tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post115012303703426254..comments2024-03-28T02:00:11.260-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Press ReleasesJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150473110386767762006-06-16T10:51:00.000-05:002006-06-16T10:51:00.000-05:00Thanks for the feedback, everyone!Thanks for the feedback, everyone!JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150393984428029782006-06-15T12:53:00.000-05:002006-06-15T12:53:00.000-05:00Just saw the Wired article about your trip. Seems ...Just saw the Wired article about your trip. Seems like the press release is garnering you a lot of attention from new sources.<BR/><BR/>Here's the link for those who haven't seen it<BR/>http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71113-0.html?tw=rss.technologyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150379872524612952006-06-15T08:57:00.000-05:002006-06-15T08:57:00.000-05:00I write my own press releases because I work in pu...I write my own press releases because I work in publicity. It's always easier for me to write them about someone else.<BR/><BR/>Joe, in addition to keeping a video diary of this, I hope Hyperion told the morning magazine shows about your jaunt. <BR/><BR/>This is just the kind of semi-quirky, original thing that can wake up their interest. <BR/><BR/>I'm sure that you targeted the local affiliates, radio stations and newspapers in the cities that you're visiting. Great local hook. I can hear you doing cell phone interviews for radio from your car.<BR/><BR/>Got time to get your car tricked out with some of that shrink-wrap car advertising before you depart? May as well make your vehicle into a rolling billboard while you're at it.Mary Stellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02186261066656584772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150337553058353832006-06-14T21:12:00.000-05:002006-06-14T21:12:00.000-05:00I'm with Nadja on this up to a point. Since I'm al...I'm with Nadja on this up to a point. Since I'm also a former journalist who wrote the buggers, I can tell you that the best way to write a press release is the inverted triangle theory. That is, the most important paragraph first:<BR/><BR/>JA Konrath, author of the Lt. Jacqueline 'Jack' Daniels thrillers is set to embark on an extraordinary journey on 6 July to promote his new book, <I>Rusty Nail</I>.<BR/><BR/>Mr Konrath, writer of the popular police thrillers, <I>Whiskey Sour</I> and <I>Bloody Mary</I>, will rent a car and drive across the country, stopping at 500 bookstores in two months to sign copies of the new book.<BR/><BR/>"My publishers, Hyperion, sent me on a traditional tour last year. I visited ten cities in eleven days," Mr Konrath said. "I also managed to visit an additional ninety-six stores during the tour; it was a real success."<BR/><BR/>(saying you had a 'decent' turnout is detrimental - it's so neutral as to be bad, also, suggesting that the 'real success' was the additional stores is insulting, however obliquely, to those who <I>did</I> turn up at the stores - were they <I>un</I>real?)<BR/><BR/>Konrath believes meeting the people who sell his books is the only way to compete with the mega-bestselling authors and their huge marketing campaigns.<BR/><BR/>"Enormous print runs and large co-op budgets don't impress booksellers any more. But actually meeting bookstore owners, managers, and employees, is a grass roots approach that people seem to enjoy. I certainly do. I love meeting booksellers."<BR/><BR/>Konrath will average eight bookstore drop-ins a day, where he'll sign stock, meet the booksellers, and pass out signed drink coasters featuring the cover of his latest novel, RUSTY NAIL.<BR/><BR/>The tour will begin at (insert time, date again and WHERE!)<BR/><BR/>Mr Konrath will write about his journey on his website and blog at www.JAKonrath.com.<BR/><BR/>***<BR/><BR/>Press releases <I>do not</I> have photographs on them; that would be included in a biographical sheet attached to the release if you want.<BR/><BR/>Depending on whom you intend the press release for, a weekly or daily release could be beneficial; give places, times, bookstore names. Keep the event out there in the public eye constantly. The follow up releases don't need to be as long as the first, just short announcements that reinforce your name, the book, previous books and where you'll be, when.Jaye Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05595648222196000153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150301191919674722006-06-14T11:06:00.000-05:002006-06-14T11:06:00.000-05:00Hey Joe,This is an excellent example of how to wri...Hey Joe,<BR/><BR/>This is an excellent example of how to write a press release (and <I>why</I> to write one as well).<BR/><BR/>How many copies of the Rusty Nail 500 Press Release will you send out? Where will you send them?<BR/><BR/>Are you sending these out via email, or traditional snail mail?<BR/><BR/>As always, thanks for the helpful information!<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.staceycochran.com" REL="nofollow">Stacey</A>Stacey Cochranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14128613653591282474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150256631459785212006-06-13T22:43:00.000-05:002006-06-13T22:43:00.000-05:00Just think of the great research you could do in a...Just think of the great research you could do in a women's prison. I think you should reconsider that.Sandra Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06109584805469336742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150255051710690672006-06-13T22:17:00.000-05:002006-06-13T22:17:00.000-05:00JA,Eeee. How do you find the energy? I feel like...JA,<BR/><BR/>Eeee. How do you find the energy? I feel like a nap just looking at your schedule.WannabeMehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15938094279274975960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150240819083814772006-06-13T18:20:00.000-05:002006-06-13T18:20:00.000-05:00Dear Joe, I’ve only recently become acquainted wit...Dear Joe, I’ve only recently become acquainted with Jack, but I love her. I’ve just ordered Bloody Mary from my independent bookstore (by “my” I mean the only independent bookstore on the island).<BR/><BR/>I’ve also taken some liberties with your press release. I hope you don’t mind: <BR/><BR/>JA Konrath (author of the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thrillers Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary) has come up with a non-traditional way to spread the word on his latest novel, RUSTY NAIL. Kicking off the tour on July 6th, he’s hopping into a rental car and driving cross country, signing at 500 bookstores in two months.<BR/><BR/>Supported by his publisher, Hyperion Books, Konrath will average eight bookstore drop-ins a day, where he'll sign stock, meet the booksellers, and pass out signed drink coasters featuring the cover of RUSTY NAIL.<BR/><BR/>"Hyperion sent me on a traditional tour last year, visiting ten cities in eleven days," says Konrath. "These were scheduled events, and I had decent fan turnouts. But the real success of the tour happened between signings, when I managed to visit an additional ninety-six stores during that time frame."<BR/><BR/>Konrath believes that meeting the people who sell his books is the only way to compete with the mega-bestselling authors and their huge marketing campaigns.<BR/><BR/>"Enormous print runs and large co-op budgets don't impress booksellers any more. But actually meeting bookstore owners, managers, and employees, is a grass roots approach that people seem to enjoy. I certainly do. I love meeting booksellers."<BR/><BR/>That love extends to print. Konrath has named five major characters in past and upcoming books after booksellers, and has thanked hundreds of them on his acknowledgements pages. Every single bookseller he meets on this current tour, which he's dubbed The Rusty Nail 500, will be similarly thanked.<BR/><BR/>Follow Konrath’s daily progress on his website and blog at www.JAKonrath.com.<BR/><BR/>In a day and age when multi-million dollar ad campaigns drive the bestseller lists, and many of the books sold in America are through outlets such as Wal-Mart and Costco, breaking out a midlist author is harder than ever. <BR/><BR/><BR/>• 250-300 words is the perfect length for a press release; anything longer and you risk loosing your bottom paragraph/s<BR/>• put all the important dates, names, etc. near the top, in descending order of importance (in case your last paragraph does get cut)<BR/>• pictures are always a great idea and actually make your release more interesting; make sure they are close-ups<BR/><BR/>Nadja<BR/>(who used to write press releases for a living)NL Gasserthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11601313602009358600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150229492673040722006-06-13T15:11:00.000-05:002006-06-13T15:11:00.000-05:00Great press release, Joe. Seems newsworthy to me ...Great press release, Joe. Seems newsworthy to me just by the crazy magnitude of it. And the name, Rusty Nail 500, is inspired.<BR/><BR/>I think "Runnin' Down a Dream" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would be a good theme song for this tour, especially the driving part.Jerihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13986567025249948237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150229259034873352006-06-13T15:07:00.000-05:002006-06-13T15:07:00.000-05:00I always write my own PR's. Now, my first book, th...I always write my own PR's. Now, my first book, the reason behind the PR was that I was having an event at the local library. That got me an interview in the local paper. <BR/><BR/>Events at libraries make good press. Human interest and all that.Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13809850928628103065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150225486086890782006-06-13T14:04:00.000-05:002006-06-13T14:04:00.000-05:00I was in Denver last year. Love that town. I'll tr...I was in Denver last year. Love that town. I'll try to visit in 2007.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150207371515638172006-06-13T09:02:00.000-05:002006-06-13T09:02:00.000-05:00I agree with Andrew. Film this trip as a document...I agree with Andrew. Film this trip as a documentary. It could be more entertaining and informative than "Super Size Me" or any other blockbuster docu-film.<BR/><BR/>Besides, you are much more photogenic than some guy stuffing his face with McDonald's.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684449264135802333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150195042495997732006-06-13T05:37:00.000-05:002006-06-13T05:37:00.000-05:00JA,If anyone is maniacal enough to pull this off -...JA,<BR/>If anyone is maniacal enough to pull this off - in every best sense of the word - it's you! Jack's devoted Maine readership (Portland chapter)will be following your adventures like NORAD tracking Santa. Isn't there a mini-series in here somewhere? If your sleigh reaches New England, we'll buy you a lobster! Happy Trails...<BR/>Ross and JuliaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1150179838753979052006-06-13T01:23:00.000-05:002006-06-13T01:23:00.000-05:00I'm sure I'll have to buy you a drink at ThrillerF...I'm sure I'll have to buy you a drink at ThrillerFest now that I've read this impressive account. Heh.<BR/>Best,<BR/>Richard CooperRichard Cooperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04094016831874148306noreply@blogger.com