Attendees of recent event learned how to get published and get noticed by the media.

by Martha Spizziri, Boston/New England Chapter vice president

Consultant Fern Reiss

Are you looking to get a book published? Or do you simply want publicity for your publication or business?

Either way, you could benefit from the advice of Fern Reiss. Reiss, CEO of Expertizing.com and PublishingGame.com spoke on May 17 at a chapter meeting at Boston University’s College of Communication.

When it comes to getting quoted by the media, Reiss said, “What matters is not whether you’re the perfect source, but whether your position is perfect for the media.”

According to Reiss, publishing a book is a must for anyone who wants to get noticed by the media. “Having a book is the baseline for getting journalism attention these days,” she said at the meeting. For those without the time or ability to write a book, Reiss suggested, “use a ghostwriter — or if you do public speaking, tape your lectures and have someone transcribe them.” In her experience, it doesn’t matter to the media who publishes the book — most of her books are self-published — or even whether or not the book sells. A published book acts as your calling card.

In fact, once you’ve published, Reiss recommends carrying the book everywhere and using it like a business card. “Even if you can’t sell the book, you can use the book to sell yourself,” she says.

Another piece of advice was to write articles for syndication. Online syndication is easier than traditional newspaper syndication, Reiss said. Google “article submit” plus a keyword for the topic you’re writing about, and you’ll find online article banks where you can submit your writing for sydication.

Reiss does not advocate a mass mailing of press kits as a way to promote a book. “Press kits are mostly a waste of time these days,” she said. “Most journalists don’t look at them unless they specifically asked for them.”

Instead, she recommends registering with a service like ProfNet, SourceNet, or PRLeads in order to be contacted by journalists looking for your expertise. These services cost money, but Reiss pointed out that they save time and wasted effort. “You get to answer queries instead of having to make cold calls to sell yourself,” she noted.

Press releases, too, will likely be ignored. “They’re not quite a dinosaur yet, but they’re getting there,” said Reiss. “They’re only effective if you really have news — and ‘I’ve got a new book’ is not news anymore.” The key is to tie what you’re promoting into current events.

For instance, a client of Reiss’ wrote a book called All Men Are Jerks. Cute idea, catchy title, but not enough to get attention. Then her client revealed that the book had been translated into 12 languages, but only published in 11. The reason? The publishers of the Farsi edition had decided the book was too Western. Now she had a hook for the press: “Book Banned in Iran.”

Another way to get noticed is to use your web site to position yourself as an expert. Those who work for publications that routinely put their bylined articles online have a head start. Putting all your articles on your business web site will draw more search-engine hits.

Reiss also recommended blogging as a good way to get attention. “Blogging is an easy way to update a web site, and it’s good for search-engine optimization [getting your site to come up near the top of search results],” she said.

Another tactic is to carve out a niche within your niche, so that you are the only person talking about a particular topic. Reiss also shared advice on self-publishing and print-on-demand versus traditional publishing, getting speaking engagements, and finding new ways to offer your expertise.

Discount Offered to Seminar Attendees, ASBPE Members

A drawing was held for a free set of Reiss three Publishing Game books, and attendees were offered a $600 discount off Reiss' Expertizing workshop. ASBPE members can get the discount if they sign up by May 21. The next seminar is at the Ritz on Sunday, May 22; there is another in New York City on May 31. More information can be found at www.Expertizing.com.

Learn how to get more media attention by signing up for Reiss’ free Expertizing email newsletter at www.PublishingGame.com/signup.htm.

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