| Did you know there are 1,730 newspapers | | | | to stardom virtually overnight. If you live in a |
| published daily in the United States? They have a | | | | major city, check the phone book for local |
| combined circulation of nearly 62 million people. | | | | editorial offices. Otherwise, contact the Associated |
| And reviews are only one way of using | | | | Press (AP) at 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY |
| them.Targeting Special SectionsThroughout the | | | | 10020, phone 212-621-1500; United Press |
| year, newspapers put together special | | | | International (UPI) at 1510 H Street, NW |
| supplements, which can be another bonanza. | | | | Washington, DC 20005, phone 202-898-8000; and |
| These are topic-specific: seniors, health, | | | | Reuters at 3 Times Square, 18th Floor, New |
| automobiles, gardening, college, investment, etc. | | | | York, NY 10036, phone 646-223-4300.Hitchhike on |
| Find out what's planned for your major | | | | Current NewsOne of the best ways to get into |
| daily."Lifestyle" or "Trends" sections, known in the | | | | the news is to hitchhike with another item of |
| old days as the "Women's Pages," are often a | | | | current interest. When President Bush put Linda |
| good bet. Other more specialized sections | | | | Chavez up for Secretary of Labor, the |
| (Business, Real Estate, Sports) may also welcome | | | | controversy heated up when it came out she'd |
| you, depending on the subject of your book. | | | | had an illegal alien living in her home, doing |
| Frankly, you're usually better off in special | | | | miscellaneous chores, and had given the woman |
| sections. It takes a true book-lover to digest the | | | | money. Kathy Fitzgerald Sherman, author of A |
| book review pages, but all kinds of folks read the | | | | Housekeeper Is Cheaper Than a Divorce: Why |
| other sections. Gardeners, for instance, will have | | | | You CAN Afford to Hire Help and How to Get It |
| their noses buried (no pun intended) in the | | | | jumped on this issue.Perhaps your book solves a |
| gardening section but would seldom discover your | | | | problem that has just hit the headlines. Such was |
| book about organic gardening if it were only | | | | the case of one clever author who had written a |
| discussed in the book pages.Let's say you have a | | | | book on how to stop snoring. One day his |
| guide to child raising. Every major newspaper has | | | | newspaper vigil uncovered an obscure two-liner |
| an education writer or editor. Articles in this | | | | about a pending divorce. It seems the poor |
| section are read by both parents and teachers. | | | | harried wife could no longer tolerate her snoring |
| David Cole suggests you target the papers with | | | | spouse. A long-distance call to the presiding judge, |
| circulations over 100,000 (there will probably be | | | | a couple of bottles of booze, and an overnighted |
| about 100 of them) and send a series of short | | | | book resulted in a front-page spread with pictures. |
| 300-word articles extracted from your book for | | | | The judge felt this book could save the marriage. |
| one-time use. Make sure you include "how-to" tips | | | | Picked up by the wire services, the word spread |
| and provide illustrations if possible.Surely you have | | | | swiftly; and the book went into four printings.This |
| looked with awe and maybe envy at full-page | | | | is one story of many that confirm the value of a |
| spreads about authors and their books, complete | | | | "news peg" and the hitchhiking principle. With a bit |
| with numerous photographs. Worth a lot? Bet | | | | of inventive brainstorming, we bet you can think |
| your sweet bippy it is! Don't buy into the idea that | | | | of lots of ways to link your book with news |
| only famous best-selling authors get that kind of | | | | items. Don't overlook writing an op-ed column as |
| coverage. 'Tain't so.William Zimmerman would | | | | a vehicle for exposure either.When something |
| testify to that. He's had spreads in the | | | | breaks in your topic area, immediately contact |
| Washington Post, Business Week, and the New | | | | key media personnel. You want to establish |
| York Times. Zimmerman, founder of Guarionex | | | | yourself as a subject matter expert. While the |
| Press, which published his How to Tape Instant | | | | media may not use you this time, chances are |
| Biographies, comments, "I've shown how you can | | | | you'll eventually get ink and air time if you're |
| leverage no money and gain a lot of national | | | | persistent about staying visible when things occur |
| attention and sales." The Times feature about him | | | | in your area of expertise.To link with a breaking |
| prompted two thousand inquiries replete with | | | | news story, you, of course, have to know about |
| countless orders for his book.The successful | | | | it. If you're serious about attracting more than |
| author-publisher has staying power. Tenacity. | | | | your share of print, radio, TV, and Internet |
| Persistence. Bill Gordon, author of The Ultimate | | | | coverage, you must read the newspaper first |
| Hollywood Tour Book, pitched no less than | | | | thing every morning. I (Marilyn) have bookmarked |
| thirteen different reporters at the Los Angeles | | | | the home page for the Washington Post. You can |
| Times before he got one to do a story. It first | | | | read it free online by going to (And if you want |
| appeared in the Orange County section . . . then | | | | to start your day with a chuckle, go to where a |
| hit all the metro pages a week later.Print media | | | | spoof news story mocks the real thing.)Tie Into |
| offers the enterprising publisher a bumper crop of | | | | Special DatesTo add verve and flair to your |
| opportunities for promotion. Don't ignore the rich | | | | promotional campaign, you might consult Chase's |
| harvest small independent newspapers can | | | | Calendar of Events to see if there is a special |
| provide. They, too, can be of assistance to your | | | | day, week, or month you can hitchhike with. This |
| campaign. Alert them to newsworthy activities. | | | | directory offers over 700 pages of imaginative |
| Press releases to hometown papers about author | | | | PR angles. It is a day-by-day resource of holidays; |
| tours filter into coverage in columns or feature | | | | historical anniversaries; fairs and festivals; and |
| stories. Consider contacting the media in any town | | | | special days, weeks, and months. It lists more |
| where you've previously lived.Don't forget the | | | | than 12,000 entries of national or broad regional |
| wire services. Should you be fortunate enough to | | | | interest. |
| lock into one of them, your book could skyrocket | | | | |