How to Generate Publicity and Deal with the Media
This guide on publicity and the media was prepared for the Book Council by Kate Camp.
Generating Publicity
Publicity is important because:
- It alerts people to an upcoming event and ensures good attendance;
- It records the event and reflects its value to the community;
- It shows how great your events are, and encourages people to come along next time.
An event is only news before it happens or immediately afterwards. Old news is not news, so make sure you contact the media before the event.
If you are the local coordinator, you are the best person to get media coverage. You know your community and you can liaise with writers and media people.
An event is a good opportunity to establish media contacts in your local area. Knowing someone at the local paper and radio station is the best way of getting good coverage for this and other events.
When you make media contacts, keep them on a list somewhere handy where you can find them to use again to publicise your next event.
The press release is the most basic way of generating publicity. Follow this link for a quick guide to writing a press release.
It is always better to combine sending a press release with personally contacting a journalist. A five-minute phone call will almost always get you more coverage than a press release sent cold.
Even if you have email it is usually best to fax press releases or even send them by post.
You can send a press release to:
- Local newspapers including community newspapers.
- Local radio – including Maori, student and Access radio.
- Local television if you have it.
As well as using media outlets for publicity, you can target local community networks. Many organisations will run a notice in their newsletter, let you use their mailing list, or announce your event at their meetings.
Organisations to consider contacting include:
- Federated Farmers – especially the women’s division.
- Friends of the local library
- School newsletters
- Church / parish newsletters
- Community groups like Lions and Rotary.
It is important to get in touch with local groups as far in advance as possible to make sure they have time to publicise your event.
Dealing with the Media
Journalists are busy. Make their life easy by keeping things brief, providing all the information they need in writing, and doing as much work for them as you can.You may be able to arrange for a journalist and photographer to attend your event. Make yourself known to them when they arrive and ask them what you can do for them: do they want to talk to the author/s individually? Take individual or group posed photographs?
Make sure you give them a typed sheet of paper with the names of everyone involved, the correct name of the event, and the relevant sponsors.
Spell everyone's name correctly and get the names of sponsors right. The importance of this cannot be over-emphasised!
If your event is supported by the Book Council make sure that this is acknowledged in all publicity and media coverage.
If you are too busy or flustered at the time, ring the journalist up afterwards and check they have the correct details. They will appreciate your professionalism.
A photograph will greatly increase your chances of getting coverage. Most newspapers will want to take their own photos.
For publicity in advance, offer papers photographs of the authors involved in your event. If you are working with the Book Council, we will often have images available for media to use.
After the Event
After the event, sit down with the people you work with and talk about what worked and what didn’t. Take notes and keep them on file for next time.Keep on file the names, phone numbers and fax numbers of media contacts.
Keep copies of press releases, fliers, and any newspaper stories, advertisements etc. They are a good record of the event and a handy reminder for next time.
They can also come in handy when applying for funding for future events, because they show the level of publicity you are able to generate for a sponsor or other funding body.
