Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Press releases are like cards...

An essential element of an author's press plan is the well-written press release.

But one is not enough, says Mr. Obie Joe.

We've been working with a nonfiction title, a lifestyle one, at that. It would be easy as pie (sorry, could not resist) to develop only one press release. Instead the author and Obie Joe put together nearly a dozen variations with the intention of sending targeted press releases. One press release on the business of bottled water went to the biz mags. Another, with new recipes, was for the Martha Stewart category. We even sent press releases -- always developed as story ideas -- to teen magazines.

The results? TIME Magazine, Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, and dozens of dailies and smaller magazines.

Authors, your budget might limit you to paying for the development of only one press release. But from there, develop at least 5 more. Mr. Obie Joe says don't worry about the work. All you're really changing is the top 2-3 paragraphs to suit a market. The other paragraphs, which is the standard stuff about you, your book, availability, etc., stays the same.

Stack the deck.

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