Good morning!
This week was an exciting week in publishing for Scarletta. www.ScarlettaPress.comTarget released Monster Needs a Costume in stores. It is a story about a boy and his friend, Monster. The books are imaginative, fun-loving and great vocabulary builders.
Monster Needs a Costume is the first book in the Monster & Me series. The next will be Monster Needs His Sleep and then Monster Needs a Christmas Tree.
Go to your local Target and pick one up for Halloween!
Good morning all!
Be sure to catch Major Miguel Reece on The Sandy Kastel Show in Vegas. He will be on talking about his new book, The Disabled Veterans’ Story this Thursday morning at 9 am. Here is the link: http://www.sandykastel.com/the-show
He will also be appearing at the Four Queens Hotel and Casino in Vegas on August 29 to do a book signing. It is from 5:30 to 10 pm.
Look for more appearances as well as a special Veterans Day event.
This is a special book about what happens to a soldier when he becomes a veteran.
www.MiguelReece.com.
Sara
All week we have been hearing about the Ice Bucket Challenge! http://www.alsa.org/news/archive/ice-bucket-challenge.html
Although it is really fun to watch celebrities get a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads, I’m wondering..have donations to ALS increase since the beginning of the challenges?
As a publicist, I always say raising awareness is the number one objective of any campaign, however the number one objective of any client is to sell their product.
So is this stunt increasing donations in order to accomplish the number one objective for the non-profit: cure ALS?
Here are some numbers:
The association has begun posting daily tallies from the fundraiser on its website, stating on Wednesday that since July 29 it had raised $31.5 million. That’s an $8.6 million jump over the previous day’s tally, and more than 16 times the amount it had received over the same period last year.
I’m very glad they have increased donations. Hopefully this goes a long way to help the more than 30,000 with the disease.
Have a happy Thursday!
Sara
Happy Tuesday morning!
Last week was a tragic week for the Williams’ family as it was for any family who last a loved one to suicide that week or any week. It made us all realize that depression and suicide does not discriminate based on wealth, talent or race. Robin suffered, we all suffer.
In addition to the emotional aspect of the death, another issue arose. How does the PR community deal with this story?
I don’t have all the answers but I do have some comments.
This death was traumatic and very unexpected. We did not know such a beloved start was suffering so greatly. I hope it teaches us to cherish each moment and individuals in our lives when they are here.
Here are my PR-related thoughts.
1. This was a story. A huge story. The media will study it from every angle. They need PR people to do this. Many jumped on those in public relations for offering up sources. Big deal! Was it any different from a plane crash, when Whitney Houston died or any other major story?
2. I don’t fault PR people. That is our job! Why is this story any different? If anything it can draw more attention to depression issues.
3. PR people tell stories too! We should work with the media and not against it.
4. PR agencies should offer sources with tact and diplomacy. Don’t use it as an ad.
5. At the end of the day we are all working for someone and this story gave many news agencies stories to print and PR agencies stories to pitch. It’s the news cycle and a part of our every day reality.
Welcome to the 21st Century!
Just sad, sad news this week.
I had just finished my work out on Tuesday night when I read on People.com that Lauren Bacall had died of a stroke. Although not as tragic as Robin Williams, Bacall was an a fashion icon, wonderful actress and legend in Hollywood. Her life will be remember as one of strength and passion.
Raised by a single mother in New York, most of her friends knew her as just Betty. She was a legend before she appeared on the screen based on modeling shots. She also appeared in a photo with President Truman with him playing the piano and she is sitting on top.
She appeared in wonderful movies that are all very different.
My favorite is How to Marry a Millionaire. It is fun to see her tough-as-nails character get taken down a notch by the “gas pump jockey millionaire.”
She is also wonderful in To Have and Have Not, Designing Woman, and The Mirror Has Two Faces.
Rest in Peace Betty!
Good afternoon!
I cannot let the day go by without mentioning Robin Williams. Such a tragedy!
I will remember Williams for his humor as well as his dramatic abilities. His live comedy show “Live at the Met” was pure genius. My college roommate and I played it over and over. So much that the tracks started wearing out!
There will never be another like him.
I will remember his performances in:
1. Good Morning, Vietnam
2. Dead Poets Society
3. The Birdcage
4. Mrs. Doubtfire
5. Mork and Mindy
My wonderful husband sent this to me this week. Great advice. I would add two more.
1. Show don’t tell me. My boss at my internship told me this. Don’t use tons of words to describe your thoughts. Paint me a picture.
2. We have to kill some babies. My journalist professor told me this. It means we have to cut words, pages, whole sections to fit the space.
Here are more suggestions from Random House:
http://randomnotes.randomhouse.com/the-best-suggestion-i-ever-got-from-my-editor/?Ref=Email_B2C_2014-8-6Agents_July2014
Sara
Last weekend I read a great article about PR.
These are great tips.
1. Pay for LinkedIn Inmail.
2. Contributors are better than editors.
3. Get to know people on Twitter.
4. Pitch multiple formats.
5. Amplify content through Digg, Reddit, Delicious.
6. Make sure you use SEO.
7. Do a giveaway.
8. Get listed on lists.
9. Promote others as well.
Great tips. This is from Dmitri Davydov on MadConomist.com.
Thank you, Dmitri.
