Nothing works better than free publicity - but to get the press interested in writing about your book, you need to have real news about you or your book.

And that is not a simple task.

Some of the basic errors we make when we get started on the path of getting news are:

To believe you have news when you don't.

To think that sending out a press release is all you have to do.

To forget to follow up.

To pitch any publication before you have read it.

To pitch reporters without having a clear understanding of how they cover their beat.

So how can you get started?

Start out small. Remember, unfortunately you aren't alone in wanting press - every other author out there wants it too. So rather than going after a big newspaper like the New York Times. Or a big TV show like The Today Show, first think small.

Local papers, magazines, and newsletters that cover local events are a much better place to get started. And once you get written up in those papers - the bigger ones are easier to contact.

The same is true for TV. Don't try to get booked on the Today Show before you get your feet wet at your local cable station.

Make a list of all the realistic outlets you have access to, then listen or watch or read them all for a few weeks. (Don't forget Internet news and entertainment websites that report the news.)

After spending some quality time learning how these places report the news and what they feature in their non-news stories, come up with three or four pitches for each one.

Craft each pitch to fit the specific audience the paper or radio station or TV show is aimed at. By this I mean, don't pitch a book about World War II to a sports news show, or a romance novel to a magazine aimed at the male audience.

And find out whom to pitch. Be diligent. Don't just email or call any old name you find online or in the phone book. Do your homework and find out who the editor is of the section you think fits your story. Don't just email everyone or fax or phone every name you can get your hands on.

I know of one magazine that automatically deletes every single letter that is addressed to "news editor". They figure if the sender didn't have time to find out exactly who the news editor is, they don't have the time to open the email.

Construct your pitch using an example of a story they have done recently. Your angle of course should be unique, but use one of their stories as a template for your own.

Then follow up. Not just once. But twice or three times. Again be diligent. Don't leave messages every time you call - that will only annoy the reporter. If he or she doesn't answer the phone when I call… I hang up. And call back later. My goal isn't to fill up the reporters message tape or to fill up their email box. I just want to speak to him or her and get a real chance to talk about my story.

The best way these days to pitch is a circumspect email. Sent once. And then sent once more if you still don't have an answer. After that, if you really think this is the best place for your story, pick up the phone.

Know when to give up. Two emails, two phone messages are enough. The last thing you want to do is annoy the reporter to the point that six months later when you have even bigger news, they are so annoyed they won't take your call.

Be self confident.

Often when you have no PR expertise - you think it's too hard to do it yourself. But you can. And if you are going to try - don't be tentative. Don't telegraph your trepidation. As the creator of your own pitch you really do know what you are talking about and you really are a good spokesperson for your books.

Don't Me, Me, I, I.

A pitch always works best when it is not too self-serving so try to tie your story to a trend, a cause, another author, or three other authors. I had great luck suggesting a story to a major women's magazine when I included myself as one of a group of authors they could interview.

And don't just rely on yourself as an author. What about the other things you do?

If my dog started to suddenly walk on her front legs with her back lets in the air I'd try to get on the Jay Leno show, just so he could ask me what I do - and I could mention my name and the name of my book.

I was once almost run over by a horse and buggy in Central Park in New York City. The news crews showed up almost immediately - they'd been nearby filing something much more important.

They turned the camera on me and asked me my name - instead of just giving it - I said, M.J. Rose, author of Lip Service. (My current novel at the time). I couldn't believe I did it. And I was shocked when I got email two days later form a book reviewer at a large newspaper who had seen me on the news, liked the name of the book and wanted to know if she could get a review copy.

And was glad, by the way, that I hadn't been run over.

Make Friends, Influence Editors.

A great tip is to make friends and build relationships with editors by tipping them off on something that isn't yours to gain credibility and to become relied upon as a source. I didn't realize how well this works until I did it by accident.

Are you an Expert?

If you are writing non-fiction, work at establishing yourself as a source to the media. Become an expert in what you do. Speak about your topic to local and national groups and write articles about your subject matter.

One publicist suggests you have an "elevator speech" ready and be able to explain to someone in one concise sentence (less than 30 seconds) what you offer. It also makes sense to have a 60-second follow-up speech ready.

Basics:

Know your news source.

Don't leave long, rambling messages on a media person's voice mail.

Be prepared; have a script, if that helps (but don't read right from it give your name and phone number at the beginning and the end of the message.

Or on the email

Do make sure any and all materials are professionally written and produced. Do-it-yourselfers with photocopied, geneic letters need not bother wasting their postage.

The Halo Effect

The first book in the Butterfield Institute series featuring sex therapist, Dr. Morgan Snow. In each book she struggles with the conflict of preserving her patient's privacy and the dangerous and sometimes criminal things she hears. She sees everything from the abused to the depraved, from the couples grappling with sexual boredom to twisted sociopaths with dark, erotic fetishes and the Butterfield institute is the sanctuary where she helps soothe and heal these battered souls.

This article has been provided by M.J. Rose (www.mjrose.com). To thank her, please buy a copy of her newest novel THE HALO EFFECT.
Writers who read other w riters get published faster.

Rose is also the author of three other novels and is the co-author, with Doug Clegg, of Buzz Your Book. Together they teach an online marketing class - Take the guesswork out of marketing - www.writersweekly.com