As a freelance journalist who writes for “recognizable” newsstand magazines and newspapers, I am added to promotional campaign mailing lists and press release blasts by authors. In the half a dozen or so years since I’ve been receiving notifications, requests and, frankly, pleading emails from authors to plug their books, I’ve found a few mistakes occur repeatedly. Are you making any of these?
1. More info, please.
I was interviewing writers for an article I’m writing for an online writing magazine. An author who has a memoir coming out later this year emailed me to ask if there was any way I could help her out. “Sure,” I emailed back. If not a straight-up review, there’s always the possibility of Q&As or features I may already be writing on the topic. I asked her to send me an email with details. The email arrived, but instead of a description of the book, she sent blurbs. Fantastic blurbs, mind you, but completely irrelevant all the same. Had she sent me a media kit and a copy immediately, I’d have thought of something while this author was still top of mind. Instead, I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out what exactly the memoir is about. I’ve lost interest.
