Nation's Largest Book Promoter Reveals Why Radio

      Is The Most Cost-Effective Way To Promote A Book


Planned Television Arts (PTA) www.plannedtvarts.com, the nation's largest and most prolific book promotions firm, is celebrating the 20th year since it trademarked its Morning Drive Radio Tour. Publishers and authors have promoted thousands of books with the tour, which is conducted by phone in a single morning with a guarantee of 20+ interviews scheduled with radio stations from across the country.  The listenership of a typical tour reaches millions of targeted consumers, with interviews on major local talk shows, network affiliates, NPR, XM/Sirius Satellite, and select syndicated programs. 

"We have conducted more radio tours for books than any other publicity firm in the country," says Brian Feinblum, PTA's chief marketing officer. "We do well over 300 annually, so we probably have done five to six thousand over the years." As a result, PTA has seen how radio impacts the success of a book and an author's career.

PTA's radio tour service is unique in that it makes a money-back guarantee. "If we obtain more interviews than promised, we don't charge anything more, but if for any reason we fall short of a stated guarantee, we pro-rate a refund," says Brian.

Radio is a very popular means to making an impact for authors and publishers. The strategic reasons behind so many books getting promoted on radio includes include:

1. Authors don't have to travel


2. Authors don't have to worry about their appearance


3. Radio publicity costs less than other forms of media


4. Total number of Americans listening to radio has increased while circulation for print and viewership for television has eroded over the past decade

As part of the radio tour campaign, PTA provides the following services:

• Schedule a guaranteed number of radio interviews


• Media train an author by phone and email


• Write the pitch letter and identify the strongest media angles

In addition to the Morning Drive Radio Tour, PTA also can provide a radio phoner campaign, where the author or publisher can conduct dozens of interviews by phone and schedule them over a number of days or weeks. PTA always customizes its radio outreach to select those stations that have listener demographics that closely match the anticipated readership profile

What helps to make your radio tour go smoothly?

1. Giving at least 4 weeks advance notice to schedule the tour – and allow for time to capture the best possible stations/shows.


2. Consider giving away several books over the air per interview.


3. Speak in 15-30 second sound bytes; don't give away too much info about your book – but use the interview as a teaser to entice listeners take and action step to find out more; and tie your message to something – a holiday (Valentine's Day); an honorary day (National Whatever Day), something in the news, something unique or outrageous, something fun, something that relates to famous people (give parenting advice to a celebrity) or something contrary to popular opinion.


4. Prepare five points that you want to stress in any interview, regardless of what the host asks or the length of an interview.

Authors and publishers typically benefit from doing a radio tour as follows:

• The advance schedule of interviews can be sent to major chain book buyers to generate pre-orders


• Successful interviews increase sales


• Magnifies branding of your name


• Allows you to control and define how the public perceives your vision or ideas in your own voice


• Positions you to collect higher fees for your services as an expert or speaker


• Garners more Web site traffic


• Creates a dialogue in the media and public - and stirs a buzz of debate on you or your topic


• You actually help people and improve lives with your message


• Publicity gives you lucrative credibility and currency in the marketplace

PTA, a full-service book publicity firm, also offers targeted services to promote authors to all areas of news media, including local and national print, television and radio. They have specialized services that include:

·         local road tours

·         online media campaigns: bloggers, Web sites, podcasters, e-blasts, article syndicators

·         television tours from one location

·         best-seller marketing

·         holding press conferences

·         media coaching and consulting

·         press kit development

·         messaging and branding

·         locating literary agents or book distributors

·         college media teleconferences

·         scheduling speaking engagements  

PTA represents all genres, including children's books, fiction, business, health, self-help, current events, humor, spiritual and other timely, popular subject areas. PTA, which has delivered quality media exposure with impact and integrity for nearly five decades, is headquartered in New York City with satellite offices in Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Albany and Boston.

"As a client, says Brian, you benefit from the respected brand name and extensive resources of Ruder Finn our parent company, but you also receive close, personal attention under a family-owned business atmosphere with PTA. Our team of experienced, talented and creative public relations professionals provide out-of-the-box thinking, and an energetic and aggressive approach, producing the results you deserve and should expect to receive. Over 500 people are employed worldwide at RF-PTA."

Amongst PTA's clients over the years, they have promoted hundreds of best-sellers, celebrities and industry leaders. They have worked with unknown, first-time, self-published authors as well as authors published by university presses, Random House, McGaw-Hill, Scholastic, Wiley, Harper-Collins, Simon and Schuster, Warner Books, St. Martin's Press, Disney Publishing, Tor & Forge, Greenleaf Book Group, and many others. A sample of authors they have promoted include:

General Tommy Franks                                   Lou Dobbs                               Cindy Adams

President Jimmy Carter                                    Vice President Al Gore                        Chicken Soup for the Soul

Robert Kiyosaki                                   Mitch Albom                           John Grisham 

Tom Brokaw                                        Deepak Chopra                                    Dr. Andrew Weil

Intel Co-founder Andy Grove             Peter Lynch                             Michael Eisner                                    

Whoopi Goldberg                                Ben Stiller                                Senator John McCain              

Richard Branson                                  Jim Belushi                              Coach John Wooden

Drew Carey                                         Ken Blanchard                                     Stephen Covey                                  

John Gray                                            Joan Lunden                            Maya Angelou            

Manager Joe Torre                               Peggy Noonan                                     William Bennett

Gary Null                                             Dave Ramsey                          Charles Schwab                      

Caroline Kennedy                                James Canfield                                    Dr. Wayne Dyer                     

Bill O'Reilly                                        Bill Moyers                              Willie Nelson                          

Steve Martin                                        Phil McGraw                            Tony Robbins             

Richard Carlson                                   Meg Cabot                              Suzanne Somers                     

Jackie Collins                                      Anne Rice                                Dean Koontz                                                              

"PTA gladly will evaluate an author's book or unpublished manuscript and advise on which publicity opportunities should be pursued, especially with regards to radio," concludes Brian. To submit materials, contact Brian at feinblumb@plannedtvarts.com 

Contact: Brian Feinblum

Planned Television Arts

Chief Marketing Officer

1110 Second Avenue, Third Floor

New York, NY 10022

212-583-2718