Keep an eye out for book promotion opportunities

National media opportunities come, and national media opportunities go. Every new national TV show that hits the airwaves represents anoher book promotion opportunity, so stay on top of what's airing ... and what isn't.

I just read about a new television personality who wants to be the biggest thing since Oprah (here's the Newsweek.com article). And who knows? She might just succeed. Her name is Wendy Williams, and her show has been test-marketed in just a few cities so far: New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Detroit. But, in 2009, her television show will be seen nationally.

So, while you might not make it onto the Oprah Winfrey Show, here's another book promotion opportunity for you: the Wendy Williams Show. Hey, I'll pitch her producers on behalf of my clients. This book publicist is about to do her research now and get the names, and contact information, for those producers right now!

Can your opinion buy you a book promotion opportunity?

Can your opinion buy you a book promotion opportunity? Yes, if it appears in a major daily newspaper's op-ed section.

Here's a case in point: Wendy Grolnick and Kathy Seal's cowrote an op-ed piece called "Pay to Learn Shortchanges Kids." The Los Angeles Times published the article in today's edition. The byline credits Grolnick and Seal as the coauthors of the book, Pressured Parents, Stressed-out Kids: Dealing With Competition While Raising a Successful Child.

Granted, the Los Angeles Times requires exclusivity for editorials they print. But, according to Cision Media Source, the daily circulation of the paper is 773,884. That provides quite an opportunity for book publicity! To reach 773,884 readers, it's just fine to give one of the top U.S. daily newspapers the exclusive right to print your opinion piece.

Congratulations to my clients, Wendy and Kathy! It took two days from the time we pitched the op-ed piece to the LA Times before it appeared in print. Not bad at all!