Publicity tips/Start an ezine January 30, 2007

The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week
Issue #331 - Jan. 30, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net
(Blog) The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 27,934
=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

******************************************
How to Generate Publicity in Big Magazines & Newspapers:

Every smart Publicity Hound knows that one of the best ways to get into top-tier publications is to have a copy of the publication's editorial calendar, so you know months in advance what kinds of topics they'll be covering.

But don't stop there. On Thursday, Feb. 1, Steve Harrison will present a free teleseminar called "The Seven Things You Absolutely Must Know to Get Publicity In Major Magazines and Newspapers."

You'll hear from two editors from Woman’s Day and Woman's World, a top business writer who does stories for Inc., a New York Times best-selling author and four other entrepreneurs/authors who share how they got publicity in such places as Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Parents, Family Circle, the Wall St. Journal and many other top publications.

Learn more at http://snipurl.com/MagazinePublicity
******************************************
================================
In This Issue
================================

1. Start an Ezine

2. Press Release Distribution

3. Valentines & Irritable Bowels

4. What Not to Say to Journalists

5. How to Promote a Voiceover Talent

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

=====================================
1. Start an Ezine
=====================================

If you aren't emailing tips and advice regularly to people who have given you permission to contact them, you're missing one of the most powerful ways to market your products and services.

This newsletter is like the giant jackhammer in my marketing toolbox. How do I know?
Here's what happens every Tuesday after I send it:

I'm glutted with orders and requests for speaking engagements. Subscribers email me and ask if they can reprint items they see here in their own newsletters.

Others ask if they can buy a telephone consulting session. Journalists email or call me asking for an interview.

Publishing your own email newsletter helps you stay in touch with prospects, gain "expert" status, build a massive mailing list, and attract more sales and clients.

You can also use a newsletter to attract the attention of dozens of journalists, newspaper reporters, magazine editors, freelance writers, radio talk show hosts and TV producers. If they like your topic, they'll subscribe to your newsletter to stay abreast of trends in your field, and to get ideas for stories they can cover.

But many people don't know how to start creating an ezine, and their biggest objection is time.

"Publishing a newsletter like yours would take me weeks," they complain.

Then don't publish a newsletter like this one. Instead, send a simple tip once a week, or every other week. Emailing people monthly or quarterly, like many of you do, isn't frequent enough.

Alexandria Brown, "The Ezine Queen," teaches people just like you how to start email newsletters, or weekly tips. Her ebook "Boost Your Business with Your Own Ezine" includes dozens of tips I've adopted for my own business. The ebook is one of several products she's offering during a special promotion that ends Wednesday.

Learn more at http://snipurl.com/PublishanEzine

==================================
2. Press Release Distribution
==================================

Don't say I didn't warn you.

If you're writing and distributing press releases online, don't rely on all those free press release distribution services.

The dirty little secret is that most of them don't distribute anything. They simply park your press release at their website, where the search engines might or might not find it.

For example, let's say you sell patio furniture. You write a press release about how to care for patio furniture and you submit it to one of those freebie sites. If somebody is searching online for "patio furniture," there's a good chance your press release won't show up on the list because it isn't in the Google or Yahoo news feeds.

Even worse, if you submit a press release to their service then suddenly discover it includes an error that you need to correct, there's usually no way to correct it because there's no customer service number you can call.

Disastrous.

In my email tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases," I recommend two services that I've used: PRWeb and News Release Wire.

Use PRWeb at http://snipurl.com/PRWebDistribution if you're only writing a few press releases a year. But if you're an author, speaker or expert, and you regularly write press releases and post them online to be found not only by journalists but by consumers, subscribe to Expertclick at http://snipurl.com/ExpertClick and use their News Release Wire.

An Experclick subscription lets you post up to 52 press releases a year. It also includes your profile in its giant database of experts, which journalists search regularly when they're looking for sources on specific topics.

By the way, if you don't have 89 days to spend learning how to write press releases, you can buy the ebook which includes all 89 lessons. It's the second title on the list at http://www.publicityhound.com/ebooks.htm


==================================
3. Valentines & Irritable Bowels
==================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Sarah Wernick for making me chuckle last week when she pointed out an online press release that tied Irritable Bowel Syndrome to Valentine's Day.

"It's tough to feel romantic when you suffer with Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Lactose Intolerance - even if it's Valentine's Day.

So along with jewelry, roses, candy and a day at the spa, give your loved ones the gift of good digestive health this Valentine's Day and the freedom to live life with passion - the freedom to feel and be romantic."

Since we're now posting press releases online where consumers can find them, the search engines probably would have found that release if somebody was searching for "irritable bowel syndrome."

But that's not the kind of story you should be pitching to the media, in hopes they'd welcome the Valentine's Day angle.

During the next two weeks, competition will be fierce among Publicity Hounds trying to tie their story idea to Valentine's Day. If you don't have a logical tie-in to this holiday, don't push it.

Instead, here's something to consider.

Lots of newspapers and magazines are looking for content for special gift sections they'll be publishing that tie into Mother's Day, Father's Day and high school and college graduations. Magazines, in particular, work months ahead, and some of them need information right now.

If your product or service, including your book, makes the perfect gift for a mom, dad or grad, start pitching the editors of these gift sections and producers at TV programs that will be featuring these kinds of gift-buying tips.

You can use a search engine like Google and search for "Mother's Day Gift Guide." Or you can save yourself hours of tedious searching online. The Gift List, a subscription service, offers contact information for media outlets and TV and radio programs that will feature special gifts for these occasions.

You won't find trade magazines like Nursing Science Quarterly on the list. You will find magazines like Redbook, Allure, Wired, Stereophile, Fast Company, Teen People, Organic Gardening, Cooking Light, Shape, Atlanta Magazine, Cottage Living, Cookie, Elite Traveler, and hundreds more like these.

Take a test drive at http://snipurl.com/GiftListMedia


=================================
4. What Not to Say to Journalists
=================================

If you see an interesting media lead in this newsletter and you respond to the journalist, please give them only the kind of information they requested. Don't badger them with other things you're selling.

A few weeks ago, I included a media lead from Donna Maria Coles who was looking for guests for her radio show.

"I booked one of the people who responded with great info about her book and speaking topics," Donna said. "After we booked the show, she sent me an email asking if I had ever heard of a networking marking company (which I assume she is a member of) and whether she could send me some samples of the products.

"I told her I want to focus on her book and expertise in that area, and do not plan to mention the network marketing company, and that she should let me know if that will be a problem for her and we can always change plans."

Donna hasn't heard back from the woman.

Bottom line: Don't answer a media lead if your motive is to promote something else you sell. Savvy Publicity Hounds know how to build strong relationships with media people without resorting to that kind of trickery.

"Special Report #49: 17 Ways to Build Valuable Relationships with Media People" shows you how. Learn more at http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html


==================================
5. How to Promote a Voiceover Talent
==================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Ginger Bell of Tyler, Texas. She wants ideas on how her husband, Bobby Bell, can market his company, a production studio that creates radio and TV commercials, provides voiceovers and serves the advertising industry.

From Karen Commins:

"As another voice-over talent, many newcomers to the industry ask me the same question. I have written essays on my blog http://www.karenblogs.com/ in which I point out that voice-over is a business that requires a marketing plan. It can include:

--Creating and maintaining a personal website

--Making phone calls to casting directors, producers, directors

--Networking at industry meetings and events

--Sending direct mail (postcards, newsletters, etc.)

--Auditioning for one or more agents

--Joining on-line casting services and submitting auditions

--Writing postings in forums to show your expertise"


From Lois Carter Fay at MarketingIdeaShop.com:

"Create a viral marketing campaign that is funny. People love to pass on the commercials that have been made, especially for web viewing and listening. If he’s been in the radio business, I’m sure he knows people who can create a funny spot that people will want to pass on to everyone they know."


From The Publicity Hound:

"Ginger, your husband should be podcasting--one of the best ways to show off that terrific voice.

"What should he podcast about? Topics that are of interest to the kinds of people who he wants as clients. Those could include marketing, broadcasting and advertising. Or how about informative, funny behind-the-scenes stories about what happens while he and others are producing radio commercials?

"He can also discuss ways that people can save money when they’re buying radio advertising."

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/3dfn9h


Small business is the fuel that drives the economy of many countries. And if you know what small-business reporters are looking for, it's easier to encourage them to write about you.

Jeff Zbar, a Business Journalist of the Year for the U.S. Small Business Administration, discussed exactly how small businesses can generate fabulous publicity when he was my guest during a teleseminar called "The Fastest, Cheapest, Easiest Ways to Publicize Your Small Business." We recorded it and it's available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can download and be reading in a few minutes.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/3tbbp


================================
6. Help This Hound
================================

Marcus Simmons of Southfield, Michigan writes:

"The Motown Automotive Professionals nonprofit is in its start-up stage. We will provide no-cost automotive vocational training for socially and economically deprived youths as they emerge from high school.

"I have been on the 6 o'clock news on two channels so far, and we have a website at http://www.map-n.org/ We need more ways to get donations and support from corporate America. Can your Hounds help?


The Publicity Hound says:

You bet they can, Marcus. Many Hounds who read this newsletter are experts at recruiting corporate sponsors, as well as getting publicity. Hounds with terrific ideas for Marcus can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2htmxa

In the meantime, publicity expert Paul Hartunian has dozens of great tips for nonprofits that want publicity--particularly nonprofits on a shoestring budget. "Failproof Publicity Tips for Your Nonprofit" is available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can be reading as soon as your order is approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/29dba

================================
7. Hound Quote of the Week
================================

You know you're a dog person when you and your dog both have symptoms that resemble the flu. You take your dog to the vet while you settle for an over-the-counter remedy from the drugstore.

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/


================================
8. And at My Blog...
================================

Press releases: How to make old news sound new
http://tinyurl.com/33nk9m

AP to carry bloggers' coverage of Libby trial
http://tinyurl.com/2u2pmv

Pitching tip: Join the conversation first
http://tinyurl.com/35yck7

On my blog at http://www.publicityhound.net/, I've made it easy for you to find what you're looking for by dividing my posts into more than 20 categories. Look under the "Topics" arrow on the right side of the blog to find the category you need.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Free Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity." 8 a.m. to noon. Learn more at http://www.nsapittsburgh.com/calendar.htm


May 12, 2007: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Florida Speakers Association: "Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Free Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." 9 a.m. to noon. "Sleeping with the Competition: How to Collaborate with Other Speakers to Create Profitable Products and Programs." 2 to 4 p. m. For more information, call 561-630-7766 or visit http://www.florida-speakers.org


PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a News Release."

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute your address to anyone.
Period. Promise.

=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/Pumpkin soup & sea moss punch January 23, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #330 - Jan. 23, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 27,412

=====================================

"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"

Receive this ezine
direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/

=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/ or
you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't
subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the
bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free
publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their
reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell
more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or
issue.


******************************************

Oprah Teleseminar Rescheduled for Today:

If you missed last week's teleseminar called "The Three Big
Secrets for Getting Booked As a Guest on Top National TV
Shows," you can listen today. It's being presented three times:

---2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific)

---7 pm Eastern (4 pm Pacific)

---10 pm Eastern (7 pm Pacific)

Sign up here:

http://snipurl.com/TopTVShows

On the call, you'll learn things like how to increase your odds
of getting on Oprah, Fox News, CNN, Today Show, Montel and
other top shows. You'll also hear about an important lesson
from one author who got on Oprah and saw sales soar as a
result.

******************************************

================================
In This Issue
================================

1. Pumpkin Soup & Sea Moss Punch

2. Pitch Bloggers

3. "Do Business in Your Bathrobe" Day

4. How to Pitch NPR

5. How to Promote an NLP Book

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


=====================================
1. Pumpkin Soup and Sea Moss Punch
=====================================

Having problems conceiving?

Go on vacation to a resort where you can dine on pumpkin soup
and drink a sea moss punch three times a day. Relax, enjoy a
romantic dinner for two, get a massage, then let nature do its
thing.

That was the key message in a wildly successful PR campaign for
Starwood Hotels and its resorts worldwide.

Quinn & Co., its PR firm, discovered that the locals in the
Bahamas had been using pumpkin soup and sea moss for
generations to help make babies. Certain spa treatments and
lots of relaxation also helped. So the PR firm came up with the
idea of "The Procreation Vacation."

Here's were it gets really interesting.

The agency knew freelance writer Lucinda Hughes and had heard
her talk about how she and her husband wanted to have a baby.
So it invited the couple to try the Procreation Vacation. It
didn't take long for the media to find out.

A staffer at "Inside Edition" read about the vacation package
in Travel and Romance and asked to follow the Hugheses on their
quest. "Good Morning America" featured the recipes for pumpkin
soup and sea moss elixir. Next month, it will air a tasting
demonstration of the recipes.

Other media picked up the story. It was featured in USA Today,
The Washington Post, Delta Sky inflight magazine, Travel &
Leisure magazine, Prevention, Conceive and American Baby.
Broadcast coverage included CNN, "Live with Regis and Kelly,"
"The View," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and ESPN's "Pardon
the Interruption."

Amid all the hoopla, and as if on queue, Lucinda found out she
was pregnant. That has sparked reviewed interest by the media.
You can read the USA Today story here:

http://tinyurl.com/ysabux

The PR campaign was brilliant, but the most important element
was that the freelancer experienced the story. She didn't just
write about it. By the way, Lucinda says that if it's a girl,
she and her husband will name the baby Lucaya, after the resort
where they stayed.

The next time you try to interest the media in your story, ask
yourself if there's a way to invite a reporter to go along for
the ride. "Special Report #42: Tips for Letting Reporters
Experience Your Story, Not Just Write About It," gives you lots
of ideas on how to create memorable experiences for the media,
tips for getting reporters excited about your story and ways to
entice the media to write about your new product or service.

You can order it at
http://publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html


==================================
2. Pitch Bloggers
==================================

Every time somebody posts an online article on the topic of
press releases, or blogs about it, I want to be the first to
know.

So I set up a Google Alert for "press release" and "writing
press releases."

Every day, Google sends me an email message with a list of
articles that include those keyword phrases. If I find that a
blogger is writing about the topic, I'll click on the link to
the blog item, and check out what they've written.

Then I'll usually post a comment at their blog. Sometimes I'll
mention that their readers can sign up for my free email
tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/art.htm
Or I'll email the blogger privately and let them know about the
course.

It's a time-consuming task, but it pays off. Last week, for
example, Google alerted me that blogger Terry Whalin had
written about press releases in this post at
http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleasetips/art.htm So I wrote a quick comment and let
Terry know about my tutorial.

Within 24 hours, he emailed me and thanked me for the
information. Then he wrote a follow-up post telling his readers
about my website, and he even included my logo. Here's an
excerpt:

"Yesterday I wrote about press releases as a tool to expand
your message and reach new audiences. One of the comments came
from Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound. Until her comment, I
had not visited her website but what a vast resource on this
topic (and much of it free).

"In the press release area, Joan has created a free 89 lesson
tutorial to teach you how to craft and use news releases. You
gain her personal instruction and insight as a 20-year veteran
journalist. Late yesterday I signed up to receive this
instruction. Why? There is always something new to learn and I
am continuing to learn and grow as a writer, editor and now
agent."

Here's the best part. Terry's blog has a Google Page Rank of 5,
which means lots of other people link to it. And lots of other
bloggers might be linking to Terry's item about me. And that
means more traffic to my website.

Isn't that cool?

What Google Alert can you create so that you know who's writing
about you or about your area of expertise or industry? Learn
how to create a Google Alert in the short video, courtesy of my
friend Terry Brock, at http://tinyurl.com/c82rm

Then start pitching bloggers. Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff
(aka The Blog Squad) joined me several months ago for a
teleseminar called "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a
Publicity Explosion." We explained how to approach influential
bloggers and encourage them to write about you. We also
detailed the land mines to avoid. It's available as a CD or an
electronic transcript that you can read as soon as your order
has been approved.

Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr


==================================
3. "Do Business in Your Bathrobe" Day
==================================

I do 95 percent of my job in my bathrobe and slippers, in front
of my computer.

So do lots of other entrepreneurs who have home-based
businesses.

If you're one of them, generate some fabulous publicity for "Do
Business in Your Bathrobe" Day on Feb. 12. The idea was
conceived by Kristie Tamsevicius, founder of the Webmomz.com.

Kristie says "Bathrobe Day" has generated publicity for her and
other entrepreneurs in six countries. In fact, she's flying to
San Francisco where she'll be on the popular show "The View
from the Bay" on KGO-TV Channel 7, which airs just before
"Oprah."

Kristie encourages other Publicity Hounds to piggyback onto the
idea. She's even offering a sample press release you can send
to your local media at http://tinyurl.com/2q2ejh

I'm betting your local newspapers and TV stations will jump on
this story.

Just in case they don't say yes immediately, you should know
how to follow up and sweeten your pitch with some little
extras. Publicity expert Jill Lublin explains "Failproof Ways
to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or a Story Pitch."
It's available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can
download as soon as your order has been approved. Read more
about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/bmyn7


=================================
4. How to Pitch NPR
=================================

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the incredible shrinking
newspaper--how newspapers nationwide are laying off staff and
making the actual newspaper smaller to save on newsprint costs.

Don't be surprised if coverage of the arts suffers.

But don't fret. Head on over to the National Public Radio
website at http://www.npr.org where you can find many shows
that feature stories and interviews with artists, musicians and
others involved in the arts.

Just for the heck of it, I used the search box at the top of
the page and searched for "artists." Up popped a list of 8,930
items with the word "artists." Many of those included shows
that are archived at the website.

I found lots of fun stories, including one about do-it-yourself
crafters who are selling their homemade arts and crafts online
at boutiques and at craft fairs.

Why does NPR devote so much airtime to the arts? Because it's a
topic that appeals to its mostly well-educated audience.

If your story idea falls under the category of the arts, NPR
could be a publicity gold mine for you. But it's often
difficult to understand the NPR labyrinth and how it works.

Book publicist Lissa Warren, who has gotten dozens of her
clients booked on NPR shows, was my guest on a teleseminar in
which she explained everything you need to know about how to
pitch your story to National Public Radio. She also explains
the best topics for NPR, and how to find the shows that are the
best fit for you.

"How to Get Booked on National Public Radio" is available as a
CD or electronic transcript that you can download as soon as
your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at
http://tinyurl.com/ayms6


==================================
5. How to Promote an NLP Book
==================================

This week, nine Publicity Hounds have tips for Roger Ellerton
of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on how to promote his book "Live
Your Dreams Let Reality Catch Up--NLP and Common Sense for
Coaches, Managers and You."


From Annmarie Edwards:

"What about creating a 'Live your dream' contest? This might
get you some traffic as well as business."


From Phyllis Cambria:

"I noticed that you said that one of the things the book would
teach you was the 5 steps for success. You might want to use
those, or another short section of your book, as a teaser. It
could make a great sidebar feature for almost any magazine
these days...So why not submit your tip sheet to these health
and lifestyle magazines."


From Cheryl (Beck) Pickett:

"I’m wondering if the majority of the information you send out
explains NLP. I had no clue as to what that is, which did make
me go to your website. But just adding a line or two that
explains what the book is about might help you get more
response from what you’re already doing."


The Publicity Hound says: There are all kinds of ways you can
use Amazon for publicity about your book. For example, you
can review other books on this topic, and you can even post
articles at the site. Don Mitchell and Randy Gilbert explain
"How to Turn Amazon into a River of Gold." We recently
recorded an update of this popular program, available as a CD
or electronic transcript. Read more about what you'll learn at
http://tinyurl.com/vroek


Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/ynxcks


================================
6. Help This Hound
================================

Ginger Bell of Tyler, Texas writes:

"After spending 20 years in radio and dissatisfied with the
shift from 'real" people to recorded jocks, my husband launched
his own production studio five years ago.

"With a 'voice like God' and a smooth delivery, he has stayed
fairly busy with creating commercials for local radio and
television production departments and providing voiceovers for
commercial shoots. He even has acquired accounts from ad
agencies up north.

"But what other venues are available to market his talent? He
has created a demo that is up on his website at
http://tinyurl.com/2skm53 But the trick is getting people to
visit http://bobbybell.voice123.com What are some of the latest
and greatest methods of spurring visits to your website?

"And what are other methods of connecting with media and
advertising outlets who could benefit from his award-winning
talent?"


The Publicity Hound says: OK, Hounds. If you're at work, turn
down your speakers and download Bobby's demo at
http://tinyurl.com/2skm53Then come up with some great ideas on
how he can pull traffic to his website and generate more
business. One idea is so obvious, I'd be surprised if a dozen
of you didn't mention it.

You can post your ideas to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/3dfn9h


================================
7. Hound Quote of the Week
================================

Thanks to Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, California for this
one:

Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job.


================================
8. And at My Blog...
================================

EzineArticles.com adds 16 sports categories
http://tinyurl.com/yzj9s9


Why most Oprah fans need an ebook on how to pitch
http://tinyurl.com/yr48qe


Top 150 marketing blogs in U.S.
http://tinyurl.com/2zx2z8


Press release, marketing buzzwords to banish forever
http://tinyurl.com/2ydwze


On my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2ydwzeI've made it easy
for you to find what you're looking for by dividing my posts
into more than 20 categories. Look under the "Topics" arrow on
the right side of the blog to find the category you need.


---------------------------------------------------------------

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Free Print, Broadcast and
Online Publicity." 8 a.m. to noon. Learn more at
http://www.nsapittsburgh.com/calendar.htm


May 12, 2007: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Florida Speakers Association: "Savvy Media Relations: How to
Get Free Print, Broadcast & Online Publicity." 9 a.m. to noon.
"Sleeping with the Competition: How to Collaborate with Other
Speakers to Create Profitable Products and Programs." 2 to 4
p.m. For more information, call 561-630-7766 or visit
http://www.florida-speakers.org


PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The
Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or
electronic newsletter. But please include the following
paragraph:

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an
ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free
publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and
receive by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a News
Release."

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends,
clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The
Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or
you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute
your address to anyone. Period.

Promise.

=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/Remove child before folding January 16, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #329 - Jan. 16, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
Mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 26,919

=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.
Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

*******************************************
On a Personal Note:

Our beloved four-legged hound Cody, a German Shorthaired Pointer, died Saturday morning. She was Bill’s hunting buddy for many years.

By 4:30 p.m. each day, she was in my office, alerting me that it was time to go to the post office, then on our daily walk. We gave her treats every night at 8, but she started pestering us at 6:30, hoping we'd give in early. Sometimes we did.

Today’s "Dog Quote of the Week" is in memory of our wonderful Cody.
*******************************************

================================
In This Issue
================================

1. Remove Child Before Folding

2. Sports Blues

3. Post on Craigslist

4. Media Leads

5. How to Promote Artwork

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


=====================================
1. Remove Child Before Folding
=====================================

Sponsor a fun contest.

One of my favorites is the Wacky Warning Label contest, sponsored each year by the Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch, to reveal how lawsuits have created a need for common-sense warnings on products.

The grand prize winner receives $500 and a copy of the new book "Remove Child Before Folding: The 101 Stupidest, Silliest and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever," written by Bob Dorigo Jones, the group's president. The title of his book comes from a warning label that won a prize in the early years of the contest.

I heard a drive-time interview with Bob on a Milwaukee radio station last week. So I called him this morning to see how much publicity the book and contest have generated.

He was a guest on about 25 radio shows within the last three weeks, including four interviews on the BBC. He appeared on "Fox & Friends" and was also scheduled to be on the "Today" show. But he was bumped when the show interviewed Donald Trump instead.

Still, that's a pretty impressive publicity campaign--and all because of a fun contest.

Bob Wilkinson of Northville, Michigan won the $500 grand prize for 2006 for submitting this label he found on the side of a washing machine: "Do not put any person in this washer."

If you don't have a contest, you can still get onto national TV.

Find out how during a free 90-minute telephone seminar on Thursday, January 18, with my friend Steve Harrison, publisher of Radio-TV Interview Report. It's called "The Three Big Secrets for Getting Booked as a Guest on Top National TV Shows."

In addition to Steve, you'll hear from a former "Oprah" guest booker, a Fox News Channel producer and some other surprise guests.

Together they'll teach you things unknown to 95 percent of all people who want publicity. The call is free, except for normal long-distance charges.

Register at http://snipurl.com/TopTVShows

You'll learn things like:

--How to increase your odds of getting on "Oprah," Fox News, CNN, the "Today" show, "Montel" and other top shows.

--Understanding the mindset of national TV producers and what gets them to book you as a guest.

--The strategy a husband-and-wife team used to land a 7-minute segment on the "Today" Show.

--An important lesson from one author who got on Oprah and saw sales soar as a result.

--The most important question you must be able to answer to land a TV appearance.

--The biggest mistakes to avoid when pitching TV producers (including ones that could get you black-balled forever!).

Once registered, you'll receive all the details via email in a few minutes. Register at http://snipurl.com/TopTVShows


==================================
2. Sports Blues
==================================

Thanks to Publicity Hound Jennifer Spies of New Philadelphia, Ohio, for this tip on how people can piggyback onto the football playoffs:

"I thought of you last evening when I turned on the local news TV news and they interviewed a psychologist talking about the 'sports blues.' Everyone in Ohio was very depressed on Tuesday because the Ohio State Buckeyes had such a bad game on Monday night. The game was hyped to the max everywhere for days.

"It's truly a Publicity Hound moment when a psychologist can get on the local TV station by piggybacking on the Buckeyes' loss."

She's right. But you don't have to be a sports psychologist to tie into any big college play-off game, or the NFL playoffs.

Motivational speakers, high school coaches, authors whose books tie into topics like sportsmanship, and even workplace experts, can be the local angle to the national sports story by pitching these ideas and offering their commentary:

--Good and bad sportsmanship during the big game.

--Whether big losses in championship games can actually lead to depression in fans.

--Whether big wins or losses affect productivity and morale in the workplace.

--How does a winning or losing team affect the local economy?

In addition to pitching to the local media, you can write press releases about all of the above and post them online. I've made a New Year's resolution to post one release a week, or 52 a year, through Experclick's News Release Wire at http://snipurl.com/ExpertClick where I have a subscription. This is a great way to build a huge online presence and have your releases picked up by Google, Yahoo and Lexis-Nexis.

Before you start writing press releases, make sure you're not writing them the old way--only for journalists. "The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Consumers, Not Only for Journalists," explains all the new rules. It's available as a CD or electronic transcript. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/ndwfo

==================================
3. Post on Craigslist
==================================

Cheryl Beck of Novi, Michigan, who freelances as a press release writer, wrote to tell me she got a terrific client by posting information about her services on Craigslist at http://www.Craigslist.org

In her initial response to them, she said she had taken an online course on how to write and distribute press releases. She was referring to my tutorial "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" at http://www.PublicityHound.com/pressreleastips/art.htm

"I don’t know if that helped or not but I’m sure it didn’t hurt," Cheryl wrote. "It also appears that due to the variety of interests my client has, this relationship could open up many other doors for me as well. So whatever part my taking your course played in all of this, thank you."

Of course it helped, which is why people who have taken my course should include it on their latest resume.

If you sell products or services locally, let the thousands of people in your community know about it by posting to Craigslist.

Nancy Mills, an expert on how to take advantage of every opportunity Craigslist offers, recorded an interview with me last year called "How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool." It's available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/geog2

=================================
4. Media Leads
=================================

--For a USA TODAY story about small businesses and technology, Entrepreneurs reporter Jim Hopkins is asking small business owners to answer the following questions by the close of business on Thursday, Jan. 18: What are the three most frustrating technology challenges your company faces today? Please be as specific as possible. Send your name, title, business name, city, state, product or services sold, number of employees, business website and phone number to mailto:jhopkins@usatoday.com

--A national TV news magazine wants to interview two recovering candy addicts who are willing to talk about their addiction.
Connie Bennett, author of the new book "Sugar Shock," says the producers have contacted her and asked her to find two people who have been off sugar for at least a year and are willing to talk about it. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/yzyolj

--Michel Nichols, Savvy Selling columnist and podcast host for BusinessWeek.com, is looking for sales experts to interview for a podcast. "Please email me a few topics regarding selling that you have a lot of experience and insight into, with a sentence or two of explanation. Please submit your ideas only once, so give some deep thought before you send it. No attachments, please. If you have a website, make sure you mention it. If you have suggestions for other great guests, please let me know too." Mail topics and descriptions to mailto:michelle.nichols@savvyselling.com

--Alison Rhodes, founder of Peek-a-Boo BabyProofing, is writing a book about the dangers facing children and is looking for responses to the question: What do you consider the top three dangers/hazards facing our children today?
Mailto:alison@peekaboobabyproofing.com

When you respond to the media leads you see here, are you trying to build relationships with the journalists and authors? You should be. "Special Report #49: 17 Ways to Build Valuable Relationships with Media People" shows you how to be a media darling. Order at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


==================================
5. How to Promote Artwork
==================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Lisa Tomlinson of Oakland, California. She wants tips on how to market her brother's artwork which is featured on greeting cards, stationery and gift items. Products are sold to retailers and on their website at http://www.gottagetup.net/main/index.html


From art marketing expert Ariane Goodwin:

"My first recommendation is an overhaul of your website. As a calling card for your greeting cards, it falls way short.

"For starters, I don’t see any way for you to build a list of customers, prospective or otherwise...Check out '20 Website Details Every Artist Must Know' at http://www.artist-statement.com/ Scroll down and you'll see it on the right side."


From Eric Gruber:

"Normally, as The Article Marketing Expert at http://www.prleads.com/article.htm, I’d answer your question by rattling off 3 to 5 article topics you should be writing about right now. By writing and submitting articles to the top directories, websites and ezines, you’d increase your online exposure and branding on the Net, improve search engine optimization rankings and create a constant flow of traffic to your site all at the same time. Plus, in 6 months guaranteed, you can have a list of hungry prospects wanting to hear from you right now.

"But before you can do that, you need to improve your website design and copy. You need to compel me to take action now! You need to create a special report, a newsletter or some way for me to give you my name and email address so you send me offers month after month."


From Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound:

Your gift items are perfect for the various gift guides published by newspapers and magazines. You can do a Google search for "gift guides" and see what you find. But a far easier way is to subscribe to "The Gift List," a service that provides you with contact information and pitching tips for hundreds of consumer publications, TV and radio stations, wire services and other consumer media looking for interesting gift information.

Sometimes all it takes is a short press release and a photo to get into these gift guides. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/9es8y

Also, don't miss the smARTist TeleSummit 2007 later this month.

It's a series of telephone seminars in which a dozen art marketing experts, including me, will share our best tips on how to turn an art hobby into a full-time business. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/ymcvu8

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/y89ugk


================================
6. Help This Hound
================================

Roger Ellerton of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada writes:

"I am the author of 'Live Your Dreams Let Reality Catch Up--NLP and Common Sense for Coaches, Managers and You" at http://www.live-your-dreams.biz. My book was published a year ago but I want more publicity.

"I've submitted articles to article directories, donated copies to libraries, distributed press releases locally and will do a wider distribution, faxed information to local HR directors and senior managers, donated copies of my book to silent auctions, published a monthly newsletter, done speaking engagements and gotten book reviews.

"Current plans are to continue with those activities and to get into the local media and then national and international media. But I'm at the point where I can't see the forest for the trees and would appreciate new and innovative publicity ideas."


The Publicity Hound says: OK, all you authors and book publicists. Please pass along your best ideas for Roger by posting them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/ynxcks

================================
7. Hound Quote of the Week
================================

"She is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are her life, her love, her leader. She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of her heart. You owe it to her to be worthy of such devotion."
--Unknown


================================
8. And at My Blog...
================================

Turn your book into a Hollywood movie
http://tinyurl.com/yln3hj


Blog promotion is easer with these 41 tips
http://tinyurl.com/ym6h5y


Music industry publicity course at UCLA
http://tinyurl.com/yk5yg9


Press release tip to lure the media
http://tinyurl.com/yjg5bx


On my blog at http://www.PublicityHound.net, I've made it easy for you to find what you're looking for by dividing my posts into more than 20 categories. Look under the "Topics" arrow on the right side of the blog to find the category you need.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

January 22, 2007:

Attention Artists--Frustrated that your art "business" is nothing more than an expensive hobby? Wondering about how to become recognized, exhibited, and paid for your art? Feel like there's too much competition, too few buyers and not enough energy left at the end of the day to market like you need to?

You're not alone. That's why Ariane Goodwin will be hosting the global smARTist TeleSummit 2007, a week-long teleconference in January with a dozen art-career experts telling artists everything they need to know about marketing, from exactly when and how to sneak up on a museum for an exhibition, to which presentation materials mark you as a creative professional and which ones scream "amateur." I'm presenting from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time on
Monday, Jan. 22. For complete information on how you can participate, go to http://tinyurl.com/ymcvu8 Spaces are already filling up fast.


March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity." 8 a.m. to noon. Details pending.


PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.

Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a News Release."

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends, clients and colleagues.
You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute your address to anyone. Period. Promise.

=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/The incredible shrinking newsroom January 9, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #328 - Jan. 9, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.com
http://www.PublicityHound.net (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 27,446
=====================================
"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
Receive this ezine direct to your desktop
http://www.publicityhound.com/tipsoftheweek/
=====================================

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at The Publicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me that you want to subscribe. If you didn't subscribe, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Please forward this ezine to anyone you know who needs free publicity to establish their credibility, enhance their reputation, position themselves as employers of choice, sell more products and services, or promote a favorite cause or issue.

******************************************
Did You Open My Gift?

More than 2,000 people already have downloaded my new ebook "The Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week of 2006," a compilation of the top 24 tips that evoked the greatest response from readers last year.

It's my holiday gift to you, and there's still plenty of time to offer it to your own clients and customers, and mention it in your own ezine and blog.

Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/yysrnk and find out how to download last year's "Best of 2005" ebook.
******************************************

================================
In This Issue
================================

1. The Incredible Shrinking Newsroom

2. Oprah's Magazine

3. The Heat Wave

4. So You Want to Write a Book?

5. How to Promote Embroidery Books

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


=====================================
1. The Incredible Shrinking Newsroom
=====================================

You probably don't pay much attention to this, but many major newspaper companies are slashing staff like never before.

Declining circulation and ad revenues are forcing management to lay off editors, beat reporters, newsroom clerks, photographers and anyone else who they can do without.

During the telephone seminar I conducted yesterday for people in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program, I identified the incredible shrinking newsroom as one of 10 trends that will affect the way we manage our publicity campaigns this year.

Here's what newspaper layoffs mean to you:

--Don't be surprised if you pitch a story to a newspaper and an editor says, "I like the idea. Do you think you can write it yourself?" If that's what you hear, don't get huffy and think, "Why is she asking ME to do HER job?" Instead, get to work writing a balanced article that sounds much like an article a reporter at that publication would write. (If you're in my Mentor Program, I'll show you how, and I'll serve as your personal writing coach.)

--The physical newspaper is shrinking too. So don't forget online versions of newspapers and magazines. Some of these have their own editors, and you need to know who they are. If an article about you is posted online, it usually lives there forever. But the shelf life of a print newspaper totals about 24 hours.

--The phrase "How can I help you?" ranks right up there as perhaps the most important question you can ask a journalist, particularly one who must cover additional beats to make up for the staff shortage.

--Newspapers will rely on freelancers to replace staff writers. So find out which freelancers cover your industry, and get to work building relationships with them.

--Newspapers will be more inclined to accept good-quality photos that can accompany your story. Learn how to take them.

--Pitching succinctly and convincingly is more important than ever. Launch into a rambling pitch while talking to a reporter on the phone and you'll likely hear a "click" on the other end.


Raleigh Pinskey, the master at turning long, boring pitches into tempting 10-second pitches, explained how to do it a during a telephone seminar I conducted with her. "How to Create the Perfect 30-Second Pitch" is available as a CD or electronic transcript you can be reading as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/6xghx

On the fence about whether to join The Publicity Hound Mentor Program? Read about all the benefits at http://www.publicityhound.com/mentorprogram/intro.html I have two more openings in the program.


==================================
2. Oprah's Magazine
==================================

Is it worth it to wait around for a year or two to get into O, The Oprah Magazine? Or is it smarter to pitch your story idea and, if the editors aren't interested, move on?

Just ask Stephen Shapiro, BJ Gallagher, Dr. Annabelle Volgman and Jeanine Fitzmaurice, all of whom have seen their profiles skyrocket since being in the magazine.

--Stephen Shapiro, author of "Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW!," says his article in O magazine helped springboard him into Entrepreneur, Investors Business Daily and Family Circle. His speaker bookings increased dramatically. Tom Peters listed him as a "cool friend." And he's shooting a pilot for a TV show.

--BJ Gallagher, author of "Yes Lives in the Land of No," had been trying to attract the attention of a high-powered agent forever. She said: "Just last month, the agent signed me to an exclusive contract representing my next book. Did my O article make her more inclined to say 'yes' to my book proposal? Undoubtedly."

--The volume of patients in Dr. Annabelle Volgman's cardiology program at Rush University Medical Association expanded substantially after she was featured in Oprah's magazine. "O put the program on the map," says publicist Chris Rush.

--Jeanine Fitzmaurice of Design-her Gals, whose company also was featured, notes: "It's sort of like winning the Academy Award. It's definitely a distinction that validates your product like no other publication."

What do these people and their publicists know that you don't know? They know it takes a year, sometimes two, before an editor at the magazine decides to assign a writer to your story. So unless an editor tells "no," don't give up like most others do. This will give you a huge advantage over everyone else who's pitching.

Still, it takes a lot more than just waiting.

You must know exactly what kind of content the magazine publishes. You must know whom to pitch. And you must be sure your pitch is compelling. Then there are all the little extras that can accompany your pitch.

Susan Harrow's new ebook called "Get into O Magazine" includes in-depth interviews with prestigious publicists who regularly get their clients in O; case histories of authors, entrepreneurs and non-profits like you (yes, some just starting out); insidersecrets; hot tips; "off the record" comments; and simple strategies they've used.

Susan is offering the ebook along with other popular products and programs from more than 20 marketing and publicity experts, including me. Learn how to get publicity in every area, whether you're publicizing a speaking engagement or trying to make your next book a best-seller.

The pri*ce goes up Thursday and the event ends Friday, January12. Learn more here: http://tinyurl.com/y54x9y

==================================
3. The Heat Wave
==================================

If you live anywhere in the U.S. except Denver, you may be experiencing a winter with record warm temperatures and little snow.

The media are searching for every angle to this story--from an absence of snowmen to the many species of birds that are staying at home instead of migrating south.

Here are ways to piggyback your story onto the heat wave:

--Remember your TV weather people. They're always looking for fun, interesting "warm winter" news items for the weather segment of the nightly news.

--How does the warmer weather and lack of snow affect your business, particularly if you're a cold-weather business like a ski lodge? What are you doing differently to lure customers?

--I've seen people at the mall wearing shorts in January--a rare sight in Wisconsin. What are you seeing in your neck of the woods? Can you photograph it and offer the photo to your local newspaper?

--How have warm temperatures affected your utility bills? Call your local TV stations if you have last year's and this year's utility bills and can compare them.

--How has warmer weather affected the travel and tourism industry?

Just look around you for lots more ideas. TV reporter Shawne Duperon explains in step-by-step detail how to pitch stories like these to your local TV stations. The teleseminar I conducted with her called "How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow" tells you how to identify the "Queen Bee" in every newsroom--the person who decides what gets on the air and what doesn't. It's available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can download as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/yjrktx


=================================
4. So You Want to Write a Book?
=================================

Self-publishing expert Dan Poynter says everybody has a book inside them just waiting to be written.

If the idea for a book lives inside you, here are several things you should write before you write your book:

--Articles for online article directories

--Reviews of other books for sale at Amazon.com

--A blog

--Comments at other people's blogs

--Letters to the editor of newspapers and magazines

--An electronic newsletter

--Opinion columns

Why? Because it's all part of building your publicity platform. If you want a major publisher to publish your book, or if you choose to self-publish and hope to sell lots of books, you'd better have a strong platform from which to launch it. That means attracting a huge audience of people who already know, like and trust you, and are more willing to buy your book than someone who doesn't already know you.

Susan Harrow, who wrote the O Magazine ebook mentioned above, also advises authors on exactly how to build platform. Major publishers, in particular, usually choose authors who already have platform simply because they have a ready-made audience.

She shares more great tips on "How to Build a Publicity Platform That Leads to a Six-Figure Book Advance," available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/mplyp


==================================
5. How to Promote Embroidery Books
==================================

This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Yvette Stanton of Sydney, Australia, who wants advice on how to market two embroidery books.


From Garth Gibson:

"Can you use the books to teach men how to embroider and maintain their manhood? Certain men may want to embroider to give their wives a special present she wouldn’t expect.

"Maybe you can use embroidery to teach kids with attention problems how to focus on one task at a time.

"Maybe there is a Ukraine population in Australia you could teach traditional Ukrainian embroidery to. I think these things might get you and your book in the news."


From Lois Carter Fay of MarketingIdeaShop.com:

"Create a viral marketing project. Offer one of your simpler projects (one chapter of your book) as a stand-alone, free product. Encourage people to download it and share it. Include a link to your website and possibly a special offer for the book within it."


From The Publicity Hound:

Women who would buy your embroidery books probably buy other books on embroidery. So one of the best ways to reach these buyers is to head over to Amazon.com and start reviewing embroidery books written by your competitors.

Not only can you post book reviews that link back to your website, you can also post lists, articles and other things that will really position you as an embroidery expert.

Don Mitchell and Randy Gilbert explain how to do this on the CD and transcript they produced with me called "How to TurnAmazon.com into a River of Gold." You can learn more about it at http://tinyurl.com/vroek

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/yk5gaw


================================
6. Help This Hound
================================

Lisa Tomlinson of Oakland, California writes:

"I have a greeting card, stationery and gift items company that features fine art reproductions of extraordinarily unique mixed-media collage originals created by my brother, Jon Tomlinson. I don't have a bricks-and-mortar shop, but our office and warehouse operations are run out of a 4,000-square-foot facility.

"Our products are sold to retailers, museums and galleries for resale and on our website directly to consumers at http://www.gottagetup.net/main/index.html and our target audience is women ages 18 to 75.

"I would like to get some advice and suggestions from your members on how to promote my business more effectively."


The Publicity Hound says: Lisa and anyone else who sells any kind of artwork, from lawn furniture to jewelry to photographs, should listen to the f*ree teleseminar I'll be doing at 7 p.m. EasternTime this Thursday, January 11, with art marketing expert ArianeGoodwin. I'll be talking about how artists can create online and offline publicity for their artwork. It's a preview of the longer session I'll be doing as part of the smARTist TeleSummit 2007 later this month.
Sign up for Thursday's call at http://tinyurl.com/yxopuo or sign up for the entire telesummit at http://tinyurl.com/ymcvu8

In the meantime, Hounds with advice for Lisa should post it at my blog at http://tinyurl.com/y89ugk


================================
7. Hound Joke of the Week
================================

Thanks to Dan Poynter of Santa Barbara, California for this one:

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."

--Will Rogers


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

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50 best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/


================================
8. And at My Blog...
================================

EzineArticles.com adds 16 sports categories
http://tinyurl.com/yzj9s9


David Lawrence Show pitching tips
http://tinyurl.com/yjcofd

Press release from NASA:
8 thing you can learn
http://tinyurl.com/yzoxva


On my blog at http://www.publicityhound.net/, I've made it easy for you to find what you're looking for by dividing my posts into more than 20 categories. Look under the "Topics" arrow on the right side of the blog to find the category you need.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

January 22, 2007:

Attention Artists--Frustrated that your art "business" is nothing more than an expensive hobby? Wondering about how to become recognized, exhibited, and paid for your art? Feel like there's too much competition, too few buyers and not enough energy left at the end of the day to market like you need to?

You're not alone. That's why Ariane Goodwin will be hosting the global smARTist TeleSummit 2007, a week-long teleconference in January with a dozen art-career experts telling artists everything they need to know about marketing, from exactly when and how to sneak up on a museum for an exhibition, to which presentation materials mark you as a creative professional and which ones scream "amateur." I'm presenting from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Jan. 22. For complete information on how you can participate, go to http://tinyurl.com/ymcvu8 Spaces are already filling up fast.


March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity." 8 a.m. to noon. Details pending.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint any items from "ThePublicity Hound's Tips of the Week" in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:
Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a News Release."

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

You are receiving this because you signed up for it at ThePublicity Hound® website at http://www.publicityhound.com/ or you told me you want to subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Publicity Hound® will never distribute your address to anyone. Period. Promise.

=======================================================
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

Publicity tips/Where the media lurk for leads January 2, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #327 - Jan. 2, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

Circulation: 27,471

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"Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity"
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Did You Open My Gift?

Almost 1,400 people already have downloaded my new ebook "The Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a compilation of the top 24 tips that evoked the greatest response from readers last year.

It's my holiday gift to you, and there's still plenty of time to offer it to your own clients and customers, and mention it in your own ezine and blog.

Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/yysrnk and find out how to download last year's "Best of 2005" ebook.

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In This Issue
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1. Where the Media Lurk for Leads

2. Take Better Photos

3. Your Online Media Room

4. Media Leads

5. Promoting a Website for Women

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...


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1. Where the Media Lurk for Leads
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When I worked as a reporter and had one of those dreaded slow news days, I'd look for story ideas in the classified ad section of my newspaper.

More times than not, I'd find an intriguing classified buried among the "Miscellaneous" or "Wanted" ads. Then I'd call the person who placed the ad and request an interview.

Today's journalists do the same thing. But now, they have far more pickings from which to choose. That's because many of them lurk on Craigslist. The giant classified ad board at http://www.craigslist.org/ has a separate list for all 52 U.S. states and more than 35 countries.

Because you can post almost any kind of add for free, Craigslist is fertile ground for reporters looking for leads.

Just ask Katy Leakey, an artist who lives in Africa, and is the designer of the Leakey Collection, a colorful and versatile line of jewelry. The jewelry is handmade by the Maasai women with natural, sustainable grass beads. You can see it athttp://leakeycollection.com/

Harvested one blade at a time, then dyed in brilliant colors, the beads provide much-needed income for the women, some of whom walk two miles to the fields, with their children in tow.

Craigslist expert Nancy Mills helped Katy post small classified ads about the jewelry on several Craigslists.

A journalist who writes for San Diego Home & Garden magazine saw one of the ads on the San Diego Craigslist about "An artist making a difference in the world, from the busy fields of Kenya to the trendy slopes of Seattle" and called for an interview. The story will be published soon.

"They wanted to do the piece because they saw us on Craigslist," says Nancy, who is a master at "spinning" ads on Craigslist so that they really catch readers--and journalists'--attention.

Because Craigslist doesn't allow the same post on more than one list, Nancy's biggest challenge is to "spin" the same information about a particular product, service, cause or issue several different ways.

She explained her strategy during a teleseminar I conducted with her last year. We recorded it, and it's available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can read as soon as your order is approved.

Read more about what you'll learn from "How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool" at http://tinyurl.com/geog2


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2. Take Better Photos
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Thanks to Publicity Hound Linda Martin, production coordinator for Shotgun Sports Magazine, for passing along these great tips on how to take better photos:
http://snipurl.com/phototips

"Great photos help sell stories," Linda says. "I just found the tips and I sent them out to try to get our writers to care more about the quality of the photos they submit to our magazine."

Smart move, Linda.

The most egregious sins I see are photo subjects with red eyes, someone standing in front of a plant so it looks as though the plant is growing out of the top of their head, and photos that look posed.

I love the interesting angles and tight cropping on the photos at the website above. I'd never consider shooting a photo of the ballerina showing her cut off at the waist, but it makes for an attractive shot.

Learn more about how to double your media placements simply by offering photos along with your story pitch. My ebook "How to Use Photos & Graphics in Your Publicity Campaign" is packed with hundreds of tips on how to shoot better photos--including a quick tip on how to avoid red eyes. Read more about what you'll learn at http://www.publicityhound.com/publicityphotos.htm


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3. Your Online Media Room
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Design your online media room not only for journalists, but for consumers.

So says David Meerman Scott, a former journalists who's convinced that when people want to know what's current about a company organization, they visit the online media room.

David urges Publicity Hounds to design their online media rooms for buyers.

"By building an online media room that targets buyers, you will not only enhance those pages as a powerful marketing tool, you will also make a better media site for journalists," he says.

For example, David suggests organizing press releases by product, by geography or by the market served. Most companies simply list press releases in reverse chronological order. But that means visitors searching for a press release on a specific product have to wade through a long list of releases, which eats up precious time.

You'll find more tips from David in the article he wrote in the January/February issue of The Publicity Hound subscription newsletter. The newsletter also includes articles on 5 ways to woo the new Congress, how to piggyback off "Do Business in Your Bathrobe Day," how to get your brand in front of thousands of people every week, how to form alliances for publicity, a phrase you shouldn't use when pitching because it's "old news," where to get a free special report for authors on website content, a Dallas/Fort Worth PR group that's forming, a new spa magazine, how to blog your way to the first draft of a book, where to find a free podcast directory, where to find a free special report listing the biggest press release errors, how to pitch the editors of Redbook magazine, and January/February story ideas. All for $10.

Order at http://tinyurl.com/yml5d6

Then listen to the free interview I conducted with Drew Gerber of PressKit 24/7 on how to create your own online press kit: http://snipurl.com/presskits


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4. Media Leads
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--Cyndi Kight, fan events calendar writer for Racing Milestones, a magazine for NASCAR fans, wants information about fun fan events happening around the NASCAR races, including race festivals, driver appearances at local stores and fundraising or charity events. "I also like to include a few other non-race-related, but interesting events happening in the immediate area of each race since fans often bring their spouses and children with them." Her deadline for the February on-sale issue is Friday, January 5. That issue will include events that happen around the February and March races. She needs information for the March and April races by February 2. You can see the entire list of races and dates at http://snipurl.com/racedates Email information to mailto:kightcw@yahoo.com

--Mark Nash is looking for author buzz for a new column he's writing at MyShelf.com. He wants news about book launch parties, major book signings, national magazine interviews, coast-to-coast book tours, national TV and radio interviews, new book deals, book awards, new paperback and audio editions of hard covers, movie rights sold to Hollywood, and anything else that publicists want to share. Mailto:mark.nash@cbexchange.com


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5. Promoting a Website for Women
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This week, three Publicity Hounds have tips for Kare Anderson who asked for advice on how to promote her new business called SavvyHer at http://www.savvyher.com/. It's an online community for women age 45 and older to contribute tips for making their lives easier and more joyful. They can even be recognized and rewarded with gifts from sponsors each month, when the community votes their tips Most Popular.


From Tracy:

"Register a second domain name and have it forward to your current domain. Someone looking at your website may mistake the 2V’s for a W. By registering SawyHer.com and forwarding traffic to the real domain, you will still get visits from those who may misread."


From Virginia Randall:

"Your target audience may be online but still is a dedicated user of traditional media--print and broadcast--and you need to include those outlets in your publicity/promotion plan. When I represented a businesswomen’s website, the spike they got inquiries came from an AP story and a big article in the Boston Globe. And where are you sending your e-newsletter? That’s another opportunity. Polls can be interesting, but unless they have really quirky questions (that’s why the AP picked up the one I designed) or are statistically sound, the media will not use them."

See "Special Report #19: How to Use Polls and Surveys That Brand You as an Expert" at http://tinyurl.com/y8ee4b

The Publicity Hound says:

"Write and distribute lots of online press releases focusing on specific topics on which your target audience is interested, then mention the website within the release. Distribute through a service like PRWeb at http://snipurl.com/PRWebDistribution or http://snipurl.com/ExpertClick See "The New Rules of Press Releases" for lots of tips from former journalist David Meerman Scott, who is mentioned in Item #3 above. Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/ndwfo

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/yj9d5l


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6. Help This Hound
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Yvette Stanton of Sydney, Australia writes:

"I am the Australian publisher of a small but growing range of embroidery books. I am about to launch two onto the U.S. market. I'd love suggestions of how make a big splash in a very niched pond.

"The market is predominantly women, many of whom love counted cross-stitch and needlepoint. Vetty Creations books take them further into embroidery, with step-by-step instructions and lots of photos and diagrams. Readers have commented that the books are so good, you never need to take classes. I'd love to hear suggestions from your Hounds!"

You can read more about the books at http://tinyurl.com/uluq9 and http://tinyurl.com/t3sow


The Publicity Hound says:

Many of my Hounds are real pros when it comes to hitting very narrow audiences with a marketing message that packs a wallop. Hounds with great ideas for Yvette can post them to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/yk5gaw


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7. Hound Joke of the Week
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You never realize a dog is a man’s best friend until you start betting on horses.

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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A great deal for Internet marketers
http://tinyurl.com/tbgp3


Monday Morning Media Minute resumes
http://tinyurl.com/y4hdd4


Free ebook of publicity tips
(Consider regifting)
http://tinyurl.com/yysrnk

On my blog at http://www.publicityhound.net/, I've made it easy for you to find what you're looking for by dividing my posts into more than 20 categories. Look under the "Topics" arrow on the right side of the blog to find the category you need.
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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®

January 22, 2007:

Attention Artists--Frustrated that your art "business" is nothing more than an expensive hobby? Wondering about how to become recognized, exhibited, and paid for your art? Feel like there's too much competition, too few buyers and not enough energy left at the end of the day to market like you need to?

You're not alone. That's why Ariane Goodwin will be hosting the global smARTist TeleSummit 2007, a week-long teleconference in January with a dozen art-career experts telling artists everything they need to know about marketing, from exactly when and how to sneak up on a museum for an exhibition, to which presentation materials mark you as a creative professional and which ones scream "amateur." I'm presenting from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Jan. 22. For complete information on how you can participate, go to http://tinyurl.com/ymcvu8 Spaces are already filling up fast.


March 17, 2007: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Savvy Media Relations: How to Get Print, Broadcast and Online Publicity." 8 a.m. to noon. Details pending.

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Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy list "89 Reasons to Send a News Release."

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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