The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

Publishing expert Dan Poynter, who every author should be watching and following closely, is starting a second ezine for authors.

The current monthly ezine, titled Your Publishing Poynters, has 25,000 subscribers and is packed with information for authors and publishers.

“Last November, we started a new section in Publishing Poynters:ParaWants-Reviews (on Amazon and B&N wanted),” Dan writes in today’s Your Publishing Poynters.  “Apparently readers liked the idea; we received more than 80 listings. The overwhelming response would double the length of this newsletter so we created a bonus ezine.”

Look for the monthly Publishing Poynters Marketplace early each month. And think how you can put it to work for you. Subscribe here and receive both ezine.

Paulette Ensign, the tips booklet queen, wrote about this in her blog.

Posted In: Authors & Publishers
posted On: 1/25/2006: 8:48 pm: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

So much for the Rev. Daniel Webster, the pill-popping Episcopal priest, and his dysfunctional family.

NBC has canceled “The Book of Daniel,” the Friday night drama that featured the Vicodin-addicted priest, his boozing wife, gay son and a bisexual aunt. Oh yeah. And don’t forget Jesus.

What a shame. I never saw the show. But the Hound in me says this would have been a terrific way for Episcopal churches all over the world to piggyback onto this TV show. They could have provided local commentary from their own parishioners, letters to the editor of their local newspapers, religion page features and radio talk shows comparing the fictional Webster family with the real Episcopal church. Already, Jim Naughton had created the blogofdaniel.com website for the Diocese of Washington.

Pay attention to prime-time TV shows, and use every chance you can to piggyback your ideas onto these shows, particularly the most popular ones. Here are some ideas to get you started:

—Ice skating teachers should comment on what kind of training and rehearsals are needed for the celebrities featured on “Skating with Celebrities.” If we practice for four weeks straight under the watchful eye of a coach, just like they do, can we hoist our partner in the air, dance on ice and skate backwards? Has the show led to a renewed interest in figure skating?

—What about “Dancing with the Stars“? Most  guys I know hate this show. But are women dragging their boyfriends and husbands to dance classes?

—The popular hit “Antiques Roadshow” leaves many of us dreaming of finding a fortune at a Saturday morning yard sale or in the pile of junk grandma left us. Antique store owners can offer tips on what we can learn about antiques and collecting from watching the show.

—”CSI,” the Thursday night hit, can be the perfect springboard for forensics teachers to discuss whether actual crime seen investigators have jobs that bear any resemblance to the drama on CBS. Has this show led to more students seeking careers in forensics?

—I love all the cooking shows on PBS. But why does it always look so easy on TV? When I made a recipe recently for low-carb onion-olive bread featured on one of the shows, my kitchen looked like a disaster area. Chefs, cooking school teachers and foodies can offer tips on how the pros on TV stay organized and keep a clean workspace.

Once you have the tie-in and the angle, it’s time for the pitch. But you must do it in 30 seconds or less. So says Publicity expert Raleigh Pinskey, a master when it comes to pitching. She recorded a teleseminar with me called ”How to Create the Perfect 30-Second Pitch” and said the most important thing you must do within the first 5 to 10 seconds of your pitch is get the media’s attention. 

So lead with your best stuff and pitch in chunks. If a reporter likes the first 15 seconds of your pitch, give ‘em the next 15-second chunch, and so on. One of the biggest mistakes people make pitching is giving the entire pitch right out of the gate.   

Posted In: TV Publicity
posted On: : 9:20 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

When it comes to forming valuable relationships with media people who can help you, treat freelance writers with the same respect you would staff writers. Here’s why they can be so valuable to your publicity campaign:

—If you pitch a freelancer, it’s their job to tweak the pitch, flesh out the story, and sell the story to the editor. All you have to do is interest them in your idea, then give them access to the sources they need to interview.

—Freelancers often work for a variety of publications. So if they write about you for one magazine, there’s a good chance they’ll return to you again in several months and use you for a similar story they’re writing for another publication.

—They’re often working on several stories at a time. So if you pitch an idea and it isn’t a good fit for one story, it might be a pefect fit for another. Learn more about what freelancers want in this article at the Publicity Club of Chicago website at

—Freelancers are fairly easy to spot. They usually receive a byline just like staff writers do. But at the end of the article, there’s often a paragraph that identifies them as a freelancer and sometimes offers their email address.

Cozying up to freelancers is one of 19 “rules of the road” suggested by a panel of journalists who met in New York in October. The complete article is in the January/Februrary issue of The Publicity Hound subscription newsletter.

Posted In: Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity, Pitching the Media
posted On: : 2:38 am: By Joan
Comments: 1 Comment

C. Hope Clark of Phoenix, Arizona writes:

“I am author of THE SHY WRITER: An Introvert’s Guide to Writing Success. The thrust of the book is “Sell your words, not your soul” and it is designed for people who cringe at getting up in front of people. It helps them come up with alternatives to the public setting but it also helps them embrace it on the rare occasion they have no choice but to do it. When I talked to publishers, agents, and other writers, I could not get away from the fact that to get a traditional contract, I had to be willing to travel, ‘dance’ on stage, and try to become a celebrity in order to sell the book. And I didn’t want to.

“I have a website and I advertise it via http://www.fundsforwriters.com, my writing resource business with newsletters that go out to 14,000 people. Now I’m looking for innovate ideas to advance further as well as find some partners who might be interested in an affiliate program. I already have a decent affiliate program with my library of ebooks. Any new ideas?”

Posted In: General
posted On: 1/24/2006: 1:38 pm: By Joan
Comments: 4 Comments

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal includes an excellent special section on retirement planning, living to a ripe old age, and the demands that longevity places on finances and personal ties.  

“Think you’ll make it to your 100th birthday? Don’t answer too quickly,” says editor Glenn Ruffenach.

As the first batch of Baby Boomers nears retirement, this topic is becoming hotter than ever. The Journal’s special section focuses on several subtopics that you should keep in mind. Businesses, nonprofits and government agencies that can tie their product, service, cause or issue into one of these are as good as in:

 —The best ways for elderly parents to “give it away” before they die so their kids aren’t socked with taxes.

—How to persuade your elderly mom or dad to hand over the car keys.

—Whether an older adult should move out of the house and into an assisted living facility.

—Long-term care insurance.

—The secrets to living a long life.  

These articles are perfect for everything from local newspapers to network news programs. If you can include contact information for other retirement experts in your pitch, all the better.  

Posted In: Magazine Publicity, Nonprofits, TV Publicity
posted On: : 10:45 am: By Joan
Comments: No Comments