Archive for the ‘Publicity’ Category

Do you believe that marketing has to be difficult, time-consuming, expensive, and anything but fun? Many authors and other small business owners cringe at the idea of marketing their business. You may be one of those people, no matter how long you’ve been in business.

Find out how to turn that all around when VIP Author Talks interviews Paulette Ensign. Known as the “Booklet Queen,” Paulette will take you step-by-step through easily marketing yourself with tips booklets and other related information products, some of which will cost you literally nothing to produce.

You will learn simple and easy ways to transform your knowledge into products to use for motivating and making money, while marketing your books and other products and services in the process. This entertaining and information-packed class will prompt a new way of thinking about opportunities, many of which are delivered right to you throughout your week.

Discover how to get a large return on your minimal investment of time and money. Get your juices flowing and your actions moving toward successfully developing and promoting yourself with tips booklets and other information products.

During this class you will learn how to:

• Get paid for your business card
• Leverage your content into at least 7 products, with minimal costs, if any
• Identify new and larger bulk sales clients
• Create licensing rights deals for any product, online or offline
• Increase profits whether you like selling or not

Have a question on a topic not listed? Write it down now for the live Q&A at the end of the call.

Mark your calendar right now to join us for this informative teleclass!

Topic: How to Promote Yourself with Tips Booklets & Other Info-Products

When: Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Time: 8:00pm Eastern Time (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

How to Register:

VIP Authors Inner Circle Members: You are already registered. Log on to the Members-Only page for call-in details. The audio recording of the class will be posted to the members page within 24 hours after the event.

Non-Members: Not a member yet, but want to hear the class? The monthly VIP Author Talks teleclass is free to members, but you can pay for the class only and sample the membership benefits before joining.

Tuition for non-members: $14.95 (includes mp3 recording download).

SPEAKER BIO

Paulette Ensign is the founder, Chief Visionary, and Booklet Queen at San Diego-based Tips Products International. Paulette’s sense of humor and can-do attitude are the backdrop for teaching you to transform your knowledge into tips booklets and other information products for marketing, motivating, and making money. Paulette has personally sold well over a million copies (so far!) of her one tips booklet, “110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life,” in four languages and various formats without ever spending a penny on advertising. She’s made a handsome living on recycling the same 3500 words and you can, too. Her worldwide clients have matched and surpassed Paulette’s results. You will leave this session with ideas to breathe new life into your business, just one of which could significantly increase your bottom line.

It’s very exciting and a good opportunity to reply to a journalist’s query or request for expert sources. However, there are conventional rules of procedure to follow, or you risk being labeled a pest rather than a valuable resource! Here’s how to submit your expertise, book or product to a media request. (These rules apply to “blind” pitching, too.)

1. Only respond or pitch if you are an appropriate match for the topic. Don’t try to stretch the truth or present yourself to be something you’re not or promise what you can’t deliver.
2. Give the request serious thought before dashing out your information. Read the request carefully. What is the angle of the story? Who is the audience? Then present your material in a manner that is consistent with the needs of the story and the audience.
3. Open with an introduction about why you are writing (I’m writing in response to… or to suggest…). Indicate why you are an expert, but keep to a sentence. “As a licensed physical therapist with Such and Such Medical Group, ….”
4. Present your information and specify how it is relevant to the subject of the article or show. Make your presentation to the journalist very clear; don’t assume that he or she will connect the dots between what you are sending and what they need. If this is a blind pitch, then it’s even more important to establish how your information can benefit or be of interest to the audience.
5. Put your short bio at the end, with your contact information. If you have a book, include “[your name], author of…” Always end with “I’d be happy to provide additional for this or any other article (show, etc.) that you are preparing about (the subject). Please let me know how else I can help you.”
6. Keep it short. This is not the time to submit your media kit, photo or any self-serving attachments. The purpose of your response is to feed enough information to the journalist to prompt a call or email for more information. If you are contacted, remember that the goal is to serve the press, not to get free publicity. If you help the journalist, your name or product may be cited in the newspaper, magazine or media broadcast. Although that’s the ultimate payoff for you, your purpose in replying to requests or sending pitches is to help the journalist do his or her job, which is serving the needs of the audience.
7. Be mindful of deadlines.

Be realistic. You may think you’re the perfect source or match for the journalist’s needs, but you won’t get a call every time you submit. However, if you establish a pattern of consistent quality and reliability (they call you for a quote when their deadline is in 15 minutes), then you’ll develop a valuable relationship that will pay off for you many times over.

 

Have you been to a book signing lately or read an author interview in a magazine or heard a book talk show on the radio? Chances are you remember more about the story behind the book (what inspired the author) than the book topic. That’s because the most effective way to get people talking about you and your book is to create a memorable story.

Think about it. How many self-help books are out in the marketplace? Financial or investment advice books? How about fantasy novels? Yet, some authors are very successful at spinning their stories so that their books stand out in overcrowded genres and make the bestseller lists.

Rhonda Byrne describes how she was at a personal low in her life–her father died and her business was failing–when she was given a book that revealed the secret to turning her life around. Her desire to share her new-found knowledge with the world was the impetus that led first to the movie, “The Secret,” and then to the book, which still remains on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list after several years.

Robert Kiyosaki told the story of his life lessons learned in his how-to-get-and-stay-rich book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Originally self-published, this memoir-style account of how two powerful role models in his life shaped his approach to building successful businesses topped The New York Times bestseller lists for more than 100 weeks.

JK Rowling was a single mom on welfare writing during her children’s nap time when she began the Harry Potter series. Today she is the richest woman in Great Britain due to the books’ successes.

It’s a long road from humble beginnings to successful author. Just having a good book is not enough. So, how do you get started on the path?

Dramatize your story. What inspired you to write the book? It could be as simple as a passing comment from your partner or child or it could have been a milestone event in your life. Laura Duksta, author of The New York Times bestselling children’s book I Love You More, says the story was inspired while she was praying for her sister and nephew. Deborah Sharp, author of the newly released murder mystery, Mama Does Time, says after 9/11 she turned from reporting the news as a USA Today journalist to fiction writing so she could write about happy endings for change.

Here are some tips on how use your packaged story as a base to to build your audience while you are writing your book:

1.Position yourself as an expert. Write articles for trade publications. Teach classes, seminars or workshops. Offer yourself as a guest for local radio or television shows.
2. Connect with your target audience. Start a newsletter. Write a blog. Be a guest speaker for professional or civic groups. Join groups or associations connected to your topic and take a leadership role or volunteer for committees.
3. Publicize your work. Write press releases, post your events on community calendars and participate in social networking sites.
4. Once the book is out, arrange book signings at bookstores or businesses related to your topic. One author I know sold her mystery novel set amid the fast-paced NASCAR racing scene at racetrack events.
5. Virtual book tours via blogs are sweeping the Internet. If you don’t know what I’m talking about and you’re still in the writing process, this is the perfect time to learn about how blogging can help skyrocket book sales.

Whether your story is about how you came to write your book or the circumstances behind your unique message, it is what your audience will remember long after reading your book or hearing you speak. This is the fine art of communicating at the core level. People who learn to do this well make lasting connections that translate to bestsellers and high demand for their services, where they get to tell their story again and again and again and… .

HARO (Help a Reporter Out), the brainchild of publicist Peter Shankman, is a must-have free subscription for any author or business person who wants easy access to fabulous publicity opportunities. Delivered by email three times per day, with anywhere from 15 to 40+ queries from journalists (which include print, Internet and broadcast media), HARO provides a seemingly unending supply of editors, bloggers and broadcasters looking for sources for their stories. In other words, they are looking for YOU.

Since the first time I mentioned this service in my newsletter about 6 weeks ago, I’ve had feedback from readers on their HARO successes. I’ve had a few of my own, too.

I submitted writing tips in response to queries from blogger Laurie Kienlen and my material, my book title plus links to my site were included in 3 blog posts: Best Writing Advice, Best Leads and Tips for Staying Motivated.

Feng Shui expert Pat Heydlauff responded to several queries and has scored a radio interview. Just this week she received an immediate positive response to a submission she sent to a New York-based magazine looking for Feng Shui experts to interview regarding “how harmonizing your bedroom/house will help relationship dynamics” for an article that will appear on its website, which gets over 400,000 unique hits monthly.

And the Queen of HARO award goes to survivor coach Paula Holland De Long, who has been quoted in Aventura Magazine, featured in a story on Capessa.com and interviewed by a national magazine and is awaiting confirmation that her segment will be used.

Have you had HARO success? Email me with your success and I’ll extend your coverage by mentioning it in this newsletter and on my blog. I’ve even posted tips on how to pitch or respond to a journalist’s query for those of you who need some help with your pitches. It doesn’t get much better than that. What are you waiting for? Let me know HARO you doing!

I’ll admit to using the title question as a play on words. The “one sheet” I’m referring to is a marketing tool, not a single page of manuscript. Speakers have been using one sheets for years, but it’s a relatively new item for writers who traditionally have relied on bios, summaries, reviews and press releases to promote their work. If you’re not getting the results you want from your promotional efforts, you may want to try a new format for presenting your material.

A one sheet can actually be two-sided, but essentially it’s a brief summary that encapsules the essence of the author, book and topic or message. It’s a handy-dandy item that can be faxed (least desirable), emailed or downloaded from your website. You can mail or email one sheets to introduce yourself to the media, bookstores and/or any audience that you want target.

The content you include in your one sheet will vary according to your specific purpose, but it should contain the following:

1. Book cover image, ISBN number, retail price and ordering information.
2. Short synopsis or summary of the book.
3. Your photo, brief bio relevant to the book and contact information (website, email, phone number, publicist’s or agent’s info, etc)
4. Quotes or excerpts from reviews, testimonials or endorsements.

Additionally, you can tailor the one sheet to represent your other functions. Are you a coach, speaker or consultant? Add a section with the titles and descriptions of services, seminars or presentations you offer.

One sheets can be created in Microsoft Word or in graphic programs such as Adobe Photoshop or InDesign. The final document must be converted to pdf so it can be easily be read online, downloaded or emailed. Making a pdf also preserves your fonts so that even when the document is opened on someone else’s computer, it will still look the same as you intended. (A pdf is read online in Adobe Reader, a program that anyone can download for free and most people already have installed on their computers.)

Adair Cates, author of Live Your Intention: Ten Steps to Creating the Life of Your Dreams, has three one-sheets, each tailored to a specific audience. Adair has become a master at promotion on a shoe-string budget, doing much of the work herself. It’s paid off in a big way for her and the response she has garnered has paved the way to creating a video featuring her book and speaking. She has also posted video clip and photos from the many media interviews she has arranged.

Adair is not trained as a graphic designer or media specialist, so she invested the time to find out what other successful authors and speakers were doing and then did what she needed to do to get the same results. More often than not, publishing success requires learning new skills, stepping out of comfort zones and experimenting with new strategies. If you need assistance with the graphic presentation, hire a graphic designer to help you produce a document with a professional flair.

So, spice up your presentation with a new look. One sheets are a simple, inexpensive and effective way to transmit your message. And you may find that the new approach can make a big difference in the response you receive.

If you’re not using press releases to spread the news about your book and related activities, you’re missing out on reaching a big potential audience. Press releases are not just for the press anymore, either. I see authors and publishers posting press releases on websites and media services where anyone can access the release on the Internet.

To be effective as a publicity tool, a press release should follow these guidelines:

1. The purpose of a press release is to notify the media and your target audience about an event or important story. The goal is provide enough enticing information to have someone call you to find out more, so keep the release to one or two pages.

2.Follow the accepted standard format (samples are in provided in 4Ps to Publishing Success, or available by googling “press release format”). You can and should use your letterhead for the release, but don’t deviate from the format.

3. Write your press release like an article (which is what you want a journalist to turn it into!). Develop an interesting headline. The first paragraph is your hook. What is new or special about your book? What problem does it solve? Who is your audience? The second paragraph can explain what inspired the story or book, why you are an expert and a personal quote related to the information. The third paragraph gives a directive, or call to action. Why should they call you? Are you available for interviews? Will you be holding a book signing in the area? Give your contact information here.

What can you send as part of a media kit?
Include an image of your book cover (postcard, bookmark, etc.) In your cover letter, offer to send a copy of your book. Tell them if you are available for telephone or radio interviews and why you would be an interesting guest. You can even include suggested interview questions on a separate sheet of paper.

When should you follow up with the media?
You can call to follow up with a magazine editor or news reporter about the information you’ve sent. Rule number one: ask if they are available to talk for a few minutes when they answer the phone. Busy editors/reporters on deadline don’t like to be interrupted and will tell you so if you just start talking. Rule number two: Never ask, “Did you receive my press release?” Always offer some new information–preferably something that will be interesting or beneficial to their readers. Ask what you can do to help them and then pitch yourself as a guest or someone they can call upon for information.

It may seem a little uncomfortable if you’ve never done this before, but after one or two times, you’ll feel more at ease with the process. And once you get a response, you’ll be juiced to write them all the time.

Back in the days when I toiled in advertising, those people who were locked in their offices, hunched over desks either writing copy or designing the layouts for the ads were called “creatives.” The “beautiful people” were the account execs who got to wine and dine the clients as part of their job to sign and keep the accounts.

And that is how “creative” can be perceived: The starving artist, reclusive writer and temperamental actor.

I don’t like clichés or stereotypes, so today’s myth-busting message is that authors can be both creative and entertaining. Here are three examples of writers who extended their imaginations past the page to the public’s eye.

The first two were clever enough to tie their work to the event foremost in most Americans’ minds right now–the presidential election.

Mark LaFlamme, author of the novel, Dirt: An American Campaign, put his protagonist, Frank Cotton, in the race with a website and blog for the fictitious character. Those who want to help promote Frank Cotton and the book can download a banner to post on their own websites or blogs and get the good deed reciprocated with their links listed on the “candidate’s” site as a Friend of Frank Cotton.

My client, Feng Shui expert Pat Heydlauff, wrote and posted a press release/article analyzing the colors worn by First Lady Laura Bush, Senator Hillary Clinton, Cindy McCain and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin during their presentations at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. This was not a fashion article, but a commentary on how color helped deliver the speakers’ messages with respect to both the outfit and the contrast against the background. The article was picked up by newspapers around the country, with Pat’s short bio, website link and mention of her upcoming book, Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It.

Author Deb Sharp overcame her resistance to what she calls “shameless promotion” by poking fun of herself both in her personal blog and in Ask Mama, the blog she created for her title character in Mama Does Time and Mama Rides Shotgun. Deb has even created some radio essays for Tampa’s National Public Radio station WUSF-FM that detail the “horrors” she has faced getting ready to be a published author.

I could write a book (and maybe I will) about clever ways to promote yourself. But, you’re a writer, too, so you don’t need me to tell you how to be creative. Just get in the shower, take a walk, drive your car or whatever gets your muse working and think of ways to get your work in front of readers. And then send me your story so I can tell everyone here.

I recently discovered a website that offers a terrific service for free. Whether you are a freelance writer or book author, I believe you’ll be interested in checking out HelpaReporter.com, or HARO. The site belongs to Peter Shankman, who heads his own PR agency. The service serves two purposes: journalists (e.g., freelance writers) can submit requests for sources, or individuals (e.g., authors) can subscribe to read the queries and send their info in response.

So whether you’re writing an article or want to be cited as an expert in someone’s article, this service is an amazing tool to get what you want. Once you’ve signed up as subscriber, you’ll receive three emails a day with anywhere from 15-40+ queries from journalists (which include print, Internet and broadcast media) looking for people to interview for a variety of assignments, and if you’re a match you can submit. If you’re a journalist looking for a source, you can post a query. He already has over 25,000 subscribers, so getting your request in front of thousands of eyes can beat spending hours on the Internet and phone trying to find someone who meets your needs.

I subscribed to this service about a month ago and found myself emailing clients and friends who I thought were right for various stories. It got too overwhelming to read for myself and others and get any work done, so I directed interested parties to subscribe themselves and sent a tip sheet on how to respond to queries. My original intention was to share the sheet with my clients only, but then I had a “I could’ve had a V-8″ moment and realized everyone could benefit from the tips. So read on if you want to know the right way to respond to a journalist’s query or make a blind pitch. (If you need an incentive, my client, Paula Holland De Long, was recently interviewed by Aventura Magazine as a result of replying to a query using these tips.)

How to Respond to a Journalist’s Query or Request for Expert Sources
It’s very exciting and a good opportunity to reply to a journalist’s query or request for expert sources. However, there are conventional rules of procedure to follow, or you risk being labeled a pest rather than a valuable resource! Here’s how to submit your expertise, book or product to a media request. (These rules apply to “blind” pitching, too.)

Only respond or pitch if you are an appropriate match for the topic. Don’t try to stretch the truth, present yourself to be something you’re not or promise what you can’t deliver.

Give the request serious thought before dashing out your information. Read the request carefully. What is the angle of the story? Who is the audience? Then present your material in a manner that is consistent with the needs of the story and the audience.

Open with an introduction about why you are writing (I’m writing in response to… or to suggest…). Indicate why you are an expert, but keep to a sentence. “As a licensed physical therapist with Such and Such Medical Group, ….”

Present your information and specify how it is relevant to the subject of the article or show. Make your presentation to the journalist very clear; don’t assume that he or she will connect the dots between what you are sending and what they need. If this is a blind pitch, then it’s even more important to establish how your information can benefit or be of interest to the audience.

Put your short bio at the end, with your contact information. If you have a book, include “[your name], author of…” Always end with “I’d be happy to provide additional information for this or any other article (show, etc.) that you are preparing about (the subject). Please let me know how else I can help you.”

Keep it short. This is not the time to submit your media kit, photo or any self-serving attachments. The purpose of your response is to feed enough information to the journalist to prompt a call or email for more information. If you are contacted, remember that the goal is to serve the press, not to get free publicity. If you help the journalist, your name or product may be cited in the newspaper, magazine or media broadcast. Although that’s the ultimate payoff for you, your purpose in replying to requests or sending pitches is to help the journalist do his or her job, which is serving the needs of the audience.

Be mindful of deadlines.

Be realistic. You may think you’re the perfect source or match for the journalist’s needs, but you won’t get a call every time you submit. However, if you establish a pattern of consistent quality and reliability (they can call you for a quote when their deadline is in 15 minutes), then you’ll develop a valuable relationship that will pay off for you many times over.