The following are a few pieces of advice from my friend, book publicist Irwin Zucker:
“Radio is a very good medium for steady, progressive publicity. But for massive exposure, nothing beats a national TV show like Oprah's. We all want that and other hot TV shows. Good local TV shows are needed as well and the news segments of TV stations mean a lot to gain sales.”
What then is the value of radio? “Radio is very, very important because you get more time with this medium and you can rise to the occasion with your viewpoints. Interviews in daily papers are also essential as well as book reviews. I think a good balance of radio, TV and print can generate sales on a book that really has it between the covers.”
The caveat is: “You can't make a lousy book a bestseller no matter how intensive the PR might be. In the end the public tells us whether a book is good or not--based on sales. That’s the reality. You’ve got to have the product to win this type of ballgame.”
For information on Irwin's services, contact him at Promotions in Motion: 323-461-3921.
