The Real LJ Idol - Toot Your Own Horn - I Do Words

You’ve worked hard, fellow Idol contestants, and you deserve some recognition. Please feel free to appropriate this fill-in-the-blanks press release.

1) Check out the filled-in example below, then create your own press release using the template that follows. You have blanket permission to copy as much as you want and change as much as you like. Try not to get too fancy on voice—make your quotes sparkle, but let the material around your speech be just the facts. Keep it short! More than one page is too long.

2) Contact your local newspaper, city magazine, or NPR station (a phone call will be fastest) and ask who handles literary news and book reviews. If you’re in a smaller town, that may just be the arts editor. Get the specific name and email of someone to send the press release to, and email it to them. Paste it in the body of the email - many places won't open attachments.

3) Follow up with an email or phone call about three days later. Many times your press release is lost, misplaced or forgotten. That’s part of the process; be prepared to resend and be cool about it.

4) Have in mind a short section of your strongest piece that could be excerpted to run alongside an article about you, if they request it.

5) Cross your fingers and hope for a slow news week!

Who might like to promote you? Local newspapers and magazines, writing publications you subscribe to, blogs about writing where you have a personal connection with the author, your own blog, your local public radio station, your church or community newsletter, local alternative paper.

A larger news outlet will have a reporter call or email you to do an interview and write it themselves. Small media often reprint your press release as written, so make it a good piece that represents you but sounds reasonably unbiased.


 - SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE -

For immediate release: June 13, 2012
Contact: Allison Williams
myemail@mydomain.com
555-555-5555

LOCAL WRITER FINDS SUCCESS IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEST

Anyone can enter. There is no prize. And thirty grueling weeks into The Real LJ Idol, Allison Williams is still writing alongside contestants from the UK, Australia, Sweden, Canada, and across the USA.

“All the winner gets is internet glory,” says Williams, a Kalamazoo-based trapeze artist who joined the contest “to write every single week whether I’m feeling it or not. And I have to admit, I’m pretty competitive, and the voting aspect keeps me on my A-game.”

Created and moderated by a Florida writer known as “Gary”, The Real LJ Idol is structured somewhat like a reality show. Each week, a short prompt is posted, and the competing authors write pieces inspired by it. There’s no restriction on form or content – entries have included personal essays, science fiction, horror, poems and songs. Some writers, like Williams, try to write something different each week; others become known for a specific genre or unfold a novel chapter by chapter, as long as they survive the voting rounds.

“Popularity helps,” says Williams, “and I make a point of reading and commenting on everyone’s piece every week. But it’s also helping me as a writer to look at everyone else’s work and learn from their successes as well as what I see as things that missed the mark.”

Voting is open to the public most rounds, with the lowest vote-getters “going home”. Many stick around to write for the “Home Game”, vote, and engage in the community as ‘beta-readers’ who give requested feedback on drafts so another writer can improve their work before posting it to the community.

Three hundred and thirty-seven writers signed up when the contest’s eighth season began in October; about thirty are still in the running. Some of the entrants were already professional writers (Williams has several published plays, including work in the local All Ears Radio Theatre series) but many are talented hobbyists. Writers in Europe and New Zealand carefully count time zones to make the submission deadline every week.

Past winners have landed professional gigs, such as Season Six winner Ellie DeLano, now a columnist for Women’s Day. Williams says, “What I’m loving most about The Real LJ Idol is building a body of work to send out on submission when the contest is over. The current round is five pieces on different topics, in two weeks. So even if I get voted out, that’s five more essays ready for literary magazines. I call that a win.”

Williams’ work may be read here: www.whipchick.livejournal.com, and the weekly contest postings can be read here: therealljidol.livejournal.com.

 - MAD-LIBS YOUR WAY TO PUBLICITY -

For immediate release: TODAY’S DATE
Contact: YOUR NAME
YOUR PHONE
YOUR EMAIL

LOCAL WRITER FINDS SUCCESS IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEST

Anyone can enter. There is no prize. And thirty grueling weeks into The Real LJ Idol, YOUR NAME is still writing alongside contestants from the UK, Australia, Sweden, Canada, and across the USA.

“WHAT WINNING MEANS,” says YOUR LAST NAME, a YOUR CITY YOUR OCCUPATION who joined the contest “REAL REASON YOU’RE IN IDOL. QUIRKY ADDITIONAL REASON THAT SHOWS YOUR PERSONALITY.”

Created and moderated by a Florida writer known as “Gary”, The Real LJ Idol is structured somewhat like a reality show. Each week, a prompt is posted, and the competing authors write pieces inspired by it. There’s no restriction on form or content – entries have included personal essays, science fiction, horror, poems and songs. Some writers COMMA LIKE YOUR NAME MIGHT GO HERE try to write something different each week; others COMMA LIKE YOUR NAME MIGHT GO HERE become known for a specific genre or COMMA LIKE YOUR NAME MIGHT GO HERE unfold a novel chapter by chapter, as long as they survive the voting rounds.

“SOMETHING YOU THINK ABOUT HOW TO DO WELL,” says YOUR LAST NAME, “AND HOW YOU ARE DOING THAT ACTION. WHAT YOU’RE GETTING OUT OF COMPETING.”

Voting is open to the public most rounds, with the lowest vote-getters “going home”. Many stick around to write for the “Home Game”, vote, and engage in the community as ‘beta-readers’ who give requested feedback on drafts so another writer can improve their work before posting it to the community.

Three hundred and thirty-seven writers signed up when the contest’s eighth season began in October; about thirty are still in the running. Some of the entrants were already professional writers (INSERT YOUR CREDITS HERE IF APPLICABLE) [but many are talented hobbyists]. OPTION B REPLACE BRACKETED TEXT WITH – [but like many, YOUR LAST NAME is developing her craft and INSERT A GOAL FOR YOUR WRITING CAREER]. Writers in Europe and New Zealand carefully count time zones to make the submission deadline every week.

Past winners have landed professional gigs, such as Season Six winner Ellie DeLano, now a columnist for Women’s Day. YOUR LAST NAME says, “POSITIVE RESULT WHETHER I WIN OR NOT, ENDING WITH SOMETHING UPBEAT OR FUNNY.”

YOUR LAST NAME’S work may be read here: YOURJOURNAL.livejournal.com, and the weekly contest postings can be read here: therealljidol.livejournal.com.

whipchick would love to know if you make it into your local paper!