This just in: Print outlets apparently not the future of media

In light of the gasping, wheezing U.S. economy and the subsequent slow death march of many long-standing print media outlets, it’s more evident than ever that the internet has become the aspiring author’s best friend.

Yes, while that coveted New York Times print book review will surely look great in your portfolio (and your publicist’s), these days you’re more likely to reach a wider and more targeted audience by having a review featured on NYTimes.com, or a Q&A posted on their popular blog Paper Cuts.

It’s a fact that more and more readers are moving online for their sole source of news and entertainment. Gone are the days of sitting around the breakfast table with the family, eating a balanced meal, and reading the newspaper. In 2009, folks are rushing out the door to work with a granola bar in their mouths and today’s headlines on their iPhones.

A journalism professor of mine put it very clearly. Speaking to a class of around 400 undergraduate students, he asked what type of media we had turned to for the news that day:

“Raise your hand if you read the newspaper this morning?”
A smattering of hands lifted around the room.

“Raise your hand if you watched a cable news network?”
A few hands more.

“And how many of you read the news online today?”
The majority of hands were raised—nearly everyone present.

And while the growing popularity of these online news sources may lead to increased competition for coverage in the future, the nature of the internet makes it a boundless resource for promotional opportunities, nevertheless.

Meaning, not only is it great for authors to garner those online book reviews, but also consider:

• Contributing helpful tip sheets and articles to writer’s interest web sites, and sites related to your expertise
• Offering to post as a guest blogger on literary blogs, or blogs related to your book’s subject
• Conducting an e-interview with a blogger for a featured Q&A on their site
• Starting and maintaining your own blog, and building your blog roll with other related sites
• Commenting on blogs that you find interesting, and building a network of online contacts

These are just a few ideas—if anyone has sure-fire, creative advice for internet publicity from personal experience, feel free to share in the comments!

R.I.P Gourmet Magazine?

One of our office favorites, Gourmet, may not last through the end of the year, according to Eater.com. Shockingly enough, it appears that the economy had something to do with it.

"Gourmet will probably not see the end of the year. Its parent company, Conde Nast, can no longer rely on the huge profits of the newspaper portion of the Newhouse family business...It owns Gourmet, Bon Appetite, and epicurious.com. Conde Nast simply owns too many titles in this category. From 2004 to 2008, Gourmet’s ad pages have dropped from 1,364 to 955, with a 24% drop last year. January’s ad pages were down another 32%."

Read more of the story here or here.

This makes me particularly sad for Ruth Reichl, former food critic for New York Times and grande dame of Gourmet. I read her book Garlic and Sapphires a little over a year ago, and couldn't stop jabbering about it to absolutely everyone around me. "Have you read Garlic and Sapphires? No? Why are we even still talking??"

But perhaps there's a silver lining. The lining that surrounds the interwebs, of course. So let's take a vote: Should Ruth Reichl start a food blog? (I say YES).

EDITOR'S NOTE: A reader brought it to our attention that this information does NOT come directly from Eater.com, but rather 247wallst.com, which Eater.com sourced. You can read the original piece by Douglas A. McIntyre here.

Thanks for keeping us accountable, Anonymous! Anonymous also let us know that this piece, titled "Twelve Major Media Brands Likely To Close In 2009," includes editorial mistakes...suggesting that the grim prediction for Gourmet may be questionable. (But - to give credit where credit is due, we should also mention that McIntyre is the former president of Financial World Magazine and also used to work for Time, Inc. - not just Joe Blow Blogger.) If there is evidence to the contrary about Gourmet, proving that the magazine has a big, vibrant future ahead of it, that would dreamy to us here at P&P....and I imagine to most in book publicity.

Wisdom from the Chicago Tribune: Get personal with journalists

Book publicists - heck, all publicists for that matter - walk a hard line. On the one hand, we want to be friends with key media contacts. On the other hand, we don't want to annoy our key media contacts. Why? The more friendly, and simultaneously less annoying we are, the more chance we have of landing solid media coverage for our authors and books. So no better way to start that friendly-but-not-annoying-friendly relationship on the right foot than a cheerful, non-invasive email, right?

WRONG. Let's hear it for the Chicago Tribune (and the Bulldog Reporter, who ran this piece earlier this summer) who eloquently dispels this line of thinking. Publicists: be ye not afraid of the telephone. We're talkers. Let's reach out and touch the media via some phone calls and meetings, shall we? Here's more:

"An email followed by a telephone call really is not the best way to go if you want to get our attention," says Michael A. Lev, business editor at the Chicago Tribune (circ. 957,212). "Instead, I think the way to stand out is to make a call and leave a message first—and then to follow up with your email. I have the same counterintuitive advice for sending materials," he adds. "A press kit followed with a call will be remembered. But an email is just too easy to skip over or delete."

His larger point: "Email or anything on its own isn't strategy—it's a gamble. But tying a phone call to it makes it more than a shot in the dark. A call just makes it more personal"––especially in light of today's spray–and–pray email campaigns. That said, "Journalists want their relationships with PR people to be as concise and focused as possible," Lev stresses. "If you get us on the phone or leave a message, keep it very brief. If you don't hear back, assume it wasn't relevant. We'll get back to you if we're interested." His additional tips:

• Afternoon deadlines are dead—pitch breaking news around the clock. "We are all doing much more with less. We have gone through buyouts—and staffs aren't as big as they used to be. On top of that, we all break news on the web now—at least, we're teaching our reporters to do that. Everybody is trying to develop that new muscle memory—breaking news around the clock," Lev says. "We'll post an alert and it'll just be three graphs on the web. Then we'll follow up with a more in–depth story on the second day." His advice: "Recognize we're on deadline all day—not just in the afternoon anymore. Also, recognize what gets play online and in print—and pitch accordingly. For example, don't pitch the breaking news item for the next day's paper."

To read more tips, including the power of the in-person lunch as well as the power of exclusivity, see the full story.

Securing print coverage beyond book reviewers

When many authors think of print coverage they think of book reviews. While it’s true book reviews provide great visibility for your book (especially trade reviews), it’s important to remember that opportunities for print coverage go far beyond the Sunday review section.

This week Nancy Rue (www.nancyrue.com) was used as a source in a Chicago Tribune article titled, “The right way to talk about fallen stars,” on July 29. Rue has authored many books for tweens and teens, including upcoming FaithGirlz! releases Body Talk and Girl Politics: Friends, Cliques and Really Mean Chicks (Zonderkidz/HarperCollins, September 2007). Rue’s mention in the Chicago Tribune is a great example of how an author can rely on their professional credentials to secure media opportunities beyond book reviews.

It’s no secret that space for book reviews is slowly disappearing in major print outlets around the country. Some papers are getting rid of their book reviewers entirely (such as the Atlanta Journal Constitution) while others are increasingly relying on wire services for their reviews. Though many within the book industry are understandably upset with this trend, as publicists it just means that we have to get more creative with our pitch angles. We do this by thinking of ways to tie an author’s area of expertise to the stories that newspapers and magazines are looking to cover. Instead of focusing solely on the book, our publicity team will be pitching Rue as an expert source to comment on issues related to tween and teen girls – in this case, the lack of young female role models in Hollywood.

How can you apply these principles to your release? Have you thought about promoting your expertise on topics related to your book in addition to promoting the book itself? If not, you should. Sometimes being quoted as a source in an article can be just as visible as a book review. What’s more, if a reporter feels you’re a source they can trust, they will often keep you in their “expert file” of contacts for future stories. A number of clients we worked with years ago still get calls to comment on stories related to their expertise.

When major print outlets use you as a source they establish credibility, build your platform and encourage readers to find out more about you and your latest projects. If a media opportunity arises that doesn’t seem directly related to your book, don’t say “no, thanks” right away. It’s a way to get your foot in the door and presents an opportunity to plug your book.

Think outside the box:

•What are your credentials?
As literary publicists, we have to try to think beyond the book. It’s just the nature of this business. In fact, any good publicity firm will use author credentials as a major factor in their decision to represent a book. So, what academic degrees do you have? What companies have you consulted in the past? Are you a CPA? Worked with high-risk kids for 20 years? Do you have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do? Involved in any charitable organizations? How do these different experiences relate back to your book?

•What’s everyone talking about?
Lindsay Lohan’s latest fumble opened up an opportunity for Nancy Rue to be used as a source in the Chicago Tribune article. Have you heard anything going on the news lately that relates to your book or professional credentials? Do you feel confident that you could say something pertinent about it? What comments and ideas can you bring to the debate that differs from competing expert sources? If you are currently writing your book, practice connecting your message to breaking news over the next few months—it will pay off once your book releases.

•What news cycles are coming up?
The media operates according to editorial calendars that are used year after year. Though breaking news trumps seasonal stories, you can bet certain topics will be covered by print outlets around the country this fall. Think about ways that you can plug your message into these seasonal news cycles. A few of the seasonal stories that will be covered over the next several months include back-to-school preparation (August), Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October) and the most sought-after news cycle for authors: Holiday Season, which includes a wide variety of potential hooks, from weight-loss to family-focused/human-interest opportunities.