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