You may
not think too often about this, but you should.
The this is time and whether
you are pitching the media in the story that’s about fact vs. fate, past vs.
future, perception vs. reality, imagination vs. history.
For
instance, are you sharing a story with the media to:
·
Warn
of the future?
·
Uncover
the past?
·
Analyze
the present?
Nothing
is without a time period attached to it.
So think about it. What is it
that the media needs to be told by you – and why is this story relevant?
Are
you looking to:
·
Debunk
a myth?
·
Further
prove what is known?
·
Challenge
a school of thought?
·
Create
a whole new area of study?
·
Fill
in facts or questions them?
The
media wants to know the who – what-where -when-why-how to any story but first, to evaluate the potential of a story, they need to know WHY is this important
to that media outlet’s followers-readers-listeners-viewers. The rest are just mere details.
Before
you reach out to the media, filter your pitch and see if it meets certain
standards. Does it clearly and quickly
say what the story is AND why it’s of news value?
After
that, you merely pepper them with additional points, quotes from you or your book,
statistics, and background stuff. They
won’t read any of that unless:
- Your email’s subject line or press release headline draws their interest.
- Your first paragraph strikes at the heart of your “why.”
- You have a good book and strong credentials to support whatever story ideas you are dishing out.
We
may be good at summarizing others and not ourselves. Of Jerry Seinfeld, we may simply and
succinctly say: “Celebrated comedian of 35 years with a hit TV show.” That would be enough to get anyone’s attention. For you, it’s harder, but not
impossible. You lead with your
strengths. For instance,
·
How
many years have you been doing what you do?
·
Have
you won any awards?
·
Do
you have a relevant degree?
·
Did
you have a success story?
·
Can
you help a group of people with your book?
·
Did
you work with anyone famous?
Once
you shape who you are and what your book offers, you need to convey it in 15
seconds verbally or a one-paragraph written statement. That’s it.
You don’t need 500 words to describe yourself or even half that to say
what your book is about.
It’s an art to distill a life into a book, a book into a press release, and a press release into a tweet or an elevator speech. But it’s an art you must practice so that you can sell yourself to the media. Good luck.
“Those
who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.”
--Chuang Tzu
“The
less we know, the longer our explanation.”
--Ezra Pound
“He
who tells the truth says almost nothing.”
--Antonio Porchia
“The
price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.”
--Johannes Eckhart
“We
choose the morality that suits our ambitions.”
--Jack Gardner
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How
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