Wednesday, March 3 at 3PM EST!

Are you signed up for the NVNR Publicity Speed Dating event in March?  If not, we still have a few spaces left! For those attending, Bren McClain of McClain Communications wants to help you put your best self forward during your fifteen minute pitch to publishers.

From Bren: I’ll tell you right off the bat, here’s the key: YOU. You are your biggest asset in this pitch. YOUR energy, YOUR passion, YOUR enthusiasm, YOUR belief in what you’re saying. Yes, words matter, and we’re going to talk about that, talk about all the cool details you can equip yourselves with – knowing what your store is good at, for example. But words carry no power if they’re not backed by passion, by belief. And how do you show passion? It begins with knowing what you believe, and, from there, letting your physicality express it with your eyes, your voice, etc. I invite you to join me, and let’s talk about how you can set yourself up to be an even stronger communicator and have fun doing it.

Bren's Bio: Many of us know Bren McClain as the author of the debut novel, One Good Mama Bone. But there’s a second hat she wears – she’s a communications coach with her own business, McClain Communications. Bren’s been helping speakers across the country for thirty years make the most of their opportunities – be it a speech, talking to reporters, serving on a panel or doing a town hall. Her clients run the gamut of industries and include AT&T, Equifax, Cincinnati Reds, Turner Broadcasting, Marriott, Kentucky Department of Education and even publishing. Back in the day, she helped many Algonquin authors make the most of their TV appearances. Larry Brown, for example, on The Today Show. Before Bren became a coach, she worked in television news at various stations in Southeast.

Register for Making the Most of Your Opportunity to Pitch to Publicists

Are you going to BEA and pitching your store to publishers? There’s still time to create a press kit, or update your existing one. Even if you're not going to BEA, having an up-to-date press kit is invaluable for events programming and media inquiries. The following stores took part in last year’s webinars with Maribeth Pelly, the event planner for Booktowne (NJ) and a professional marketing consultant, who live-critiqued eight press kits from small and large stores with different approaches to their events programming. A number of these stores are updating their press kits for BEA, but their 2018 versions are below. Want inspiration? Take a few moments to check these out:

Square Books Press Kit

Quail Ridge Books Press Kit

Main Street Books Press Kit

Horton’s Books & Gifts Press Kit

Ernest & Hadley Booksellers Press Kit

Bookmarks Press Kit

Here's a link to the recorded webinars (you'll need to log in to view, but so worth your time!):

A Template and Checklist are also available at the above link.

Keep in mind when updating:

• Add in the events you've hosted since last spring

• Include links or quotes from any news featuring your store

• Double check your community resources and spaces to make sure the information is up to date.

• Make sure your contact information is up to date, especially for specific staff contacts like event coordinators and buyers.