Press or media kits are important to any author’s marketing plan. Whether mailed or available online, press kits should contain some basic materials with a little room for creativity. An effective press kit will make things easy for the media and can get an author valuable media attention.

Most authors think of press or media kits as a set of materials they mail to newspaper reporters, radio and TV hosts, or other media people. While physical media kits are still used, they require authors to track down the media experts to mail the materials or the media person to request the information, so an online media kit is also important since it allows the media to view the materials immediately and make a decision about giving you media attention. As a result, authors should make a media kit an integral part of their websites.

Following are basic guidelines for what belongs in a media kit, whether in physical or online form, and ways to make the media kit’s contents effective.

Required Media Kit Content

1. 1. Book Cover Image. Make sure your book cover image is high resolution so it can be used in print or on the web. It should only be the front cover, not the full cover.
2. Author Photo. Again, make sure it’s high resolution. It should also just be a headshot, not full body. You want a photo that appears like you are looking at the viewer so you are up-close-and-personal. Be professional—make sure your book conveys the image you are trying to promote with your book.
3. Book Synopsis. A one-page summary of your book’s content. Often the copy from your back cover, two or three paragraphs will suffice.
4. News Release. A professional press release that announces your book’s release, giving some information about it as well as basics such as title, publisher, ISBN, your website address, and publicity contact information. Even though media people might be getting this information off your website, make sure your website address is on the news release in case they print it and then need to find your site later.
5. Author Bio. Your bio needs to be concise, not rambling. Provide information relevant to your book and your career as an author. You can mention your spouse and kids or your hobbies in one sentence, but there’s no need to give us a paragraph about your interest in quilting if your book is about divorce law, or tell us about your role as a soccer mom if you’re writing mystery novels. Limit it to just a few short and to the point paragraphs.
6. 6. What Others Are Saying/Endorsements. Endorsements are quotes from other authors, magazines, newspapers, experts in the field, or book reviewers that state how much they enjoyed and would recommend your book. Each endorsement should only be a few lines and give the person’s name, title, and affiliation (such as the name of the TV or radio show he’s on, or his book title.
7. 7. Sell Sheet. Although similar to a press release, your sell sheet is just that—a sheet that sells your book. It contains basic information about your book such as price, title, ISBN as well as stating where the book is available—bookstores, online bookstores, your website, and book distributors so people know how or where to purchase it. Feel free to include graphics such as your author photo and your book cover. An example can be found at www.IreneWatson.com

Additional Physical Kit Materials

1. A Cover Letter. Make sure you address it to the media person (newspaper reporter, radio host etc.), and make all attempts to personalize it with the appropriate person’s name, as well as a reminder of your conversation if you spoke to the person prior to sending the materials.
2. Folder. You want your media materials to be neatly packaged, not all loose in a manila envelope and falling out when the envelope is opened. Put them in a new and neat looking folder, but also a folder that will be quickly recognizable as yours. You can design and print special folders with your book cover on them, or some authors simply have overruns done of their book covers and then paste copies of the cover onto the front of a folder. The point is to make your folder stand out and be highly visible so it won’t get lost on someone else’s desk and buried under piles of paperwork, and if it does, it will be easy to find again. Plus, it will provide branding and a professional image that sets you apart from other authors.
3. Your Book. It doesn’t hurt to send an actual copy of the book if you are mailing the press kit. Most media people won’t have time to read your book but the chance to spend five minutes looking at it might be a deciding factor in your getting a cover story or interview.

Additional Online Materials

Note that all of these materials, including the required materials listed above, should be downloadable on your website.

1. Website Page. Obviously, you need a website if you’re going to have your media kit online. The important thing is to have your media kit be a link that is clearly visible on your website—one of the key pages of the site—so it is quickly accessible and viewable. You can then include all your contents on your Media Kit page so it is easily downloadable. Again, an example can be viewed at www.IreneWatson.com, which also includes all the other items I’ve mentioned in this article.
2. Your Book Video. If you have a book video, it should be available to view, but also available for download. For example, a TV show may want to use a clip from it, so make it easily accessible and avoid the extra work of dealing with sending it via CD or flash drive, which can easily be lost.
3. Banners. Especially if the media person is online, whether it’s a blogger, an online radio show, or some other website that promotes authors, having a website banner the media can upload and display on its home page to feature you and your book gives you that extra boost of professionalism and will make the media’s website look good as well.
4. Your Book. While you might mail a copy, obviously you don’t want to put a downloadable copy of your book on your website, but you could put up sample pages with a statement that a physical or pdf copy of your book is available by request through mail or email to legitimate media people.

Follow the guidelines above, but also be creative (within reason). One author I know had the word “bones” in her title so she sent bone-shaped cookies out with her press kit. You could certainly send bookmarkers or a pen with your company logo on it. Just remember to be tasteful and ask yourself whether you personally would want to receive these items or if they will just be dismissed as junk and tossed away. Remember that media people are very busy and don’t want to wade through a lot of non-essential information.

An effective media kit will get you the press you need to make your book a success. If you haven’t done so already, make it a goal to have a press kit page on your website within the next thirty days.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

Many small businesses aren’t getting publicity for the oddest reason: They talk themselves out of it!

Here are 10 common problems I’ve seen with entrepreneurs who want publicity.

1. You think you don’t have anything newsworthy to say. That’s false because it is up to the reporter to decide what is newsworthy. If you tell yourself there’s nothing newsworthy going on, you could be wrong. It takes a reporter or a PR person to look at your business objectively and find out what is news. Some of my clients think they don’t have anything interesting to talk about. But when I ask them about their business, I can see that they are doing things that no one else is doing. That’s news! And they get coverage by reporters in their business journals who are interested in this information.
2. You don’t think of yourself as an expert. That’s not true because you have developed a level of expertise by running your business and dealing with customers, suppliers, vendors, bankers and government agencies. You know a lot more than you give yourself credit for. I’ve had many clients who suffer from this. They don’t give themselves credit for all their experiences and obstacles they have overcome. Once I point out how much they know, they can’t wait to tell their stories to the media.
3. You think that someone else is better qualified to talk to reporters. That may be true, but that doesn’t matter. Reporters will talk to the person who is available right now. If the hotshot expert you are deferring to is on vacation, too busy to talk to reporters or not interested in talking to reporters, then the reporter won’t ever get a chance to speak to you.
4. You don’t think your news is important. This is also not true. Many publications have columns for small pieces of news from local companies. They want to know what is going on. It might not wind up on the front page, but it very well might wind up in print or on the web.
5. You don’t know what to say or how to say it. That could be true. That’s why you can hire a media coach to teach them how to say things, or you could hire a PR person who can speak or write on your behalf and make you sound great.
6. You don’t know how to contact the media. While that might have been a problem years ago, it has never been easier to contact the media. Nearly every reporter can be found on Google and contacted via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+.
7. You don’t think PR can help you. Very false. Publicity can help build your brands, create instant credibility and provide widespread visibility. For example, we wrote a press release announcing new training programs for the Reiki Institute. The press release was printed in many online media websites and their site was flooded with new visitors who inquired about their programs.
8. You are afraid of being rejected. Okay. That’s true. But if you don’t try, then you’ve already been rejected.
9. You don’t have a big budget to hire a PR firm. That could be true since PR firms can charge $30,000 and up for a 6-month contract. However, there are many low cost tools and free tools on the Internet that can help small businesses that want to do their own publicity. Plus, there are many small PR agencies that can take on small projects to help small businesses – and charge affordable rates. We offer the key tools at http://www.PRLEADSPLUS.com
10. You are afraid of success. You wonder how you can deal with all the traffic to your business or website. Well, that’s a good problem to have!

Why you are talking yourself out of getting publicity? You might be passing up a golden opportunity.

Dan Janal works with coaches, authors and small businesses in all industries that want to increase their effectiveness and improve profits. He offers a complimentary “Thought Leadership Strategy Session” that helps you get clear on the tactics and strategies to help your overall marketing program so you can become the thought leader in your market. Contact Dan at dan@prleads.com or 952-380-9844 or visit http://www.PRLEADSPlus.com

Are you ready to gain attention of the media, your community or perhaps the country at large? Want to market your book yourself instead of paying a high price for someone else to do it for you? One of the greatest things about marketing your own book is the wide range of freedom and diversity you have to keep the attention of the public and size of your marketing budget in your control. Ready to promote your book?

What Not to Do

First things first, here’s what not to do. Remember the balloon boy hoax? In 2009, a Colorado couple claimed that a helium balloon drifted into the sky with their six year old son inside of it. During its hour long flight which finally landed near the Denver Airport, their son was not found to be inside of the balloon but instead hiding in their attic at home. Meanwhile, the Denver airport had shut down, TV and radio coverage and police authorities had gotten involved, in which the couple pleaded guilty for using this opportunity to start their own reality show. This publicity stunt didn’t work in their favor, but for many who are trying to market their book, there are many stunts that do. Here are a few ideas:

Connect With a News Story

Have you been struggling to find the right PR stunt that will generate attention from the public and the media to gain some attention for your latest book? Not all press is good press, as the balloon boy hoax and many other failed publicity stunts can attest to. Get connected to an already out-and-about news story and you can take advantage of free press for your latest book. You may see doctors in your area being interviewed before the local 10K race, giving out advice about how to properly train for a run while wearing a shirt that includes their businesses name. It’s genius really: they advertise their services while talking on the news – a win, win.

Put Yourself Out in Your Community

Working on your own PR stunts takes a creative mind, a bold imagination and thinking outside-the-box. How can you utilize your local Farmer’s Market every Saturday or the monthly book fair downtown? Let people know what your book is about by giving away free copies of it at community events. If your book is centered around living a healthy life for example, show up at the health fair with brochures that list your name, the book’s title, where to find the book and a couple of “free” tips that can be found in the book about healthy living. Print out neon flyers advertising your book with local businesses in the area, particularly book stores and coffee shops.

Pair Up With Local Businesses

Talk with local businesses, asking to pair up with “contests” they have going on for their customers. For example, if a café is giving one customer a month a free breakfast, ask if the restaurant will include a copy of your book while advertising it on their shelf. Attend an open mike night, reading a passage from your book and pass out neon flyers listing quotes from your book. Make your publicity stunts enticing, motivational and compelling, and the public won’t be able to turn away; thus, helping you spread the word on your latest published masterpiece.

Ethan S. writes on behalf of The Regan Group, a marketing firm that specializes in sweepstakes fulfillment, and operating as a promotional products distributor.

My guess is that 97% of the people who try to get free publicity fail miserably. They fail because they violate the #1 rule of publicity and press releases. That rule is:

“Always keep in mind that no one gives a rat’s rear end about you.”

They don’t care about you.

They don’t care about what you did.

They don’t care about what you experienced.

All they care about is what you can do for them.

A huge number of people are darned impressed with themselves, their own accomplishments, their own thoughts and ideas. That comes across very clearly when they write press releases.

No one – and I mean NO ONE – cares.

Oh, they’ll tell you they care. They’re lying to you.

These people take themselves far more seriously than is justified.

When these people send out press releases, they start their release with things like:

“Academy Products is proud to announce…”

“Jim Collins, a compassionate, skilled practitioner…”

“It is with great pride that Bigelow Realty announces a 32% increase in sales this year.”

Any time the first words on your press release are your name or your business name, your ego is out of line.

You think people really care about you.

They don’t.

They only care what Academy Product, Jim Collins or Bigelow Realty can do for them.

I keep harping on this subject. I’ll keep harping on it until my point is driven deep into your brain.

Have you set up a special email address on your website or in your business that allows people to tell you why you suck? If not, why not?

Are you afraid of what people may have to say? It could be very revealing.

It could show you the flaws in your business – or your personality.

When you send out your press releases, do you talk about yourself or do you talk about how you, your product or your service can help the reporter and his audience?

The more you talk about yourself in your press releases, the less publicity you’ll get. It’s a very simple relationship:

More talk about you = less publicity

Instead, you should be talking about how your information can help people. How your information can solve problems. How you are the answer people have been looking for.

When you help people solve their problems, you won’t have to pitch yourself and your business. It’ll be very clear that you are the answer people have been looking for.

The more you can help reporters put together interesting stories for their audiences, the more publicity you’ll get.

Copyright Paul Hartunian. All rights reserved. Do you need more help getting free publicity for your business? Paul Hartunian has all the help you need at: Paul Hartunian’s website and Paul Hartunian’s Million Dollar Publicity Strategies where you’ll find free publicity tips, free articles, free coaching call replays that will make getting free publicity for your business a snap! Plus you’ll find information about Paul’s Million Dollar Publicity System, the whole story of how he sold the Brooklyn Bridge and plenty more. And, for just $7 you can get 3 issues of Paul’s publicity newsletter, 3 of his best strategy reports, personal coaching from Paul and your very own, authentic piece of the world famous Brooklyn Bridge. No need to hunt for top quality information on how to get free publicity. Paul Hartunian has it all for you.

There is a woman who has done the talk show circuit for years. She’s been on just about every TV talk show you can name. She’s gotten millions and millions of dollars worth of publicity.

Now, for the rest of the story.

Even though she’s gotten on all of these major league shows, she has absolutely nothing to sell. No book. No tapes. No home study course. NOTHING!

Apparently she does the talk show circuit for the fun of it and to boost her ego.

Now for the rest of the REST of the story.

Even though this woman did almost everything wrong, she just signed a $1 million book deal with a major publisher!!!

Was this her original strategy? I don’t think so. If it was, I think it was a pretty stupid strategy. Sure, it paid off, but what if it hadn’t? Sure, she would have gotten the ego boost and fun she wanted, but not a dime in the bank.

She probably could have made several fortunes if she had good products or services to sell. Anyway, now she has a million bucks for her troubles.

Do you see how powerful being in the publicity light can be? This woman became so well known in the media that the “halo effect” swept her into a million dollar deal.

The lesson here? Learn how to use publicity…and have something to sell. If you have one without the other, you’re wasting your time.

Copyright Paul Hartunian. All rights reserved. Do you need more help getting free publicity for your business? Paul Hartunian has all the help you need at: Paul Hartunian’s website and Paul Hartunian’s Million Dollar Publicity Strategies where you’ll find free publicity tips, free articles, free coaching call replays that will make getting free publicity for your business a snap! Plus you’ll find information about Paul’s Million Dollar Publicity System, the whole story of how he sold the Brooklyn Bridge and plenty more. And, for just $7 you can get 3 issues of Paul’s publicity newsletter, 3 of his best strategy reports, personal coaching from Paul and your very own, authentic piece of the world famous Brooklyn Bridge. No need to hunt for top quality information on how to get free publicity. Paul Hartunian has it all for you.

While many people only use press releases to get free publicity, learning how to write an effective pitch letter can dramatically increase the amount of publicity you get.

A media pitch letter is a brief proposal addressed to editors containing an idea or article that you would like them to use in order to help you get free publicity. It is important to write a good pitch letter in order to properly get your point across.

It is important to do some simple research before sending out your letter. Research the editor’s name and the publication’s name and be sure to include these in your introduction. This will keep your letter personalized, will show the sincerity in your intentions, and will keep the editor from assuming that this is a letter you sent to other publications as well.

It is also essential that you open your pitch letter with a statement that is attention-grabbing and will make your reader instantly interested in what you have to say. If your reader is instantly hooked on what you have to say, he or she will go on reading.

For example, if I were to write a pitch letter about my adventure selling the Brooklyn Bridge in 1983 (yes, I really did sell the Brooklyn Bridge), I’d start my letter by saying:

“In 1983 I caused an international media sensation by becoming the first person in history to REALLY sell the Brooklyn Bridge — one square inch at a time. Now, 25 years later, I’m doing it again, even bigger and better than before.”

Afterwards, get to the point. Explain to the editor what it is that you want to do-whether suggesting a new product or recommend a person to feature. Make sure that your story or idea is perfect for the publication’s target market, then tell the editor why this is so.

Now that you’ve got the editor’s attention, explain your concept in the most clear and concise way possible. It is important not to put out all your ideas in one media pitch letter for two reasons: first, your letter will not drone on and bore the reader, and second, you will pique your reader’s interest and keep them wondering and wanting more. Make sure that since this is the bulk of your letter, you’ve gotten your main points across-all while keeping your letter within one page. Ideally, the letter should have 200-400 words.

Make it clear to the editor that you are the best person to do the job. You can take this opportunity to cite a few of your past works or significant experiences that may be to your advantage in handling this subject matter. Don’t be too cocky, but confidently explain that you have quality information this person can use and pass on to his or her audience.

Lastly, make sure that you leave your correct contact information. Sounds simple, but you’d be amazed at how many people screw this up.

Include a phone number (cell phones are fine too. Just indicate that the number is your cell number) and an email address that you check frequently. State that you may be reached at those numbers or email addresses anytime should the editor be interested in your idea. You can also include additional press materials with your letter in order to avoid having the editor do some extra research on your topic.

Once you send out your media pitch letters, be sure to check your email and voice mail services often. The media people are happy to leave a message or send an email, but they won’t wait long for you to get back to them. If you don’t get back to them within hours, you risk losing your opportunity for an interview.

If you follow these steps and learn how to write a pitch letter, you’re on your way to getting free publicity that can drive new customers to your business at little to no cost to you.

Copyright Paul Hartunian. All rights reserved. Do you need more help getting free publicity for your business? Paul Hartunian has all the help you need at: Paul Hartunian’s website and Paul Hartunian’s Million Dollar Publicity Strategies where you’ll find free publicity tips, free articles, free coaching call replays that will make getting free publicity for your business a snap! Plus you’ll find information about Paul’s Million Dollar Publicity System, the whole story of how he sold the Brooklyn Bridge and plenty more. And, for just $7 you can get 3 issues of Paul’s publicity newsletter, 3 of his best strategy reports, personal coaching from Paul and your very own, authentic piece of the world famous Brooklyn Bridge. No need to hunt for top quality information on how to get free publicity. Paul Hartunian has it all for you.

There are two answers.

First, if you have an urgent story – a story that has to be reported immediately or it will have no value – you should send it out as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is or what time of day.
Just get it out!

Notice I said that this is the rule for URGENT stories. I don’t mean that the story is urgent to you. I mean that the story is urgent to the people who will be seeing or hearing it.

If you just finished a book on building a rowboat, you may think it’s urgent to get information about that book out to the media immediately.

The media, on the other hand, will find no urgency at all in your story. Your book will be available today, tomorrow, next week, etc.

But, if your story is about an important town meeting that’s going to happen tomorrow, you’d better get your releases out today or the story will be dead very soon.

The vast majority of you have stories that are not urgent. The story will be good just about any time in the future.

For stories that are not urgent, the best days to get your releases into the hands of the media people are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Monday and Friday are usually fairly hectic and the weekend is often uncertain.

If your release gets to the media office over the weekend, you don’t know when your release will be read or who will read it.

What time should your release be received by the media?

I like to send mine out during the typical working day – from about 10AM to 3PM. This gives me enough time to get the releases out and the reporters enough time to get them, read them and respond back to me.

This next point is very important – now that I’ve given you these guidelines,
I want you to clearly understand that they are just that – guidelines.
They are not rock solid rules.

There are absolutely no rock solid rules for sending out your releases. I’ve sent out releases in the middle of the night that got great response. I’ve also sent out releases during the times I just told you about and had limited success.

Like all good marketers I test everything. I test my headlines, the body copy of my releases and even the times I send them out.

You should do the same thing.

You can have the greatest story in the world but if you send it out at the wrong time it could sit there like an ancient dinosaur.

Copyright Paul Hartunian. All rights reserved. Do you need more help getting free publicity for your business? Paul Hartunian has all the help you need at: Paul Hartunian’s website and Paul Hartunian’s Million Dollar Publicity Strategies where you’ll find free publicity tips, free articles, free coaching call replays that will make getting free publicity for your business a snap! Plus you’ll find information about Paul’s Million Dollar Publicity System, the whole story of how he sold the Brooklyn Bridge and plenty more. And, for just $7 you can get 3 issues of Paul’s publicity newsletter, 3 of his best strategy reports, personal coaching from Paul and your very own, authentic piece of the world famous Brooklyn Bridge. No need to hunt for top quality information on how to get free publicity. Paul Hartunian has it all for you.

I don’t care how much free publicity you get, if you don’t get your contact information out, you’ve wasted your time. By “contact information” I mean your phone number, address, web site or whatever.

Without your contact information, how are people going to get in touch with you to buy your product or service?

Don’t tell me about the “great exposure” you got. Exposure is worthless. You want sales, not exposure.

“You’ll get great exposure” is one of the biggest sucker lines of all times. That bogus line is used to get people to do a whole variety of things for free (like speaking, giving away products, doing media interviews, etc.), when they should be making money. Sales pay the mortgage, not exposure.

My golden rule of free publicity (or, as Mary says, The Holy Grail of Publicity) is:

“Publicity = Dollars in the Bank”

If you don’t make money from the publicity you get, why bother at all?

When I speak at seminars around the country, I constantly get people telling me about the “great” publicity they’ve gotten. My question always is “How much money did you make from that radio interview?”

Without fail, they don’t know.

Then they wasted their time.

Not only do you want to make money from each and every one of your interviews, you want to use that as a measure of how good the interview was, how good the radio station or newspaper is, etc.

If you’ve done three interviews on the same radio show and each time you made few or no sales, why bother doing interviews on that show any more?

On the other hand, if you do interviews on another show and make a pile of money each time, do whatever it takes to get invited back on the same show over and over.

Always remember Paul Hartunian’s Golden Rule of Free Publicity:

“Publicity = Dollars in the Bank”

Copyright Paul Hartunian. All rights reserved. Do you need more help getting free publicity for your business? Paul Hartunian has all the help you need at: Paul Hartunian’s website and Paul Hartunian’s Million Dollar Publicity Strategies where you’ll find free publicity tips, free articles, free coaching call replays that will make getting free publicity for your business a snap! Plus you’ll find information about Paul’s Million Dollar Publicity System, the whole story of how he sold the Brooklyn Bridge and plenty more. And, for just $7 you can get 3 issues of Paul’s publicity newsletter, 3 of his best strategy reports, personal coaching from Paul and your very own, authentic piece of the world famous Brooklyn Bridge. No need to hunt for top quality information on how to get free publicity. Paul Hartunian has it all for you.

• Write down the five main points you want to cover.
• List anecdotes, facts, or jokes that help you make each point effectively.
• Anticipate the questions interviewers are likely to ask and prepare answers that include your main points. It helps to study the host’s prior interviews to find his/her favorite questions and approaches so you’ll know what to expect and how to respond.
• Keep answers and explanations simple. Complex information tends to lose or bore interviewers and audiences.
• Never try to steal the limelight from the host or interviewer. Your job is to make them look good, while getting your main points across.
• Practice by having friends and family pretend they’re the interviewer and question you.
• When you practice, videotape yourself or stand in front of a mirror to observe your performance. Be conscious of your posture, facial expressions and gestures. Ask your interviewer to honestly appraise your performance.
• When friends and family aren’t available to help, interview yourself aloud.

Reprinted from “Rick Frishman‘s Author101 Newsletter”
Subscribe at http://www.rickfrishman.com and receive Rick’s “Million Dollar Rolodex”

Most people believe that getting on Oprah will make them a millionaire, their book a bestseller or their business boom. For your career to take-off like the last space shuttle, you must prepare to make the most of your appearance. Here are some hot tips to help you get invited as a guest on the show, rivet your audience on the air, and ultimately sell yourself along with your product(s) or book(s). As a media coach and marketing expert, I have helped many people get booked on Oprah, so I know there is a strategy that, if followed, will help speakers increase their chances of getting on the show.

Pitch and prepare. Before you actually get booked on Oprah, you need to know how to pitch an idea to the show’s producers and how to prepare yourself for the big day.

1. Tape and watch Oprah. At least a dozen hopefuls call me every year for media coaching or to help them create a marketing plan. The first words out of their mouths are: “I want to be on Oprah.” When I ask them if they watch the show 90 percent say, “No.” Part of preparing for success is becoming familiar with the content, format, rhythm and pace of the Oprah show.

Your first step is to record two to four weeks of Oprah. Then, sit down in a comfy spot and watch them all at once. This will give you a sense of what’s hot on Oprah for the next few months. (It does change and go in cycles). Notice which producers (listed on the credits at the end) are responsible for each particular type of segment. Send a producer information only after you are sure of who you’d like to approach and why.

2. Pitch a hot topic. Never pitch your yourself, your speech, your product or your book. Instead pitch something that’s newsworthy now: a pressing national issue, a controversial subject, a problem for which you have the solution, a common myth debunked. Propose a topic that is relevant to Winfrey’s audience (controversy, relationships, personal triumph, makeovers) then prove you are the expert on that topic by telling only the information that is relevant to the idea you’re pitching.

For acting coach Cynthia Brian, speaker and author of Be the Star You Are! (Celestial Arts), we created a pitch about how she helps teenagers work out their problems by role-playing with them on camera. We proposed a make-over show with before and after footage for parents with difficult teens. Although the show idea isn’t directly related to her book this is an area of Brian’s expertise-and Winfrey has been doing a lot of shows around parent/teenage relationships. Think about the areas in your personal or professional life where you’re an expert and connect that to a provocative theme.

3. Put together a winning press package. Send your book (if you have one) along with a pitch or angle page with two or three different ideas, and a paragraph bio highlighting your expertise as it pertains to your pitches. Be as brief as possible. You must be able to sell your idea in one page. Remember Oprah producers get hundreds of packages every day. If possible include a two-to-four-minute video of you on other talk shows or doing a presentation to a group. If your demo video includes talk show clips, cue it up to those segments. If not, cue your video up to a short segment that shows you speaking succinctly so the producers can see that you’re a viable guest.

4. Explore the show’s Web site. Winfrey’s Web site, http://www.oprah.com, has as much information as you will ever need to get on the show. There, you can review her entire wish list of subjects. She even makes it easy for you with a link called, “Be on the show.” With the touch of a key you can send an e-mail that will reach her producers instantly.

Make your topic relevant in a short paragraph to receive a quick response. Let the producers know that you’d be glad to hop a red-eye at a moment’s notice to be a part of their show, and you increase your chances of being invited.

5. Create 6 dynamic sound bites. Mark Twain defines a sound bite as “a minimum of sound to a maximum of sense.” Sound bites or talking points, are the essential messages you want to convey. Talk out loud the most important ideas, concepts, and points of your topic as they relate to the idea you are pitching.

Ask yourself, “What do I want my audience to remember?” Carla Fox, the niece of Sol Wurtzel who ran Fox Film (20th Century Fox) with founder William Fox described the success of the studio this way: “For Fox Film it was an excellent director, a good story and a box office star.” In her book, The Myth of the Perfect Mother (Contemporary Books), Jane Swigart says, “Being a mother is like asking half the population to do brain surgery without sending them to medical school.”

These memory nuggets consist of anecdotes, facts, statistics, stories, or something unlikely, unusual, controversial, shocking, funny, humorous, romantic, poignant, emotionally moving, or dramatic.

6. Make sure you’re blurbable. By definition, a blurb is a very short advertisement or statement about a topic, product or idea. For example, many book jackets have blurbs about the book, or what people have said about the book. The average sound bite on television is 10 seconds, so it takes some intensive practice to say something meaningful about your book or topic in such a short period of time. Practice with a timer until you can speak your message in 10 to 20 seconds.

7. Get booked on local shows first. Even before you consider approaching Oprah with your idea, get practice on your local news and talk shows. This will give you a chance to fine-tune your sound bites so you won’t be shocked by the speed of national television. Many people don’t realize that the Oprah Show isn’t a platform for their subject. When you’re on the show as a guest you’ll typically have a total of one to seven minutes to communicate your entire message-in 10 to 20-second increments. Once you have a good feel for the rhythm of television, you’ll feel more relaxed and ready.

8. Wow the producers with brevity. Remember, the moment you open your mouth you are auditioning. Keep your list of talking points by the phone when you call a producer (or a producer calls you) so you’ll be succinct. You will already have rehearsed them so that they sound natural and inviting. Make sure all your points are targeted exactly to the angle you’re proposing-making you (and your product or book) irresistible on the air.

Smile! You’re on Oprah Now that you know what it takes to pitch an idea to Oprah, you need to know what to do when you actually appear on the show.

1. Connect with your eyes. It is very important to maintain eye contact with Winfrey 100 percent of the time when she addresses you. This means while you’re talking and while you’re listening. Audiences believe that you’re sincere and knowledgeable if you keep consistent, soft eye contact.

2. Create a “Top Five” list. Help your audience remember you by developing a “Top Five” list to be projected on-screen so all your key points will be illustrated visually as you discuss them. This is also a secret way to keep Winfrey on track. Once she’s stated that you’ll cover five points, she has to help move you through all of them or her audience will feel cheated. Making this list guarantees you more air-time.

At the request of the producers speaker and author Victoria Moran, who wrote Lit From Within (HarperSanFrancisco) created a quiz for a show on vanity with questions like, “Are you constantly comparing your appearance to other women’s? Does the way you look in the morning determine your mood for the day?” After Winfrey got her guests to answer, she asked Moran to comment. She got five chances to speak-totaling one minute and 33 seconds.

3. Bring visual props. Visual props add liveliness and helps your viewers remember your points, which indirectly translates into buying your product or book. Let the producers know how you plan to use your prop(s) ahead of time. During the show you also need to direct the cameraman to your object by pointing to it or holding it up to cue them for a close-up.

4. Introduce yourself with a stellar sound bite. On television your very first utterance sets the tone for all the information you plan to deliver. Say something that instantly brings focus to your most important message that ties into your book.

With dedicated practice, channeling your passion, enthusiasm, and knowledge about your subject will come across to your audience, and people will naturally want to know more about you, your products and your services.

© Susan Harrow All Rights Reserved. Get tips like this and more than 100 pages of insights and hot tips in Susan’s new book “The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah: 10 Steps to Becoming a Guest on the World’s Top Talk Show.” You’ll find dozens of ideas, advice on how to pitch Oprah producers, and insider secrets from the best publicists in the business. Click here to find out more and read chapter excerpts.