Claim your FREE Hot Contacts Sheet with contact info on book reviewers and talk-show hosts, and sign up for our Publishing Game / Expertizing Newsletter.

(Privacy policy: We will not distribute your email address to anyone. Ever.)

See a sample newsletter

(Journalists, webmasters, & e-zine editors: Feel free to run these articles on book marketing, finding a literary agent, and self-publishing in your publications as long as you include the resource box/byline. A new article is posted each month.)

Also read our other articles on these writing and publishing topics:

July 4th Opportunity

July 4th Opportunity
by Fern Reiss, CEO, PublishingGame.com

Savvy book folk will wait to take their July 4th holiday until several days after the 4th.

July 4th—and, indeed, almost any government holiday, including Labor Day and Memorial Day—offers a wonderful publicity opportunity for the right author.

Because businesses and government institutions close early for the weekend, journalists, as always on these holidays, are left with space to fill, a shortage of people to interview, and nothing much to say. So they cast around looking for new sources and unused press releases.

Your chances of being picked up by even the national media increase exponentially at such times.

Now, even the most optimal time of year will not garner you PR unless you have some sort of hook. You still need a news angle, a reason that journalists should cover your story now. You’ll still need to do a fax blast, or an email blast, to get them the press release, and it still needs to look professional, or most papers won’t pick it up. But unlike the rest of the year, your hook needn’t be as compelling, simply because there will be a whole lot less competition out there.

See how short this article is, compared to its usual length? That’s the same position in which newspapers nationwide find themselves: Too much white space. This week, the newspapers need filler.

So instead of planning to take off early this week for the holidays, think about whether it might not be worth your while to stick around and generate some book PR. You can always go on vacation next week—after reaping the rewards of July 4th. Enjoy.

 


Fern Reiss is CEO of PublishingGame.com (www.PublishingGame.com) and Expertizing.com (www.Expertizing.com) and the author of the books, The Publishing Game: Find an Agent in 30 Days, The Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days, and The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days as well as several other award-winning books.  She is also the Director of the International Association of Writers (www.AssociationofWriters.com) providing publicity vehicles to writers worldwide. She also runs The Expertizing® Publicity Forum where you can pitch your book or business directly to journalists; more information at www.Expertizing.com/forum.htm.  Sign up for her complimentary newsletter at www.PublishingGame.com/signup.htm.

Copyright © 2011 Fern Reiss

 

Copyright © 2010 Peanut Butter and Jelly Press LLC, PO Box 590239, Newton, MA 02459
(617) 630-0945 • Info@PublishingGame.com
(Send website comments to: webmaster@PublishingGame.com.  Last modified: March 10, 2005 .)