Archive for May, 2008
How to Get Hometown Media for Your Book
As an author, you may have recently published a book. In writing this title, you dedicated much of your time and passion in order to create a final piece of work that can be enjoyed by people everywhere! But getting your book noticed is no easy feat. In this crowded marketplace (there were nearly 300,000 books published in 2007 alone) you MUST take an active approach to let book buyers know that your book exists, on both a national and a local level!
While national media exposure for you and your book is ideal, there is great power in local media exposure as well. By focusing on your hometown media outlets you will be able to build a solid base of fame and recognition from which to grow on. Creating as much “buzz” as you can locally will compliment your national campaign to no end and it also gives you invaluable media experience when the national media starts to knock on your door.
Fortunately many local journalists and on-air personalities enjoy interviewing local authors and experts like yourself. This gives you an upper hand in grabbing their attention, and you will also gain their support in spreading the word about your book!
If you want to create solid book “buzz” in your hometown, I would recommend the following actions:
*Book Signings: When it comes to the secret weapon of gaining local exposure for your book, they don’t make ‘em any stronger than this! At every book signing:
- Books will be stocked on their shelves after you leave, unless of course you have a sell-out
- You’ll receive free advertising and promotion in the book store’s customer mailings
- You’ll have prominent placement for as much as a week prior to your signing
- You’ll earn powerful third-party endorsements by store employees whom have met you during the signing
(If you would like more information about the Hidden Values of Book signings, please click here to request your copy of my article “The Truth About Book Signings”)
Book signings are a goldmine for local publicity. I strongly suggest doing as many as you possibly can, including all stores that are located within a 100 mile radius. Even ask friends and relatives to see about setting up book signings for you in their hometowns. The name of this game is not only to create the local “buzz”, but it is also “let’s sell some books!”
*Talk Radio Interviews and Television Appearances: Generally speaking, every city has radio and television programs that have a format for guests. Do your research on the web to find the main stations that broadcast in your hometown. Then go to their website where you will find information about the shows they broadcast. Look for those with a format for guests and find the contact information for the producer. Then call and pitch yourself as a guest. How many should you aim for? AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!
*Local Newspapers and Magazines: When it comes to the print media, at EMSI we find that “Tips” type articles have an extremely high pick up rate with newspapers and magazines. If your topic offers any sort of solution to a problem, then a “Tips” article is what I would suggest. Write an article that gives 5-7 helpful, quality solutions (or “Tips”) to a problem that many people face. Next, identify the newspapers and magazines in your local market, go to their website and find the right “beat” your topic falls in - for example - religious, business, health, lifestyle, etc - and send your article to the journalist that covers that “beat.” If there isn’t one person in particular that you can identify, “as you’ll find in smaller weekly papers” send your article to the editor - in - charge. Make sure that the article is professional and print worthy, if so some publications will print it “as is.” But since you’re a writer, this should not be a problem. And once again, get as many print placements AS POSSIBLE!
Add comment May 23, 2008
Tell the World About Your Book!
The Advantage of Hiring a Publicity Firm
You have been working yourself to exhaustion for countless hours and it’s finally finished. After a lifetime of dreaming, you are finally holding it in your hands. Your book: the focus of all of your energies and a labor of love. You want the whole world to hear about it (and hopefully buy it), but you aren’t sure how to make that happen. If you have limited budget, one of the best and most cost-effective ways to let people know that your book exists is talk radio.
There are publicity firms who specialize in booking authors on talk radio, but what are the advantages of hiring them? Here are 5 advantages of hiring a publicity firm to promote your book on talk radio:
1. They Know How to Play the Publicity “Game.”
Most authors know that they need media exposure, but have no idea where to start or who to call. Generating publicity can be difficult and even complex. You have to know the right shows, the right stations, the right producers, and the right time to call. Hiring a publicist takes out all of the guesswork.
2. They Will Help You Develop Your Message.
One of the most valuable things a publicity firm can do is help you develop the right message or angle to use to get the media’s attention. They will examine your book and message and will be able to pick out the angle that will maximize interest in you and your book.
3. They Will Get Your Message to the Right People.
While it’s true that you can call radio stations and attempt to book yourself, you may not get very far. Many hosts and producers won’t even consider a guest unless they are represented by a publicist, assuming they even take your call in the first place. A good publicity firm knows how to provide a show producer with everything they need to book you as a guest.
4. They Have Established Relationships with the Media.
Experienced publicists have cultivated strong relationships with talk radio hosts and producers. In some cases, these relationships last several years and help open up doors that might otherwise be closed. Often, a host will book a guest solely based on the recommendation of a trusted publicist.
5. They Have the Experience to Guide You.
Going out there and doing interviews without any tips or any guidance can be quite daunting. A good PR firm will be able to coach you on the fine point of “talk radio etiquette” and will be able to help you correct any missteps you might make.
By factoring in all of these advantages, we can help alert the masses about your book. As specialists in book publicity for nearly two decades, EMSI has the experience and the know-how that you need to help accomplish your goals.
If you want to hear more about our affordable talk radio campaigns and why we are one of the country’s leading resources for talk radio guests, call my partner Steve today at 727-443-7115, Extension 202 or email him at steve@emsincorporated.com.
Nothing beats a real-life conversation and we are more than happy to spend as much time as needed to help guide you to a successful book promotion!
Add comment May 23, 2008
Two Neat PR Tricks for Great Authors Who Aren’t Great Book Promoters
You know how hard it is to write a book.
It may be a labor of love, but it’s still a labor. And while you’re not out there cracking rocks with a sledgehammer, some might even call it hard labor. That’s okay. Nothing good comes easy. And there’s no question that you’re wonderfully suited for this kind of labor, right? But the problem - in fact, the big, sneaky surprise - comes shortly after you finish laboring on your masterpiece:
That’s when most authors realize they face the brand new labor of promoting their books, too.
What do I mean? I mean that, unless the good publishing fairy comes down and waves its magic wand over your book, you’ve got to jump into the promotional trenches and fight, tooth and nail, to get your book anywhere near the bestseller lists.
It’s not fair, I know. Call it the double whammy of publishing - as hard as it is to write a good book, it can be even harder to promote it. Which has, sadly enough, turned out to be the death sentence for far too many “could-have-been” bestsellers. After all, how many authors have been great at the first “whammy” only to throw their hands up at the second (and then, tragically, and out of sheer frustration, given up writing altogether)?
Fortunately, good book promotion doesn’t have to be as mysterious as the pyramids - you can put some little-known (but wonderfully effective) promotional “tricks” to work for you starting this very day. For example…
Is This YOUR Month?
Ever notice how every month comes with “awareness themes?”
Take April, for example. Among its other awareness themes, April is Cancer Control Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Couple Appreciation Month, National Humor Month, National Autism Awareness Month, Lawn and Garden Month, National Poetry Month and Alcohol Awareness Month.
And that’s just April. Every month has its own theme list. And you can bet many of those months have themes aimed at your book.
So what’s the strategy here? Pretty simple, really: Tie the theme of your book to a month’s theme. Do a good job of that, put your press release right in front of the media’s “nose,” and you could just land several high-profile interviews.
That’s one nice way of cracking into the formerly impenetrable “media fortress.” Here’s another:
Tie into Today’s News
You’ve got to be a bit more agile for this.
Whenever there’s a news story that relates to the topic of your book, cook up a strong press release and shoot it right over to talk radio producers, TV news producers and newspaper editors. These people are ALWAYS looking for credible guests with great slants on today’s news.
How long do these kinds of news windows stay open? Not long at all. That’s why, as I said, you’ve got to be quick and agile.
Either that…or you’ve got to enlist the help of a PR professional who is quicker and more agile than you’d ever care to be.
Add comment May 23, 2008
Two Terrific Publicity Tricks That Will Help You Promote Your Product More Effectively
You know how hard it is to develop a product.
It may be a labor of love, but it’s still a labor. And while you’re not out there cracking rocks with a sledgehammer, some might even call it hard labor. That’s okay. Nothing good comes easy. And there’s no question that you’re wonderfully suited for this kind of labor, right? But the challenge comes shortly after you finish laboring on your masterpiece.
What do I mean? You’ve got to jump into the promotional trenches and fight, tooth and nail. Consumers need to know that your product is out there and national media exposure is the best way for you tell them.
Call it the double whammy of product development - as hard as it is to develop a terrific product, it can be even harder to promote it. Which has, sadly enough, turned out to be the death sentence for far too many “could-have-been” best-selling products. After all, how many companies have been great at the first “whammy” only to throw their hands up at the second (and then, tragically, and out of sheer frustration, given up altogether)?
Fortunately, good product promotion doesn’t have to be as mysterious as the pyramids - you can put some little-known (but wonderfully effective) publicity “tricks” to work for you starting this very day. For example…
Is This YOUR Month?
Ever notice how every month comes with “awareness themes?”
Take April, for example. Among its other awareness themes, April is Cancer Control Month, National Decorating Month, Physical Wellness Month, National Humor Month, National Autism Awareness Month, Lawn and Garden Month, National Car Care Month and Alcohol Awareness Month.
And that’s just April. Every month has its own theme list. And you can bet many of those months have themes aimed at your product.
So what’s the strategy here? Pretty simple, really: Tie the message of your product to a month’s theme. Do a good job of that, put your press release right in front of the media’s “nose,” and you could just land several high-profile interviews.
That’s one nice way of cracking into the formerly impenetrable “media fortress.” Here’s another:
Tie into Today’s News
You’ve got to be a bit more agile for this.
Whenever there’s a news story that relates to the message of your product, cook up a strong press release and shoot it right over to talk radio producers, TV news producers and newspaper editors. These people are ALWAYS looking for credible guests with great slants on today’s news.
How long do these kinds of news windows stay open? Not long at all. That’s why, as I said, you’ve got to be quick and agile.
Either that…or you’ve got to enlist the help of a PR professional who is quicker and more agile than you’d ever care to be.
Add comment May 23, 2008
How to Fix a Broken Publicity Campaign
The 6 Little Known Facts About Profitable Positioning
What’s positioning? It’s the art of presenting your message in such a way as to convey an immediate understanding of your subject. It “positions” your topic with other like topics in the news so that those reading your materials can easily understand the subject and how it compares to others like it.
Although positioning has been used by Madison Avenue, there is still little understanding of this concept beyond that world. If used correctly it can put a derailed campaign back on track and create huge media success.
The problem I’ve seen with press releases about books is that they’re written with an eye toward a book reviewer…which is a perfect message for a book reviewer! But sadly this press release will completely miss the mark when it comes to attracting the attention of radio, TV and print media as the majority of them are not book reviewers
If you’re not a big name author then you will need a lot more strategic creativity in your presentation to the media. Let’s face it, with the massive number of titles released each year, there’s a demand on publishers and authors to get aggressive about promotion.
This battle for attention makes the job of book promotion increasingly more difficult. Positioning may be the missing link that will pull you through. Here are some tips that we use at EMSI to position our authors to the media:
1) The writer creating the press materials must have a solid understanding of not only the subject of the book, but also its relevance to today’s society.
2) Look through the book and find those pieces of information, or “pearls”, which set it apart from books on similar topics. Also keep an eye out for those statements or assertions made by the author that are alarming or ground-breaking.
3) Find out how similar topics are being portrayed in the media. How does yours compare? Is it different? Is there a new slant to it?
4) Distill this information into a two page release positioned with current news or events and an exciting headline. Remember that you’ve got to grab and keep the attention of a very busy producer or journalist.
5) Don’t require the media to use their imagination to see how the topic would be of interest to their listeners, viewers or readers. Give them an instant concept of what you are suggesting in the headline. That’s positioning at its best.
6) Remember to include those special features about the author that positions him or her as an authority on the topic and a qualified guest!
Add comment May 23, 2008
9 Reasons Why Talk Radio is the Best Promotion for Your Book!
As publicity experts, talk radio is one of the tools that we use everyday to help our clients gain national recognition, promote their books and popularize their causes. And because it is so effective our clients keep coming back for more! Fact is - talk radio may honestly be one of the best-kept marketing secrets there is. There are many reasons why this is true - but let me give you ten to start with:
1. THE RIGHT DEMOGRAPHICS. Every year Talkers Magazine does a research project to profile who’s listening to talk radio. And, every year their survey confirms that the talk radio listener is, “diverse, educated, attentive, active and affluent…” If this describes your book-buyer - it’s a perfect match!
2. TARGET AUDIENCE. Not only are the demographics of talk radio great - but with specialty talk shows on politics, health, relationships, lifestyles, finance, consumer advocacy, sports, etc., we can identify shows that are a perfect match for your books, once we know the audience you’re trying to reach!
3. EFFECTIVE SALES TOOL. Publicity is definitely not paid advertising. But it can be far more effective. Just ask Dr. Arnold Goldstein, well-known financial author, “The interest in our books from radio interviews has far exceeded the response we’ve seen from our advertising campaigns. Dollar-for-dollar, talk radio interviews has shown a much better return!”
A compelling radio interview can promote your book without the audience even realizing it! And, as hosts don’t want to be bombarded with phone calls from listeners with questions about your book, they’re highly motivated to frequently mention your title.
4. THIRD PARTY ENDORSEMENT. Talk radio hosts have loyal followings - that’s how they maintain their ratings. And listeners tune in daily to hear what their favorite host is talking about. As that host is often thought of as an old friend or even a trusted advisor, when you appear as a guest on their show, listeners hear an implicit endorsement of you, your book and your message!
5. CREDIBILITY. This is a crucial ingredient in every marketing campaign…and talk radio supplies it in abundance! One of our clients told us, “…every show I’ve appeared on - the host tells his listeners about my great expertise, my many accomplishments and how proud they are to have me as a guest! Of course, the more important I am, the more important the host appears to be. As far as promotion and credibility goes - it just doesn’t get any better!”
6. TIME TO TELL YOUR WHOLE STORY. As a guest - you get not just 60 seconds, but ten to thirty minutes of quality time with a very targeted and attentive audience. You have enough time to talk about your book and in many cases you have a chance to answer questions from callers. It’s a perfect way to get the full message of your book heard and understood by the masses!
7. COST-EFFECTIVE PROMOTION. Talk radio interviews are all done by phone. So without ever leaving your home or office you can have a direct and oftentimes live conversation with consumers around the country. Plus our fees for this publicity service are minuscule compared to what you’ll spend in advertising dollars to buy the same amount of air time!
8. IMMEDIATE EXPOSURE. You can be on the air within two to three weeks! And, because talk radio keeps up with changing times and topics, we can continuously create new angles for your topic that reflect current events, to keep you on the air and in the news on an ongoing basis.
9. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK. With probably 1,000 + talk radio interviews under his belt, nutritional products spokesperson, Dr. W. Wong says, “Talk radio is the greatest way to get your message across to a large group of people at one time. There’s a captive audience during morning and evening drive times, in the middle of the day with stay-at-home moms and people in the workplace and for those folks awake late at night. It’s better, cheaper and faster than TV appearances. Without question – talk radio provides the best bang for the buck!”
Add comment May 23, 2008
The Antidote for “Product Invisibility”?
A shocking realization occurs to many corporations not long after their product hits the market: The corporations realize their products are invisible. It quickly becomes apparent that consumers simply can’t see their corporate products. That comes as no surprise with hundreds of thousands of new products hitting the market every year!
With this much competition in the corporate marketplace combined with no media coverage the result is no connection to the buying public. The corporate product hasn’t been discussed on successive talk radio shows or seen on TV. Neither has there been any newspaper coverage nor conspicuous product reviews in popular publications.
In other words, all the known antidotes for “Product Invisibility” are absent. Small wonder this affliction has reached epidemic proportions, shortening the life cycle of so many of them.
A horrible waste, especially since “Product Invisibility” is so readily treatable. The antidote involves specific PR (public relations) techniques that can quickly promote otherwise unknown products.
Here’s How It Works
We use the very latest broadcast media (talk radio and TV), print and internet publicity techniques in order to create an integrated marketing effort that has a contemporary hands-on approach!
* For talk radio-the watering hole of the reading public-EMSI is one of the few national pr firms to guarantee 10-to-20 minute radio phone-in interviews. And not on bottom-feeder stations, either. Interviews are in the top 100 markets around the country, boasting 5,000 watts of power or more on the AM dial. The corporate clients who appear on as many shows as they can possibly get on swear they owe their corporate product success to talk radio interviews.
* For coverage in print, we first review the corporation’s product and the science behind it. From there, as public relations specialists we write a 400 to 600 word article, designed to grab the media’s attention. We accomplish this by writing our articles in the same journalistic style as newspapers and magazines. This will go out to a customized database of targeted journalists at major daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, wire services, national magazines, regional magazines and trade publications that match the demographics of your target consumer.
Add to this distribution a special industry tool used by journalists looking for “that one special story,” and you end up with perhaps the most comprehensive print campaign available. This will lead to a successful communication strategy for your product.
Of this service, one client proclaimed, “We’ve had more inquiries from journalists in the past two weeks than I’ve gotten on my own in the past year.”
* For internet marketing, we distribute your article to a targeted group of article banks. Article marketing is extremely valuable in building your corporate profile with consumers on the web in addition to strengthening your own corporate webpage in search engines such as Google and Yahoo!
* Yet another way to cure “Product Invisibility” is to appear as a guest on local news shows in your hometown in addition to cities you may be traveling to. TV appearances combined with local talk radio interviews can create hot buzz for your product and build the word-0f-mouth for your company or corporation.
* Although appearances on major network TV shows can be a great public relations (PR) hit for you - National Cable TV opportunities can be a bonanza as well. Now, with cable networks offering so many specific channels on so many specific topics, chances are far better for you to reach your precise target markets. For example, let’s say you have developed a fitness product. Maybe a show on the Discovery Health Channel or Fit TV would be a perfect, cost-efficient match.
By the way, when it comes to arranging TV appearances for our clients, we work on a contingency basis - so clients only pay when a TV appearance is actually confirmed.
Invisible No More
So you now have more targeted media options to build your corporations profile and tell your consumers about your new product than ever before. Needless to say, pinpointed national coverage like this can instantly yank your product from the depths of obscurity…all from effective media relations. If you’ve suffered from the ravages of “Product Invisibility”, take heart. Your company or corporation can beat this affliction today.
Add comment May 9, 2008
The Antidote for “Author Invisibility”?
A shocking realization occurs to many authors not long after they publish their books: They realize they are invisible. It quickly becomes apparent that the book-buying public simply can’t see them…or their books. That comes as no surprise with 270,000 books published in 2007 alone.
With this much competition in the marketplace combined with no media coverage the result is no connection to the buying public. The author hasn’t been interviewed on successive talk radio shows or appeared on TV. Neither has there been any newspaper coverage nor conspicuous book reviews in popular publications.
In other words, all the known antidotes for “Author Invisibility” are absent. Small wonder this affliction has reached epidemic proportions, killing the careers of so many promising writers.
A horrible waste, especially since “Author Invisibility” is so readily treatable. The antidote involves specific publicity techniques that can quickly promote otherwise unknown authors and books.
Here’s How It Works
We promote you using the very latest broadcast media (talk radio and TV), print and internet publicity techniques.
* For talk radio-the watering hole of the reading public-EMSI is one of the few publicity firms to guarantee 10-to-20 minute radio phone-in interviews. And not on bottom-feeder stations, either. Interviews are in the top 100 markets around the country, boasting 5,000 watts of power or more on the AM dial. The authors who appear on as many shows as they can possibly get on swear they owe their book success to talk radio interviews.
* For coverage in print, we first review a client’s book and then do in-depth research of the topic. From there, we write a 400 to 600 word article, designed to grab the media’s attention. We accomplish this by writing our articles in the same journalistic style as newspapers and magazines. This will go out to a customized database of targeted journalists at major daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, wire services, national magazines, regional magazines and trade publications that match the demographics of your book buyer.
Add to this distribution a special industry tool used by journalists looking for “that one special story,” and you end up with perhaps the most comprehensive print campaign available.
Of this service, one publisher (a client) proclaimed, “We’ve had more inquiries from journalists in the past two weeks than I’ve gotten on my own in the past year.”
* For internet marketing, we distribute your article to a targeted group of article banks. Article marketing is extremely valuable in building your profile on the web in addition to strengthening your own webpage in search engines such as Google and Yahoo!
* Yet another way to cure “Author Invisibility” is to appear as a guest on local news shows in your hometown in addition to cities you may be traveling to. TV appearances combined with local talk radio interviews and book signings can create hot buzz for you and your book.
* Although appearances on major network TV shows can be a great hit for you - National Cable TV opportunities can be a bonanza as well. Now, with cable networks offering so many specific channels on so many specific topics, chances are far better for authors to reach their precise target markets. For example, let’s say you wrote a book that focused on fitness. Maybe a show on the Discovery Health Channel or Fit TV would be a perfect, cost-efficient match.
By the way, when it comes to arranging TV appearances for our clients, we work on a contingency basis - so clients only pay when a TV appearance is actually confirmed.
Invisible No More
So you now have more targeted media options than ever before. Needless to say, pinpointed national coverage like this can instantly yank you from the depths of obscurity. If you’ve suffered from the ravages of “Author Invisibility” for more than one book now, take heart. You and your writing can beat this affliction today.
Understand the reality of publishing: you need to do more than simply write a book. In order to be successful, you need to create national recognition and awareness of your book to the largest audience of potential readers as possible. The bottom line is that your book needs to stand out from the 270,000 books published EVERY YEAR…in addition to the millions that are already out there!
My firm can help! For over 20 years we have been curing “Author Invisibility” through dynamic media campaigns covering national and local talk radio, television, print and more. In fact, here’s an unsolicited testimonial we received just last night from one of our clients.
“After weeks of intense investigation of several publicity companies, I chose EMSI to help me create and promote my book tour and I am so glad that I did. I love the fact that you pay for the work you get and there is no monthly fee like so many other firms and I have nothing to lose! EMSI got me booked on seventeen national radio shows and over a dozen television shows in less then one month of me buying those specific packages. I will continue to work with them as my publicist for the rest of my career. They get the job done and more. Thank you EMSI.”
There is no time like the present to start getting your book in front of millions of consumers! Call me today on 727-443-7115, Extension 202 or email me at steve@emsincorporated.com to discuss a national media campaign your book deserves.
Add comment May 9, 2008
