#1 PR MYTH: Paying for PR Distribution Guarantees Media Success!!   By LinDee Rochelle   Article/excerpt from My Book’s Published—Now What??? by John F. Harnish, with Jane M. Martin (Infinity Publishing, 2008)       Many Public Relations “gurus” offer you lists and lists of all the newswire and news distribution websites, and may even include specific media e-mail and fax contact data, and tell you to “go there” to submit your news release. It’s easy—just send them your exciting, the-public’s-gotta-have-it news! Here’s their “private” e-mail address.   Oh, wait, the guru didn’t mention that some of those newswires charge thousands of dollars for their submission service? Oh, wait—did they tell you the major media outlets rarely use news from an individual source? And, oh, wait—did the guru tell you the list is at least a year old?   #1 PR Myth: It is simply a matter of paying through the nose for PR placement to “make the evening news.”   Truth: Not unless you robbed the bank down the street while wearing your book title or company logo shirt. Then trust me, you won’t have to make any calls. Well, maybe just one.   Authors and small businesses are duped daily by PR distribution firms that make claims and guarantees of your nearly-instant fame. Even those who are straight up and properly warn you there is no guarantee, charge mightily for their fresh media distribution.   Yes, I know there are inexpensive lists you can purchase for less than five hundred dollars. Finder Binder and Gebbie Press are two; however, they are generally one-time lists. While relatively affordable, they may not be completely current, nor will they remain that way.   Unfortunately, as in many aspects of our corporate world, affordable may not take you very far. And scammers are plentiful. You want to believe … but no matter how you look at it, if you are stretching your shoestring-budget dollars, it may be in your best interest to create a do-it-yourself media plan. You will have to spend some of your valuable time to promote your book or business. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to simply do it yourself?   Yes and no.   Understanding the hierarchy of the media is essential to your PR campaign, by whomever and however, it is implemented. You know you want to be “picked up” by the “wire services.” Who are the “big guys” of the news? PR Newswire, Bookwire, Business Wire News, and several more media companies with clout. And then there are the “really big guys”—The Associated Press, Reuters, Copley News Service, et al—who prefer your news to come to them through the other big guys—where does that leave you? Confused, frustrated and obscure.     I still need to get my word out—tell me more!   So what to do? You need exposure for your book. Your shoestring finances won’t lace up as far as PR Newswire. Now what? There are small PR firms that will specifically target your news for a reasonable, one-time fee. (Look for resources in my upcoming book, Exploding PR Myths.) Some will even work out an on-going plan, at a rate you can live with. Realize, however, you will most likely not sit next to Oprah with a copy of your book on the table—even more however—even if you spend thousands of dollars per month with one of the big guys, you still may not see Oprah’s gold-lined studio stage. The odds are slightly better, but certainly not guaranteed.   If you would rather afford the time for a do-it-yourself project, it is possible and it is not that difficult. Begin by making a list. Start locally. What newspapers, magazines, TV newsmagazine shows, radio talk shows and trade publications would your book’s premise, location setting, or community interest topic, be a “fit” for?   I saw that gleam in your eye—the one that is accompanied by your daydream of instant stardom. I don’t want to dash your dreams, but don’t get carried away and list a hundred media outlets, or the ones that seem to feature only celebrity-type personalities and their products. When you consider there are often hundreds of newspapers in one state, and you want to contact at least two editors in each publication, then you want to submit your news to no less than your five-state local region—can you see the time, expense and weariness piling up? Not that you won’t get there eventually, just get your feet wet first on a small number of realistic media.   Next, visit their Web sites. If you’re not particularly familiar with their news sections, review those to which you feel your book or business service is applicable. Somewhere on the site you should find a Contact Us, About Us, or in rare, but “yahoo!” instances, an Editorial (or News) Staff link. Be prepared, though, to find only a generic, online “submit your press release” form. You can use that form, but my suggestion is to also note the office phone number, a specific department, and call for the editor’s name and contact information. Again, you may only receive polite, “send your press release here,” anonymous e-mail or fax data, but I have actually been transferred through to a real editor!   Expensive newswires have the resources (that’s why they’re expensive) to brag about their thousands of contacts, often updated daily. Do you? Unlikely. But you can afford to pay a friend, office assistant, or mother-in-law to make the calls and obtain the contacts you need, because once it’s done, it’s done, right?   Ummmmm, no. Except for small, local publications, media staff positions for the most part, are fast-spinning revolving doors. So to maintain current contacts, I recommend you spend a couple of hours a month in phoning and updating. As much as we, who have embraced the digital age, hate to admit it, the telephone is still the most effective way to verify information quickly and precisely.   Whether you hire a service, buy a list, or do it yourself, in addition to dollars, you are still paying in time and dedicated effort. But hey, this book or business service is your baby—it’s time to send out the birth announcements! Good luck!