It seems that often enough an author makes the agent work so hard that it’s not worth the effort. For example, instead of a query letter, I simply get a one-sentence description and a link to a web site that really includes very little information about the book. For some reason I’m still interested, so I write the author back asking for more description. I’m still not really given any information and instead am sent to another place where I can read something. This something still doesn’t include the information I was requesting. At this point it’s just become too hard. Why am I chasing this book all over the Internet when I still don’t really know what the book is about? More important, though, I suspect that this particular author and I simply cannot communicate. No matter how many times I ask I’m not able to get the information I need, and that doesn’t bode well for future editorial feedback or requests from the publisher.
I have to say, situations like this happen almost weekly, and if I have to work this hard and it’s this difficult before I even know if it’s a book I want to represent, it’s only going to get worse. The reason there are so many guidelines out there on query letters, proposals, etc., is not because agents are looking to make your lives more difficult, but we’re looking for insight into your book and future working relationships. We don’t expect perfection, but we do hope it can go as smoothly as possible.
Jessica
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Reducing Car accidents-Amend
From the Amend website:Road traffic injuries are the number one cause of death and disability for children between the ages of 5 and 21 in the developing world — in areas where little, if any, emergency and pre-hospital medical care is available.Remember the adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? It’s true. The most effective way to improve this reality is to stop the incidents
Monday, June 22, 2009
Hello Out There: Why Letters to the Editor Are Pure PR
Dear Bad Pitch Participant:
You have to remember that all democracy truly guarantees us is death, taxes and (says Mark Twain) good ole Letter to the Editor. The latter is one of the most effective ways to get coverage in your favorite newspaper or magazine.
I, however, do not recommend death or taxes.
But remember: There are hundreds of more subtle plugs in the Letters section!
If you’re like most people, whether you flip through Vogue, The New York Times or Computer User, you set up camp for a few minutes on the LTTE section to read what people are griping about, snicker at the journalists’ boo-boos — where publications run their corrections — and other lurid pursuits.
But there’s another side to the section. Besides being a great place to rant, it’s also a good spot to shift opinions-at-large and plug your business to boot! It’s PR through and through.
Pick up any publication — let’s say BusinessWeek — and take a long, hard look at the letters. In this particular and randomly selected issue, neatly tucked onto page 19, Richard J. Martin, EVP for Public Relations and Employee Communication at AT&T, takes up a full page (small print, naturally) to grind an extremely angry ax and truly straighten out, he says, the “blatant distortions” served up in an article the week before. Now, there are two sides to every story, and Mr. Martin decided that his side should be long, packed with juicy sound bites and free of editorial banter. Martin got away with sentences such as, “AT&T Broadband’s combined telephony, high-speed data and digital-video growth leads the industry,” and the hearty “After AT&T Broadband spins off and merges with Comcast, AT&T will have one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry.”
Amen.
I’m sure that after BusinessWeek printed these sentences, Martin and his pals were high fiving each other in the conference room, sparking up Churchills left and right.
The AT&T incident was a pretty obvious example, but there are hundreds of more subtle plugs in the Letters area. You don’t have to be a big muckety muck setting the record straight or call a journalist on a blunder. There is plenty of space to write in support of an article you’ve read and then (aren't you good) work your message, subdued, subliminal, or totally “out there,” into your point.
Here’s an example: In 1998, I (author of Native’s Guide To New York) ogled a cover story in Time Out New York. The writer of that article claimed Giuliani was closing nightclub after nightclub - trashing city’s economy without taking the requisite early evening nap!
Said New York expert recognized the mud slinger as the PR guy for a nightlife association and wrote a strong letter in response, stating that thousands of partiers frequented one night club or another on Friday eve, but about 100,000 day trippers visited one of the dozens of museums and galleries (a la Native’s Guide) daily. He (“I”) mentioned how it was unfortunate to sight Disco Stu writing under guise of a wholly unbiased reporter.
One more, to make you realize how crucial the LTTE is: In 1990, aging singer George Michael released a CD (“Listen Without Prejudice Volume I”) and then announced how much he hated being on display, as though being a pop singer meant he should be completely private. It was the ultimate display of gosh-you’re-kidding chutzpah.
If you heard him whining — claiming he would not tour, do videos or even promote his downer collection of ballads — you weren’t alone. Oldster (he was alive) Frank Sinatra felt the same way and made it known in a classic and quite frank Letter To The Editor appearing in the LA Times after Hollywood’s paper of record published George muttering about his so-called problems. Frank told Michael that he was, without mincing words, a wimp who should be thrilled that fame had brought him to such heights. Inferring that he didn’t know the singer — his work nor existence — Ol’ Blue Eyes exclaimed how “he [Michael] should have it all taken away from him” and reconsider how sad his life was then. The letter was referenced in court years later when Michael ironically sued Sony for, uh, not promoting him enough. With this in mind it’s good to remember people read, collect, e-mail, tweet, save for posterity, and use these often-passionate missives.
The specific purpose of the Letters section is to give readers the opportunity voice their opinions on what’s going on in the publication and in society at large, so make use of it, turn it to your advantage, and make yourself and what you’re up to relevant at every opportunity. Also, reporters, dare I say, check Letters and snatch up story ideas and sources using letters as inspiration!
So that’s it. Be the letter writer. As Samuel Clemens said: use that gift to learn its value.
Yours truly,
Laermer
(@laermer)
You have to remember that all democracy truly guarantees us is death, taxes and (says Mark Twain) good ole Letter to the Editor. The latter is one of the most effective ways to get coverage in your favorite newspaper or magazine.
I, however, do not recommend death or taxes.
But remember: There are hundreds of more subtle plugs in the Letters section!
If you’re like most people, whether you flip through Vogue, The New York Times or Computer User, you set up camp for a few minutes on the LTTE section to read what people are griping about, snicker at the journalists’ boo-boos — where publications run their corrections — and other lurid pursuits.
But there’s another side to the section. Besides being a great place to rant, it’s also a good spot to shift opinions-at-large and plug your business to boot! It’s PR through and through.
Pick up any publication — let’s say BusinessWeek — and take a long, hard look at the letters. In this particular and randomly selected issue, neatly tucked onto page 19, Richard J. Martin, EVP for Public Relations and Employee Communication at AT&T, takes up a full page (small print, naturally) to grind an extremely angry ax and truly straighten out, he says, the “blatant distortions” served up in an article the week before. Now, there are two sides to every story, and Mr. Martin decided that his side should be long, packed with juicy sound bites and free of editorial banter. Martin got away with sentences such as, “AT&T Broadband’s combined telephony, high-speed data and digital-video growth leads the industry,” and the hearty “After AT&T Broadband spins off and merges with Comcast, AT&T will have one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry.”
Amen.
I’m sure that after BusinessWeek printed these sentences, Martin and his pals were high fiving each other in the conference room, sparking up Churchills left and right.
The AT&T incident was a pretty obvious example, but there are hundreds of more subtle plugs in the Letters area. You don’t have to be a big muckety muck setting the record straight or call a journalist on a blunder. There is plenty of space to write in support of an article you’ve read and then (aren't you good) work your message, subdued, subliminal, or totally “out there,” into your point.
Here’s an example: In 1998, I (author of Native’s Guide To New York) ogled a cover story in Time Out New York. The writer of that article claimed Giuliani was closing nightclub after nightclub - trashing city’s economy without taking the requisite early evening nap!
Said New York expert recognized the mud slinger as the PR guy for a nightlife association and wrote a strong letter in response, stating that thousands of partiers frequented one night club or another on Friday eve, but about 100,000 day trippers visited one of the dozens of museums and galleries (a la Native’s Guide) daily. He (“I”) mentioned how it was unfortunate to sight Disco Stu writing under guise of a wholly unbiased reporter.
One more, to make you realize how crucial the LTTE is: In 1990, aging singer George Michael released a CD (“Listen Without Prejudice Volume I”) and then announced how much he hated being on display, as though being a pop singer meant he should be completely private. It was the ultimate display of gosh-you’re-kidding chutzpah.
If you heard him whining — claiming he would not tour, do videos or even promote his downer collection of ballads — you weren’t alone. Oldster (he was alive) Frank Sinatra felt the same way and made it known in a classic and quite frank Letter To The Editor appearing in the LA Times after Hollywood’s paper of record published George muttering about his so-called problems. Frank told Michael that he was, without mincing words, a wimp who should be thrilled that fame had brought him to such heights. Inferring that he didn’t know the singer — his work nor existence — Ol’ Blue Eyes exclaimed how “he [Michael] should have it all taken away from him” and reconsider how sad his life was then. The letter was referenced in court years later when Michael ironically sued Sony for, uh, not promoting him enough. With this in mind it’s good to remember people read, collect, e-mail, tweet, save for posterity, and use these often-passionate missives.
The specific purpose of the Letters section is to give readers the opportunity voice their opinions on what’s going on in the publication and in society at large, so make use of it, turn it to your advantage, and make yourself and what you’re up to relevant at every opportunity. Also, reporters, dare I say, check Letters and snatch up story ideas and sources using letters as inspiration!
So that’s it. Be the letter writer. As Samuel Clemens said: use that gift to learn its value.
Yours truly,
Laermer
(@laermer)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Polite Communication
Back in my younger days as an editorial assistant I quickly learned that one of the best ways to become the best I could be was to watch those around me. I paid attention not just to my bosses and how they did their work, but also to other editors. I learned not just from the good things they did, but from the bad as well, and one of the many things that has always stuck with me was the importance of communication. It always amazed me, even back then, what poor communicators so many people were and still are.
As an editor and now as a literally agent I make it a priority to be as accessible as possible to my clients as well as to editors and other professionals who call or contact me. That means that I return phone calls and emails as quickly as possible and always remind my clients that if I haven’t returned your phone call or email by the next day, or responded in some way, it’s because somewhere along the way the message was misplaced or I lost my mind. In the very first conversation I ever have with a new client this comes up and I always, always tell them to call again, that bugging me isn’t possible and that I’d rather hear from you than have you stewing at home thinking I’m ignoring your calls. The one exception to this rule are unsolicited phone pitches. While my assistant will sometimes return those calls for me I don’t and I won’t. I don’t have time to spend the 20 to 30 minutes on the phone that every unsolicited querier seems to think they are allowed to have with me when a simple letter or, hey, following our submission guidelines would do.
Unfortunately, poor communication is as alive and well today as it was 15 years ago when I started in publishing. It amazes me sometimes how often I’ll have to call or email a single editor to get an answer to one question or how often I wonder if an editor has died and maybe, just maybe no one told me. After all, ten emails and three phone calls should illicit an answer, especially when it’s pertaining to a top author.
What I wonder is how much worse this is going to get. We live in an age when text messaging is more popular than phoning, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed the damage it’s doing. People do not want to have face-to-face or phone-to-phone conversations anymore, they don’t want to actually face things head-on, feeling everything is easier via text or email. Phone skills and verbal communication are declining and, frankly, so is written communication. A text is not the same as a business letter.
I hope that someday schools catch on and start teaching more than just English grammar, but also teach proper verbal communication. Back when I was in junior high, and public schools had money for such things, we were actually required to take a speech class, which meant getting up in front of the class and giving three different speeches for grades. It was great and I think invaluable.
Jessica
As an editor and now as a literally agent I make it a priority to be as accessible as possible to my clients as well as to editors and other professionals who call or contact me. That means that I return phone calls and emails as quickly as possible and always remind my clients that if I haven’t returned your phone call or email by the next day, or responded in some way, it’s because somewhere along the way the message was misplaced or I lost my mind. In the very first conversation I ever have with a new client this comes up and I always, always tell them to call again, that bugging me isn’t possible and that I’d rather hear from you than have you stewing at home thinking I’m ignoring your calls. The one exception to this rule are unsolicited phone pitches. While my assistant will sometimes return those calls for me I don’t and I won’t. I don’t have time to spend the 20 to 30 minutes on the phone that every unsolicited querier seems to think they are allowed to have with me when a simple letter or, hey, following our submission guidelines would do.
Unfortunately, poor communication is as alive and well today as it was 15 years ago when I started in publishing. It amazes me sometimes how often I’ll have to call or email a single editor to get an answer to one question or how often I wonder if an editor has died and maybe, just maybe no one told me. After all, ten emails and three phone calls should illicit an answer, especially when it’s pertaining to a top author.
What I wonder is how much worse this is going to get. We live in an age when text messaging is more popular than phoning, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed the damage it’s doing. People do not want to have face-to-face or phone-to-phone conversations anymore, they don’t want to actually face things head-on, feeling everything is easier via text or email. Phone skills and verbal communication are declining and, frankly, so is written communication. A text is not the same as a business letter.
I hope that someday schools catch on and start teaching more than just English grammar, but also teach proper verbal communication. Back when I was in junior high, and public schools had money for such things, we were actually required to take a speech class, which meant getting up in front of the class and giving three different speeches for grades. It was great and I think invaluable.
Jessica
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tag, You’re It: Answer your phone now!
“You have reached the voicemail of…. I am out of the office until…” How often have you gotten voicemail when you’ve called a friend, your client, a reporter [your mother!]? At that crucial moment, the important question: Should you leave a message?
Let’s say no. Because unless you are calling your mother, you don’t truly expect a return phone call. Sometime between eagerly waiting by the phone for your crush to call and screening your cell phone caller ID so you can avoid the loser from last night, we became a society that doesn’t returns calls.
That’s where our disconnect lies. Media relations thrives—no, survives—on a practitioner’s ability to woo a reporter or a blogger or your mother on the phone. Crafting a perfect pitch is successful if you have a human on the other side to talk to. You can’t tell the client you scheduled an interview with BusinessWeek if they don’t pick up.
As children, we used to run around the playground during recess trying to catch all the other children running away from us, just so we can stop chasing. [I still do that.] As adults, how much of your day do you lose re-dialing the same people…reporters to schedule an interview, clients to confirm a time, third-party sources to give their expert opinions, friends for dinner? But, with so much technology at everyone’s disposal, they’re all running and you’re “it.” Good luck getting someone on the phone.
There is strict etiquette about answering a call before the third ring, keeping your cell phone on vibrate on the bus, and not texting during a dinner party—but why not a rule about calling someone back? Professionally it’s frustrating while personally it’s maddening! Returning phone calls is an essential part of building strong relationships. It is the foundation for a successful feature and a lucrative future, so how did we become a culture lacking this most common courtesy?
So, PR pros, I challenge you to buck your impulse to delete your messages and ignore the incoming. This is karma talking. Pick up your phone! Be the person who answers the ones who call you, be the one who returns those messages. Start a trend that will persist throughout the season and check your voicemail, review your caller ID, make the effort to see who it was that wants you on the phone. People will be so impressed with class and don’t be surprised when your phone rings off the hook.
Oh my. Look at that! It’s the Times calling you back.
I’m now Twittering with karma in mind at www.twitter.com/laermer
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Is it Dating – or Pitching?
As media relations professionals, we pitch all the time. We sell ourselves...to sell the story built to deliver the messages my client needs his target audience to hear. Similar to say, mm, dating. More analogous than you might think. You need a bit of proof?
1.Call, Baby: If you are going to pick up the phone and call, have something intelligent and interesting to say. Know a little about the person you are calling — with reporters be ready to reference a recent article; with a potential date it is always helpful to be aware of the win-loss record of their favorite team.
2.Do Not Make It All about You: Ask about what the reporter is writing (or what the date prospect is working on)…and better yet, what else they read. This will get you to interview (date) 2, rather than leaving you dead in the water after the first.
3.Know When to Walk Away: Recognize disingenuous Call me back later. Journalists, like those you date, will sometimes lie in order to let you down easy. Get your lie-dar going and always be straightforward with journalists (dates). They appreciate it.
4.Do Not Use Any Stupid Pick Up Lines: Have a point. Say it. Enough Said.
5.Do Not Filibuster: We have all sat across from the guy/gal/not-sure-which talking on and on and on….and on. That is the last thing a journalist wants to hear on the other end of the phone or during the lunch he took the time to have with your client. Deliver your message. Illustrate it. Move on to the next one. Repeat. (Dates like that as well.)
6. Make That Date Already: Set up the interview and get the heck off the phone. Never dillydally or think the strength of a relationship is measured by the how many minutes you spent on the phone. You both know why you are talking — in both cases.
7. Be Considerate: Never — ever — call during deadline or when the date is in the shower. Or at 5:00 on Friday. Or in the middle of the night (date wise). Offer to have your client do the interview over the weekend if it helps the journo out. Be flexible with both parties!
8. Do Not Compromise Integrity: If the story does not fit, or if you could never see yourself with this guy or gal for more than a couple of shoddy minutes, do not try to make it work. Walk away and look for the better fit now.
9. Make A Lasting Impression: Position the client appropriately and personalize your story angle. Talking about the CEO as the CEO is not going to get you anywhere. Use first names. With dates, use nicknames. Uh huh.
10. Show Intelligence: Nobody likes an idiot. I have said what everyone is thinking.
I’m Twittering like no tomorrow at www.twitter.com/laermer
1.Call, Baby: If you are going to pick up the phone and call, have something intelligent and interesting to say. Know a little about the person you are calling — with reporters be ready to reference a recent article; with a potential date it is always helpful to be aware of the win-loss record of their favorite team.
2.Do Not Make It All about You: Ask about what the reporter is writing (or what the date prospect is working on)…and better yet, what else they read. This will get you to interview (date) 2, rather than leaving you dead in the water after the first.
3.Know When to Walk Away: Recognize disingenuous Call me back later. Journalists, like those you date, will sometimes lie in order to let you down easy. Get your lie-dar going and always be straightforward with journalists (dates). They appreciate it.
4.Do Not Use Any Stupid Pick Up Lines: Have a point. Say it. Enough Said.
5.Do Not Filibuster: We have all sat across from the guy/gal/not-sure-which talking on and on and on….and on. That is the last thing a journalist wants to hear on the other end of the phone or during the lunch he took the time to have with your client. Deliver your message. Illustrate it. Move on to the next one. Repeat. (Dates like that as well.)
6. Make That Date Already: Set up the interview and get the heck off the phone. Never dillydally or think the strength of a relationship is measured by the how many minutes you spent on the phone. You both know why you are talking — in both cases.
7. Be Considerate: Never — ever — call during deadline or when the date is in the shower. Or at 5:00 on Friday. Or in the middle of the night (date wise). Offer to have your client do the interview over the weekend if it helps the journo out. Be flexible with both parties!
8. Do Not Compromise Integrity: If the story does not fit, or if you could never see yourself with this guy or gal for more than a couple of shoddy minutes, do not try to make it work. Walk away and look for the better fit now.
9. Make A Lasting Impression: Position the client appropriately and personalize your story angle. Talking about the CEO as the CEO is not going to get you anywhere. Use first names. With dates, use nicknames. Uh huh.
10. Show Intelligence: Nobody likes an idiot. I have said what everyone is thinking.
I’m Twittering like no tomorrow at www.twitter.com/laermer
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Good PowerPoint Design - a strategic business tool
Have you ever "sold" a business project to your management or a venture to a financier? Did you ever happen to use PowerPoint or a similar presentation tool? Probably yes. Well, how much time did you invest in your slide deck? Were your slides beautiful?
Those are questions I now always ask my audiences in my keynotes and workshops on the topic of business model innovation. And most often people do not take PowerPoint seriously. However, they should. PowerPoint is a powerful weapon if used correctly! If used wrongly (as is the case for 90% of presentations) it is rather suicidal.
I attribute a substantial part of my success in my keynote speeches and workshops to my PowerPoint presentations. In fact, the design of my slide decks eat up a big part of my preparation time.
Here my learning as to "Good PPT-Design", which I recently presented at a business incubator in Switzerland
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