When
I broke into the book publishing world nearly three decades ago, I went to work
for a small press in New York City, straight out of college. I was green but eager to contribute,
especially when it came to what I had a passion for the news media.
Though
my aspiration was to become a journalist, I found myself excelling in book
publicity, the opposite of journalism. I
felt almost guilty at how good I was at promoting books to the news media,
using my journalist’s brain to package and sell my authors to them.
Book
publicity and journalism are connected at the hip, as one needs the other to
exist. Promoters need the news media to cover their books; the media needs
something to write about.
The book promoter has a commercial agenda; the journalist just wants a good story. The promoter spins, hides, or repackages the facts; the journalist values truth above all else. The promoter wants to sell more books; the journalist needs to sell more newspaper or magazines – or to increase ratings on TV or radio – or generate more online clicks to justify ad rates. Together, they create a nice little tandem, book publicists and the media.
The book promoter has a commercial agenda; the journalist just wants a good story. The promoter spins, hides, or repackages the facts; the journalist values truth above all else. The promoter wants to sell more books; the journalist needs to sell more newspaper or magazines – or to increase ratings on TV or radio – or generate more online clicks to justify ad rates. Together, they create a nice little tandem, book publicists and the media.
To
be a good book publicist, think like the media. What do they want? How can you present what you have in a simple
but interesting manner? How do you tap into what the media is looking for while
staying true to who you are?
Journalists
want:
·
To
be given a story idea that sounds new and fresh.
·
To
be pitched quickly.
·
To
feel you are being honest and straightforward.
·
Someone
with relevant credentials who has something of importance to say and expresses it in
an intriguing and clear way.
·
A
scoop or an exclusive.
·
Someone
who sounds like they can be readily available for an interview, follow-up questions,
or to share any needed documents or resources to round out a story.
·
A
good visual to complement the story.
·
People
who have done some media and can speak in sound bites.
·
To
hear a few good quotes and not PR speak or bullshit jargon.
·
To
be treated with respect and reverence.
·
To
cover a story that warns, helps, forms, uplifts or entertains others.
·
A
strong headline that gets people excited.
·
The
highlights and don’t want to have to read a ton or check through a dozen links.
Anticipate
what a media outlet wants to hear.
Target and customize your pitch to fulfill the needs of the demographics
of their readers – listeners – viewers.
Say what’s important – then demonstrate it. Show them why what you have is relevant,
timely, or newsy. Most of all, help them
envision the segment or story, so their job is made easier.
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