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Book Marketing InformationGetting Syndicated
by:
Penny C. Sansevieri
Over the years I’ve spoken to a number of authors who say they draw a bead on to write a syndicated column. Acquiring syndicated is a great idea, albeit a challenging one. If you’ve thought of this no doubt most (if not all) of your competition has too. But don’t let this discourage you, piece syndication may take a while, it’s still worth pursuing.
There are a number of tried and true route you can enter this market, there are besides a few “back door” methods that mightiness activity equally as good. The 1st thing you’ll need to do however is get to cognize your competition. For this I recommend that you get a copy of The Editor & Publisher Annual Directory of Syndication. Sometimes you can get this in bookstores but I’d recommend simply ordering it online at www.editorandpublisher.com. Explore this book cautiously and you’ll find that syndicated columns are listed by several the syndicated service that offers them as well as their topic. This wish give you a nice starting point in your research and since most newspapers now have on-line archives, you’ll be able to explore past articles and see how these topics disagree from your own.
Once you’ve explored this, define for yourself how your topic/angle is several from the ones you found during your research. Then once you’ve defined this, you can start targeting papers or syndication services with your query letter and sample articles. This is the traditional way of entering this market. For most it can be long and tedious and you mightiness find that without prior “clippings” to offer them, the process takes even as longer. In that vein, I’d recommend that you try offering your column topically
1st or to one paper at a time but not in a “syndication deal” but as a filler, newspapers wish be a lot faster
to take filler items than to explore syndication options with you. By offering them consistent filler content (and saving those valuable clippings) you’ll start to grow your level of experience, you’ll build a reputation with the editor or editorial staff and you’ll begin to get a sense of what makes and doesn’t activity with written
media. An associate of mine did this, not with a local paper but with a paper she’d been offering her articles to, after simply about two years of consistent submission she may be in line to fill the shoes of their in-house syndicated editorialist who is retiring.
Once you have build several exposure for yourself and gathered clippings of your work, then it’s time to start pitching your topic to syndicated services (some of them are listed below) or regional newspapers. For this you’ll need a great query letter establishing your credentials and explaining why your idea is several from the others they mightiness be considering, you’ll need several sample articles (other than your clippings) and possibly several letters of reference from several papers you’ve worked for. Submit this packet to newspapers or syndicated services that mightiness be appropriate to your topic and then support nice records and do your follow-up simply like you would-be if you were pitching the media on thing
else. The same rules apply really, pitch and follow-up and stay on their microwave radar screen.
So, at the end of the day once
you find yourself with success
syndicated wish you get paid for all your hard activity – absolutely! What you’ll get paid varies depending on how galore papers feature you and whether you are working through a syndication service. Syndication services are great but they wish typically take 40 to 50 percentage of your sales. If you self-syndicate you get all the proceeds. Piece it’s great to do this, support in mind that you’ll need to have nice trailing systems in place once your column takes off.
As an already promulgated author, syndication can be another great way to promote you and your book. Your book wish lend you the credibleness you need to get that column and from this in progress written
exposure several moneymaking publication deals could follow suit. Syndication may not be an easy road but if tackled correctly, can be a great way to boost your promotion, expand your platform and get the kind of exposure you only ever unreal
of!
Major syndicates – check online for their submission guidelines
Copley News Service
http://www.copleynews.com
King Features
http://www.kingfeatures.com
Universal Press Syndicate
http://www.amuniversal.com/ups/index.htm
BONUS TIP: If you’re trying to follow the comings and goings of syndicated writers, Editor and Publisher (www.editorandpublisher) is a great resource for that. Check out the “Departments” tab on their web site for the latest news on columns that mightiness be coming available!
Just simply about the author:
Penny C. Sansevieri
The Cliffhanger was promulgated in Gregorian calendar month
of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed
the ranks at Amazon.com to the ##1 better merchandising book in San Diego. Her most recent book: No Much Rejections. Get Promulgated Today! was discharged in Gregorian calendar month
of 2003 to rave reviews. Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She besides coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of hunt on publication and promotion. To discover much simply about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.comTo subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
Copyright ã 2004 Penny C. Sansevieri
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