalogs for children, pet owners, individual sports
or different religions), psychographically (health, new age and alternative
catalogs) and geographically, but they exact a price for their efforts with
discounts reaching 70 percent of the list price.

2. Commercial sales.
Corporations, associations, foundations, government agencies and
network-marketing organizations buy books directly from publishers for use as
premiums, incentives, sales promotions or for educational purposes. They may
also purchase books for resale. The factor differentiating this segment from
special distribution is that you contact, negotiate with, ship directly to and
bill the people representing these firms. There are no distributors to deal
with, you bargain for the terms, returns are rare and payment is generally made
in 30 days.

Books have an approximately 6
percent share of the $1.5 billion incentive market (per Incentive
magazine). Buyers for these organizations are aware of the value of books as
sales promotional tools, but the sales process still requires an understanding
of successful selling techniques, numerous cold calls and a the ability to
accept rejection. The selling period is long – sometimes a year or more — but
the payback can be enormous when one customer buys tens of thousands of
non-returnable books.

3. Niche marketing entails
selling to definitive groups of people that share a need for the information in
your book. For example, you could sell your book about healthy eating to beauty
shops, doctors’ offices, fitness centers and stores that sell clothing,
cookware, gourmet foods, groceries and health foods. A children’s book could be
sold to daycare centers, toy stores, pediatricians’ offices, children’s
hospitals and children’s museums.

This strategy results in relatively
small orders from many customers. However, a key to profitability is to find
clusters of prospective customers such as a chain of daycare centers or stores.
Then sell to the group’s buyer.

If you are proficient at public
speaking you could sell your books at the back of the room at full list price.
This skill will also enable you to conduct library tours during which you can
sell your books with little or no discounts. Jerry Labriola sold thousands of
copies of his book Famous Crimes Revisited during personal presentations
at libraries just in Connecticut.

The Internet provides valuable
potential for niche sales, vastly reducing your time and expense per sales
call. For instance, when selling your children’s book you could contact online
gift-registry agencies for babies to have them use your book as a gift item or
premium (webistry.com) or submit to niche online bookstores such as
Just-For-Kids.com. Another prospect is iBaby.com. You could also offer your book
as a sales promotional item for companies providing services to families for
baby showers.

Online bookstores are considered a
traditional sales outlet, but independent publishers typically limit these
sales to Amazon.com, Books-A-Million.com or Barnesandnoble.com. In fact, there
are many other niche stores online, some of which may serve your needs. These
include (all end in .com) coffeetablebooks, DealPilot, BookNook, 1Bookstreet,
Adventurous Traveler and Smart Books. To find niche bookstores online for your
title, simply visit www.google.com and
search under keywords relevant to it.

Case history

Perhaps an example will help
clarify this process. Business-to-Business Golf: How to Swing Your Way to
Business Success, by Michael Andrew Smith is a book that can help sales
people drive their business forward by developing successful business
relationships while playing golf with their clients. Here are examples
non-traditional sales opportunities for Business-to-Business Golf.

1. Special distribution can
be utilized by submitting the book to distributors reaching sporting-goods
stores such as Sports Authority and Herman’s. Every sporting-goods store in the
U.S.
could be a prospective customer as could general discount stores such as
K-Mart, Target and Wal-mart. And there are mail-order catalogs catering to golf
books, including GolfSmart and Sportsman’s Guide.

2. Commercial sales. Business-to-Business
Golf could be purchased by companies to give to their sales people or by
firms that manufacture golf equipment & accessories for use as a premium or
self-liquidator. Companies that make golf software could also use it as a
sales-promotion item. The PGA and the state PGAs might use it to promote golf
as a business sport. Similarly, The Club Managers Association of America should
use it as a fundraiser or to resell on their website to its members. And Mr.
Smith recently sold foreign rights to a Korean publisher.

3. Niche markets. There are
online stores such as Golf Warehouse Home Page, Your Golf Advantage and Online
Sports Home Page that could sell Mr. Smith’s book. Business-to-Business Golf
is also a great title for sales through gift stores and golf pro shops. The
author could pursue media events on web forums and write articles and stories
for golf magazines (Golf and Golf Digest). The readers of airline
magazines would also be interested in articles about business-to-business golf,
as would magazines whose readers include sales people and business executives.
Michael could become active in newsgroups such as rec.sport.golf and alt.golf.

There are companies that perform
special sales for most titles, but there is no reason why publishers and
authors cannot pursue these lucrative avenues themselves. It takes some investigation,
persistence and creativity and in many cases this can be accomplished online.
Do not be intimidated by the term special sales. Divide it into its
component parts and address them as you see fit for each title.

Brian Jud hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of
suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. Post your own
reviews and add your favorite suppliers. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/judslist/trial.asp Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go
to http://www.bookmarketing.com

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing
tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go
to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign
up!

6.
Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Book Covers Sell Books

Packaging is everything. Each
year, corporations spend more than $50 billion on product packaging and design.
$50 billion, not for the products themselves or for the wrapper but $50 billion
just for the design of the wrapper.

Everyone judges a book by its
cover. No one reads the book before they make a buying decision. Consumers do
not read it in the store. Sales reps only carry book covers and jackets to show
bookstore owners/buyers while wholesalers and distributors say “just send us
the cover copy.” All buying decisions are made on the illustration/design and
the ad-sales copy on the outside of the book. Yes, packaging is everything.

The bookstore browser averages
less than eight seconds looking at the front cover and fifteen seconds reading
the back cover. You must hook them immediately and keep them reading the back
cover or they will put the book back on the shelf.

Most of Lightbourne’s
cover-design work is done long distance, so when the new client walked in
wearing buckskin and natural cotton attire, Gaelyn and Bram Larrick knew that
this project would be unique and fun. Matt Richards had written a book on
taking raw deerskin and creating beautiful buckskin garments and useful goods,
a process that

was more of a lifestyle for
him.

He had located the cover-design
company as a result of reading Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual, but was still nervous about
spending his money on a professionally-designed cover. Matt lived in the
wilderness and his way of life didn’t require him to earn much money. The cover
would cost one-quarter of his entire annual income.

Six months later, Matt wrote
that his book was selling so well in both his niche market and bookstores that
his annual income had already increased 4-5 times. His professionally-designed
cover not only made him prouder of his book, it gave the contents more
credibility and helped the book to sell.(http://www.lightbourne.com)

“Anyone who says ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’ has
never met the category buyer from Barnes & Noble.”

— Terri Lonier, author, Working Solo

Good
packaging sells soap, breakfast food and pantyhose. It can also be used to sell
books. Put your imagination into your title and your advertising money into
your cover. Since everyone from the distributor, to wholesalers, to bookstore
buyers, to the ultimate customer judges a book by its cover, give them what
they need—a compelling cover!

Unleash Your Inner
Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK
WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E
e-zine:

http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

7. Have a Need for Publicity?

PR/PR can help you with all of your publicity needs, from
magazines and newspapers to television, radio and online media. If you want to
sell more books, get more speaking engagements and be hired for more consulting
jobs, you need publicity.

To
receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128
or email: pam@prpr.net.

Pam
Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in
professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of
Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good
publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also
author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free
consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

Dos, Don’ts and Whys of Article Writing

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:34:44 +0000

This Month’s Issue

Pam Lontos Column: Dos, Don’ts and Whys of Article Writing
Inspirational Quote
Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
Guest Column: Brian Jud on Do You Want to Increase Your Sales
Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Used Copies for Sale at Amazon
Have a Need for Publicity?

1. Pam Lontos Column: Dos, Don’ts and Whys of Article Writing

Have you ever noticed speakers with the same topics as yours getting higher fees? Have you ever noticed authors with books similar to yours selling more copies? Are there experts with the same expertise as yours getting more consulting jobs? Are you perplexed as to how they’re doing it?

One explanation is that they have leveraged the power of publicity through name recognition. When a meeting planner needs to book a speaker, they think of their name first, because they have seen it, read it, or heard it multiple times before. One of the best ways to achieve the same name recognition is through articles placed in business journals and trade magazines. Executives of companies read their trade and association journals cover to cover because it is aimed directly at them and their business. Meeting planners read the same types of publications looking for speakers/authors/experts who understand the issues of their industry.

How do you get your articles placed into business and trade publications? What types of articles are the editors looking for? Following are the dos and don’ts of writing articles to gain the name recognition you need:

Editors prefer a word count of 800 – 1,000 words. This is usually about 2 ½ typed pages. The word count does not include the headline, sub-head, or the resource box of the author’s information.

Don’t write in the first person. Don’t promote your business or product. Avoid using “I,” “me,” or “we.” The promotion of your expertise or product will come at the end of the article (see below).

Open with a story. Such as: “Jane was a great sales person but lately she has had trouble closing the sale.” Aim the story to managers, executives and owners. They will be the ones who will hire you when they like what they read.

Present the problem or current issue and have the body of the article address the solution to that problem. Tap into situations your current clients are facing, that way you know readers can relate to it.

The second paragraph should relate this dilemma to the readers. The key to getting sales is asking the right questions. When you find the client’s needs and focus your information on the benefits, you will sell more.

Give three to eight tips, strategies, or steps the reader can take to solve the problem. The tips should be able to stand alone, so that editors can change, shorten or cut the article to the necessary length.

The more ‘meat’ you have in your article, the more publication will want to print them. Don’t have too much fluff. The perfect balance contains useful information that can be put into action immediately, but not everything they need to know so they’ll want to hire you to get the rest.

Give a very brief, one paragraph summary with a call to action. “When you use these tips, you will…” Once again, this is not the place to promote your business or product. Simply let readers know all is well now that they have the knowledge you provided.

In the resource box at the end of the article is where you put your contact information and highlight the aspect of what you do that you want the readers to know about. It can be your book, your consulting business, hiring you as a speaker for their conferences, etc.

Be creative and innovative! The more unique, the better your chances of being published. If you aren’t a great writer, hire a ghostwriter.

Once an editor or publisher agrees to use your article in an upcoming issue, be sure to request copies. Use these to market your expertise to members of the trade or association the publication serves. It will give you credibility with CEOs and meeting planners when you tell them that you were just featured in a publication they read regularly.

By following the tips above you’ll be famous in no time and they will be calling you saying, “I see your name everywhere!”

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

************************************************************************

NEW PUBLICITY BOOK!

Be the First to Buy Pam’s NEW BOOK

“I See Your Name Everywhere”

For a Limited Time, Pre-Order Your Copy for $12.95

AND

Get Pam’s 1st Book FREE!

“If you only choose one PR manual, make it I See Your Name Everywhere.”

-Bob Danzig, Former CEO Hearst Newspapers, Author and Speaker

“I love the title … it describes the results of a well-executed publicity campaign: I see your name everywhere. This book is a must-read.”

- John Kremer, author of “1001 Ways to Market Your Books”

Want to see your name everywhere? Check out the in-depth publicity advice in Pam Lontos’ upcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” published by Morgan James. Order now for a special pre-sale price of $12.95 plus shipping! In addition, the first 100 orders will receive a free copy of Pam’s first book, “Don’t Tell Me It’s Impossible Until After I’ve Already Done it!” Order yours today at: pam@prpr.net or call: 407-299-6128.

************************************************************************

2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.”

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in stress, or let’s say you are a doctor or psychologist who studies the causes of stress, you’ll want to contact the media about August 15, which is National Relaxation Day. You can share your expertise on the common causes of stress, how to reduce it and creative ways to deal with stressful situations. By writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print, you’ll be able to boost your personal brand. Here are more publicity opportunities:

August 25-31 is Be Kind to Human Kind Week – Take heart – most people are caring individuals. Show you care by being kind to others and yourself!

August 7 is Professional Speakers Day – A day celebrating the consummate professionals who help people through their oratorical skills.

August 8 is a Date to Create – A day to increase awareness of individual and organizational potential to solve problems and make things happen. All of us have this potential but may not realize it. Learn your innovative capacity and plan activities that increase it. Rediscover your spark.

August 15 is National Relaxation Day – Hold the phones, call in sick, or just take a nap. This day is the perfect excuse to reduce stress and improve your lifestyle by relaxing.

August 26 is Women’s Equality Day – Presidential Proclamation issued in 1973.

August 29 is More Herbs and Less Salt Day – It’s healthier, zestier and lustier!

4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Newsweek … Jon Stetson for “Intuitive Thinking in Business”

Working Mother … Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Working Moms”

Growing Wealth … Doug Charney on “Demystifying Hedge Funds”

Woman’s Day … Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Changing How You Respond to Stress”

HR Magazine … Contented Cow Partners for “Motivating Senior Employees”

SHRM … Francie Dalton for “Disengaged Senior Employees”

Investor’s Business Daily … Brenda Bence for “Personal Branding”

Boomer Nation Radio Show … Dr. Leslie Van Romer on “Boomer Health”

Boomer Nation Radio Show … Dr. O’Reilly on “Boomer Psychology”

Promotional Consultant … Paul Kowal on “Telecommuting Trends”

Promotional Consultant … Dan Burrus on “Telecommuting and Technology”

Pittsburgh Post Gazette … Patrick Astre for “Seniors Filing for Bankruptcy”

Natural Health Magazine … Dr. Shammah Womack-El for “Digestive Enzymes”

Univision … Dr. Maurice Ramirez for “How to Get Good Care in the ER”

Gannett News Service … Dan Burrus for “Gulf Oil Drilling”

Workwise Syndicated Column … Ken Whiting on “Entry-Level Hiring”

SellingPower.com … Kim Marcille for “Inverse Zeno Effect”

BabyZone.com … Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Stay Home vs. Go Back to Work”

************************************************************************

5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Do You Want to Increase Your Sales?

Are you sure? It is difficult to plan your actions and focus your attention on such an indefinite objective as “increase sales.” Instead, specifically restate your objective to increase your gross revenue, build additional profits or perhaps deplete a large inventory of books.

The distinction is important because each objective requires a different strategy, particularly when you consider the element of time. While not mutually exclusive, the journey to achieving any of these goals is accomplished by manipulating certain tools over which you have complete control: the price, distribution network, promotion and even the physical characteristics of your books.

The way you combine and execute these variables will impact your revenue, profits and unit sales. A simple price reduction may reduce your inventory in the short term but have lingering, negative impact on your profitability. And a reduction in your promotional budget may increase short-term profitability but deny long-term revenue. Here are examples of strategies to reach each objective.

Objective One: Increase your gross revenue (GR). Gross revenue is the total dollar amount of your income before deducting expenses, returns or the cost of goods sold. There are several strategies that should build GR and infuse working capital. First, give yourself more items to sell by extending your product line. You can accomplish this by publishing more books (new titles, new authors, sequels) or producing other products (audio/video programs, booklets, CDs).

Next, increase the order size. It is usually more efficient to sell additional books to fewer, large customers than it is to a broad base of small customers. This might require more attention on major accounts (chains, wholesale clubs), or increased emphasis on special sales.

Third, increase your promotional spending. Additional publicity, advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion and personal selling will increase unit sales, and when combined with a price increase will further enhance GR. As you have already surmised, the price for greater GR is lower profitability in the short run.

If you focus on building long-term GR you can also build market share. In this case you would maintain a competitive price and advance the value of your titles through improved quality or design. Maintain a balance between traditional distribution and special sales and improve your promotion.

Objective Two: Increase profitability. Profit is the money left after deducting all your costs from your GR. The obvious ways to build profits are to increase GR, lower your costs or both. However, there is more you can do strategically, especially when you make the distinction between profit optimization (long term) and maximization (short term).

If your objective is long-term profit optimization there are additional tactics at your disposal. First, hold prices steady and invest in quality improvements. Instead of measuring the profit per title, assess the contribution of the total mix to long-term profits. For instance, use one title as a loss leader or bundle two or more titles. Also, maintain a balance of traditional and special sales and increase promotion to reduce returns. Short-term profits may decrease, but in the long run they will increase.

Conversely, if your objective is short-term profit maximization there are different actions to take. In this case you might want to increase selected prices and decrease quality. This does not mean that you should publish an inferior product, but you might publish a softcover instead of casebound edition. Furthermore, increase emphasis on special sales and decrease sales through the traditional distributor  wholesaler  bookstore channel where returns, discounts and 120-day payments wreak havoc on profits. A decrease in promotional expenditures will improve your short-term profitability, but probably at the expense of future net income.

Objective Three: Increase unit sales of a particular title. There is always an incentive to reduce a large inventory. But before you automatically think of remainders or extreme price reductions, evaluate the cause of the inventory glut. If seasonality is the culprit you may be best served by carrying the stock for a short period. However, if poor quality or obsolete information is the reason, then choose other tactics.

Lowering the price (or offering a price incentive) is an option, but generally will not resolve a problem caused by poor quality or if there is no need for the item (What would you pay for a ballpoint pen sharpener?). Stress traditional distribution and targeted promotion (i.e., direct marketing). Emphasize personal selling to increase the typical order size and to find new markets. You will find a decrease in profits, but this might be offset in lower carrying costs.

The next time the urge to increase sales hits you, be more specific about what you really need. Evaluate not only the available strategic options but also the best combination of them. Implement those with the greatest likelihood of delivering what you truly want.

Brian Jud hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. Post your own reviews and add your favorite suppliers. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/judslist/trial.asp Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Used Copies for Sale at Amazon

Many books sent to reviewers in NYC are ripped off in the mailroom and sold to the Strand bookstore. To the basement denizens of large buildings, packages with books are windfall occasions.

But the books offered at Amazon may not be ripped off, may not be review copies and may not even exist.

I sent out more than 100 copies of The Book Publishing Encyclopedia in PDF form via email ONLY. Within hours of the book being posted at Amazon.com, some resellers were offering it in the paper edition. The catch?–The paper edition did not exist.

It appears the resellers wait for a new title to be posted and then immediately post a used copy for sale. They must figure that if they get an order they will find a copy or order it from LSI/Ingram.

See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568601271/ . You will note the book is available in softcover, LARGE print and eBook. All are supplied through LightningSource; the printed books are POD. We do not have an inventory. The books are not returnable. If a reseller receives an order, they will have to go to LSI for a copy.

This case is interesting because the used copy was offered immediately and the used copy did not exist. Not all the used books offered at Amazon are review copies.

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine:

http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

7. Guest Column: You CAN Sell the Foreign Rights for Your Book

Are you missing opportunities to sell foreign rights for books because you think people in other cultures are different than North Americans? Elliott Katz thought his book, “Being the Strong Man a Woman Wants: Timeless Wisdom on Being a Man,” was for North American men who need to show more leadership in their relationships with women – a trait many women want in men today. (This may explain why many women won’t “settle” and why women give this book to men to help make them into Mr. Right.)

Katz thought men in other countries were different. Mexico and Latin America helped originate the machismo image of a strong, powerful male. Japan was the land of the Geisha. Eastern Europe had traditional gender roles. But after selling translation rights to publishers in Japan, Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Russia, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia and Nigeria, Katz realized while cultures may be different, human nature is similar.

Here’s how you can sell foreign rights to your book:

1. Prepare an email that sells the book and include:

– Successes to date, including sales figures and other rights sales;

– A short summary of the book and the table of contents;

– Reviews and endorsements of the book;

– Links to the book’s Web site, its page on Amazon.com, and radio and TV coverage; Offer to send a copy of the book and ask for the agent’s mailing address.

2. Research foreign rights agents. Good literary agents know the publishers in their markets.

– Display the book at international book fairs such as BookExpo America, Frankfurt, London and Beijing.

– Consult the list of foreign rights agents in International Literary Market Place, available in the reference section of many libraries.

– Google “foreign rights agents” and “foreign rights.” Results will include publishers’ Web pages with names and contact information for their foreign rights agents.

– To find agents who specialize in a certain genre, such as children’s books, go to Web sites of publishers of that genre and look at their list of foreign rights agents.

3. Send agents the email about your book. When you receive a positive response, send the book with hard copies of reviews and anything else agents can use to sell the book. Most foreign rights agents charge 10 percent commission on the advance and royalties.

4. Support your agents’ efforts: Send updates on other rights sales, reviews and other media coverage for the agent to send to publishers.

5. When you get an offer: Negotiate the contract. Foreign rights contracts usually grant the publisher only the right to publish the book in its language. All other rights, such as serial rights, are usually retained. Ask your agent about withholding tax that is paid to that country’s government. It’s usually 10 to 15 percent.

Elliott Katz is the author of Being the Strong Man A Woman Wants: Timeless wisdom on being a man. If you have questions, you can contact him at: ElliottRKatz@aol.com and via www.AwardPress.com.

8. Have a Need for Publicity?

To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

Permission to reprint: You may reprint any items from “PR/PR Pulse” in your own print or electronic newsletter, but please include the following:

“Reprinted from ‘PR/PR Pulse,’ a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To subscribe, send an email to newsletter@prpr.net with ‘Add Me’ in the subject line.”

If you like any of the advice from this e-zine, please pass this on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

We would love to hear from you! Please email your suggestions and/or questions about publicity to: newsletter@prpr.net.

PR/PR

President: Pam Lontos

775 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 104

Orlando, FL 32811

www.prpr.net

Phone: 407-299-6128

Fax: 407-299-2166

If you no longer wish to receive this e-zine, please email: newsletter@prpr.net and include “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.

Boost Your Business with Print Publicity, Part 2

admin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:33:46 +0000

This Month’s Issue

Pam Lontos Column: Boost Your Business with Print Publicity, Part 2
Inspirational Quote
Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
Guest Column: Brian Jud on Getting Your Word’s Worth
Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Checking Your Facts
Guest Column: From Our Readers
Have a Need for Publicity?

Pam Lontos Column: Boost Your Business with the Power of Print

By Andrea Brunais and Pam Lontos

Last month we talked about the first two ways to boost your business or book with the power of print. Now, we’re continuing with additional tips…

Authoring your own articles is a great way to achieve media coverage as well. National newspapers publish opinion columns from experts, which means you can raise your name recognition among readers across the country. Keep these pieces to about 700 words and make sure you proffer a definite opinion on a current topic. This article is called an op-ed piece, and it will brand you as an expert and an opinion leader.
On a daily basis, make sure your profile is high. Be active in your community, sponsor workshops and take surveys whose results can then be reported in the news media. Have your Webmaster apply search-optimization techniques to your Website so that you come up high on Internet search-engine result lists.
Other staples that editors are always seeking – especially trade magazines and journals – are feature-length articles around 800 – 1,000 words that reflect a how-to tips or informed advice on topics of interest to their readers. Topics can include genealogy, relationships, pets, budgeting, real estate, management and other subjects – it all depends on the publication and their readers. You probably won’t be paid for these articles and columns, but the publicity you receive will be priceless. For example, if you were to purchase a one-page ad in Parade, you would spend $682,000 to reach the weekly magazine’s 32 million readers. If you are quoted or mentioned in an article, you will pay nothing. And yet the payoff could be big. Kenneth Christian, Ph.D., author of the book Your Own Worst Enemy, found that his book jumped from number 35,000 to number 40 on Amazon.com, after he was quoted in Parade.

Remember, being mentioned in print can lend you in air of authority and brand you as a thought leader. If you are quoted in a prestigious magazine, readers will assume you are at the top of your field, just like everyone else quoted in that publication. Readers don’t know or care whether the magazine tracked you down or whether you took steps to make yourself known. The important thing is that your name is in print – and that’s the goal.

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

————————————————————————————————————

2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“Every great achievement is preceded by a period of fanatical dedication.”

- Jim Cathcart

Author of “How to Create & Grow High Value Relationships”

3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in communications, you’ll want to contact the media about June, which is Effective Communication Month. You can share your expertise on what to say and how to say it, in the workplace and at home, by writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print. Here are more publicity opportunities:

June is Effective Communication Month- Created to improve and commit to more active listening, verbal language, paralanguage, body language and written communication.

June is Entrepreneurs “Do It Yourself” Marketing Month- This is a time to stand out from the competition and get more media attention and clients, while still achieving your goals. This is done by applying discovering and applying creative and effective problem solving marketing ideas, and removing barriers that are in your way.

June is Professional Wellness Month- A month designed for professionals to increase their worth in the marketplace by adding to their company and customers, being accessible and reliable, and increasing their skills and learning their business completely.

The first week in June is National Business Etiquette Week- This is the time to recognize your own organization’s need for proper business etiquette and intelligence in order to compete in a growing global marketplace.

The third week in June is Meet a Mate Week- Created to inspire singles who are seeking a mate to take advantage of the summer by pursuing warm-weather meeting opportunities.

The fourth week in June is Freedom from Fear of Speaking Week- This is your chance to practice, recognize your strengths and face your fears of public speaking.

June 14th is Flag Day

June 15th is Father’s Day!

June 20th is the First Day of Summer!

4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Quick and Simple, Patrick Astre for “Tips to save money on your bills”

Book Marketing Update, Brent Sampson for “Testing Book Titles”

Investor’s Business Daily, Dr. Nancy O’Reilly for “Boost Your Memory”

Investor’s Business Daily, Jay Arthur for “Plug the Leaks”

Investor’s Business Daily, Ron Price for “Entrepreneurial Hiring”

Investor’s Business Daily, John Baker for “Change and Employee buy-in”

Heart Healthy Living, Dr. Narinder Duggal for “Treating Blood Pressure”

Woman’s World, Dr. Nancy O’Reilly for “Managing Time”

Healthcare Risk Management, Dr. Maurice Ramirez for “Refusing an ED Call”

Renaissance, Francie Dalton for “Talent Retention”

Inventor’s Digest, Dr. Maurice Ramirez for “Do Video Games Make You

Smarter?”

Boomer Nation Radio, Lauren Rikleen for “Getting Generations Working

Together”

ECT News Network, Dan Burrus for “Apple and Autos”

Growing Wealth, Kim Marcille for “Biggest Mistakes Businesses Make”

Pasadena Star News, Contented Cow Partners for “Exit Interviews”

St. Paul Pioneer Press, Dr. Dale Anderson for “WiiFit”

Pharmawire.com, Dr. Narinder Duggal for “Treatments for Hypertension”

************************************************************************

5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Getting Your Word’s Worth

What makes a good guest for the show does not always make a good show for the guest. If all you do is answer the interviewer’s questions informatively, the host will think you are a great interviewee and perhaps ask you to return. But there is no future in being a professional guest if you do not sell your books in the process.

As a general rule, you will sell more books if you entertain and inform people, piquing their curiosity, showing them how they can solve their problems by reading your book. And you may have to do it while the host is asking you questions that have nothing to do with your book. Reaching your goals under these conditions requires you to blend your understanding of the audience, knowledge of your topic and diplomacy to create a polished, effective performance. You can do this if you know the answers to these questions:

* Given a limited time on the air, what are the major points you want to impress upon the audience?

* What information is important to each audience? Your presentation will change, depending upon the composition of the audience.

* In what order should you discuss your agenda items? Communicate information in descending order of importance.

Reaching your objective does not mean you ignore the interviewer’s questions. But if you sense the conversation going off in a different direction and you have not addressed your critical points, you must respond differently. Do this by making a brief, yet smooth, transition from an irrelevant question (from your perspective) to one of your agenda items, making it relevant to the audience. Practice making your transition statement and giving an example in about 30 seconds.

Brian Jud hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. Post your own reviews and add your favorite suppliers. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/judslist/trial.asp Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Checking Your Facts

Do not just copy resources out of other books—check them.

Nonfiction writers have long realized that they have a responsibility to their readers, to their own credibility and to history, to check all the facts they present in their books. The challenge increases today due to the rapid growth in our knowledge base and the ongoing changes in our technology.

When “The Self-Publishing Manual” was revised for the 11th time, editor Karen Stedman contacted each reference in the text and each supplier listed in the 62-page Resource Section. She discovered that an astounding 85 percent of the addresses had changed since the last edition—in just 13 months!

Most changes were area codes but there were also changes to email addresses, web sites, fax numbers and even some street addresses.

Check all your facts, not just the addresses. When you write a book, you are committing history.

“When you speak, your words echo only across the room or down the hall. But when you write, your words echo down the ages.”

—Bud Gardner, co-author “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul”

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine:

http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

7. Guest Commentary from PR/PR Pulse Subscriber Jessica James

I’d like to share a cross promotional story with your readers – it’s something I am working on for my novel, “Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia.”

My target market for “Shades of Gray,” is Civil War/history enthusiasts, with a secondary audience of romance readers, especially in the South. However, I used a horse in the book (owned by the main character) as a way to reach the equine and art markets as well. I contacted the International Equine Artists Guild and by luck or by chance, found an artists that has a piece of artwork that resembles the horse in my book, “Justus.”

The artists has agreed to produce “Justus” prints as well as notecards, which she will sell on her Website and at the art shows she attends. I will also promote the art on my mailers, postcards and literature, sending people to her Website. Likewise, she promotes my Website on her literature, so my book’s title is in front of people who I would never have the time or opportunity to reach!

Whether or not it will result in any sales remains to be seen, but getting the name of my book out there is the first step – and it didn’t cost a thing! I hope this gets your creative juices flowing…

If you have any stories, suggestions or tips you’d like to share with us, please e-mail: newsletter@prpr.net.

************************************************************************

8. Have a Need for Publicity?

To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

Permission to reprint: You may reprint any items from “PR/PR Pulse” in your own print or electronic newsletter, but please include the following:

“Reprinted from ‘PR/PR Pulse,’ a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To subscribe, send an email to newsletter@prpr.net with ‘Add Me’ in the subject line.”

If you like any of the advice from this e-zine, please pass this on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

We would love to hear from you! Please email your suggestions and/or questions about publicity to: newsletter@prpr.net.

PR/PR

President: Pam Lontos

775 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 104

Orlando, FL 32811

www.prpr.net

Phone: 407-299-6128

Fax: 407-299-2166

If you no longer wish to receive this e-zine, please email: newsletter@prpr.net and include “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.

Boost Your Business with Print Publicity, Part 2

admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:32:44 +0000

This Month’s Issue

Pam Lontos Column: Boost Your Business with Print Publicity, Part 2
Inspirational Quote
Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities
This Month Our Clients Have Appeared In…
Guest Column: Brian Jud on Getting Your Word’s Worth
Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Checking Your Facts
Guest Column: From Our Readers
Have a Need for Publicity?

Pam Lontos Column: Boost Your Business with the Power of Print

By Andrea Brunais and Pam Lontos

Last month we talked about the first two ways to boost your business or book with the power of print. Now, we’re continuing with additional tips…

Authoring your own articles is a great way to achieve media coverage as well. National newspapers publish opinion columns from experts, which means you can raise your name recognition among readers across the country. Keep these pieces to about 700 words and make sure you proffer a definite opinion on a current topic. This article is called an op-ed piece, and it will brand you as an expert and an opinion leader.
On a daily basis, make sure your profile is high. Be active in your community, sponsor workshops and take surveys whose results can then be reported in the news media. Have your Webmaster apply search-optimization techniques to your Website so that you come up high on Internet search-engine result lists.
Other staples that editors are always seeking – especially trade magazines and journals – are feature-length articles around 800 – 1,000 words that reflect a how-to tips or informed advice on topics of interest to their readers. Topics can include genealogy, relationships, pets, budgeting, real estate, management and other subjects – it all depends on the publication and their readers. You probably won’t be paid for these articles and columns, but the publicity you receive will be priceless. For example, if you were to purchase a one-page ad in Parade, you would spend $682,000 to reach the weekly magazine’s 32 million readers. If you are quoted or mentioned in an article, you will pay nothing. And yet the payoff could be big. Kenneth Christian, Ph.D., author of the book Your Own Worst Enemy, found that his book jumped from number 35,000 to number 40 on Amazon.com, after he was quoted in Parade.

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

————————————————————————————————————

2. Inspirational Quote for the Month:

“Every great achievement is preceded by a period of fanatical dedication.”

- Jim Cathcart

Author of “How to Create & Grow High Value Relationships”

3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in communications, you’ll want to contact the media about June, which is Effective Communication Month. You can share your expertise on what to say and how to say it, in the workplace and at home, by writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print. Here are more publicity opportunities:

June is Effective Communication Month- Created to improve and commit to more active listening, verbal language, paralanguage, body language and written communication.

June is Entrepreneurs “Do It Yourself” Marketing Month- This is a time to stand out from the competition and get more media attention and clients, while still achieving your goals. This is done by applying discovering and applying creative and effective problem solving marketing ideas, and removing barriers that are in your way.

June is Professional Wellness Month- A month designed for professionals to increase their worth in the marketplace by adding to their company and customers, being accessible and reliable, and increasing their skills and learning their business completely.

The first week in June is National Business Etiquette Week- This is the time to recognize your own organization’s need for proper business etiquette and intelligence in order to compete in a growing global marketplace.

The third week in June is Meet a Mate Week- Created to inspire singles who are seeking a mate to take advantage of the summer by pursuing warm-weather meeting opportunities.

The fourth week in June is Freedom from Fear of Speaking Week- This is your chance to practice, recognize your strengths and face your fears of public speaking.

June 14th is Flag Day

June 15th is Father’s Day!

June 20th is the First Day of Summer!

4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Quick and Simple, Patrick Astre for “Tips to save money on your bills”

Book Marketing Update, Brent Sampson for “Testing Book Titles”

Investor’s Business Daily, Dr. Nancy O’Reilly for “Boost Your Memory”

Investor’s Business Daily, Jay Arthur for “Plug the Leaks”

Investor’s Business Daily, Ron Price for “Entrepreneurial Hiring”

Investor’s Business Daily, John Baker for “Change and Employee buy-in”

Heart Healthy Living, Dr. Narinder Duggal for “Treating Blood Pressure”

Woman’s World, Dr. Nancy O’Reilly for “Managing Time”

Healthcare Risk Management, Dr. Maurice Ramirez for “Refusing an ED Call”

Renaissance, Francie Dalton for “Talent Retention”

Inventor’s Digest, Dr. Maurice Ramirez for “Do Video Games Make You

Smarter?”

Boomer Nation Radio, Lauren Rikleen for “Getting Generations Working

Together”

ECT News Network, Dan Burrus for “Apple and Autos”

Growing Wealth, Kim Marcille for “Biggest Mistakes Businesses Make”

Pasadena Star News, Contented Cow Partners for “Exit Interviews”

St. Paul Pioneer Press, Dr. Dale Anderson for “WiiFit”

Pharmawire.com, Dr. Narinder Duggal for “Treatments for Hypertension”

************************************************************************

5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Getting Your Word’s Worth

* Given a limited time on the air, what are the major points you want to impress upon the audience?

* What information is important to each audience? Your presentation will change, depending upon the composition of the audience.

* In what order should you discuss your agenda items? Communicate information in descending order of importance.

Brian Jud hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. Post your own reviews and add your favorite suppliers. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/judslist/trial.asp Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Checking Your Facts

Do not just copy resources out of other books—check them.

Most changes were area codes but there were also changes to email addresses, web sites, fax numbers and even some street addresses.

Check all your facts, not just the addresses. When you write a book, you are committing history.

“When you speak, your words echo only across the room or down the hall. But when you write, your words echo down the ages.”

—Bud Gardner, co-author “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul”

Unleash Your Inner Author…

RESOURCE FOR BOOK WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PROMOTING

Dan Poynter’s F-R-E-E e-zine:

http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

7. Guest Commentary from PR/PR Pulse Subscriber Jessica James

I’d like to share a cross promotional story with your readers – it’s something I am working on for my novel, “Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia.”

If you have any stories, suggestions or tips you’d like to share with us, please e-mail: newsletter@prpr.net.

************************************************************************

8. Have a Need for Publicity?

To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

Permission to reprint: You may reprint any items from “PR/PR Pulse” in your own print or electronic newsletter, but please include the following:

“Reprinted from ‘PR/PR Pulse,’ a free e-zine featuring tips and techniques for gaining publicity. To subscribe, send an email to newsletter@prpr.net with ‘Add Me’ in the subject line.”

If you like any of the advice from this e-zine, please pass this on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

We would love to hear from you! Please email your suggestions and/or questions about publicity to: newsletter@prpr.net.

PR/PR

President: Pam Lontos

775 S. Kirkman Road, Suite 104

Orlando, FL 32811

www.prpr.net

Phone: 407-299-6128

Fax: 407-299-2166

If you no longer wish to receive this e-zine, please email: newsletter@prpr.net and include “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.