literary public relations - including magazines and journals
TRANSCRIPT
Literary Public RelationsAn Overview
PR for Literary MagazinesPresented at The City College of New York, CUNY on November 28, 2016
Tools Tools would include press releases, pitch letters, media lists, direct email, social media, posting to social media, reaching out to broadcast (tv, radio, print and internet), journalists, producers, bloggers, web site editors; researching and developing targeted media lists.
Key contacts should be prioritized and need special attention; phone calls, meetings, perhaps a personalized approach as well as approaching the key contacts multiple times to help ensure you get their attention.
TacticsTactics would related to strategy: first and foremost you must work on articulating your message or story;
Then, you work on developing a timeline for releasing your information so that the media placements - that is articles, reviews, features or mentions - appear in the media around the release of the journal, book, or news story to be publicized.
When to Send Out Press ReleasesWhat is newsworthy? Some examples and ideas
The launch of a new literary journal
Special issues
A famous writer or artist has contributed
A milestone in the life of the journal or an artist or writer: for example the10th anniversary of the magazine or the centenary birthday of Federico Garcia Lorca
New columns and features, design, web site, personnel
How to Write a Press Release - in a nutshellA press release is a news story.
It should contain an intriguing headline, a strong lead paragraph, and the “five w’s” - who, what, when, where, why
Include a date line, location, and who the media need to contact for for further information, which is generally the publicist’s phone and email address.
It might also contain a photo - typically a headshot, a jacket image, an event photo.
How to Write a Press ReleaseExamples:
Link to a press release for a book from Simon & Schuster via PRNewswire:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bruce-springsteen-to-narrate-the-audiobook-edition-of-his-1-bestselling-memoir-born-to-run-300365252.html?#continue-jump
How to Write a Press ReleaseExample:
Press release from The New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Press-Release-November-21-2016_V2.pdf
Where to send your press releaseYou will need to research and create a targeted media list for print mailings and direct email.
Sort by:
Types of media: tv, radio, print or internet
Editorial interest: media, literature, writing, authors, features, culture, arts & entertainment, education, geographical region, historical era.
Title / role: example, editor, guest contact, host, producer
Types of Media ContactsThere are general interest and consumer publications who will cover literary news. It is important to find the right contact at the publication.
These media include:
The New Yorker
The New York Times
NPR and its shows such as “Fresh Air”
Researching to Develop Media ListsPurchased Databases
Internet Search: Google! LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook
Knowing Your Subject and Reading About It - Learn about your subject matter, keep up and then you will be able to curate and select media to contact and reach out to as well as discover new opportunities of all kinds
Set a Google News Alert for your topics of interest - it will help you stay abreast of the news and learn who covers your topic
Organizations Relating to Literary JournalsThere are organizations that offer an array of publications and resources of special importance to literary journals including public relations and marketing resources.
These include:
AWP Association of Writers and Writing Programs
CLMP Community of Literary Magazines and Presses
Further ReadingHIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
A very helpful blog about the launch of a literary journal including marketing tips:
https://lisacalderone.wordpress.com/category/marketing/
Social Media in a NutshellAll public relations and marketing should include social media.
Top social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.
A web site and a blog are also considered social media.
Other leading social media include: Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, Reddit, Slideshare, and many more.
Direct email is a potent tool as well.
Social Media in a NutshellWho are you trying to reach?
Media / journalists, producers, editors - for coverage; Readers; and Business to business / organizations / institutions.
Who are you going to reach? ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Tailor and craft your messages accordingly knowing this.
Social Media in a NutshellWhat are you trying to accomplish?
Raise awareness and interest. Build readership.
How do you do this on social media?
Grow your community; get “likes,” “follows,” traffic, views, engagement.
Social Media in a NutshellContent: What do you post to social media? What is “likeable?”
News, articles, related content of interest, videos, images.
Display and share headlines, snippets, pictures, quotes, videos, photos, art, GIFs, memes. Facebook Live. Audio - podcasts.
Not too many words. Link out to more expanded text, articles.For a literary endeavor, more words than others might use might work but brevity is still key.
VISUAL elements are very important.
Social Media in a NutshellPay attention to analytics and metrics.
Analytics and metrics can tell you what is attracting attention and when and this can guide your efforts.
But the numbers of likes and follows are not the sole measure.
The quality of engagement and who you are reaching are important too.
Social Media in a NutshellSocial media management tools include:
Hootsuite
Buffer
These tools help you schedule posts, including cross-posting the same content across multiple social media platforms, as well as buffering so that content does not appear in bursts and the flow is maintained so there are no gaps.
A constant presence must be maintained, ideally daily posts are advised to stay connected with your community.
Social Media in a NutshellFurther resources: Since social media and its tools are in a constant state of change, you should read about it online, in magazines and newspapers, and not books because they date too quickly.
Some media outlets about social media you may find useful include:
Mashable and Social Media Examiner
The best way to learn is to get online, experience and use social media as a consumer of social media.
Review: Literature and Arts of the AmericasEdited by Daniel ShapiroThe City College of New York. The major U.S. forum for contemporary Latin American and Caribbean writing in English and English translation; it also covers Canadian writing and visual and performing arts in the Americas. Founded in 1968 by the Center for Inter-American Relations (later known as the Americas Society), Review is now published by Routledge in association with The City College of New York, CUNY, through its Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.
Discuss how this literary journal is being publicized and potential ways to increase its visibility and readership
CCNY (CMLL)
https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/cmll/review-literature-and-arts-americas-0
Routledge
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rrev20/current
THE END - THANK YOUThis presentation is available online on Slideshare
http://www.slideshare.net/Bookbuzz1
Please connect with me on all my social media sites and stay in touch.
Susannah Greenberg Public Relations
@suegreenbergpr
¡Gracias y buena suerte!Thanks
and
good luck!