Recently I received a press release about a new book, Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini. It sounded interesting, so I asked for a review copy, which was promptly sent by the publicist at Free Press, a Simon & Schuster imprint. It's an excellent book and I recommend it.
I asked the publicist to set up an interview with Robert B. Cialdini, one of the authors. I explained that I wanted to record the interview for broadcast on my online radio show, Doing It Right Radio, and would also use quotes from the interview in business column I write for a controlled circulation magazine that isn't widely known. I further explained that after the magazine published the article, I would then post it on my website and other article websites, so it would get strong internet exposure.
I thought it was a win-win situation. The interview would take less than a half-hour, I would get a good program for my radio show, I would be able to write a good article that would help people, and the book would get some positive publicity.
But the publicist refused to set up the interview because she wasn't familiar with the magazine. She knew I regularly contribute to Entrepreneur, and she would only set up an interview if I was doing it for an article in that magazine.
This was absurdly short-sighted of the publicist--and possibly the author, if he made the decision. Every author wants to get on Oprah and every expert wants to be quoted in the top-selling periodicals. I know that, but I also know that every bit of positive publicity you can get helps build your image and your brand.
If you're trying to promote a book or any other type of product, don't make this mistake. If you are contacted by a reputable writer, do the interview. Even if you don't get a huge PR splash from that single contact, you never know what future benefit you may get from having established the relationship.
