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Interview with Marsha
Friedman
Marsha Friedman is the president of Event Management Services, Inc., a publicity firm that specializes in the publishing industry, arranging interviews on radio and TV and obtaining coverage in newspapers and magazines for various authors. EMSI has more than fifteen years of experience and is one of the top resources for guests on top talk radio shows around the country.
Marsha has a solid background in PR and marketing. As a co-founder of The American Economic Council, an organization that sponsored major investment seminars, Friedman helped create one of the largest and most important economic forums for investors and economists alike. These seminars attracted thousands of investors from around the world to hear internationally known speakers like President Gerald Ford, General Alexander Haig, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, and Nobel Prize winning laureate Frederich Von Hayek. She also spent fifteen years as a corporate meeting planner, representing clients such as Ernst & Young, Brobeck, Fleger and Harrison, Investment Seminars International, and the offices of Congressman Ron Paul.
And... she’s Jenna’s publicist!
When and why did you decide to become a publicist?
Truth is, Jenna, I never really sat down and decided to become a publicist. It would probably sound far better if I told you PR was my life long goal, planned for since high school and college. But, as good as that might sound-- it just ain't the truth! As my career took various turns, I found that I really loved meeting people and learning about their lives and what made them tick. I also realized early on that I thoroughly enjoyed the process of helping people.
So, to answer your question, I started this business in 1990 and it was more of a natural evolution for me (rather than a well thought through career plan) once I understood my own interests in life and strengths in business. The game of obtaining media exposure for people with a positive message was in perfect alignment with what I enjoy doing!
I know your career took a couple of turns-- you were doing corporate publicity for a while. Why did you go back to book publicity?
Well, it wasn't for the money-- I promise! When I started my business 15 years ago, we specialized in working with nonfiction authors and enjoyed it thoroughly. But as the firm got bigger, so did the number of employees, desks, computers, phones, bills, etc. And, as the financial pressure mounted, it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that our skills would work just as well in the corporate world, which had much bigger budgets and longer contracts. So we kept our hands in publishing, but focused our marketing efforts more to corporations that had consumer-oriented products. However, and I hope this doesn’t sound too cliché-ish, I learned that money wasn't everything. After a few years, I saw our media contacts starting to diminish as our corporate clients were no longer as interesting as the nonfiction authors we used to represent. But, more importantly, I started losing my interest-- and as the president of the company and goal maker, that's not a good thing!
Until then, I just didn't realize how many fascinating people I met every day, either by phone or e-mail, and how much I missed the interaction with authors and publishers. So, it didn't take much convincing for me to re-structure my business back to the world of publishing. Of course my staff is much happier as well because authors are truly a much better fit for the media, which is who they work with on a daily basis. Consequently, their jobs are more enjoyable as well!
How can a writer figure out how to choose a publicist?
That's really a good question because not every book publicist is going to be a good match for an author, simply because he or she promotes books. There are really many factors to consider. Here are some things a writer can look for:
1. Because many publicists specialize in different genres (e.g., nonfiction, fiction, children's books, religious titles or even cookbooks), an author should look for a publicist who specializes in his or her particular category. If, for example, your book is religious, find a publicist who specializes in religious media because he or she will have strong contacts there and will know which shows and publications represent the best exposure for a client.
2. If your book has a very unique subject or audience-- e.g., charitable giving, or secrets of the cable TV industry, etc.-- it's unlikely you will find a publicist who specializes in just that topic. Instead, you’ll want a publicist who will take the time to familiarize him or herself with your topic or book and will craft a campaign to match your special needs.
3. Look for a publicist who specializes in the medium of choice for the promotion of your book. Not every publicist is a master at every medium. In fact, many publicists specialize in one medium and will refer business out to other specialists when it's best for their client. So, if for example you've written a book on fashion or photography, the best exposure for your book would obviously be print or TV, as they're both visual mediums. Therefore, you'd want a publicist who procures print and TV placements on an ongoing basis.
If the firm you contact doesn't specialize in the media that's right for you, ask if they can refer you to another publicist who can help you. Their referral can save you lots of time. I frequently refer authors to other firms if their needs don't match our expertise. And other firms will refer clients to me for the same reason.
4. Ask for sample campaigns to see the work the firm has done for other clients. Yes, you're going to see their best foot forward, but the campaign they present you is still a demonstration of their work and what they've accomplished.
5. If you have the slightest hesitation about moving forward with the firm, ask to speak with other clients they've represented.
6. Find a firm whose fees are in range with other firms. No need to find the most expensive because they have a fancy address in a major metropolitan city.
7. Speaking of fees, in the book industry you'll find many publicists who work on a performance basis. This is not at all common with PR firms in other industries! It's an opportunity you want to take advantage of-- so make sure you search for firms whose fees are backed by their performance.
8. You want to find a firm that you feel confident can get the job done. The problem authors can run into is that the salesperson they speak with and build confidence in is not always the person who will be handling their campaign. So, don't be shy about asking who will be writing your press releases and pitching you to the media. Find out how long she has been with the firm. Ask what his level of experience is. After all the time, money, and hard work you invested in writing your book, you want to make sure your campaign isn't being delegated to a rookie out of college.
9. Don't limit yourself to considering publicists in your geographical area if you're looking for regional or national reach. Virtually none of the work with your publicist will require "face time" with him or her. Look for the best... period (and the best isn't always found in LA or NY).
9. Ideally, you want to find a firm that has an enthusiasm for your message, an understanding of your topic, and can communicate well about it. This is important because when your publicist is pitching you to the media and gets turned down, if he or she understands your topic well enough, the objections they run into might be simply overcome with more education about you and the message of your book.
10. Lastly, you want a firm that you feel comfortable with. We always strive to maintain friendly relations with all of our clients and often build long-lasting relationships that go far beyond the promotion of their book.
What can an independent publicist do that a self-published writer or an in-house publicist at a publishing house can’t (or won’t) do?
An independent publicist has media contacts that a self-published author doesn't. As producers and journalists are overwhelmingly solicited by "experts" wanting to be a guest on their show or interviewed in their publication, they rarely respond to calls from people they don't know. They prefer dealing with firms they have a working relationship with and who they can rely on for quality guests-- guests who have been pre-screened and media trained and whose schedules are controlled by the publicist, so they show up on the scheduled day and time. The media has too much to lose when the opposite happens.
The most significant difference between independent publicists and in-house publicists at a publishing house is usually a matter of time and attention. In-house publicists are responsible for obtaining coverage for ALL the titles being published in a given season AND not only do they usually have a heavy work-load, but they also have a very short window of time to get coverage before they have to move onto the next season's titles. Authors wind up competing for attention with the other authors who are published at the same house. Another problem is if one book has a large print run-- that's the author who is going to get the lion's share of attention from the in-house publicist. Whereas an independent publicity firm is being paid to focus their time, energy, and expertise on your book so you're assured of getting their full attention.
What are appropriate expectations for an author to have of a publicist?
It’s certainly reasonable to expect your publicist to be responsive to your needs. If you call her with a request or question, she should deal with it instantly and appropriately.
But maybe more important than anything, it’s reasonable to expect that your publicist has either read or reviewed your book and has a solid understanding of your message. After all, your publicist has to write about it in a way that will interest the media and verbally pitch it to land a show. The level of his success will often depend on this factor alone.
One client told us, “Of all the dozens of people who have participated with us in the promotion of our books-- you won’t believe this-- you are the first ever to have actually read our books! In doing this, you have added a degree of credibility and sincerity to your efforts that no other firm has been able to achieve. All of this added to your relentless pursuit of follow-up with the media simply gets the job done.”
My readers know that you’ve done an amazing job getting me booked on radio shows. Am I just a wildly appealing guest or is this what you accomplish for most of your clients? (I realize this is a trick question. I’ll try not to get offended if you tell me I’m not a prodigy.)
Without doubt you and your topic played well in the media. But the job isn’t always as simple as it may appear to be. Our success is dependent on finding the “hook” or “angle” that gets the media’s attention. And believe me, it isn’t always obvious. Many times publishers come to us for help with their titles that just never got any media exposure and it wasn’t for their lack of trying. But, as we get paid for performance, we learned early on what the media is looking for and how to find a news hook for almost any author-- or else we didn’t get paid!
I’ll never forget the self-published author who came to us many, many years ago with a book entitled The Zero Tax Portfolio Manual. This author was certain we couldn’t do anything for him as he had already experienced failure with other firms who told him his topic was very dry and no one was interested in speaking with him.
We took him on as a client and, after reviewing his book and interviewing him, we realized he actually had a great story to tell. It just needed to be fleshed out, developed, and positioned in a way that would interest the media.
We headlined our press release “The Dirty Tricks Your Government Plays,” and wrote about the change in tax laws at that time that was soaking the retirement savings of middle income Americans. We explained that our author could show talk radio listeners how to legally get around these laws. Talk show hosts loved it and we had more media interviews for this author than he was prepared to handle!
It seems the four major publicity routes are TV, radio, print, and online. Are any of them better than others at selling books? And do you usually try for all four routes at once, or do you have different plans for different authors?
All four of them can be very effective in garnering publicity for an author. The route we choose and the success we have really depends in great part on the topic and the author. For example a book that is very visual (i.e., fashion design, photography or even cooking) is a perfect match for TV, but if the author isn’t comfortable in front of a camera, the TV appearance is a bust. On the other hand, a well-trained and prepared guest on TV can experience a great response from their appearance. We once had a client in the insurance industry who did tons of radio interviews with us for a one-year period. But, as he wasn’t getting the response he was hoping for, he asked us to stop booking radio and start booking him on TV. Unbeknownst to us (and maybe even to him), he absolutely loved the camera! He would often get more leads in a five-minute local TV interview than he ever got on a 30-minute radio show!
Print is also excellent, especially when your book has a niche audience. In these cases print is usually a better choice because it’s a more targeted approach, while broadcast media is more of a broad-shoot.
Print is also great for a number of other reasons; articles obtained from small dailies and weeklies can be used to obtain more articles in bigger publications and can interest other types of media; print is everlasting; articles fill up a press book, etc., etc.
Of course, talk radio is considered by many to be one of the best vehicles for success for a variety of reasons; its unique ability to have a “live” and direct conversation with audiences of thousands and sometimes millions; interviews can be done from the comfort of your home or office; you can achieve nationwide exposure without having to travel; there’s also a great number of shows to appear on (especially with a consumer-friendly topic), which enables you to follow the successful formula of Chicken Soup For The Soul authors, who recommend "a media interview a day."
Dollars and cents time-- can you give us an idea of your rates and options?
Because our fees are primarily based on performance and/or projects (as opposed to a monthly retainer), we’re able to customize a campaign to meet almost any budget an author has allocated for the promotion of his or her book. But, to give your readers an idea of cost, we offer campaigns that range from as little as $1,650 to more comprehensive campaigns that can cost upwards of $40,000 to $50,000.
Aside from book sales, what are some of the other benefits of getting media exposure?
One priceless benefit is the third-party endorsement of your book. Talk radio hosts and TV anchors have loyal followings-- that’s how they maintain their ratings. And, as that host is often thought of as an old friend or even a trusted advisor, when you appear as a guest on their show, the audience hears an implicit endorsement of you, your book, and your message….
But I believe the most important benefit is the credibility factor. The media supplies it in abundance and in many ways. One of our clients told us, “…every show I’ve appeared on-- the host tells his listeners about my great expertise, my many accomplishments, and how proud they are to have me as a guest! Of course, the more important I am, the more important the host appears to be. As far as promotion and credibility goes-- it just doesn’t get any better!”
These two factors are almost hidden benefits that can weigh far more heavily on an author’s success than he or she often realizes. A perfect example is another client who wrote a book as a marketing vehicle for her consulting business. As a result of being heard on local and national radio shows around the country and being seen on national TV shows like CNN and “The O’Reilly Factor,” she told me, “The media exposure you got me not only helped sell my books, but it significantly impacted my speaking and consulting fees, and will probably mean a better deal on my next book.”
How important are those first few months of a book’s release? I’ve been told that if a book doesn’t take off right away, it becomes more difficult to get bookstores to stock it. When is the right time to hire a publicist?
That’s completely true. The best time to hire a publicist is at least two months prior to the release of your book. This allows your publicist the “prep” time needed to review your book, do the necessary research to develop a biting angle for the press releases, and churn up interest in the media.
The first few months of the release of your book are important when it comes to shelf life in the store. If your book was lucky enough to make it onto the shelf, you want to ensure sell-through occurs so they don’t get returned. This is why the timing of your campaign is so crucial-- you don’t want to do media interviews before your book is available.
Radio offers benefits that I love-- primarily, that most radio interviews are done over the phone (I just finished one, and I’m still in my pajamas). What tips should an author remember to have a successful radio campaign?
We recommend the following:
- Know your topic COLD! - Have answers written out on index cards-- for those questions the host may ask. - Make sure you’ve completely defined your message and that it’s one that will resonate with the listeners. - Understand that your job on the air is to be entertaining, informative, and at the same time create enough interest in your book and topic that the interview results in sales! - Always clear the room from distractions and only do interviews from a secure landline. - Then relax, and have fun.
How long are most publicity campaigns?
The length of a publicity campaign really depends on the objectives of the author. For example, when the book serves as a marketing vehicle for a business-- then a campaign can stretch out for a year or two.
If the intent is to sell in the stores, then you’ve got about a four to six month window at max.
From the media’s point of view though, their qualifier is not necessarily how old the book is, but rather how newsworthy it is and how important is the message to their audience.
One of the things that made me choose Event Management was that you have a whole team of people specializing in different areas. Tell me about that. When someone hires you, are they hiring the whole team?
Most definitely. We take pride in our service and the expertise we’re able to give to our clients. When you hire us, you get the whole team. For example, we have our creative team and our delivery team with specialists in radio, local TV, author tours, national TV, and print. We all collaborate together to bring our clients the best possible campaign.
What do you consider more effective-- a book signing tour or a “satellite” tour?
There’s nothing to compare with a quality author tour that includes book signings, radio interviews, TV appearances, and print coverage. This kind of mass exposure in one city at one time is unbeatable. However, it’s also very expensive and very time-consuming, and for these reasons, doesn’t always provide the return on investment.
Of course, the beauty of a satellite TV tour is that you can “appear” on local morning news shows in 12 to 18 different cities to get your message heard, and can be there without having to travel to each city!
There’s significant value in both and the best choice always comes down to the specific goals and objectives for each author-- and how each of these choices integrates with the author’s life.
What are your three best tips for new authors seeking publicity?
1. Find a publicity firm that understands you, your topic, and your objective; a firm that keeps in close communication with you; is very responsive to your needs on an immediate basis; and has a proven track record for the service you’re buying.
2. Invest in getting yourself media trained. Although you may understand your message perfectly, it’s vital to know how to communicate it in a way that will resonate with every person who hears you. That’s a skill that comes with training and/or experience
3. Know your material-- know it backward and forward. Be prepared for any question that may get thrown your way. The more at ease you are, the better the interview will come across to your audience and the better your chance of success.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Yes-- one last thing:
You’ve invested your precious time and lots of energy into writing your book. But, understand that once your book is done your job doesn’t end there. Considering that there are 170,000 titles published each year, you’ve got to have a strategy in place to let people know it even exists.
Study what other successful authors have done and try to correctly estimate the amount of effort you’ll need in order to achieve the goals you’ve set for your book. Have patience and don’t lose heart.
For more information...
Visit http://www.event-management.com Phone: 727-443-7115 x 201 E-mail: mfriedman@event-management.com
Jenna Glatzer is the author of several books, including Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer and Outwitting Writer's Block and Other Problems of the Pen. She is also the editor in chief of Absolute Write.
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