Last week I published a guest post about getting media exposure by becoming an expert source for the media. In addition to pitching stories to the media, you also can make yourself available to the media in other ways. For example, I subscribe to an “expert site” called ExpertClick.com, which also publishes the printed Yearbook of Experts.
This service, for which I pay on a yearly basis, gives me a web page on their site where I can list myself as an expert in up to 39 categories (and you can make up your own categories if they don’t already have them). Journalists seeking experts go to this site and use search terms to find relevant experts.
Additionally, I can post news releases and press releases on its wire service. Most people pay by the release to publish information on sites like PRWeb.com. Just as PRWeb.com’s most expensive service exposes your press release to the media, Expertclick.com offers you the opportunity to post 52 news releases per year that are read primarily by the media for the price you pay per year for your membership; this works out much cheaper, although you do not get as many hits. That said, the service allows you specifically to help journalists find you, to show journalists the issues about which you are writing and speaking and to ensure that media professionals know you welcome their contact.
If you are trying to build your author’s platform via media exposure, the news releases you posts with Expertclick.com build accomplish this:
- via daily and weekly headline feeds going to more than 11,000 journalists;
- via LexisNexis, the leading professional search resource;
- via Google News (if your releases are picked up);
- via instant posts at the News Release Wire website;
- via instant links to your ExpertClick.com profile and to your website;
- via the printed Yearbook of Experts; and
- at ReviewBook.com for book releases.
If this service interests you, you can save $100 on the yearly membership fee by signing up for ExpertClick.com using my discount link, , or call them at (202) 333-5000 and mention my name.
Part of promoting a book or even becoming known as an expert in your subject area as a journalist or business person involves getting media exposure. Becoming a favorite (or even an occasional) guest on radio or television news or talk shows involves more than just knowing the tricks of the public relations trade. In fact, possibly the best thing you can do initially involves understanding how the media does its job. Then you can help journalists do their jobs better. In fact, as an expert that’s what you are doing: You are reaching out to help them provide the best possible or most unique story for their audience. Learning how to pitch that story, of course, is essential as well. (You can learn how to do that here or here.)
Today, my new guest blogger, Michelle Tennant Nicholson, a 20-year PR veteran and chief creative officer of Wasabi Publicity, offers a wonderful look into how journalists create stories and how writers, authors, businesspeople, and experts of all sorts support the media. By helping the media do its job better, you can boost your own exposure to the general public through the media. It’s a win-win situation.
Empowering the Media to Boost Your Exposure
By Michelle Tennant Nicholson
In all the major cities and smaller markets across the U.S., news reporters, editors and producers are planning their coverage for the day, the hour, or in the case of weeklies and magazines, weeks or months ahead. The old news cycle in which newspaper reporters filed their stories for the next day’s paper is history. Now those same reporters and editors are planning what Web updates they will make throughout the day to stories already underway, as well as which stories they will roll out online and which ones will wait for the next print edition.
The best reporters have a knack for pumping out major scoops and material suited for the front page. Since editors decide where stories appear in print and online editions, the reporter will try to meet and hopefully exceed her editor’s expectations. This little scenario is played out countless times each day in newsrooms across America. From newspapers to local TV stations to CNN and FOX, everyone is watching the Google headlines to see what other media have already covered. Editors and producers brainstorm to find new, unexplored and compelling story angles and reaction from their audience. The traditional media venues (hard copy, broadcast) feed traffic to their own websites, and the websites drive viewer/reader/listener traffic back to the print and broadcasts.
This sped-up 24-hour news cycle means that media of all kinds are looking for sources and experts every hour of every day on the breaking news they cover, from hard news about the economy, crime and war to features in entertainment, health, politics, religion, relationships…every topic!
That means there are more opportunities than ever for you to get your business or expertise covered by the media. Remember, in the media everyone is always watching what the others are doing. TV stations read newspapers. Newspapers watch TV and listen to radio. Everyone keeps their Web browsers and Google search terms constantly updated to see what’s new, what’s breaking and what are the gaps that provide opportunities for fresh coverage. While all media want to get the big scoop, they also all know the art of repackaging stories with new angles, such as local tie-ins or expert commentary, to give their audience something “newsy” even for stories that are being recycled through their 10th or 12th news cycle.
Good coverage in one venue begets more good coverage. Look for those reporter blogs, email addresses and other entry points, such as public feedback forums on media websites. Editors often monitor their forums to gauge reaction and look for new angles. Send the reporter an email or leave them a voice mail (chances a busy reporter will pick up the phone are increasingly rare) with a tempting hint of how you can add to their story. Remember they are running around like crazy trying to feed this 24-hour news cycle so don’t get upset if they don’t get back in touch with you on the first or even the second story. Be polite, be persistent and most of all, provide the reporter with valuable content. In doing so, you will build long-term relationships and lay the groundwork for future coverage, cooperation and empowerment.
About the Author
Twenty-year PR veteran and chief creative officer of Wasabi Publicity Michelle Tennant Nicholson’s seen PR transition from typewriters to Twitter. Called a five-star publicist by Good Morning America’s Mable Chan, Michelle specializes in international PR working regularly with the likes of Oprah, Larry King, BBC, The Today Show, and all major media. Recently she secured a Dr. Phil placement for a client within eight hours of signing the contract. Contact her at PR blog http://www.StorytellerToTheMedia.com where she teaches tips from the trade.
Everyone knows traditionally published authors lose an enormous amount of money on each book sale to their publishers. That’s why so many authors chose to become independent publishers.
As head of Digital atPepsiCo Beverages, Shiv Singh pointed out in his recent blog post, Seth Godin’s decision to never again use a traditional publisher means he figured out the economics of doing so lie in his favor. (Please see my last three posts for my thoughts on Singh’s post.) While this seems pretty obvious, I’d like to focus on this for a moment to stress one particular fact: Godin already has book sales. Many new independent authors do not.
Those who have taken Godin’s decision as the straw that has broken their camel’s back–they’ve decided they will now only self-publish or electronically publish their writing–need to take a good look at the difference between themselves and Godin. If they don’t have existing book sales like his, they may not achieve the same success he surely thinks he will have in the coming years. Let’s look closer at the reasons why I says this.
Singh wrote: “I’m guessing that for every book of his sold, Godin gets probably 15% in royalties. That’s not bad when you’re selling 50,000 books priced at $17.13. He’s made $2.5 per book sold or $128,475 in total. But imagine if he sold online only where he’d probably get something closer to 80% in royalties. He’d make a whopping $685,000. Imagine if he only sold half online versus through the book chains (the distribution channels that the publisher owns), he’d still make $342,600. Or if he sold just a quarter, that would be $171,300. I don’t think it is hard for him to sell 12,500 books directly. He doesn’t need a publisher to be better off.
Singh has done the math correctly. It would work the same way for any author. However, for those aspiring authors reading this and thinking they can make the same kind of money as Godin, they need to think about the fact that he has a huge platform. And he has a well-known brand. (Please see my previous posts this week to read about these points.) To achieve these kinds of sales—and this kind of income—an author must spend a lot of time building platform and creating a brand prior to publishing a book or switching over to electronic (or independent) publishing.
In my experience, most writers and aspiring authors do not want to do anything but write. Godin is a marketing expert. He knows how to market himself and his books. He is a business man. He sees himself and his books as a business. That’s why he has achieved the success he enjoys. That’s why his books will continue to sell without a publisher to help him sell them. He’s done the work. He’s worn the business hat…and he continues to do so. He plans on continuing to do so.
Aspiring authors planning to follow his lead and dreaming of big fat pay checks need to consider these facts—the reality of becoming a successful author. You must be a successful businessperson as well.
Do publishers provide authors with enough value to justify traditionally publishing books? Seth Godin must not think so anymore—or at least that seems to be what he’s saying.
Yet, publishers do provide some services that independent publishers must then be sure to garner on their own or else produce a less-than-quality product. If they don’t, they can be sure their sales will not equal those reached through traditional publishing routes simply because they have not provided readers with the standards they expect. These services include book design, cover design and manuscript editing.
As mentioned in my previous posts this week, best selling author Seth Godin’s announced earlier this week that he would no longer use traditional publishing for his books. This was followed by a blog post by Shiv Singh, head of Digital for PepsiCo Beverages, which broke down what Godin’s action actually means—to Godin and to authors and aspiring authors. (Please see my last two posts for my thoughts on Singh’s post.)
Among other things, Singh wrote: “Seth Godin doesn’t believe his publishers provide him enough value. By saying that he’s going to sell his book online and directly to his readers, Godin is basically saying that his publishers aren’t providing him enough value. He appreciates the need to have a strong editor (and he’s going to hire one independently) but everything else is not valuable enough for him. Publishers should be worried, and so too should Barnes and Noble and Borders. If other leading authors adopted this model they’d all be in trouble.”
I’d like to simply focus on this part of Singh’s statement: “He appreciates the need to have a strong editor (and he’s going to hire one independently).” Over the years, many self-published authors have failed to hire an independent professional editor. As a result, their books have not achieved the same quality that would have been demanded by a traditional publisher. Thus, they did not achieve the same success (i.e. sales) as they might have with a traditionally published book.
I was just at a writer’s club meeting last week and a traditionally published author offered the group the same message: “If you choose to self-publish, be sure to hire a professional editor.”
There are lots of types of editing a book may need. I suggest you find an editor that does everything from line editing to developmental editing so you are sure that not only your grammar and punctuation are correct but that your book makes sense and has no gaps in content.
If you need information on types of editing or working with an editor, you’ll find this post and this post useful.
Yes, editing is expensive. It costs a lot more than electronically publishing your book. It costs more than publishing your book with a print on demand company.
A good editor costs more than a bad editor. (Duh.) A professional book editor will do a better job of editing your book than a college English major or a high school English teacher.
Do right by your book. Do right by yourself. Hire a professional editor for your book. If you’ve already gone to the time and effort of writing a full manuscript, get it professionally edited so your book has a chance of succeeding.
Oh…and then hire a proofreader. That’s a service a traditional publisher would provide as well, although the proof would still be given to the author for a final read as well. Some careful authors I know then give the proof to friends for help proofing to ensure the final published book has no errors.
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of knowing your readers. This post was inspired by best selling author Seth Godin’s announcement that he would no longer use traditional publishing for his books. Additionally, I wanted to comment on the great points made in a blog post written by Shiv Singh, head of digital at PepsiCo Beverages, in response to Godin’s announcement.
Today, I’d like to discuss the importance of author branding and continue comment in Singh’s blog post. Singh wrote: “Seth Godin believes in the power of his brand and is betting everything on it. At the most fundamental level, this is a brand play. You’ve got to believe in yourself and in your words if you want something to work, he’d say himself. And that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s putting his money where his mouth is.”
I have to admit that I am not an expert on branding and I am only now beginning to work on clarifying and strengthening my own brand as an author and as a businessperson. That said, I know the importance of branding for any author—and authors must look at themselves and their books as a business that, indeed, does need to be branded. The biggest mistake most writers and authors make is that they don’t see themselves as businesses. Thus, they see no need for branding.
Brands are easily recognizable by consumers. Readers are consumers. They buy brands.
Do you have a brand? Would anyone recognize it? Is it time for you to begin thinking of branding yourself and your work so you, like Godin, can bet on it when you decide to independently or electronically publish your work? If you are considering following in his footsteps, you better answer emphatically, “Yes!”
Earlier this week I wrote about best selling author Seth Godin’s announcement that he would no longer use traditional publishing for his books. The next day I saw a phenomenal blog post breaking down what Godin’s action actually means—to him and to authors and aspiring authors as well as to publishing. Written by Shiv Singh, Head of Digital, PepsiCo Beverages, this blog post is well worth reading. In my next few posts, I’m going to cover a few of my own thoughts, which were generated by Singh’s post.
First, I’d like to discuss the importance of knowing your readers. Singh wrote: “Seth Godin knows his readers better than his publisher does. Godin has realized that he really knows his readers. He knows what they want, he knows how to reach them and he knows quite clearly what he wants to share. He has is own marketing platform via his blog and his twitter account, too. He doesn’t need a publisher to play that role for him. And with the Internet he can distribute his book to his readers electronically.”
Do you know your readers? Are you intimately in touch with them through face-to-face contact, such as coaching, speaking, and other personal situations? Do you read what they read, hear what they say, understand their needs, desires, questions, problems, etc.? Do you have a good understanding of their demographics? Do you know your market? You must answer “yes” to these questions if you are going to successfully sell books either on our own or through a publisher—but definitely if you are going to do so as an independent publisher.
Knowing your readers also allows you to figure out what to share with them. Successful authors provide readers with books that go beyond filling readers’ needs. They answer their questions, fulfill their desires, connect with them emotionally, solve their problems, and in some way add value to their lives. They offer them something they can’t do without—or at least think they can’t.
You also must know how to reach your readers. You must know where they “live” and how to get into their “homes.” Have you developed a platform from which you can reach your readers? Godin has done that, as Singh mentioned. Have you? If your answer is “no,” you are not ready to sell a book independently. You will need the help of a publisher to distribute that book and to promote it; however, even a publisher may not want you as a business partner without a platform.
So, get to know your readers. And let them get to know you. When you’ve done that, you can take the same step Godin has taken and decide to independently publish your books (primarily through electronic means) and know you will achieve success doing so.
Do you find that sometimes you have little time to write? You want to make writing a priority, but other things “get in the way,” edging your writing time into an hour here, a half hour there.
Other times, you may simply find that you have 15 minutes of extra time on your hands, and you’d like to use it to write. However, you may have a hard time getting started; thus, you might lose five or 10 minutes of precious writing time just getting started. This could happen even during your normally scheduled writing period.
How do you break through and not only get started fast but write fast so you accomplish a lot in a short amount of time? Here are two tricks I use on a regular basis.
1. Leave your Inner Critic at the door.
I used to be a Voice Dialogue facilitator. As Hal Stone and Sidra Winkelman, the originators of this psychological process explain, we all have inner “selves” that at different times run our lives. When we are writing, we do not want our Inner Critic involved; this particular self slows down the writing process by constantly stopping us mid sentence to correct a word, change a phrase or delete a whole sentence or paragraph. Later, when we get down to editing what we have written, our Inner Critic proves enormously helpful. We want this self close at hand to help, if not to actually take over. the editing process.
When you sit down to write, tell your Inner Critic to remain outside the room, the coffee shop, wherever you might be working. (Instead, invite in your Inner Writer.) Each time you find yourself starting to correct your writing, stop yourself from doing so. Tell yourself that right now you are simply writing, not editing. You are creating a draft, not a finished piece. Don’t worry about misspelled words, incorrect grammar, passive sentences. (Tell your Inner English Teacher to go back to the school.) All of these things can be corrected later. Correct only what must be corrected now so your writing makes sense.
2. Don’t let your fingers (or hand) stop moving.
The best way to get a lot of writing done involves not allowing yourself to stop writing for any reason. Once you begin writing, you don’t ever allow your fingers to hover over the keys or you pen to rest motionless over the paper. You must always be writing something, even if it you only write the words, “I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write,” over and over again until something different comes into your mind. (Ask your Inner Writer or your Inner Muse to join you!)
This forces you to not get stuck mulling over your word choices or your train of thought. It allows you to have a stream of consciousness that you follow. Later, you’ll call in your Inner Editor/Critic and your more conscious self, if necessary, to clean up what you’ve written and make sense of it. Right now, in the little bit of time you have, you simply want to get words on paper. You want to use the time you have to actually write something–not to think about writing something.
If necessary, get an egg timer and set it for 10 or 15 minute increments and use these for continuous writing periods.
Try these two tips on a regular basis, and you surely will learn to write fast and get a lot of writing done in shorter time periods. Then when you more time to write, you can use the same methods and you’ll discover that you have the ability to produce twice the amount of written pages in the time it used to take you to do so.