Do you send out press releases? Have they brought you financial rewards? If not, you may want to rethink how to write a good one-one that editors pay attention to. If editors noticeand love your press release, they will want to interview you for a feature story. The feature story not only gets you valuable attention, it also brings credibility to you, your products, and your services. It is seven times more valuable than advertising.

For example, in a large city daily newspaper, your feature story can get editorial space worth anywhere from $1500 to over $5000 in "free advertising." This space is worth seven times as much as an ad because it implies the newspaper endorses you.

You have only seven seconds to impress, so be sure your news release has an outrageous heading that includes a benefit. Then, be able to prove it. What do you think of these? "Design Every Part of Your Book as a Selling Tool," "Double, even Triple your Online Sales Through Outrageous Headlines," from which I created this one my Web site: "Double, even Quadruple your Web Sales Through Opt-in Ezines"

Market Yourself Through the Media Interview

Always ask the interviewer is there any problem with mentioning your phone number or Web site address. What good is a feature if your audience can't get in touch with you? They usually say yes.

The San Diego Union-Tribune responded to my press release with the headline "Seven Sure-Fire Ways to Sell More Books Than You Ever Dreamed Of" by giving me space that would have cost $3000 if I had placed an ad. Funny, they didn't even interview me.

The columnist created her own story.She used this heading: "Workshop Guides Novice Book Authors." One of her highlights said, "seminar participants might be the next John Grisham."

My phone rang off the hook for over a week. I hired an assistant and we took over 100 calls and collected over 60-email address. To each of the latter I sent my monthly eNewsletter "The Book Coach Says..." and got four new book-coaching clients worth thousands of dollars over the next six months. At the same time, my assistants sold 25 books and kits at the back of the room.

You Have What Editors Need

Media editors and radio/TB talk show producers want and need human interest, and newsworthy stories. You have what they need-solutions to problems their particular audiences have.