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The Tip Sheet
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issue of : January 2007
- QUOTE OF THE MONTH
- PTA's Satellite Television Tours - Satellite Television Tours
- PTA'S FREE TELESEMINARS
- SURFIN' - A Source for Websites
- WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? - PTA's Top Recent Bookings
- TIPS FROM THE TOP - Our Monthly Advice Column
- LOOK WHAT'S COMING UP!!! - Dates for planning your publicity
- UPCOMING PUBLISHING EVENTS
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice."
—Cyril Connolly
If you have a great quote to share, please send it to tipsheet@plannedtvarts.com.
Thanks!
PTA's Satellite Television Tours
PTA's Satellite Television Tour has been utilized by thousands of publishers, businesses, organizations, and individuals over the last 17 years to increase sales, raise awareness, and drive positive messages to millions of people. Satellite TV Tours offer superior exposure for important issues and ensure that your message reaches a significant and targeted audience.
Experts with a message involving health, consumer, technology, entertainment, travel news, or non-profits promoting an awareness campaign work best. PTA's media experts are always available to discuss potential pitch angles for your project. We prefer 5-6 weeks lead time for scheduling, but we can do quicker turnarounds if the subject matter is timely.
PTA will schedule 15-20 interviews with local network affiliates across the country. Sunrise News Programs leading into the national morning shows are targeted because they lend themselves to the highest number of live interviews. Additional interviews will be pre-taped for mid-morning or midday newscasts. Interviews will take place one morning from a studio location in NYC or anywhere in the world!
For more information please contact Kristin Clifford
212-593-5827 or cliffordk@plannedtvarts.com.
PTA'S FREE TELESEMINARS
Upcoming TeleSeminars
Free Teleseminar January 17th, 8-9pm EST
PTA President Rick Frishman will interview "Story merchant" Dr. Ken Atchity (Ph.D. Yale). Ken is a former professor of comparative literature, who now manages Atchity Entertainment International, www.aeionline.com (literary management and motion picture production); and The Writer's Lifeline, Inc., www.thewriterslifeline.com (making writers ready for representation). His companies specialize in shaping stories that work both in New York publishing and Hollywood, and have developed 7 bestsellers. Ken has authored four books for writers, and has produced over 20 films for television and theatrical release. He has spoken at dozens of campuses and writers' conferences on all aspects of commercial storytelling and the creative process.
Ken will enlighten us with answers to the following:
- What are the essential components for succeeding in Hollywood?
- What involvement can I expect once I sell my book?
- What's the difference between what an agent can do for me and what a literary manager can do?
- Do I need both an agent and a manager?
- Should I sell my book to a publisher first, or to Hollywood first?
- What is literary management, and why do writers need it today?
- How to make your book project film-friendly.
- What do producers do?
Free Teleseminar January 31st, 8-9pm EST
PTA President Rick Frishman will interview JP Maroney on "The Pitfalls & Profit Potential of Public Speaking."
He will teach you:
- 7 high-margin income streams available to speakers
- How to get booked and make money fast
- Where the most lucrative speaking opportunities are
- A trick for pre-selling hundreds or thousands of copies of you book at your speaking engagements
- How to earn six-figures your first year as a speaker
- How to avoid the costly mistakes new speakers make
- and much more...
Free Teleseminar February 13th, 8-9pm EST
PTA President Rick Frishman will interview CEO Glenn Dietzel, an expert in e-publishing and online marketing. He will discuss what you need to know about his innovative system, Entrepreneurial Authoring. Leading online marketers have praised Glenn.s work, including: Joel Comm, Stephen Pierce, Armand Morin, Ted Cuba, and Alex Mandossian.
Here's how to participate:
Call 580-474-3600, then press in the code: 222089#.
Past Teleseminars:
You can also check out a the teleseminar Rick Frishman did with Mike Stewart on how to put audio and video on your web sites and blogs. Here are the links: http://audiovideoforauthors.com/blog/ and also http://www.audiovideoforauthors.com.
Remember, our TeleSeminars are free (excluding your call cost). If you missed our last TeleSeminar you can dial the replay line at 507-726-3837 (Press the # sign after you dial in) to replay them or go to our website at www.plannedtvarts.com to download past TeleSeminars.
SURFIN'
You finally got that Boston Globe placement. Your colleagues are telling you that that's great. Now you can easily locate the circulation of that paper or any other periodical by checking the Audit Bureau of Circulation's web site at http://www.accessabc.com/freereports.htm. Their free reports page has a user interface that is searchable in many different ways and will provide the numbers you need.
If you are looking for something very unusual to do when in San Jose you should take a tour of The Winchester House. If you are not in San Jose check out the official website of the 160 room mansion http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/ which explains the story: In 1884, a wealthy widow named Sarah L. Winchester began a construction project of such magnitude that it was to occupy the lives of carpenters and craftsmen until her death thirty-eight years later. The Victorian mansion, designed and built by the Winchester Rifle heiress, is filled with so many unexplained oddities, that it has come to be known as the Winchester Mystery House.
Are you a The Little Rascals also known as Our Gang fan? Although the episodes are not shown with any regularity on television, the movie shorts carry on in cyberspace. Two websites devoted to Our Gang are Steve Ramsey's http://web.archive.org/web/20011205053938/www.ramseyltd.com/rascals/ which has a history, bios and FAQ's about the movies and http://www.thelittlerascals.net/main_menu.html. And if you are looking for the full Rascal treatment, the classic book by Leonard Maltin & Richard W. Bann The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang originally published in 1977, revised in 1992, is still in print and is a delightful read.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?
Here's a sampling of our latest bookings.
For NEXT NOW: Trends for the Future by Marian Salzman (Palgrave/Macmillan):
- CNBC-TV "Morning Call"
- FOX NEWS NETWORK "Fox and Friends"
- CBS Marketwatch
- New York Times (Syndicated NY Times)
- Los Angeles Times (Syndicated LA Times)
- Boston Globe
- Atlanta Journal Constitution (Syndicated Cox News)
- Philadelphia Inquirer
- Detroit Free Press
For Defining Moments by Gordon Zacks (Beaufort) we booked a 20-city road tour. Some of our placements include:
- WOR-AM, Joey Reynolds Show (Syndicated)
- KGO-AM, "John Rotthmann Show" (San Francisco)
- WELW-AM "Shalom America" (Cleveland)
- WKYC-TV (NBC), "Good Company" (Cleveland)
- KRIV-TV "Fox 26 Morning News" (Houston)
- Atlanta Journal Constitution
- Cleveland Jewish News
- Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
For Truth or Delusion: Busting Networking's Biggest Myths by Dr. Ivan Misner, Mike Macedonio & Mike Garrison (Nelson Business, October 2006) some of our bookings include:
- Investor's Business Daily
- Entrepreneur Magazine Radio Law and Money Show (WSRadio.com)
- Networking Times
- Fort Worth Star Telegram (Fort Worth, TX)
- ComputerWorld.com
TIPS FROM THE TOP
The Agenting Process Explained - Part 1
Every literary agent and agency operates somewhat differently; they may have a different emphasis, style or approach, but all follow a basically similar pattern. Some agencies may specialize in building and managing their clients' careers, while others concentrate on making individual books into giant, blockbuster hits. However, when it comes to selling books, agencies take similar paths.
Contacting An Agent: Most writers initially contact agents via e-mail. Agents like e-mail inquiries because they're easy to answer. Responding by e-mail saves them time, which is critical because most of the queries they receive are about books that the agents don't handle or are not interested in handling. A declining number of holdouts prefer to receive query letters sent via postal mail, but they're in the minority. So check each agent's Web site to see if it states how the agent prefers to be queried. Potential clients can also initially contact agents at conferences and other events. For information on writers' conferences, see Writer's Digest (www.writersdigest.com) and ShawGuides (http://writing.shawguides.com).
Many agents won't accept unsolicited telephone queries, and if you call, their screeners generally won't put you through. So, again, before you contact agents, check their Web sites to see how they wish to be approached. If, however, you do get through, most agents will ask you to submit something in writing: a query letter, a book proposal or your entire manuscript, if it's written. Agents want written submissions so they can get a sense of the writers' ability to express themselves clearly. Written submissions also let agents see how well writers are organized and their skill in presenting themselves and their ideas. Agents get a lot of their new clients through referrals from their existing clients and their publishing contacts.
Think Like an Agent: So you're looking for an agent. Where are you going to find one? First of all, ask yourself this simple question: Where do agents go? To be more specific: What conferences do they attend? Where do they speak? What organizations do they belong to? Although we certainly aren't suggesting that you follow them around, we do want you to start thinking like agents think. If you do, it will improve your chances of being at the right place at the right time. Research the literary and publishing scene in your local area. See if, when, and where any writers' associations, publishers' groups, and literary clubs meet. Are any nearby bookstores, libraries or cafes conducting interesting programs or hosting book signings? Are local colleges or universities offering lecture series featuring writers, agents, and/or publishers? Since many writers teach, investigate whether any well-known authors are teaching courses that you could attend in your area, even if it's just to sit in. Go where book people congregate and make contacts.
An excerpt from the National Bestseller Author 101: Bestelling Secrets from Top Agents by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman with Mark Steisel
LOOK WHAT'S COMING UP!!!
These are dates that just might relate to a Morning Drive or Satellite TV Tour topic:
| March 2007 | |
| American Red Cross Month | |
| Irish-American Heritage Month | |
| National Women's History Month | |
| 6th - 10th | Save Your Vision Week |
| 7th | Monopoly Invented: Anniversary (1933) |
| 11th | Daylight Savings Time Begins |
| 13th | Discovery of Planet Uranus (1781) |
| 14th | Albert Einstein's Birthday (Born in 1879) |
| 15th | Premier of "The Godfather" Film (1972) |
| 17th | St. Patrick's Day |
| 21st | First Day of Spring |
| 30th | Ronald Reagan Assassination Attempt (1981) |
| 30th | Vincent Van Gogh's Birthday (Born in 1853) |
| 31st | NCAA Men's Final Four (in Atlanta) |
UPCOMING PUBLISHING EVENTS
AUTHOR 101: WHAT IT TAKES TO GET PUBLISHED
JANUARY 16, 2007 in New York at the Learning Annex
Do you want to write and publish a book? Maybe you just have a story that you think would make a novel. It doesn't matter how far along you are - it doesn't even matter if you're a great writer. There are certain steps you need to take to get your book published. Once you take them, you'll have publishers fighting over you! In this comprehensive class, you'll learn what it takes to get your work bought and published, including how to:
- Find a publisher before you even write a page
- Seize the right idea - the one that's going to be the best story
- Make a great pitch
- Write a book proposal that will have publishers fighting over you
- Get a great agent to sell your book
- Marketing your book for maximum exposure and much, much more!
For more information go to: http://www.learningannex.com/default.taf?sctn=G&_function=detail&cnum=478DNY&cat=
Rick Frishman, President of Planned Television Arts, is co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Writers, Guerrilla Publicity and Networking Magic: Find the Best from Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants to Homes, Schools and Jobs! He's a former producer at WOR-AM and a highly sought-after lecturer on publishing and P.R.
Susan Driscoll is the President and CEO of iUniverse, a leading provider of author publishing services. Susan has held numerous management positions at major imprints like Holt, HarperCollins and Holtzbrinck.
MARK VICTOR HANSEN'S MEGA BOOK MARKETING UNIVERSITY
MARCH 2ND, 3RD, and 4TH 2007 in Los Angeles
"Congratulations! You're Just One Click Away From the Secrets of How to Make Your Book a Bestseller...Even If You've Never Published a Book Before. My name is Mark Victor Hansen. I'm the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books that have sold over 100 Million copies.
You won't want to miss the only event in North America where you will find the world's top expert authors, publishers, and literary agents...together in one location! Join us in Los Angeles, CA for a private, limited-seating conference, on March 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2007, where the goal is simple... to make your book a Best-Seller! Here's your chance to:
- Be my next MEGA bestseller?
- Pitch YOUR book directly to the LITERARY AGENTS.
- Get the Special "Early Bird" Bonus
- PLUS...Get your questions answered, and learn all the "insider secrets" of the publishing industry.
For more information go to: http://www.megabookmarketing.com/cmd.php?af=115423