The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

The next time you send a press release to a journalist, and you’re tempted to make a follow-up call to see if he’s using it, read this article by Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten.

It’s a perfect example of what it’s like to be on the receiving end of those annoying follow-up calls from PR people. I took calls just like these during my 22 years in the newspaper industry, and they drove me crazy.

Here are some quick tips for following up:

—Never, ever follow up to ask journalists if they received your press release and if they know when it will be printed.  They won’t drop what they’re doing to talk to you, and they’ll quickly brand you as a pest.  (Why do PR firms keep doing this?) 

—Journalists say they hate follow-up calls.  Truth is, they hate follow-up calls like the ones Weingarten writes about.  If you follow up to offer an additional piece of information only for that journalist, or to suggest an idea for a photo to accompany your earlier story pitch, the journalist might welcome your call.

—You may have to follow up as many as seven times, using a combination of phone and email, before you hear back.  If, after seven follow-ups, you hear nothing, stop calling and emailing. This was what author Jill Lublin recommended when I interviewed her during the teleseminar “Failproof Ways to Follow Up.” The tips she shared were based on dozens of interviews she conducted with journalists.

—If you follow up and hear nothing, never assume the journalist isn’t interested.  Sometimes, a reporter will print your email message, toss it into an “ideas” folder, then return to it two years later on a slow news day.

I’m not very organized. So when somebody sends me an email I want to save but I’ve somehow misplaced it, I appreciate it when they follow up.

Posted In: Pitching the Media, Press Releases/News Releases
posted On: 11/30/2007: 10:45 am: By Joan
Comments: 1 Comment

When I got my December issue of Wired magazine, it came with a bonus “Movies Rock” supplement. I spotted the headline “Martin Scorsese Unleashes His New Rolling Stones Concert Film” on the front cover and ripped open the plastic as quickly as I could.

One of my pet peeves is the absence of page numbers on the covers of magazines which means readers can’t jump quickly from a headline to the story inside. I turned to the Table of Contents in the front and searched for the Rolling Stones headline to learn what page the story was on.

A quick glance through the contents turned up nothing with the words “Martin Scorsese” or “Rolling Stones” in boldface type. So I searched. And searched. And searched. 

After plowing through 18 items in the Table of Contents, I finally found it under the headline “Sight and Sound.” But there was no page number listed after the blurb about the article.  At this point, I’m starting to do a slow burn. 

So I start flipping through the magazine trying to find the damn article. It suddenly dawns on me. The pages don’t even have page numbers! Now I’m absolutely… unwired. I never did read the article.

Instead, I wrote a letter to the editor complaining about the absence of page numbers and letting them know that I tossed the entire supplement into the wastebasket. What do you suppose the advertisers would say if they knew this? Certainly, I can’t be the only one. 

C’mon guys. This is Publishing 101 stuff. If people have to work hard to read your printed magazine, they’ll either read you online, or they’ll be like me and not read you at all. 

Posted In: Magazine Publicity
posted On: 11/28/2007: 10:47 pm: By Joan
Comments: 5 Comments

My friend Bob Baker, an expert at marketing for musicians, created this neat YouTube video about how singer-songwriter Terry Prince, at left, has sold 15,000 CDs in only 18 months.

Prince, shown in this video playing keyboards on the Santa Monica Pier, says his strategy is simple: go where the people are. He’s a busker, someone who does live performances in public places.

If you do the math, you’ll conclude that Prince makes more than $8,000 a month, or about $275 an hour playing part-time.

He says: “Set the table and the hungry will eat.”

Baker, by the way, was my guest during a teleseminar we conducted called “Do-it-yourself PR Tips for Songwriters, Musicians and Bands on a Budget” and shared all kinds of incredible advice on how musicians can generate publicity online and offline.

Come to think of it, Prince ought to pitch a story about his success as a street musician to local and national music magazines and even his local TV stations.

Posted In: Business Promotion, Magazine Publicity, YouTube
posted On: : 2:56 pm: By Joan
Comments: No Comments

Publicity Hound Paul Furiga tipped me off to a Wall Street Journal article about C. Ben Bosah, an environmental engineer from Ohio who was convinced that a non-fiction book about women’s health, written by his wife, a gynecologist, would be a best-seller.

The couple self-published the book. But because they weren’t familiar with the publishing industry, here’s what they did wrong:

—They chose a title for the book that limited potential readership.  Many readers associated “Letters to My Sisters: Plain Truths and Straightforward Advice from a Gynecologist” solely with black women.

—They failed to line up a distributor before publication.

—They neglected to send galleys of the book several months before publication to the key magazines that do early reviews.

 —The couple refused to go with a print-on-demand company and instead ordered 15,398 books.  Today, 4½ pallets of books clutter the three-car garage at the Bosahs’ home.

—The book was unavailable at local bookstores when the Columbus Dispatch reviewed it on Oct. 19 last year.  People wanting to read the book had to borrow it from local libraries.

You can read the rest of the story here  at  but do it today.  The Wall Street Journal might remove the article from its website.

After I wrote about this in last week’s newsletter under the headline “Another Publishing Disaster,” Ben emailed me and took exception to the headline I used. His response is below in the comments section.  

If you’re thinking of writing a book, don’t fall into the traps above.  Join me for a complimentary 90-minute teleseminar at 9 p. m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 3.

My special guest is Adam Wittey, who will explain “How To Write and Publish a Book, Quicker and Easier Than You Ever Imagined.”  More than 500 Publicity Hounds listened in several weeks ago when Adam and Tom Antion delivered a content-rich teleseminar on how to sell books online.  I was inundated with emails from happy Hounds who loved their tips.  And this call will be equally valuable. 

Sign up here.

In the meantime, authors who want to park in their garages can learn “How to Revive a Dying Book Marketing Campaign.” Book publicist Lissa Warren has a bag of tricks designed to boost sales for even the most lethargic titles.  They include:

—Writing letters to the editor commenting on articles that tie into the topic of your book.

—Taking another look at your marketing materials and pitches. While they might have gotten a passing grade when you created them, you might have better ideas this time around.

—Tie your pitches to hot topics in the news.

Far too many authors give up far too soon.

Posted In: Authors & Publishers, Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity
posted On: 11/27/2007: 12:31 pm: By Joan
Comments: 2 Comments

Walt Shiel of Lake Linden, Michigan writes:

“Our publishing company has just started working with a local nonprofit foundation that operates an outstanding nature park with miles of beautiful trails and three miles of waterfront land—all of which will soon be connected to the local university’s cross-country ski trails.

“We are casting about for ideas to publicize and promote this free, local resource. Besides providing an excellent recreational outlet for local citizens, we want to come up with some ideas that would feed into the area’s broader tourism goals.

“We are in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and tourism and outdoor recreation are our meat and potatoes. We are considering some events to spark media interest beyond just our local print and broadcast media. Also, a website with maps, information, nature guides, and maybe a web cam.

“We just began brainstorming this, and any and all suggestions will be appreciated.”

Posted In: Nonprofits, Photos & Graphics, Publicity for Niche Markets
posted On: : 12:14 pm: By Joan
Comments: 13 Comments