300 Seconds: The Media List
The beginning of a new year seems to be an appropriate time to clean things up. Today you should take a look at your media list. Did Jane Smith retire? Did Sam Jones move to a different market? It truly takes just a few minutes to call the folks on your list to verify that the contacts you have are still appropriate.
Once you’re finished, add an “Updated 01/02/14” footnote, then save it as a PDF. Now it’s ready to send to any publicist who might be sending an author your way.
If you don’t have a media list, it doesn’t take much time or effort to create one. Just jot down the list of media outlets in your area, including newspaper, radio, television, etc. Write down any names with whom you’re already familiar. Include their names, title, e-mail address, phone and fax numbers, and mailing addresses. Be sure to include multiple names for different specialties (book page, children & family writer, etc.) I recommend calling the radio and television stations to ask for the news director’s name because they tend to change often. When you call, explain who you are and that you’re updating your media list. Creating a new media list might take a *few* 300 second sessions, but it will be worth it.
