MORE GLOOMY NEWS FOR FREELANCERS 

I hate to be the carrier of gloom and doom, but the news for those of us who rely for much of our income on placing articles in print publications just doesn’t simply continue to be negative, it gets worse. Meg Weaver’s excellent Wooden Horse ezine began its weekly report with the warning, “Take a deep breath. This won’t be pretty.”  And it isn’t. But it is important that you as a freelancer have the trending information to be able to protect your bottom line. 

Of the 250 titles that Publishers Information Bureau currently tracks, only 47 saw year-to-year ad page gains this past quarter. The Bureau reports that year-to-date ad pages overall have fallen 9.5% with the third quarter plummeting by 12.7%.   

Now Standard & Poor’s is weighing in with its prediction that the decline in ad pages will continue through the end of the year.  “High debt levels, migration of ad spending to the Internet, declining newsstand sales…suggest a near-term decline in credit risk.” 

It’s a tough outlook as the heaviest ad spending months are upon us. 

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FLORIDA COURTS RULE IN FAVOR OF

STRONGER PROTECTIONS FOR WRITERS 

In a late October ruling, Florida’s Supreme Court refused to recognize “False Light “claims of invasion of privacy. Unfortunately these are still allowed by a number of other states. The Association of American Publishers defines false light as claims that “allow plaintiffs to bring what are essentially defamation suits without having to surmount the substantive and procedural protections afforded to defendants under defamation laws.”  The AAP, always on the alert for rules that harm the rights of publishers and authors, filed an amicus brief in the case. 

In a sense, false light eliminates the plaintiff’s heavy burden of proof required in defamation suits. The Florida court found the standards for false light charges to be too vague. As the AAP’s amicus brief stated, these suits eliminate the First Amendment protections that are inherent in the defamation laws.  

It’s a great first step, but this shabby system must be eliminated in every state of the nation.  

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Charlie’s Choice

Weekly Tips to Help You Write,

Publish & Promote Your Work 

      Last week we discussed press releases and pitches as well as the best ways to distribute them. Now we’ll move on to another highly effective form of promotion for you  and for your book. Each time you write an article that appears in either a print publication or on the Web, there is a bio box at the end designed to let you extol your wonders and those of your work. You will be amazed at the response you receive when you use this technique.

Print Publications

      As any freelancer will tell you, placing an article increases in difficulty in direct ratio to the size of the readership of the publication. Therefore, it is wise to begin your efforts with smaller magazines and newspapers. Even print newsletters, if they are appropriate. You do not have to restrict yourself to writing only on the subject of your book, although that is preferable because it not only promotes your book, but helps establish you as an expert on the subject.

      You sell first-time North American Rights to the publication (most only request this right). That leaves you free to resell the article to other publications once it has been published by the initial purchaser, and multiply the income it produces.

      Step one is to head to the library and review one of the better periodical directories. My favorite is Writer’s Market, published by Writer’s Digest Books, a division of F+W Publications. If you’re going to continue doing placements, it makes great sense to buy this inexpensive directory. Written by article writers for freelancers, it is simple  to use. It supplies you with the publication’s web site, contact information, circulation, payment info, specific columns and sections and general tips for submission. All of this is treasured information for a freelancer.

      In addition, I strongly recommend you subscribe to The Wooden Horse (www.woodenhorsepub.com), a database of more than 2,000 magazines developed by periodical guru Meg Weaver.  There are several other worthwhile directories that can be found on the Internet. Click on your favorite search engine to find them. Once you’ve determined your target publications, go to a bookstore and buy a copy of each magazine or newspaper to study.

      Most magazine editors prefer that you submit a query letter outlining your article and giving a bit about your qualifications to write it. Keep the query simple and direct. No self-serving platitudes. If you have a legitimate comment about the piece from a prestigious source, add that to the mix. As a strict rule, always let others praise you. Accolades should not come from you.

Consumer Publications

      These are generally a bit more difficult to place in than trade journals. However, there are many smaller regional and even local consumer publications in which placement is a great deal easier, and will give you the credentials to reach out successfully to larger magazines. The Writer’s Digest divides its listings into a consumer section and a trade journal section. Within each, the publications are categorized by the market they serve, so it is very simple to find the publications you are looking for. Wooden Horse does the same.

      Most listings will tell you the preferred method of querying. Today, editors generally prefer e-mail over postal mail. I too much prefer to submit digitally. The ability to respond is much easier and faster for the editor, as is the ability to file the query for later reference. But be certain to check in the directory listing and follow the instructions it specifies.

      Three keys will tell you whether you should query a specific magazine: the pay scale, the circulation level and any comments in the listing that states only experienced writers will be considered. That will immediately tell you whether or not you are wasting your time submitting. Now don’t take this as suggesting you shouldn’t reach for better and better publications, but I suggest you start small and build.

      Newspapers fall into the category of consumer publications. At some time during the week, most dailies include sections on food, nutrition, senior living, real estate, health, travel and more. These editors welcome well written, informative pieces. Call the newspaper and obtain the name and e-mail address of the editor of the section. When submitting to a newspaper, send the entire article, not a query. Newspaper editors are far too rushed to deal with queries and the response time they require. 

      Newspaper pay scales are generally below those of the magazine world, but acceptance is usually easier. Because all but a handful of newspapers circulate in a proscribed region, you can feel free to send your piece to a number of papers at one time. Just be careful of any circulation overlap. Check a copy of the paper to see the preferred length of the articles it uses and the style. If it is a paper from a more distant region, you can either order a copy by phone or mail or probably find the column in the digital editions on the Internet.

Trade Journals

      This group of business and professional publications is ideal for those of you who are currently working in a specific field. It is perfect for retirees who have spent most of their working lives in a specific occupation, and would now like either to continue to play a relatively active role in their specialty or bolster their finances in these difficult economic times. Those of you who are expert hobbyists can find many journals that deal with hobbies.

      In checking, you will find many trade journal that are categorized in the same field as consumer magazines. Look at some of the consumer publications in the sports field: Skateboarder, Field & Stream, Golf Digest, Bike Magazine, Junior Baseball and loads more. Now see the difference in trade journals that deal with sports subjects: Golf Course Management, Ski Area Management, Thoroughbred Times, Referee, Boating Industry International and many others. As you can see, the trades deal with the business side of the subject.

      When I actively freelanced articles, I became an expert in gaming, and was asked by a number of editors to produce articles for their trades. But my expertise was limited to only the business side of the industry. I not only didn’t know how to play craps or any other table game, I wasn’t able to handle the more sophisticated slots. I would wander through a casino floor intent on evaluating concerns like the ratio of table to slot players while everyone one else was having fun and either making or losing money.

      Trade journal editors are far more concerned with content than they are with style and writing ability. They are able to edit and bring an article up to their standards. But what they really need is content written by people who know the field intimately and can produce information that is of value to their readers. So your query must convince the editor that you have the knowledge, and you probably will get the assignment.

The Bio Box

      It’s called by a variety of names, but its function is always the same. This is your chance to present yourself and/or your book in the best possible light. Promote your web site if you have one. Direct the reader to places where your book can be purchased. Present whatever information you feel is germane and helpful to branding yourself as an expert and to building  sales of your book.

      Just as this week we covered promoting your book by writing articles for print publications, next week we will discuss using article distribution on the Internet to reach potentially hundreds of thousands of readers at little or no cost to you. It is considered by the experts to be perhaps the single best means of promoting your book. See you then.

Keep Writing! 

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LOWERED ROYALTIES MAY AFFORD A

TEMPORARY FINANCIAL FIX FOR WEB RADIO 

Web radio station owners have battled for almost two years to halt the increases in royalties they must pay for music used on their stations. While this is particularly relevant to all-music stations, it can impact those talk shows that offer a mix of interviews and music. Talk shows are a valuable promotional outlet for authors and publishers.   

Web radio can’t generate audio advertising unless it can offer a substantial listenership, something few can promise. Pop-ups and other visual advertising aren’t available on radio. Several stations have attempted a donation solicitation similar to Public Radio, but with a small listener base, that can’t generate enough to cover costs. 

The government’s Copyright Royalty Board has to re-evaluate its royalty rulings to keep pace with the changes in the broadcast arena. It must afford a fair balance between royalty payments to stations of all sizes, tempering the advantages given to larger stations. Satellite radio pays far lower royalties than web radio and large broadcasters pay none at all. The broad promotional reach the big boys offer a composer are considered adequate payment. 

It’s time to update to the digital age and strike a livable balance for all. 

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CANADIAN AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS

ARE FEELING THE ECONOMIC PINCH THESE DAYS 

With the Canadian exchange rate against the American dollar careening to unexpected low levels (vacillating in the 75 to 80 cent range), publishers are desperately attempting to adjust pricing on new books hitting the market for the holiday selling season. 

Under Canadian law, booksellers are allowed to “sticker” higher prices on the books, but publishers are not permitted to do so.  

Many like Indigo, the biggest book retailer north of the border, are not changing prices. Some are using the exchange rate to promote books as the perfect bargain gift. You can rest assured that any new printings will carry the adjusted prices, and that too will add to the confusion and create a more difficult situation for the booksellers who will have to adjust titles to a single price. 

OUTLOOK IS DREARY FOR

ARTICLE FREELANCING  

With ad lineage already falling over the past few months, magazines are tightening their belts in anticipation of the rippling consequences of the economic malaise that’s sweeping the country and even the world.  

Following the closing by Hearst of Cosmo Girl, MediaPost interviewed a cross section of magazine execs who agreed to speak off the record. The general outlook was quite negative. One of the surprises for me was the weakness in the financial category. Kiplinger’s newsstand sales fell by 19.6%, with ad pages down 13.6%. SmartMoney’s experience is even worse, with newsstand off by 20.1% and ad pages slipping by 25.7%. 

The execs also pointed to drastic slides in ad pages of some children’s titles, and you know how that impacts the editorial hole. Ad pages in Nickelodeon are off by 30%. National Geographic for Kids fell by 42.7% with Sports Illustrated for Kids down by just short of 25%. (The adult version of Sports Illustrated fell by 7.9%. 

The execs fingered several additional titles as well. So monitor pages in your best outlets carefully to make certain you don’t get caught short. Prepare yourself by cultivating alternative placements now. 

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THE REAL ESTATE CRISIS HAS

PUBLISHERS WONDERING WHERE TO TURN 

The subprime mess has already reached into the publishing world. Some book publishers are betting that it will stimulate a much higher demand for titles guiding home owners and potential buyers through the currently morass. Others have seen sales to both booksellers and readers plummet because home sales activity is so far down.  

In an article published earlier this week by Publishers Weekly, writer Juan Martinez sums up the uncertainty. He reports that industry officials are wondering “(a) will readers seek books that offer big profits or books that help them stay afloat? and (b) will the book market take a big hit or will investors turn to real estate books in bigger numbers that ever before?”  Interesting questions! 

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NPD GROUP STUDY LISTS BOOKS AS FOURTH

HIGHEST CHOICE FOR GIFTS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON 

While on the subject of book sales amidst so many predictions that the holiday season will be dismal across the board, it is cheering to find that NPD Group’s consumer survey ranked books fourth among the top ten items that shoppers plan to buy as gifts. Only apparel, toys and movies topped books. 

The study found that 26% of consumers surveyed will spend less overall this year than they did during the 2007 holiday season. It should come as no surprise that 60% of those surveyed indicated they would head to stores and web sites that offered sale prices and special values. 

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Charlie’s Choice

Weekly Tips to Help You Write,

Publish & Promote Your Work 
 

GETTING THE WORD OUT 

      There’s a great big world out there, but if it doesn’t know your book exists, your cash register will never ring. Now that the pre-publication tasks we spoke about last week are completed and the press is rolling with your first edition, all effort must center on announcing the availability of your masterpiece. And that effort must continue on long after publication date.  

      The task should be multi-media. It should reach both on and offline publications, ranging from Google and Yahoo news to the Los Angeles Times, from ezine articles.com to both general interest and niche magazines. And of course it must include broadcast and at least one of the social media networks. Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at some of the tools you will use to create this far reaching promotional program. 

The Press Release 

      This overworked, but often abused, messenger is designed to inform, not sell. It is used to announce publication of your new book, as we mentioned last week. Or it can announce receipt of an award, a signing or talk that is to take place, indeed any happening or event that is of interest to the people you hope will buy your book.  

      The release must contain news not fluff if it is to escape the waste basket. Busy editors and reporters can often spot fluff at once in the headline or first paragraph.  

      Since the release is going to journalists, it should be written in the no-nonsense style they usually employ. Follow the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid. While many newspapers today lean toward an anecdotal opening in their news stories, the press release should follow the tried and true rule of including what, when, where, why and how in its first paragraph. 

      The headline is key to the success of your release. It must grab the editor’s interest at once. A quality headline should be punchy and exciting and informative. That’s a mighty large task for just a few words. However, it’s well worth your effort, since the headline makes the difference between life or death for your release. 

      I use this example in my latest book The Writer Within You: 

                  LOCAL AUTHOR WILL TALK ABOUT HIS BOOK

                  AND THE THRILL OF WINNING THE PULITZER PRIZE 

Stop and think about this simple declarative sentence. The word “local” always intrigues an editor in a specific geographic area. The event you’re publicizing is the talk you will give. And the spice that will raise this release far above the others is the award of the Pulitzer. This simple sentence contains the three elements that make the difference between publication and the wastebasket. 

      To achieve the best results, address your release to a specific person. Sending it by e-mail saves time and money, and guarantees the person you are targeting will actually see it, not some low level mail clerk or assistant. Check the web site of a publication to determine the most logical editor to submit to. Once you’ve picked the TV or radio program most likely to offer you coverage, determine the key producer for your subject matter. If the web site doesn’t contain the info you need, call the publication or the station to obtain the right name.  

      The way the top of the release is formatted is important. I suggest following the standard in the industry: 

For Immediate Release    CONTACT:  Bill Smith

                                                       (201) 000-000

                                                       bsmitty@ xxyyzz.com 

            HEADLINE:XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

  XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX 

This format stresses the urgency of the release and gives the reporter working the story a source for any additional information needed. 

The Pitch 

      A close relative of the release is the pitch. The message it carries is a call to action. It is very brief, sometimes written in outline form when it is used to invite coverage of an event. Whether an outline or a brief letter, it too must cover the what, when, where, why and how to make it easy for the editor to schedule that coverage.  

      The pitch can also function as an invitation to the editor or producer to interview a fascinating personality (You?). It is sent in letter form, but brief and to the point, explaining why you will be an exciting and informative interviewee. It is wise to have a third person, possibly a friend or relative posing as your publicity director, send the pitch. It is hard to write about yourself. Praise from a third party is far more effective. A press kit should accompany this pitch to provide information that supports your brief pitch letter.  

      A variation of the pitch is the media alert. This is a follow-up as an event grows near. This always is presented in outline form. Under the heading MEDIA ALERT, all information needed by the editor is outlined, specifically What, Who, Where and Contacts. 

Press Release Distributors  

      A number of companies exist to distribute your press releases from coast to coast and even world wide. They distribute electronically on the Web, and reach thousands of outlets. Of course, these have value only when your release is of broad interest. They are a waste when announcing something as local as a book signing or a speech.  

      Some distributors are free, while other charge a fee. Some will write the release for you, but the majority simply send out what you have submitted. As in so many other areas, you get what you pay for. There is a difference in the quality and breadth of distribution. There is nothing to stop you from using a mix of distributors. It is important to review the specifications each distributor requires, for they vary.   

      The “Cadillac” of distributors generally is considered to be PR Web (www.prweb.com).

Fees range from $80 for basic distribution to $360 for a program that uses a combination of Associated Press distribution and embedded video. 

      Some of the free distributors can be very effective. I have had success with PRLog (www.prlog.org). Their releases are sent to Google News and usually SEO indexed quite high by Google. Express Press Release Distribution (www.express-press-release.net) offers free service without links. For $29 per release, it offers links as well. It is one of the oldest, established distributors in the industry. 

      You can also find specialized distributors. For example, Wondervoice (www.wondervoice.com) will distribute your OpEd piece to a maximum of 500 newspapers. The fee is $19.95 per month or $129.95 for a year.  

      So you see there is no excuse not to get the word out on your book and your events by using these simple tools .And there are many more distributors that you can find by clicking on “press release distributors” in your favorite search engine. 

      Next week, we’ll look at the world of article distribution. We will discuss individually submitting articles to publications, both consumer and trade on and offline. And we’ll look at broadsided article distribution using article aggregators on the Web. See you then. 

Keep Writing!

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HAS BLOGGING REACHED

THE LEVEL OF MAINSTREAM MEDIA?  

In an interview with eMarketer, Richard Jalichandra, CEO of Technorati recently stated that “Blogs are now mainstream media.”  His conclusion was drawn from the results of a study done by Decipher for Technorati during the summer. 

A second report from comscore Media Metrix seems to confirm that opinion. It found that blogs recorded 77 million unique visitors just in the month of August. That compares, according to the article on eMarketer, to 75.1million visitors to MySpace and 41 million to Facebook during the same period. 

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