You do not have to hire a publicist or advertise through a booking service to promote your books on talk radio. My friend Stephen Schochet and I have been scheduling our own radio appearances for several years. Working independently, we have, between us, logged over 1,000 interviews, and we continue to sell our books, CDs, and audiotapes year in and year out.
Our system may not be right for everyone. After all, we are both pretty good amateur publicists. We know how to dangle bait and reel the stations in, and our schedules are fairly flexible. But if you feel comfortable promoting your products, will work harder for yourself than anyone else will, and are well-organized and disciplined, you may want to take advantage of our experience.
Opening Moves
For starters, we work with a comprehensive database of radio shows?one that I research and constantly update?and contact the hosts or the producers directly ourselves. Sometimes we call them. Other times we fax, and sometimes we e-mail them. There is no one magical right or wrong initial approach. Each show operates a little differently, and we often like to mix up the routine.
Regardless of how we make the initial contact, we always follow up. We never assume that the show is not interested if we do not get an immediate response. Hosts, after all, are extremely busy people, and on any given day, they are inundated with pitches from available guests from all over the country.
In fact, we often have to follow up several times. Steve once made as many as 15 calls to one show before he finally got booked. He was told (and he had heard this) that the reason the producer finally called him was precisely because he was so persistent.
Of course, you do not want to become a pest. Again, there are no hard and fast rules about how many times you may have to follow up. My feeling is that if you do not get a response after three or four attempts, just go on to the next show. Be sure to keep good records, though, of when you contacted a particular show and of the names of your contacts there. Chances are that six months or a year from now the host and/or producer will be gone, and you can always try the next host and/or producer.
Materials for a Broader List
When we fax or e-mail, we always provide the hosts with a TV Guide-like capsule description of our books, a list of questions they can ask us, a brief biographical sketch, and information on where the book is available.
I do not want to imply that many talk-show hosts are lazy, but you would be surprised how many times the hosts repeat the information verbatim. Not every host will ask the same questions you provide them, in the exact same order, but many of them will.
We also do not limit ourselves to the top 100 talk shows. Many news shows and drive-time morning shows on oldies, contemporary hits, and even country stations need to fill air space and are looking for interesting guests. These shows are not listed in the more popular media directories, but we have been able to identify them simply by calling the station and talking to the Program Director.
Operating as an Expert
We also get more interviews by positioning ourselves as experts in our fields (in our case, Hollywood) and by offering commentary and anecdotes about topics in the news. For example, even though I promote The Ultimate Hollywood Tour Book outside of California, I rarely pitch myself as an expert on L.A. sightseeing. Instead I offer to talk about breaking news stories like Robert Blake's trial, or the falsification of George Harrison's death certificate, and tie them in with the other notorious Hollywood scandals and murders that my book covers.
Similarly, after September 11, when talk radio seemed to be "all terrorism, all the time," Steve adapted and continued to get interviews by offering himself as an expert on Hollywood's response to wars and national crises. He also got Valentine's Day bookings by offering to talk about Hollywood romances, and bookings in March by talking about the stories and legends behind the Academy Awards. After a celebrity dies, he gets even more interviews by offering to tell anecdotes about that celebrity.
Once we've done an interview, we always send a "thank you" note to the host or producer. We also call the station's receptionist to provide information about the book because listeners who don't remember or didn't catch your name or your book's title may call the station for additional information. The receptionist is the first and very often the only person the listener will ever reach. You'll want to be sure this radio employee has not only your name and the book title but also your URL and ordering information.
William A. Gordon is the author of "The Ultimate Hollywood Tour Book" and the editor of "Gordon's Radio List," a list of 1,100 locally produced and nationally syndicated radio shows that interview guests. His web site is http://www.radiopublicity.net and he can be reached at http://www.radiopublicity.net. Stephen Schochet is the producer and narrator of the CDs and audiotapes "Tales of Hollywood" and "Fascinating Walt Disney" (http://www.radiopublicity.net). He can be reached at http://www.radiopublicity.net.
Your public relations people are busy. The buzz is all... Read More
Anything that lets managers achieve their managerial objectives is a... Read More
Each of us is exposed to people from other cultures... Read More
Everyone knows the value of free publicity. And given the... Read More
You are a spokesperson for your company, representing it for... Read More
You bet! And in three ways vital to you as... Read More
Being invited to appear on radio and television used to... Read More
Does the thought of knowing your verbs from your adjective... Read More
Today's issue of Lean Marketing Champions features tips on doing... Read More
What is the true purpose of public relations and how... Read More
As the year starts to wind down, many businesses and... Read More
As small businesses we have an opportunity and an obligation... Read More
When your book is mentioned on television, sales go up.... Read More
A well structured press release in an excellent way of... Read More
Wherever the fundamental premise of public relations is practiced.Look at... Read More
Lights...camera...ACTION.That's what often happens when people think of using media... Read More
Although, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you may... Read More
Redevelopment is replacing new construction throughout the Greater Boston area,... Read More
1) Establish Rapport, then get the editor/producer excited.There's not a... Read More
As a business, non-profit or association manager, you have a... Read More
Early in my career as a public relations consultant, I... Read More
Public relations is the art, as one of my colleagues... Read More
Prior to launching a new public relations campaign, evaluate the... Read More
"Advertising is what you pay for. Publicity is what you... Read More
When times are tough, it's no time to ignore those... Read More
As a business, non-profit or association manager, you'll know it's... Read More
Think of a triangle. On the left, imagine the story... Read More
If you leave a star player sitting on the bench,... Read More
You never want to inundate a reporter with information, but... Read More
The most sensible way for business, non-profit or association managers... Read More
I recently worked with a group dealing with an unusual... Read More
Especially good advice for business, non-profit and association managers whose... Read More
The media need you. Need the information and expertise you... Read More
You want to sell your products or services, and that... Read More
When your public relations results pretty much depend on whether... Read More
If a reporter was writing a story about you and... Read More
Public relations is all about credibility and trustworthiness. If you... Read More
Many of our clients are in service businesses, such as... Read More
When you pay good money for public relations services, you... Read More
It's a phrase I hear over and over again from... Read More
Better check out the public relations fundamental premise, then take... Read More
A great way to celebrate your achievements and capitalize on... Read More
As a business, non-profit or association manager, any tool that... Read More
Photographs are essential for getting good publicity in the print... Read More
NUMBERS, NUMBERS EVERYWHEREYou just placed a terrific story on the... Read More
What you are about to read is a step by... Read More
Stripped down to its core, publicity is little more than... Read More
Press reviews are a common and basic feature for surveying... Read More
A wise friend of mine has often said, "There is... Read More
Everyone has an opinion on something, and you can leverage... Read More
Public Relations |