You're the Expert: Don't Get Grumpy. Get the Mention!

Maybe we all have a tendency to feel disgruntled when our local newspaper quotes an expert who isn’t—really!—as expert as we are! Worse, what about when CNN features a talking head on the subject of their book and they disagree with you! Seems you have a choice. You can grumble or you can take action.

• Use your Googling skills to contact whoever was in charge (or to blame!) for this lack of foresight. Journalists. Producers. Talk show hosts. Give yourself enough time to cool off and put your tactful hat on and contact them.
• Introduce yourself being very clear about your credentials. In fact, put the credentials upfront before your name unless you’re already famous. (For a script/template of how to approach reporters and others responsible for stories from master marketer Raleigh Pinskey, see the Index of The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo).
• Follow up with a personal cover letter and a copy of your book. Oh, and your media kit!
• Follow up again when something similar hits the news. You may be remembered. In fact, expand your campaign to include others who might cover the story.

Don’t assume that because you write fiction, you can’t be an expert. Of course you can! I am an expert on tolerance, polygamy, and a host of related subjects based on the theme and setting of my novel This Is the Place (www.budurl.com/ThisIsthePlace) and on my life’s experiences on those topics. And yes, I was a guest on at least a dozen radio shows because of that expertise. All you have to do is examine the subjects of your fiction and see how it relates to what’s in the news.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second ediction of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog: