But we are always learning new things through our work with clients, and every now and then, we learn something that we want to share with you all.

Over the past several months, I have tried my hand at a tactic straight from the PR handbook, but one that is used less frequently in book publicity strategies: generating research for public release. We decided to try it when Rory Vaden extended his partnership with us after a great launch campaign for his 2012 book, Take the Stairs. After seeing Rory grow his platform and establish himself as an expert in the media in a fairly short window, we knew there was much more to be done on behalf of his brand and book.

In addition to generating local TV interviews for him while on the road as a speaker, we set our sights on Rory’s big goal: national television and print. With the book six months old, we needed fresh content and messaging in order to reapproach the national media that we hit so hard during the campaign. And one of the best ways to generate your own media-worthy story is to conduct a study. New research and statistics are catnip for the media – on any given day, you’ll come across dozens of stories and TV segments with leads that use a new study as the setup for helpful tips and fresh insight on an age-old topic. So for thought leaders looking to breathe new life into an evergreen message, generating a compelling statistic is a great approach to try.

Rory’s platform is all about the link between self-discipline and success, so we set our sights on a study about New Year’s resolutions, timed for release just before January 1. Having never commissioned a study myself, Rory and I were both learning about the process for the first time – and thankfully, he trusted me enough to give it a try and learn together. So I set off on my fact-finding mission, digging around and talking to others in the PR industry about their experiences. I discovered that the market research world is huge, a bit confusing, and expensive – but if you play your cards right, the payoff is 100% worth it.

Here are a few tips for getting PR mileage out of research, based on what Rory and I learned:

1. Research the research. Finding the right firm was the step that took the most time. There are hundreds of firms out there, and when you’ve never commissioned a study before, you’re in the frustrating position of not knowing what you don’t know. So after a ton of research, I narrowed my list down to six firms. I spoke to each at length, and asked countless questions (most of which probably sounded ridiculous) until I had a solid understanding of the process, the research options, the pros/cons of each method, and the general price tag. I needed to know what exactly Rory was going to buy before I could begin to think about who to hire.
2. Define what you need from a firm. This depends a great deal on how much experience you have with research, and how you plan to use it. If you’ve been around the block, then most likely you just need a firm that will complete the study quickly, accurately, and for a reasonable price. If you’re like us and you are commissioning research for the first time, you need a partner who will not only guide you through the process, but be thoughtful about your brand, message, and desired results, as these are the factors that influence what questions the study asks, and how it asks them. And beyond that, how do you plan to use the results? Are they going into a chapter of a book to underline one of your key points or principles? Will you use it to bulk up your speaking presentations? Do you plan to release it to the media in order to secure print coverage and TV bookings, as in Rory’s case? After considering our needs – guidance and education, strategic help crafting the right questions, and study results that would be of interest to high-level national media – we decided to hire Kelton, a boutique research firm that specializes in research for media release. The firm was founded by two former media professionals, and they have pulled in team members from journalism, marketing, and public relations. Not only did they have the media specialty we needed, but they also pride themselves on being more of a partner than a vendor, guiding you from the initial brainstorm all the way to post-media pitching counsel. The level of service, thoughtfulness and expertise were a perfect match for our needs.
3. Define your dream headline. The questions you ask and the way you ask them will directly impact your data, and ultimately, your media headline. When we started the brainstorm process with Kelton, Rory had a vision for his dream TV segment – that he would be on the show to tell viewers they are X% more likely to keep their resolutions if they do just one thing. By knowing what we wanted to find – one thing that would increase chances of success by a measurable percentage – we gave the research experts at Kelton crucial direction on what kinds of questions to ask. This step can make or break the process.
4. Pick a lead statistic that lends itself to a call to action. Our research team analyzed the data and delivered a number of compelling statistics about how successful people are (or rather, are not) at keeping New Year’s resolutions. While several of these findings were front-runners for our headline statistic – for example, 18% of people gave up after just one day, and 65% of people couldn’t make it past 30 days – our most compelling finding was that 76% of people who made it past 30 days kept their resolution indefinitely. This means that if they can just make it through the first month, their success is almost inevitable. We loved this not only because that percentage is so dramatic, but also because it naturally translated into a hopeful call to action – just get over the 30-day hump, and you’re almost guaranteed to succeed.
5. Offer advice. With your compelling statistic in hand, craft actionable tips for addressing the challenge or insight your research uncovered. In Rory’s case, he zeroed in on advice that would help people get over the 30-day hump – a specific challenge, followed by very specific tips like “Pick one resolution and scrap the rest,” and “Set a weekly check-in appointment on your calendar.” The more specific and actionable the better, especially for TV.
6. Release your results far and wide – but don’t forget the personal touch. We distributed a press release with the study results and tips on the wire, but I also made personalized pitches to my own targeted list of contacts as well. A wire release is absolutely key for online pick-up and making you “findable” to journalists working on your topic. But if you’re aiming for national press, don’t just rely on the wire release – pitch individually as well. In addition to getting online pick-up and blog mentions thanks to the wire release, our efforts also yielded a mention in Fortune, and a segment on The Better Show, a nationally syndicated morning program. And we were able to get more mileage out of it with local media, with an appearance on a great local morning TV show in Indianapolis just this week, while Rory was in town for a speaking engagement.

What other tactics you have used to generate your own story, or breathe new life into your message?

That’s right, the time has finally come to show off the new digs that we share with our partner, Shelton Interactive. It’s going to be fun night filled with food, festivities and lots of mingling.

Naturally, as we prepare for the party, we want to make sure everything looks its best and I’ve watched lately as our very talented  in-house design team puts the final touches on the decor. And this got me thinking…

This might, just might, provide the chance to fulfill a lifelong goal of mine: a crazy bookcase. They’re so fun! They’re so functional! Every hip book publicity firm needs one, don’t you think?

Here are my favorite five:

The United States Bookcase:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/11-of-the-coolest-bookcas_n_391684.html?slidenumber=AZTz%2FD%2F9RsM%3D&slideshow

The Equilibrium Bookcase:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/5-crazy-bookcases-for-your-kids-179311

The Dog Bookcase:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/05/01/pack-of-dogs-bookshelf-by-nel-studio/

The Curvy:

http://joannecostello.tumblr.com/post/775168929/i-love-bookcases-check-out-cool-bookcase-designs

The Tangram:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/11-of-the-coolest-bookcas_n_391684.html?slidenumber=YZCp5jZow3M%3D&slideshow

Okay, so maybe this is why I’m not on the decorating team. What do you think? Which one do you like?

One of the biggest contributors to this industry-wide transformation is Amazon, which began publishing books in 2009 and continues to make waves as they impact how books are sold and for how much, and, in some cases, even the perceived popularity of a title.

In a recent article for The New York Times, David Streitfeld explored the impact of negative reviews – specifically “attack campaigns” – on book sales. The piece looked at how a group of Michael Jackson fans rallied to bombard a biography of the singer with one-star reviews – even succeeding in getting Amazon to briefly remove the book from sale.

This is not the first we have heard of such a campaign, either. Earlier this year, a delayed publication date for a fantasy series led to nearly 300 one-star reviews, mostly from people who had not yet read the book.

According to Streitfeld’s article, Amazon has recently amped up efforts to remove reviews by those deemed too close to the author, yet little attention has been paid to attack reviews.

While I feel certain Amazon is working on how to stop attack campaigns, I believe this calls into focus a larger question: to what degree do we as consumers expect (or desire) Amazon to police reviews – whether positive or negative?

We’re curious to hear your thoughts – weigh in below!

Whether it’s tackling that mountain of gifted cookies, guesstimating the appropriate amount of wrapping paper for oddly shaped presents, or introducing the newest of family members to holiday traditions, we want to send you and yours our warmest blessings.

Thank you for all your support and a wonderful year!

In the wake of today’s horrific shooting in Newton, Connecticut, we at Cave Henricks Communications would also like to take this opportunity to express our condolences to the victims and their families.  Our hearts go out to those affected in what should be a joyous and celebratory time of year.

• You don’t have to be an extrovert to be a publicist. I don’t think anyone who has ever met me would categorize me as an extrovert. When I became a publicist, I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to become the hobnobbing, sassy publicist you see on TV. Lucky for me, that’s TV and this is real life. Working in publicity as an introvert has many advantages; we listen, say what we mean, and pay attention to detail.

• How to handle rejection. Reaching out to 100+ people for book coverage, I’ve learned not everyone is going to be as excited or passionate about a book as I am. There are going to be no’s, and there is rarely going to be an explanation. It’s like a bad breakup on repeat, but you learn to accept the rejection and move on. Eventually you learn to appreciate the rejection, because believe it or not, there’s something far worse…

• Think rejection is bad? Try the sound of silence. I’ve started to prefer the no’s over an inactive inbox with no replies. After a day of media outreach, my mind starts to wonder – maybe my e-mail accidentally went to spam? Or maybe they’ve changed their e-mail address? Nope, journalists and producers are just very busy people who don’t have time to say no to every pitch they’re not interested in.

• There is no “right way.” I’ve had the opportunity to partner with each of my colleagues on different projects, and they all have their own way of doing things. Every project is unique unto itself, so what might be a good publicity strategy for one book may not necessary work for another. With each new book we take on, we’re brainstorming new ways to do outreach and build relationships.

• A personalized note can go a long way. No one wants to feel like one of many, we want to feel like one in a million. E-mail blasts often do not go over well with our media contacts, and who can blame them? They’re generic, impersonal, and let’s be honest, an easy out. If you want someone to write a thoughtful piece on your book, you’ve got to send a well researched, thoughtful pitch.

I spent the year after I graduated college blissfully working at a small independent bookstore outside of Milwaukee called Books & Company. I enjoyed almost every aspect of working there — interacting with the regular customers, hand-selling my personal favorites, smelling the coffee wafting in from the coffee shop next store — but by far my favorite experience was the children’s story time that I was in charge of each week.

Every Thursday at 10am,  I would perch upon my stool in front of twenty or thirty kids and read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Lorax, or Giraffes Can’t Dance. And while my performance skills left much to be desired, I’m sure, the children loved it. A bookstore is truly a magical place to them.

So this Saturday, I’m going to take any and every child I know to the third annual Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day.

Started by author Jenny Milchman, the day is her way of encouraging people to share the joy of being in a bookstore with children. “Bookstores hold a place in the hearts and times of our community. They are places to discover an author, a story, a life. Nothing affords the conversation and interaction among books and book lovers that a bookstore does. In the future, whether you download your story or pluck a volume off a shelf, a bookstore will be able to accommodate. But in order for bookstores to flourish and thrive, we must expose future generations to the unique pleasures they offer,” writes Milchman on the TYCBD Web site.

There are over 400 bookstores participating this year, check out this interactive map to find a store near you: http://www.takeyourchildtoabookstore.org/bookstores. Many are doing special story times.

If you’re in the Austin area (like us), there are several stores participating. Get out there and show your support!

BookPeople
603 N. Lamar
Austin, TX 78703
512-472-5050

BookWoman
5501 N. Lamar Blvd. Ste. A-105
Austin, Texas 78751
512-472-2785

Half Price Books
2500 W. Parmer
Austin, Texas 78727
512-454-3664

The Book Spot
1205 Round Rock Ave #119
Round Rock, TX 78681
(512) 351-3284

Image from blog.wantist.com

With Thanksgiving upon us, we are reminded once again how much we have to be thankful for this year. So far in 2012, we have celebrated two bestselling titles, the addition of Margaret and Megan to our team, as well as a move into a great new office alongside Shelton Interactive.  Two things make a banner year like this one possible: first, our truly amazing clients, and second great books.

Following tradition, we have compiled a list of the books we are most thankful for this year.

Barbara – The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides

Eugenidies is a master of voice whose latest work about the intertwined lives of three students at Brown University was the most transporting book I’ve read this year. I found myself lost in what, in lesser hands, would have been a well-worn coming of age tale. Instead, I found myself lost in the characters’ interactions and inner lives.  It is almost as though Mr. Eugenides is able to take a plot, tilt it slightly to one side, and strip back the layers to reveal an entirely compelling and fresh look at the lives of his well-drawn characters. I was pinned to the pages from beginning to end and was so sad to see it end.  A fan since he published his first novel, The Virgin Suicides, in 1993, I only wish he wrote more books for me to devour.

Jessica – Quiet, by Susan Cain

Cain’s premise – how dramatically American culture undervalues introverts, and how much we lose in doing so – altered my mindset so strongly that I now see her ideas in action nearly every day. It also helped me reframe my own work in a very personal way. Quiet encouraged me not only to embrace my introverted personality (it’s true, introverted publicists exist!), but to reflect on how my quiet and thoughtful tendencies actually contribute to my unique strengths on the job. It’s a fascinating and extremely well-executed work of non-fiction, and personally empowering to boot.

Kaila – Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young

In a time when technology commands our attention at seemingly all times – between email and text messages chirping persistently on our iPhones, constant Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn notifications, and a 24-hour news cycle to keep us updated real-time on happenings around the world – making time for quiet reflection can be a challenge. In Jesus Calling, Young challenges readers to do just that, offering a daily devotional dedicated to focusing our minds on God’s Word and finding peace in His presence.

Kim – The Knot Book of Wedding Lists, by Carley Roney

Admittedly, I spent much of the last year diving into a lot of wedding and marital books, but the book that I was most thankful for throughout my wedding planning – and fretting – was The Knot Book of Wedding Lists. Although the book doesn’t offer groundbreaking advice, it does provide a timeline that breaks down all the overwhelming wedding tasks into a far less daunting to-do list (something I think many of my fellow publicists can appreciate)!

Lew – Married for Life, by Bill Morelan

This little book of daily readings offers insights and personal stories from couples who have been married for more than 50 years.  My husband and I read it together each night and even read it over the phone to each other when one of us is traveling.  It’s a great book of encouraging stories of people who have made it through all kinds of adventures in life’s journey to celebrate 50+ years together.

Margaret – Fodor’s San Antonio, Austin & Hill Country, by Fodor’s

Before officially moving down to Austin last April, I had been to the state of Texas a grand total of one time. And being a lifelong Yankee, I truly did feel like the move was a big adventure into the unknown.

This Fodor’s guide has been my constant companion since, and has inspired some really fun trips. Day trip to Gruene to see the famous dance hall? Check. A hike up Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg? Check. A ghost tour along San Antonio’s River Walk? Check. So this year, I’m thankful for this small orange book that has taken me deep into the heart of Texas.

Megan – Estampas de la Raza: Contemporary Mexican American Prints from the Romo Collection by Lyle W. Williams

This exhibition catalogue celebrates an influential yet rarely discussed art scene – Chicano printmaking. Held at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas, the exhibition features prints from my dear friends at Coronado Studio + the Serie Project (who themselves are celebrating a 20-year anniversary).  Studying the pages, you’re sure to see that the collection of prints, captured through such cultural icons as Frida Kahlo, Tejano music, and tattoos, is truly groundbreaking. I so appreciate the beautiful forms, passionate nature, and dedicated community involved in Latino printmaking.

Rusty – One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp

I am thankful for Ann’s masterpiece, One Thousand Gifts, which has impacted hundreds of thousands of lives since it released in early 2011. The book focuses on the power of gratitude, and I can tell you from working closely with Ann for some time, she is a true embodiment of the message. If you are looking for a book that will change the way you look at life, look no further.

One of the most marked differences is that a larger share of the media hits we secure for clients come in the form of guest articles. While the opportunities for book reviews in print magazines are increasingly elusive, most of the major media outlets are looking more and more to book authors to supply them with original and insightful content for their online operations. It’s a win-win for content-hungry editors and media-seeking authors. So while you might not get a book review in Fast Company, you have a decent chance of placing a guest piece on their website – if you play by the right rules.

Without a doubt, the most effective way to place a guest piece is by responding to the news cycle. It’s our job to monitor the news for major stories that we can use as “news hooks” to secure media placements for our clients – whether it’s getting them on NPR to comment on a developing story, or flagging news stories as opportunities to lend their insight in the form of a guest piece.

There are countless news stories every week, but the key is to look for the ones that reach critical mass – the ones that spark conversations and dialogues, whether at cocktail parties or on Twitter. If you follow the media regularly, you’ll notice that most weeks have one or two major stories that dominate the national conversation. If you happen to have expertise in a topic area that connects to the story, you have a prime opportunity on your hands – and you’ll want to leverage it quickly and with the right execution.

So, what are the guidelines for responding to the news cycle in a way that will catch the attention of top editors?

For insights, let’s take a look at how authors responded to this week’s top news story: the Gen. Petraeus scandal. Below are five completely unique takes on the story – each one was written by the author of a book, and published by a top business media outlet.

The Warning Signs of David Petraeus’ Fall, And How to Find a Way Forward

By Tom Kolditz, author of In Extremis Leadership: Leading As If Your Life Depended On It

Published on FastCompany.com

Leadership Lessons: Petraeus & the Value of Failure

By Margaret Heffernan, author of Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril 

Published on Inc.com

What David Petraeus Teaches All of Us About Trust

By Rodger Dean Duncan, author of Change-Friendly Leadership: How to Transform Good Intentions Into Great Performance

Published on Forbes.com

How Often Do People Have Sex at the Office?

By Arianne Cohen, author of The Sex Diaries Project: What We’re Saying About What We’re Doing (John Wiley & Sons)

Published by Businessweek.com

Petraeus and the Rise of Narcissistic Leaders

By Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of Power: Why Some People Have It – And Others Don’t

Published by HBR.org

Each article reflects on the same news story, but is written with a different angle in mind, based on his/her unique platform and expertise. What can we learn from them? A few takeaways:

• Act Fast. The media waits for no one. If you spot a news story and recognize the unique angle you bring, but it takes you over a week to write the piece, you have likely missed the window. Chances are, someone else got there first.

• Know your topic area. Each writer from this list explored the Petraeus story through the lens of their particular area of expertise. This all goes back to platform-building – know your topic, stay on message, and stick with it for the long-hau.

• It’s not actually about the news story. While you are writing with a news outlet in mind, your job is not to report the news – it’s to use the news as a starting point for drawing universal lessons that you are uniquely qualified to offer. For example, Rodger Dean Duncan leads with the Petraeus story, but then spends the bulk of his article drawing lessons from the scandal that any leader would find relevant. Duncan is a highly-accomplished leadership consultant and expert (he’s also our highly-awesome client), so he recognized that his readers would look to him not for his opinion on the scandal itself, but for the universal leadership principles they could draw from it

• Resist the urge to promote your book. This is one of the trickiest parts. When you have a major media outlet in the palm of your hand, it’s so tempting to sneak in as many mentions of your book as possible, or to approach the entire piece through the framework of your book. But if you don’t resist this temptation, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an editor who will agree to run your piece. When editors look to book authors for guest content, they aren’t interested in your book – they are interested in your ideas, and what those ideas (that often come from the book) can communicate to readers about the biggest news story of the moment. You will serve yourself far better over the long-term if you approach your piece like a journalist, resist the urge to self-promote, and trust that the book mention in your byline is all the promotion you need.

What are the major stories of the moment that you can weigh in on?

Though rolodexes are no longer large clunky eyesores that sit on desks, they are still a central focus of our work with clients. One of our primary goals in promoting an author is to help him build his reputation as the “go-to” expert in his field, inserting him into the conversation of daily news and establishing him as a trustworthy source for our media contacts to call on time and time again – in many cases, long past the on-sale date of the book.

For example, this month alone we heard from:

CBS This Morning, requesting Charlotte Beers for comment on the commercials being released in Pakistan after the U.S. Embassy came under attack.  Once the CEO of Ogilvy & Mather and the Chairman of J. Walter Thompson, Beers’ book, I’d Rather Be in Charge, published in January.

Harvard Business Review, requesting an extended interview with Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt on navigating office politics for a new HBR Press book.  Flynn, Heath, and Holt’s book, Break Your Own Rules, covered women advancement in the workplace and published last September.

Your World with Neil Cavuto (Fox News), requesting former Campbell Soup Company CEO Douglas Conant to appear with Cavuto in the coming weeks to discuss the economy and the current political situation.

These opportunities to discuss relevant and breaking news are invaluable opportunities for authors, as they can stimulate their businesses, speaking opportunities, and continued sales for their books.

We celebrate when unprompted calls come to us as they did this month, but when they don’t come unprompted, here’s how we work to establish an author as an expert on a specific subject:

• When a book is launched, concentrate some of the effort on “off the book page” coverage, going to reporters in the author’s particular area of expertise and making the reporter familiar with the author’s credentials and willingness to comment on breaking news.  This is best done when that expertise might be needed or welcomed – such as offering an economist on a day when the Congress is debating the Fiscal Cliff. Connecting reporters with experts when news is breaking is a vital part of our job.

• Learn how to showcase your author’s credentials in a way that’s useful to the media. Along with a very brief bio, consider embedding a link to video if you’re working with television or radio producers to illustrate that the author is both credible and well-spoken in on-air situations.

• Never overpromise.  Check FIRST with your author on what his or her comfort level is in breaking news situations, and be aware of any restrictions they have in commenting about specific companies or political situations.  Reporters rely on good PR people to accurately represent their clients.  Never suggest you have ready access to someone you do not. Even as the media world changes before our eyes, moving online, expanding into formats like blogs and podcasts, basic rules of journalism remain firmly intact.

When publicizing a book, do not underestimate the power of publicizing the author as the expert in their field. As the pressure on reporters for quantity, quality, and turnaround increases, the value of establishing your author as a reliable, trustworthy, and helpful source cannot be emphasized enough.

I’m also looking forward to having some down time to catch up on reading. As a bookworm, working in publishing is both a blessing and a curse – I read nearly every day of my life, and between my clients’ books, books for research, and keeping up with a frighteningly long list of media outlets and blogs, I consume massive amounts of information every week. It’s exactly the way I want it to be – this continuous learning is one of the primary reasons I love what I do.

But it also means I have little time left over for “fun” reading – reading for pure pleasure and escape, typically, for me, in the form of novels. I tend to cram these into vacations and short spurts of time off, and this trip will be no different. But my reading list has been growing for some time, and after trying to pick something out for my trip, I’ve officially hit the decision paralysis wall.

So, I’m enlisting your help! I whittled my list down to my top five choices, and I need your recommendations to pare it down to two books. Have you read any of these? What is absolutely not to be missed? Anything that’s not listed here that I simply can’t afford NOT to read?

GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn – Everyone and their uncle is reading or has already read this “unputdownable masterpiece” – I can’t seem to go a day without seeing it somewhere. I’m also a sucker for thrillers and crime novels, so unless anyone can convince me otherwise, it’s safe to say this is taking one of my two spots.

WILD by Cheryl Strayed – As a book publicist, it feels like a moral and professional duty to read the book that inspired Oprah to relaunch her book club. Add that to the fact that my colleague Margaret got me hooked on her Dear Sugar column at The Rumpus, and this looks like a major contender.

HAPPIER AT HOME by Gretchen Rubin – I admit that I haven’t read Rubin’s wildly popular book The Happiness Project. But when I saw her latest at Book Expo this year, I pre-ordered it as soon as I could. Home design is a total passion of mine, and I absolutely believe that the environment you create in your home, and how you spend your time there, greatly contributes to your overall wellbeing. This one is high on my list.

THE CASUAL VACANCY by J.K. Rowling – This one’s appeal is all about curiosity. I’m not totally drawn in by the premise, but I’m pretty intrigued to find out how J.K. Rowling holds up post-Harry Potter. It’s not out until next week, and I haven’t met anyone who’s had an early peek. Have any of you read an early copy or have some insight from those on the inside?

ZONE ONE by Colson Whitehead – This one proves just how far back my reading list goes – it’s been out so long it’s now in paperback. It’s been sitting on my bookshelf for a year, and after all the amazing reviews (from both media and friends alike), I feel guilty for not having gotten to it yet. But truth be told, zombies freak me out. I had to force myself to stick it out through the first season of The Walking Dead, and as much as I think it’s fantastic TV, the notion of a zombie apocalypse sends me to a place that, mentally, I just really, really don’t enjoy. So give it to me straight – how creepy is this? Is it mild enough for a wimp like me? Or is it just so good that it doesn’t matter? Honesty, please.

So, decision time. What should stay? What should go? And is there anything I haven’t included that simply can’t be missed?