Interview with News Editor

An interview with one of the top radio producers in the country

We asked Pat Brogan, news editor at WMAL-AM in Washington, DC what catches his attention what he feels about the publicist who calls constantly.

Q: What do you like best about your job?
A: Meeting new people in all different aspects of jobs, and of life. You meet people who live on the streets, like the homeless, up to the President. My job is different every day.
Q: What's the most obnoxious thing a publicist can do?
A: Hands down, calling constantly. When a publicist calls and alerts you to fax or email, that's fine. But if they then ask you if they can call you back the morning of the event to recheck your interest, we always just say it won't make a difference (and it usually doesn't.) Also, when a publicist calls, gets a no, and says, "Why not?" It's usually because the topic doesn't fit the demographics of the station's listeners, and just leave it at that.
Q: What's the best thing a publicist can do?
A: Know whom my station is targeted to, and pitch topics that fit. Simply send a "who, what, when, where, and how" with contact information. Know whom you are calling and what they go for. Make the press release simple, and always keep it local for non-national media. Always be reachable by phone, blackberry, etc.
Q: What gets your attention in an email, looking at email?
A: Local author/businessman strikes it rich. Make it local, with an expert source on a newsy topic. Traffic news/experts are always welcome in the DC area.
Q: How long have you been in the business?
A: 12 years.
Q: How has the media changed?
A: Consolidation, hands down. There are fewer newsrooms, fewer people, ease of getting sound and pictures.
Q: Aside from celebrities, what type of guests are you looking for?
A: All types. Business owners, if there's a heavy storm, then roofing tree-trimming companies. Whoever I need to get a hold of, politicians especially, being in DC. People dealing with transportation, and MOS (man on the street) stories.

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Fill in the Blank Pitch Formula for the Media

As I promised in my last tip, here's another great
fill-in-the-blank formula you can use to create a show pitch
that is guaranteed to grab a producer's attention virtually every
time ... (Please forward this e-mail to anyone it might help)

* Pitch Formula: "How to find _________ without _____________"

And here's a couple of examples of how you might apply it:

Show Pitch: "How to find out how much money someone makes
without them knowing out about it"

Show Pitch: "How to find that long lost high school sweetheart
without spending a fortune on a private investigator"

Or how about "How to find out how your spouse really feels about
you ... without asking them a single question." Any time you can
offer people the chance to get something they want, without having
to "jump through the hoops" or "pay the price" that they would
normally expect to, you will have their undivided attention.
More from Alex Carroll at http://www.publicityvault.com

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Launch of New Ink Press

Morgan James Publishing And Atchity Entertainment Int’l Launch New Ink Press

CEO David L. Hancock announces that Morgan James Publishing has formed a new imprint devoted entirely to “new voices in fiction,” on the same entrepreneurial basis as that of Morgan James’ successful nonfiction imprints distributed by Ingram Publishing Services. Authors signed by the imprint will guarantee the purchase and marketing of two thousand five hundred copies of their works.

The fiction imprint, New Ink Press, will be headed editorially by Kenneth Atchity, of Atchity Entertainment International from its west coast office in Los Angeles. “The entrepreneurial approach,” Atchity said, “is a pattern that was followed by some of the greatest novelists in history, including the Bronte sisters, Thomas Hardy, and Jane Austen and I see no reason why it doesn’t apply to these tumultuous times as well.”

Morgan James will manage all production and business matters from New York. Hancock says, “We’ve long contemplated capitalizing on our success in nonfiction to extend a hand toward launching new fiction as well.”

“In the most difficult market for new fiction I’ve ever seen, New Ink’s goal will be to launch stories and voices worthy of public attention that are simply too risky for the brand-oriented major publishers. We’re hoping to have ten to twenty quality commercial titles the first year,” Atchity says, “expanding to fifty or more by year two.”

AEI has been involved with book titles such as Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt’s Dracula: The Un-Dead, Noire, Alaya Johnson’s Moonshine, Royce Buckingham’s Demon Keeper and Goblins, Jesse Ventura’s I Ain’t Got Time to Bleed, Steve Alten’s Meg, James Michael Pratt’s The Last Valentine, and Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not! Atchity’s company will also manage both foreign publishing rights and all dramatic rights for New Ink.

Novels will be selected with a view toward their viability as dramatic entertainment as well as for their commercial and/or literary merit. New Ink welcomes entrepreneurial authors of completed novels, including Young Adult and graphic novels, that have commercial crossover potential in any genre, with an eye toward adaptation to film and television.

Completed manuscripts should be sent, along with a full marketing plan, to Dr. Kenneth Atchity, New Ink Press, 518 S. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

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Another fill in the blank pitch formula

As I promised in my last tip, here's another great
fill-in-the-blank formula you can use to create a show pitch
that is guaranteed to grab a producer's attention virtually every
time ... (Please forward this e-mail to anyone it might help)

* Pitch Formula: "How __________ hurts your __________ without
you knowing it"

And here's a couple of examples of how you might apply it:

Show Pitch: "How being nice to your boss hurts your chances of
getting a raise ... without you knowing it"

Show Pitch: "How the vents in your house hurt your health
without you knowing it"

Anytime anyone is getting hurt by something without knowing it,
the media love to come to the rescue and save the day. Makes
them look good and keeps their listeners coming back.

come to AUTHOR101UNIVERSITY OCT 30-31 in Las Vegas
http://www.author101university.com

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Another Tip to get on shows...
originally posted: September 22, 2009

As I promised in my last tip, here are the two engines that drive
every successful show pitch I've ever seen, and why you must have
at least one of them in every single show idea that you ever pitch
to a producer. They are ... (Please forward this e-mail to anyone
it might help)

1. Fear

2. Desire

These are the only two things that ever motivate anyone to do
anything. Period. End of story.

People either do things because they want something (money, love,
fulfillment, respect, peace, power, etc.), or they do them because
they are afraid of losing something precious or valuable that they
already have (money, love, fulfillment, respect, peace, power,
etc.)

So a show pitch must have at least one of these engines driving
it ... or it's just not going to fly.

Remember back to the previous show pitch formula and the two
examples I gave you ...

Show Pitch: "When will the next big market correction happen?
3 tips to make sure you're prepared"

Show Pitch: "Where will the next big real estate boom happen?
7 tips to make sure you're ready to cash in"

In the first one the engine is fear ... fear of losing money.
In the second one the engine is desire ... desire to make money.

This is not rocket science. In fact, it is unbelieveably simple.
But you must follow the formula. Some of you may even have an issue
with using fear to motivate people. I would like to encourage you
to re-examine your belief systems around fear. Fear is not all bad.
It has it's rightful place. It is the force that protects you from
harm and danger. Fear saves lives every day. Like anything else,
it's not good when it's taken to extreme ... but when it saves your
life savings ... or your child's life, is it not a good thing?

Food for thought.

Come to Author101University and get marketing ideas and meet agents and publishers
http://www.author101university.com

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Fill in the Blank Pitch Formula for the Media
originally posted: August 29, 2009

Fill in the blank Pitch Formula

As I promised in my last tip, here’s another great fill-in-the-blank formula you can use to create a show pitch that is guaranteed to grab a producer’s attention virtually every time … *

Pitch Formula: “Be _____ -free forever! ____ simple steps.” And here’s a couple of examples of how you might apply it: Show Pitch: “Be debt-free forever! 7 simple steps.”

Show Pitch: “Be headache-free forever! 5 simple steps.”

You can fill this one in with anything that people don’t like: fear, pain, clutter, stress, flu, pests, cavities, nightmares, etc., etc.

More from Alex Carroll at http://www.publicityvault.com

Meet Alex Carroll and Mark Victor Hansen at AUTHOR101UNIVERSITY Oct 30-31 in Las Vegas

http://www.author101university.com

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“There are only ten people who understand and have mastered the book publishing process -- Rick Frishman is one of them -- i have counseled him, listened to him, and watched the books he promoted turn to gold. If you're looking for someone to take your book to the promised land, I promise that Rick Frishman is the rocket ship that will take you there.”

Jeffrey Gitomer , King , Buy Gitomer, Inc

“When I talk about excellence in the book promotion and publicity industry, the first name I always say is Rick Frishman! He is absolutely the tip of the top and the cream of the crop! He walks his talk and does what he says he will do and gets results, but most importantly he is a gentleman and a scholar! I highly recommend Rick Frishman!”

Willie Jolley , President , Willie Jolley Worldwide

Rick Frishman
Founder Planned TV Arts
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing

Rick Frishman, founder of Planned Television Arts, has been one of the leading book publicists in America for over 32 years.

Rick continues to work with many of the top editors, agents and publishers in America including Simon and Schuster, Random House, Harper Collins, Pocket Books, Penguin Putnam, and Hyperion Books. Some of the authors he has worked with include Mitch Albom, Bill Moyers, Stephen King, Caroline Kennedy, Howard Stern, President Jimmy Carter, Mark Victor Hansen, Hugh Downs, Henry Kissinger, Jack Canfield, Alan Deshowitz, Arnold Palmer, and Harvey Mackay. Rick has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV shows and has been a guest on "Oprah".

Rick is now publisher at Morgan James Publishing in New York. www.morganjamespublishing.com