25 Tips On What The Media Really Wants

Here are 25 things  the news media wants, expects, even demands:

1. Your book if it ties into the current news cycle.

2. You to only contact them if the book is relevant to what they cover.

3. Something that is actually new to report.

4. You to email them but not blitz them with a barrage of contacts.

5. You to give them a pitch in 15 seconds.

6. To never receive a voice mail unless it’s truly about an A-list author.

7. A guest that is reliable and respectful.

8. Authors that are media coached.

9. Their viewers/listeners/readers to be entertained, enlightened, informed, and inspired by authors.

10. An exclusive.

11. A new twist to a familiar story.

12. An author who is controversial.

13. Your advance review copy four months prior to publication - for book reviewers 

       and long-lead publications.

14. To beat its competing media outlets to the punch.

15.  A story that writes itself – so they don’t have to do a ton of research.

16. Bullet points and targeted press releases.

17. Free books, especially printed copies.

18. An author that doesn’t sound like a commercial.

19. Authors and books that don’t clash with its editorial ideology.

20. A book or an author to localize, where possible, the story.

21. To champion certain ideas and will use your book to channel them.

22.  Likes visuals – show them a good photo or short video.

23.  Not to be overwhelmed by 20 links or buttons to blogs, FB, etc.

24. Good humor, but nothing too racy if it’s a mainstream media outlet.

25. For you not to say how great a book is, but to state without hyperbole, why there’s an urgency to cover your book now.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person