Dear Friends,

I'm continually intrigued by how people talk "off center."

What I mean is that so often people take forever to make a point. When they do finally make a point, it isn't relevant to the conversation at hand, or to the person with whom they are speaking

.If you want to know, this is what I listen for first when someone calls me to become a client. Can they get their point across succinctly in a way that captures my attention and respects my time? Do they have the potential to become "mediagenic." Sadly, most of the time the answer is no.

This is due to three things:

1. They are not entirely clear on the point(s) they want to make.

2. They don't take my time or interests into consideration.

3. Their topic or angle isn't of interest to the media.

Oftentimes people don't even realize that they are being scrutinized when they pick up the phone to leave a message of any kind--but this is the first impression someone may have of you. When you are pitching by phone or on paper a potential client, business advisor, producer, or an editor, it's necessary to keep these three points uppermost in your mind. Producers and editors today are suffering severely from information overload. We all are. It has become more important than ever to package your verbal and print pitches to accommodate everyone's shrinking attention span and patience meter. How? Read on....

Warmly,

Susan

5 SECRETS COPY-WRITING PROS USE TO CREATE HEADLINES
For pitch letters, press releases, and products

The first thing a producer sees is your headline. If you don't capture their interest in your first line, most producers won't read any further--and you've lost your chance to pitch your idea.

Headlines make you care. Write them in a conversational tone and design them to reach the specific audience that has a need or a desire for what you're promoting. Notice I say "desire" because mostly, people "need" very few things. The more direct you are the better. In other words, entice then deliver.

Below are each one of the secrets followed by an example:

1. The How-to.

"How to Get on Oprah in 10 Easy Steps."

When people want to learn about something they turn to "How-to" information as their quickest source. Using numbers is one way to let your audience know that what follows will be easy to digest. "How to" in the title immediately alerts your reader that you plan to give them something they can put to use today in a format they can follow.

2. The Command.

"Become an Internet Millionaire!"

Though this is a frequent cry, it still has an immediate effect. Why? Commands assure you that there is a way to get what you want from the advice that follows. They touch the "I want that!" place inside you. They tell the reader that it's possible to achieve the benefit you're "advertising." Your copy then backs-up your claim.

3. The Shocking Statement.

"Wives Who Don't Want Sex."

Oprah did a show on this topic stating that "experts now estimate that up to 40 million women suffer from a loss of sexual desire--and it's likely their partners suffer too." She even calls it "A secret epidemic."

Who knew? Bring up the unlikely, the counterintuitive (Even women who loved their husbands in every other way, just didn't have the desire for sexual intimacy. One woman who ditched the headache excuse, came up with a new approach to avoiding sex: Start an argument). Provocative statements get our attention like an electrical shock. They make you sit up and say, "Really?"

4. The Question.

"Do you really know your mate?"

People often unconsciously answer the question you pose in their minds. Your body copy will piggyback with an answer that includes statistics. Something like: "55% of all couples say that they do, but then are shocked when they find out about a partner's hidden desire."

5. The "New" News Item.

"Find out about the only drug that cures unhappiness."

The latest news flash needs to introduce something truly new in order to be valid. To be newsworthy, "new news" promises excitement, informs, or states something helpful that will benefit a lot of people. Words like "only, new, introducing, powerful, and first," are a few words that insist on attention. But use them sparingly and carefully, producers and reporters have a low tolerance for any kind of hype. Also, if you say you're first, it needs to be true.

Get tips like this and more than 100 pages of insights and hot tips in my new book "The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah: 10 Steps to Becoming a Guest on the World's Top Talk Show." (http://prsecrets.com/store/oprah-guide.html) You'll find dozens of ideas, advice on how to Oprah pitch producers, and insider secrets from the best publicists in the business. Click here to find out more and read the table of contents and excerpts from chapters. EXTRA! All subscribers to my newsletter get a 20% off coupon on "Oprah" and on ALL of my products until November 20. Just enter Coupon Code: MA595S on the order form page. If you've been waiting to begin any kind of publicity campaign, now is the time to start. Click here to see all available products on the PR Secrets Store.

TAKE THIS INCREDIBLE BUSINESS SEMINAR

BUILD A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS:
Secrets to Starting or Building Your Business--Even in This Uncertain Economy

This is an action-oriented seminar for entrepreneurs and existing business owners/managers that will change the way you plan and operate your business. Be prepared for an exciting evening filled with information, tips, stories, and professional secrets on everything from writing a solid business plan, to financial planning, to investor presentations.

This eye-opening seminar with management consultant Brett Sharenow will teach you the secrets of making your business run better, and grow stronger, with less effort.

The Learning Annex of San Francisco
Course #524F SF Downtown Sec. A
Tues. Jan. 8 6:30-9:30 pm
Course fee $49/Members course fee $29
To register: 415.788.5500

P.S. Bring a friend, business partner, or business advisor to get more out of this 3 hour session.

MY NOTE: If you have a business on or off the web this class will give you what you need to make it successful. Brett has over 20 years of experience working with start-ups and Fortune 500 corporations. His clients include Verio, BFGoodrich, Pacific Telesis, Astrology.com, and many others.

NEW PR LEADS SERVICE

Subscribe to Dan Janal's PR Leads (http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=20994) service. He's teamed up with ProfNet to deliver a highly personalized version of the service (before now available only to PR firms) to experts, authors and speakers. For less than $50 a month the service delivers leads from reporters who are working on stories and need experts, to you via email in your chosen topic or subject area. This means that you're responding to reporters who are working on stories right now and who want your information. Click here for more information.

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PITCHING SECRETS OF THE PROS

Pitch a producer in 20 seconds. Gain a producer's interest in one paragraph. Avoid sending lengthy press kits. The shorter the better. Find out how in "The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah." (http://prsecrets.com/store/oprah-guide.html) These tips and more can be used for any top talk show. You'll find out how the pros get their calls taken and their clients booked at the most prestigious shows.

HOW TO GET BOOKED ON "OPRAH" & OTHER TOP TALK SHOWS

January 15, 2002 class

If you missed my SOLD OUT November 6 class at the SF Learning Annex, you are invited to discover the secrets of getting on the top talk show in the country one more time. (We had to get a bigger room at the last minute to accommodate everyone). It was so popular I was asked to teach it at all the Learning Annexes throughout the country. I'll be revealing the strategies of top publicists who regularly get their clients on Oprah, along with other closely guarded "trade" secrets.

A few things you'll learn:

• The ultimate secret to getting chosen as a guest on "Oprah".

• Stories from people who have successfully gotten on the show.

• And much more.

Find out more here.
Register today at 415.788.5500
or online at: http://www.learningannex.com
$29 members/$49 non-members

ONLINE MEDIA DIRECTORY

There is a new e-mail publication directory that you should know about called ListFish: http://www.listfish.com.

They are currently in pre-launch mode and issuing a call for publishers to make submissions--so now is the time to get listed before it gets too popular.

DOUBLE YOUR WEB BOOK SALES

If you want to double or even quadruple your Web book sales like I did in just one month, you'll want to investigate opt-in ezines. Once I started submitting my how to articles on book writing and marketing, great things happened--appreciation emails from all over the country, professional groups saying they would publish my articles in their ezines that go to thousands of subscribers, and most of all, quadrupled Web book sales. All in just one month! Before you submit your articles you must subscribe. You'll receive a confirmation email, and you're off! You simply submit your article with your signature box including a link back to where you sell your books. To get you started, try PublishInYours-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Just think what will happen next month!

Judy Cullins, M.A., publisher, author, book coach; 18 clients published since 1999.
Excerpted from Ten Non-techie Ways to Market Your Book
Free monthly ezine: The Book Coach Says...

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