Publicity tips/Those Annoying Follow-up Calls Nov. 27, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #374 Nov. 27, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

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Save the Dates:

December 3:
Learn "How To Write and Publish a Book, Quicker and Easier Than You Ever Imagined" during a free 90-minute teleseminar at 9 PM Eastern Time on Monday, December 3. Authors, don't miss this one. Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/3ck3xv and see Item #2 below.


January 8:
Artists, learn how to sell more artwork without wasting tons of time on dry business stuff and the wrong marketing strategies. Join Ariane Goodwin for a one-hour teleseminar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give away their best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff. It's a preview to her 2008 smARTist telesummit on artist marketing. Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr and see Item #4 below.

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In This Issue
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1. Those Annoying Follow-up Calls

2. A Publishing Disaster? Hardly

3. How to Get Onto TV Talk Shows

4. How to be a Star in a YouTube World

5. Promoting a Charitable Giving Campaign

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Joke of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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1. Those Annoying Follow-up Calls
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Before you make your next call to a journalist to follow up on something you sent, read the article at http://tinyurl.com/343etg

It was written by Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten, and 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 know. I took calls like that during my 22 years in the newspaper industry, and they drove me crazy.

Here are some quick tips for following up:

--Journalists say they hate follow-up calls. Truth is, they hate follow-up calls like the ones Gene 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.

--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?)

--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.

--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.

Author Jill Lublin interviewed journalists for their best suggestions on following up, and she discussed them during a teleseminar I conducted with her called "Failproof Ways to Follow Up." It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order has been approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/bmyn7

Thanks to Publicity Hound Meredith Hamilton of Expert Communications in Clearwater, Florida, for letting us know about the Washington Post article.


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2. A Publishing Disaster? Hardly
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C. Ben Bosah, the Ohio man whose publishing fiasco was described in the Wall Street Journal and in this newsletter last week, takes exception of my characterization of his publishing mis-steps as a "disaster."

Publishing his wife's book "Letters to My Sisters: Plain Truths and Straightforward Advice from a Gynecologist," he says, "has been one of my most rewarding ventures in my life and I enjoyed it so thoroughly I am going to do other books next year."

Behm says he has discovered new outlets not traditionally targeted by booksellers, either at the retail or the wholesale level.

"I have forged new relationships and built a network that will be invaluable for my future efforts in publishing," he said. "The book has changed many lives. If your view of success, or lack of, is based on monetary terms, I have completely recouped my initial investment and am presently enjoying 'the long tail, just as muchas I enjoy oxtail.'

"A more apt title for your story may have been A (bumbling) Publisher Finds Success with Debut Book."

The publicity he received in the Wall Street Journal for this book may have been even better than any book review. He got it because he was willing to do something many of us are afraid to do. That is, discuss our mistakes and what we've learned from them.

If you're thinking of writing a book, don't fall into the traps above. And don't do what most authors do: spend two or more years writing the book. Join me for a complimentary 90-minute teleseminar at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 3.

My special guest is Adam Witty, 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. Register for this complimentary teleseminar at http://tinyurl.com/3ck3xv


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3. How to Get onto TV Talk Shows
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Want to be on national TV?

Get yourself a copy of Steve Harrison's directory/database of top shows. His "Harrison's Guide to the Top National TV Talk & Interviews Shows" gives you key contacts and "how to get booked" info for 259 top shows including Oprah, Good Morning America, Today, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Larry King Live, Bloomberg TV and many more.

In February, Steve will be releasing a brand-new, 100 percent updated edition of his directory/database. To celebrate, through Friday, November 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, he's offering the March 2007 directory to be shipped now, and then will ship you the newest edition as soon as it's published. Go here now to grab your copy:
http://tinyurl.com/kfrzv


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4. How to be a Star in a YouTube World
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Attention all you struggling artists, or anybody else looking for an inexpensive, easy way to expand your business.

Today's Wall Street Journal includes an article on creative ways businesses are using video to market their products and services.

Valentina Trevino, for example, a 29-year-old Chicago artist and film-maker, regularly posts videos on YouTube, showing how she created a painting. At the end of her clips, she includes a link to eBay where viewers can buy the featured piece.

So far, as a result of her YouTube videos, she has sold 49 paintings from $500 to $1,000 each.

Video has proven to be a successful marketing tool for two reasons. First, it costs nothing to post to a video-sharing site. Second, it's a creative, personal touch that seldom shows up in traditional ads.

If you want to start using video in your business and you're unsure of how to start, check out the two-CD set "How to Make a Fortune Using Video...Even if You Don't Have a Computer" at http://tinyurl.com/y3b6wj

If you're a starving artist who needs to sell more paintings or artwork, join me for Arianne Goodwin's smARTist telesummit, a series of teleseminars that will show you how become recognized, exhibited, and paid what you're worth. I'm one of the guest presenters. This year's January telesummit attracted artists from eight countries and was so successful that Ariane is presenting it again next year.

You can get a sneak peek during a free one-hour call at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Three experts will give awaytheir best marketing advice on how to succeed without sacrificing your artistic voice or wasting tons of time on dry business stuff and the wrong marketing strategies.

Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/3x35vr


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5. Promoting a Charitable Giving Campaign
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This week, five Publicity Hounds have ideas for Harry Hoover of Charlotte, North Carolina. He wants tips on how to promote his "Holiday for Charity" promotion that encourages people to ask for charitable donations in their name in lieu of gifts.


From Stephanie Chandler:

"I recently learned about http://goodsearch.com/, a search engine that donates 50 percent of its revenues to charities and schools. The engine is powered by Yahoo and revenues are derived from advertisers. Perhaps they would be interested in forming a strategic alliance with you?"


From Janet Huey:

"If you’ve been able to track some of the charities that have benefited from your efforts in the past, tie in with their publicity to expand even more."


From The Publicity Hound:

"I wonder what the etiquette consultants have to say about this. Why not Google them, and then email them, tell them what you’re doing, and suggest they use that as fodder for their blogs, newspaper columns, newsletters or whatever."


Read all the responses to this Help this Hound question at http://tinyurl.com/ypmezl


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6. Help This Hound
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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."


The Publicity Hound says:

It sounds like a winter wonderland, Walt, and I'm betting my Hounds will have some creative ideas for promotion. OK, Hounds, let's help send lots of skiers and other nature lovers to the U.P. If you have an idea, post it at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2nqmxs


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Carol Johnson of Schaumburg, Illinois for this one:


A lawyer's dog, running unleashed, ran into the butcher shop and stole a roast. The butcher went to the lawyer's office and asked, "If a dog running unleashed steals a piece of meat from my store, do I have a right to demand payment for the meat from the dog's owner?"

"Absolutely," the lawyer says.

"Then you owe me $8.50. Your dog was loose and stole a roast from me today."

The lawyer, without a word, writes the butcher a check for $8.50.

The next day the butcher opens the mail and finds an envelope from the lawyer: $200 due for a consultations.


DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes, perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50 best websites for dog humor.

http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/


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8. And at My Blog...
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Fiskars word-of-mouth campaign a success
http://tinyurl.com/3xn9r7


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Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
U.S.A.
Phone: 262-284-7451 (Central) Fax: 262-284-1737