I See Your Name Everywhere
by Pam Lontos and Andrea Brunais
review by Barbara Florio Graham
It's every author's dream, to have his or her name mentioned by columnists, broadcasters, and in print media. The kind of media training that produces this level of results can cost a great deal, and is usually reserved for politicians, corporate CEOs, and high-level professionals.
But it's possible for everyone to achieve this without spending a bundle, although it takes persistence and may take a long time.
Many books have been written about how to attain publicity, but the the title of this one, I See Your Name Everywhere, intrigued me enough to send for a review copy.
Pam Lontos is president of a high-profile public relations firm, and former vice president of a Disney-owned broadcasting company. Her credentials are impeccable and her advice sterling.
Although geared to a business audience, her suggestions are valuable for authors as well. She offers a chapter with the 15 most common publicity mistakes, points out the value of what I like to call fringe media (those tiny magazines and community newspapers), and outlines tips for preparing for interviews and handling a crisis.
Her tips on body language are equally valid for authors who appear in public, reading from their books or participating in a panel discussion. Lontos points out the things that make you look untrustworthy: squinting, clearing your throat, sweating, touching your face.
This is a good companion book for my own manual on low-cost publicity. Published by Morgan-James in New York, it's described at: www.ISeeYourNameEverywhereBook.com.
I can testify to the effectiveness of these techniques. In my sold-out workshop, How to Promote Your Book or Your Business, I shared the methods I developed over the years to promote myself, my books and my business. The package of handouts for that workshop (available for purchase on my website: www.SimonTeakettle.com/workshop.htm) includes a list of more than two dozen steps I took to plant the name Simon Teakettle in the media and public spotlight.
The results have been impressive: U.S. Business Week, MSNBC websites in nine major U.S. cities,
CBC network radio programs, several U.S. TV shows, WGN radio's Pet Central, two issues of Cat Fancy, and even Wikipedia, where Simon Teakettle is on the list of Canadian humorists!
And that's just a partial list. So it's possible for people to see your name everywhere. Use this book (or mine) and start your campaign right now.