We have had the pleasure of promoting the prestigious Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair for a number of years. This year's show featured magnificent rare editions, historic maps, photographs, assorted one of a kind ephemera and heart stopping signed classics such as TENDER IS THE NIGHT.

While we had approached media for months in advance and touted everything from the classic, curious and cultured, it took the bizarre, macabre and downright "creepy," to finally get the kind of attention we had coveted all along.

Thus, the reality of media today. The unique -- the rare -- the sensational is what often opens the magic door. This is both fact and sigh.

The show was to begin Friday, November l3th, continuing through the weekend in Boston featuring dealers from around the country and around the world. Mid morning on Thursday,
we received an email and call from one of the dealers -- a rare book dealer based in San Francisco and attending the show in Boston. He explained he was bringing a particularly unusual item to the show that we might want to know about. It was a book from the 1700's, bound
in human skin. We gasped, having never heard of such a thing.

But alas, I knew at that moment that this was the one item that would get me the coverage i wanted for the show -- i wanted publicity grease -- one medium which would spread our story across the region and the country to help stimulate attention and attendance.

I told Ann, who works for me -- "let's send this to Associated Press, USA Today and CNN."
It was important to make sure to mention the beautiful, rare and wonderful items at the show before including news or this one uniquely bound book we had learned about.

By late Thursday, Associated Press called. A small story would be written and put on on the wire. That one small story was picked up by over 50 venues including all the top print and broadcast media in Boston and the region but also by USA Today and even newspapers in Louisiana and New Mexico. The piece which did mention the "rare and creepy" also mentioned TENDER IS THE NIGHT (yippee) and other info about the show.

I am a literary purist at heart but this experience and this particular placement reminded me one more time of what it can sometimes take to get the kind of media you want.

We have been discussing the emergence of online vs newstand magazines and the importance of incorporating them into a campaign mix.

Just today I was introduced to a great new online magazine called LONNY.COM. It is a fabulous shelter magazine, which means it is perfect for design, the arts, antiques etc. I love how it looks and wanted to share it with you. So many of the traditional magazines in this category have folded; this certainly presents an interesting and cutting edge option.

Please note the use of the word "mix" above -- it is a mix of venues online and off, broadcast and print that contribute to the most successful publicity campaigns.

Take a look at Lonny.com; I think you'll be impressed. I was.

When I first started at Houghton Mifflin in l982, the "author tour" was an essential part of every important campaign. Each market had its own regional radio and tv shows eager for guests and newspaper editors actually answered their phones. At pre-sale meetings we'd ramble off a list of cities we planned on sending authors to and someone would inevitably add -- don't forget "Good Morning Poughkeepsie" with a little laugh and a significant eye roll (I don't know if there was ever such a show but you get the point).

You don't need to be a media expert to recognize the many ways in which media has changed and the ways in which we now get information and entertainment.

Although we have talked about the importance of the new online sites, blogs and social networking venues before -- I am here to finally confide I think the traditional "author tour" needs to be reevaluated -- if not put out of its misery( unless there is a really good reason).

I am an anti-schleppling publicist -- anti a long list of small to mid level media that may not really accomplish much. Think about the project and the author -- are they well known enough to draw a crowd at a bookstore? Are the markets you are considering rich enough in local media to support a plane ticket, hotel fare and ground transportation? Why do you want to include this city? There needs to be a real connection and a good reason that makes sense; these decisions should not be based on ego or childhood fantasies.

Think hard and realistically about it with your publicist and make the right decision for you.Cities have to be chosen selectively vs randomly or not because they look good on paper. I would rather help you succeed in the long term than inflate your ego at the beginning with unrealistic expectations we may not be able to accomplish. I am wary of those who promise the world upfront and you should be too. Should you still tour? It all depends. Let's talk about it and design a campaign that works for you.

The online scene -- blogs, plogs and social networking -- is no longer an option. The new shelter, business, design, financial and political magazines are blogs. Ignore them or dismiss them and you are living in the past. In a major tour I am booking now, I have included no less than six blog interviews with important writers and several blog radio interviews as well. I have also posted book teasers and images on all related Facebook sites, expanding my network to correspond with the subject. Ideally, the most successful campaigns are a mix of traditional and cutting edge. I also encourage introductions, especially with strong and personable clients. Make friends. There are a host of new techniques to help you succeed in this challenging and changing business. We all teach each other, so by all means share your thoughts and discoveries as well.

I cringe when I see lengthy media schedules filled with a list of extensive radio interviews in each town, city, port and railroad crossing.

I LOVE RADIO as an effective promotional medium, but for me, a "radio tour" alone does not do the trick. Sometimes all it does it occupy time and look good on paper. It keeps you busy but can be deceptive. Radio interviews must be a part of a larger campaign and a broader mix, designed specifically around YOUR project, book, or theme. This means really targeting your market, creating an individualized plan and going after high level, quality (national but not necessarily national) media (print, broadcast and online)capable of reaching a larger audience in five minutes or on one page than one hundred telephone radio interviews on small stations in even smaller markets. I also love syndicates, wire services(aka publicity grease) and the exploding online arena including social marketing, which many poo poo for no good reason. A creative, appropriately aggressive and thoughtful campaign that mixes markets and mediums always works best. The "throw it against the wall" philosophy "and see what sticks"(all too prevalent) approach is the antithesis of what really works.

There is no prototype for a great campaign -- there is no boiler plate, no one size fits all. Each project is a unique entity and deserves a campaign designed and executed accordingly.

Yesterday was a killer news day. Between swine flu, the retirement of Justice Souter and the demise of Chrysler, it was hard, if not impossible, to penetrate the radar of big media.

This is something we have talked about before -- the way the news or crisis du jour gobbles up
attention and works us up into a collective frenzy.

Remember when these crises occur to focus on subjects outside the front page headlines or go for different kinds of placements. Steer your efforts towards media that cover "other" things.  The world needs a good dose of escapism about now. As long as you are not pursuing top national media on days like yesterday, there is still much to be accomplished and every reason to keep on keeping on. Good publicity is not all about hype or the front page of The New York Times. Solid well placed stories on any number of subjects can still inspire, surprise and triumph.

Think ahead. As our mothers said "this too shall pass." Work on long lead media on days like yesterday. There will be more to come. I'm in the process of pitching a major feature to the big shelter magazines for a book that is coming out in October. Before we know it, the magazines will be laying out their Christmas issues (ugh). Be a boxer -- weave and dodge. Take the lead. Be a futurist.  Don't let the news of the day discourage you or have you hiding under the covers.

"This too shall pass."

When you come right down to it, persistence and generosity are at the heart of every endeavor. Ironic how the things that work in life are often the very things that stimulate success in professional venues.Persistence is the more obvious of the two -- though I always note there is a fine line between being persistent for a good reason and turning off long time contacts and professional friends. It happens.I will persist until someone is really clear re: lack of interest, time, or resources. If they express interest but the timing is not right (a frequent challenge), I feel I would be doing a disservice to my client not going back. A clear NO is far easier than a "call me next week, next year, next Fourth of July." A "maybe" or an "I'm on deadline", as awkward as it seems in the moment, leaves the door open for yet another call, email and inquiry. I encourage media contacts to say NO upfront if they know immediately that something is not right for them. Some people have trouble saying no and lead you on an annoying game of telephone tag. I will play for only so long.I also make sure to ask questions. Without interrogation -- I want to know what the producer or journalist is working on, could this be part of a larger story, and if the rapport is right, it is helpful to know why it doesn't work. Maybe you can refine your pitch; maybe not.Know when to accept NO for an answer.Generosity -- offer help, contacts and tips to other professionals and potential clients. Give an hour of your time to help someone else struggling with a promotion, project or idea of their own.I cannot emphasize this enough. In the old days we called this karma -- more simply, I just think it is a good way of doing business and a good way to make and keep great contacts, who in turn will want to help you back when your time comes. There will always be disappointments but generosity is worth the risk.

I never thought I would admit it. I came to the online world over fifteen years ago kicking and screaming and as overwhelmed and befuddled as I was with new math back in grammar school.Perhaps this is how those before us felt when the car replaced the horse, when fire lit up and warmed the night, or when we used an ATM for the first time in awe and with more than a little bit of trepidation. Facebook -- I hardly knew what it was and whatever it was, I wanted nothing to do with it. I assumed it was for teenagers, an online frivolity i could live without and certainly nothing I needed. I was a purist after all, into art and literature -- into irony, candlepin bowling baseball, and the Science Channel. Such online sites seemed not only unnecessary but foolish.I LOVE FACEBOOK. I am addicted to Facebook. I couldn't imagine a day without it; as much a part of my daily routine as brushing my teeth, checking my laptop and charging my cell phone (am i the only one that the new Blackberry Storm drives completely crazy?).Now here is why I am telling YOU about Facebook, Linked In, Twitter etc. You need to be visible "there," for it is an invaluable tool, whether it be a means of introduction or reconnection. Even Leonard Cohen is on Facebook. Need I say more.

What can I say.......sometimes it is all about timing. Had you been an expert on Portuguese Water dogs, Merchant Marines, Somali pirates, negotiation, sharp shooting or navy seals this week, you could have been on every show, front page and featured table of every bookstore. This kind of serendipity happens at its own pace and cannot be manipulated by even the best publicist. The window opens and the window closes.

I don't laud this kind of piggybacking -- brought about by someone else's crisis though a particular hot item in the news (Bo, for instance, was fun and I would have loved to be working with the "dog whisperer," the day the Obamas introduced the world to their new puppy) can advance your platform in a nano-second. These kind of news related gyrations are a fact of life in the wacky world of media and promotion. News remains the ultimate publicity grease; you would be foolish not to use it to your advantage when the timing and subject is right. But remember too, that stretching a connection too far can destroy your precious credibility. It backfires more times than not. Be remembered for all the right reasons.

Most likely you will have to ride it out. It will pass. However, if and when the moment arrives, there is no reason why you cannot get back out there again. Just be sure to do it quickly, appropriately and have something relevant to say.

Most of all, I encourage you not to obsess about the news du jour or to try to align yourself with a fad or craze.  Resources abound for those who are persistent, creative and for those who understand the rhythmic ebb and flow of news and timing -- the "killer apps."

It might surprise you to learn that you, as the author, have much more power than you think. With all due respect to in-house procedures and overly aggressive means and attitudes, I find many authors fearful or anxious about offending their publishers by requesting meetings or conversations with sales, marketing and/or publicity staff. Newcomers in particular (but many others too), are so happy to be published (especially in this economic environment) that they hesitate to ask questions, offer ideas and find out in detail what the larger plan is. Your ideas are always worth sharing. Don't assume every department and every individual is fully versed in your subject and market. You are the expert and you possess vital information and insight that can more enormously useful. Speaking with special sales, marketing or publicity with specific ideas, contacts and connections can only benefit all concerned by helping to sell books, create effective promotional alliances,secure well matched media, and ultimately help build the brand that is always YOU. Try to do this as early in the process as possible but it is never too late to go for it.In my own experience, the editor acquires the book, helps craft it and becomes an-house liaison and cheerleader. It benefits the editor too, when his or her own books do well, strengthening their own brand, imprint or position within the house. But the editor does not --in most houses -- make final decisions about publicity plans, budgets, marketing or special sales. After all, each of these functions is represented by a different department. The goal is to coordinate efforts, get the team working together as a team on your behalf and to keep the channels of communication open. Do not to be afraid to ask for meetings or conversations. As always, it is the way you ask vs that you ask. Publishers are overwhelmed and struggling to stay afloat these days with all the expected financial pressures. This is where creativity really comes in. Talk to them, gather information, offer ideas, share contacts.Remember you as the author, possess the power -- much more power than you will ever know. Believe it, exercise it, use it wisely, but don't forget a healthy dose of tact, common sense, grace and good judgment. And most of all, don't give up so easily.