2008 August

How to promote a book signing for a book about Bi’aaatches

8/26/2008 By Joan 5 Comments

Roz Wolf of Los Angeles, California writes:

I have a fun but strange book title to promote.

“How To Woo A Bi’aaatch: The Key To Attracting Females” by Brian Zoozoo is a guide that speaks to a generation of single men and curious women aged 18-35. The word Bi’aaatch is slang for “a woman who is so beautiful she gives you goose-bumps” according to Brian.

We are targeting college audiences and general audiences with a book signing at a Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles Sept. 17. However, I find that some journalists totally get it when I pitch the title and some are turned off.

Can I ask your Hounds if they think the term “Bi’aaatch” is the problem? Or is the generation gap the problem? What other ways can I get publicity for the book-signing without relying solely on mainstream media?

Filed Under: General

Every day is a bad day for press conferences

8/26/2008 By Joan 6 Comments

Somebody just send me an email with a subject line “Quick question for members of the media”:

Good morning!

Quick question . . . .

If you were to go to ONE press conference a week, which would be your favorite day? Is Monday a good day, at the start of the week? Not Friday, I imagine; right? Wednesdays – to get out of your routine and break what can be a monotonous week? This is not a fickle question, or a trick question; I’d love to know – truly!

She included a link to her website.

Here’s how I responded:

I would probably do everything in my power to avoid going to a press conference altogether. Reporters despise press conferences because the vast majority of them are irrelevant. If it is of any significance, all media people leave with the same story.

So, bottom line, I would do everything in my power if I were you to NOT hold a press conference in the first place.

When I interviewed Sandra Eggers, APR about Creative Alternatives to Boring Press Conferences, she gave example after example of fun media events that generated fantastic publicity, like:

—A fun “Kid’s Town Hall” that publicized what was otherwise a boring college news event. (Lots of cute faces for the TV cameras!)

—How a florist association announced its formation by giving away 50,000 roses and carnations to new moms in local hospitals.

—How a group used hundreds of conch shells to publicize a lack of funding for special education in Michigan.

By the way, sending a blast email to media people brands you as clueless. If you’re not sure how they do their jobs, read my newsletter for publicity tips, or ask your colleagues for guidance.

Filed Under: How to Interview, Pitching the Media

Write a letter to the editor to promote your expertise

8/20/2008 By Joan 3 Comments

When you can’t think of a story idea to pitch, and you’re dying to get into a certain online or print publication, write a letter to the editor.

That’s what I did just now after reading the August issue of Independent, the excellent newsletter (it’s more like a magazine) published by the Independent Book Publishers Association. An article titled “How to Handle Complaints” by Janelle Barlow and Claus Moller missed what I thought was the most obvious way to make a complaining customer feel better.

Here’s the letter:

“How to Handle Complaints” in the August 2008 issue missed the Number One most obvious way to handle complaints and keep customers for life: pick up the telephone and call them.

That’s what I usually do when I receive an email from a particularly angry customer, or a sort-of-angry customer. The response is almost always the same: “I can’t believe you’re calling me” or “I’m really impressed because nobody calls anymore” or “I didn’t expect a call…I just wanted to vent. What an honor it is to hear from you!”

Calling them gives me a chance to apologize profusely and let them know how sorry I am, to offer something for free like a $10 special report of their choosing, and to tell them about other free information at my Web site that they might not know about. In a few cases, I’ve even been able to sell the person more products than the one they originally had trouble downloading, or didn’t like.

I always call if someone demands a refund, and I’m able to save the sale in four out of five cases.

I also take issue with the authors’ recommendation to get back to the person who is complaining within two weeks, either by letter or email. Two weeks? That’s an eternity! By then, the angry customer has already told eight friends about the bad experience, let resentment brew for two weeks, and found another vendor.

Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)

Letters to the editor are effective publicity tools because they:

—Promote your expertise. Notice how I mentioned that I create information products. In my “Special Report #4: How to Write Crisp, Compelling Letters to the Editor that Promote Your Product, Service or Favorite Cause,” I encourage writers to weave into the letter facts about their business. One great way to start a letter is to refer to yourself as an expert. Example: “As a publicity expert who teaches people how to promote online and offline…”

—Get you in front of a targeted audience. Authors and publishers are in my target market.

—Promote your business philosophy. I’m fanatic about customer sevice. This letter proves it.

—Promote your websites. Many editors won’t let you include your URLs at the end of the letter. But this newsletter does, perhaps because it’s a trade publication written for its members.

So what do you think? Are letters to the editor effective, or a big waste of time?

Filed Under: Business Promotion, Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity, Publicity for Niche Markets, Publicity on the Internet

Publisher needs to promote humorous stories of quadriplegic

8/19/2008 By Joan 6 Comments

Susan Carter of Bloomington, Minnesota writes:

“I own a small book publishing company and recently took on a project that’s near and dear to my heart: a memoir of the life of a man who has lived as a quadriplegic for more than 40 years.

“It’s particularly relevant to returning vets who have sustained spinal cord injuries and amputations, as well as their friends and family members. I’m contacting the natural niche markets of spinal cord injury publications, websites, organizations, medical facilities, therapists and equipment suppliers, as well as seeking special sales.

“There’s a significant section in the book that is a collection of 26 stories about the mostly humorous situations he and his friends have gotten into over the years, hence the title, Another Fine Mess You’ve Gotten Us Into: The Life and Adventures of a Quad. In addition to seeking markets for the niche side of the book content, he would very much like me to promote this lighter side of his life to appeal to a more general audience interested in short stories. Since my comfort zone is in niche markets I am struggling for a good way to promote this side of the book.

“Can your Hounds help?”

Filed Under: General