Most
authors would bend over backwards to get media attention. But just how far are
you willing to go to garner media coverage, especially if it means you need to
be flexible on your core message points?
Writers
of books will generate media hits when they position themselves as experts on a
variety of topics. Could an author on
gardening be used to talk about climate warming? Could he be used to discuss wild fires or the
increased cost of food in drought areas?
Can he talk about organic food or how gardening is a great workout for
seniors?
Get
the idea? Writers must go beyond their book to get media coverage. Can she
connect to what’s in the news? Can she
talk about gardening in a different light than the obvious stuff she’d
otherwise speak about?
Ok,
so how do authors talk about things beyond what they think they are capable of
– or qualified to speak on?
First,
get out of the frame of mind that you aren’t the right person to discuss a
certain topic or issue. Stretch
yourself. Sure, if you are a brain
surgeon maybe you’re not prepared to discuss auto repair, although one can draw
an analogy that you both fix things – people and cars – and that if either of
you doesn’t properly make a repair, the life of someone becomes
endangered.
You should believe you are qualified to talk about a lot of things. Make a list and see for yourself.
You should believe you are qualified to talk about a lot of things. Make a list and see for yourself.
Second,
start with your core message and then flip it.
If you talk about how to prevent obesity, discuss the possible positives
of being obese. Make it an interesting
question: Are there any benefits to
being obese? If you talk about how to
grow your wealth for retirement, do a story on how to survive even after
bankruptcy. If you talk about how to
save a marriage, discuss when people should get divorced.
Third,
take a serious topic and try to relate it to other genres. Can you turn politics into humor or a sports
piece into a business topic or a parenting story into one on health?
Four,
can you come up with top 10 lists, pros-cons, do’s-don’ts, 5 steps to this, 7
strategies for that?
Five,
think about what your subject matter relates to. For instance, if you wrote a
book about how to improve your sex life, you can discuss dating, clothes,
makeup, and almost anything that sex connects to.
You
can do stories like these:
·
How
to dress up so your boyfriend wants to undress you
·
8
romantic settings to inject energy into your love life
·
The
21-day workout that’s sure to get your wife to say yes to a night of
passion
·
How
to choose the right summer camp so spouses can rekindle their romance
·
When
work’s stressful, unwind with your lover using these seven positions
Six,
segmentize your story. Your initial
story may be: 10 ways to turn your man into
your dream lover. Then you substitute
woman for man, so as to appeal to media that covers each sex. Then you think about other demographics. Could you contact an African-American outlet
and offer 10 tips to turn your husband’s wandering eye away from the office blonde? Or think about senior-oriented media: 10 ways
to experience healthy love after 70.
We
can go on and on. These can be pitched
to media that not only covers family/relationships/human interest but also to
those that cover fashion, travel, health, parenting, and work place.
Seven,
stretch a little further by looking at your experiences, both professionally
and personally. Is there a story worth sharing or an incident worth exploiting?
Can you tie your views, work or connections to anything in the news?
This
is all an exercise in associations. For instance, if I say blue, you should
come up with scores of associations. Do
the same with what you can talk about.
Blue – 10 sample
associations
Dirty
language
Color
Sadness
Sky
Ocean
Blew
Paint
Cars
Democrats
Jeans
So
write down your subject matter, experiences, and views and start to see what
each one can be associated with. Don’t filter or edit –just write freely about
these things. Push your mind. Let the
creative juices flow unfettered. Push
out any criticisms, concerns or fears.
Then,
look at what you’ve come up with and determine which ones really sound strong
and appealing. Test them out. Play the hot hand. Whatever garners interest from one outlet
will likely interest another. If it runs
cold, move on to a new idea.
Think beyond your book and you’ll see opportunities open up with the media.
Think beyond your book and you’ll see opportunities open up with the media.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and
ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You
can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com.
He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted
by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2016.
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