What Do PR Professionals Actually Do?

No matter who they’re working for, public relations professionals aim to inform and persuade the public by the thousands and millions through newspapers, radio, television and the internet. Many individuals – politicians, athletes, celebrities, authors, filmmakers, etc. – and almost every organization can benefit from hiring a PR professional to help get out their message.

PRs Can Help You Get Started

PR professionals aim to grow, guide and manage the consumer perception of your company, book, movie, self, or anything else. In regards to books, the hardest step after writing it is getting it published. PR professionals can work as publicists and help you get your book published, and then help it sell.

PRs Spread the Word

Even before your book is published, a PR professional can craft intriguing press releases and generate a positive buzz for you and your book. PR professionals spend a lot of time cultivating relationships with journalists and members of the media, so they know how to get your story published where it counts.

PRs also work to have your book reviewed in trusted publications, in addition to creating press materials for your website and to send directly the press, such as a bio, photos or a Q&A. The end goal is to secure as much media coverage as possible, as people can not buy your book if they don’t know it exists.

Keeping it Positive

Although coverage of your book is better than no coverage at all, PRs also work to keep your image positive. PR professionals are experts in media relations and are trained to manage crises, so they can help you stay prepared for interviews and can respond quickly and proactively if potentially damaging information is published.

They Understand the Market

In order to sell, you must understand your target market. Working with a PR professional early on allows you to work with a market expert, and someone who can help you plan how to best market and sell your book to your target audience. Who your audience is will greatly determine PR strategies, so it’s important to work with someone who is experienced and reliable.

Milton Kahn has a proven PR track record and provides affordable and unique PR services as a book publicist and publishing consultant. After years as one of the entertainment industry’s premier PR professionals, today Milton Kahn is helping authors and publishing houses achieve their book publicity goals. If you need help getting your book the attention it deserves, contact Milton Kahn Associates, Inc. today.

2014 Communication Trends

Every year now brings with it more technology and communication changes than the last. 2014 has been no exception. This year, we’ve seen breakthroughs, breakdowns and the continuing evolution of marketing strategies. In order to plan for 2015 and beyond, it helps to look back on this year’s trends.

Traditional Media Continues to Decline

News readers, tv watchers and radio listeners are getting better and better at dodging advertisements. Whether they’re fast forwarding or downloading, or simply playing on their phone during a commercial, traditional media no longer has the greatest effect.

Budget cuts, slipping quality and diminished coverage has alienated a large amount of people who use to regularly read and subscribe to newspapers and magazines. As some media companies continue to lose print revenue and fail to make up that revenue online, they will either adapt or they will fail. Some traditional news companies are doing better than others, as a few have found their place in dispensing credibility instead of new information.

Brand Journalism

As people lost faith in traditional media, brand journalism snuck in and has made a name for itself. As content marketers struggle to keep up with the demand for constant new content, and as the available number of traditional journalism jobs continue to decline, trained journalist are increasingly switching to in-house brand journalism.

Because media organizations are no longer the gatekeepers of information, how we think of “news” continues to evolve. PR and content marketing pros are primed to earn credibility and generate visibility for their brand.

Additionally, brands are starting to realize they must take more responsibility for maintaining their clients’ attention. Relying on traditional media is simply no longer cutting it, and those who understand this are pushing ahead, while the rest fall back.

Mobile Personalization

This year has continued the mobilization trend as well. In fact, mobile internet users are now passing up the number of traditional desktop users. Mobile applications offer us more convenience, simplicity and entertainment than ever. They key is knowing how to produce quality work and keeping up with the changing technology.

As people delve deeper into their phones and technology, advertisers have continued to increase the personalization of their ads and content. PR professionals are assisting companies in how to better take smarter approaches that extend personalization even beyond the PC.

Milton Kahn is the public relations professional who understands and keeps up with technology and marketing trends and changes. As one of the top PR professionals in the publishing industry, Milton Kahn has what it takes to get your book the attention it deserves. If you’re lost in the communication changes and don’t best understand how to market your book, contact Milton Kahn today.

Effective Book Marketing Tips

Before you can sell your book and expect people to buy it, you need to market your book. We’ve come up with a few key marketing tactics to help you come up with a great strategy for promoting your new book.

Use Social Media

No, Facebook isn’t just for high schoolers and Twitter isn’t just for activists. Social media is versatile and in some way or another can be used for almost anything. Using social media to connect with consumers and promote your book is easy, cheap and effective.

When signing up for social media accounts remember to create a short, interesting bio and include a link to your website. You can use a photo of yourself or even of your book, and start interacting! On Twitter you should “follow” people, such as celebrities you like or fans you’d like to engage with, and you’ll get people “following” you back. With time, as you become more active and post more interesting tweets, you’ll receive more followers and “re-tweets” and your marketing efforts will expand without having to spend a penny.

Networking is Key

Like with almost anything, it’s all about who you know. Positive word-of-mouth is essential to any marketing strategy. You can start telling your friends and family about the book and ask them to share it, then broaden your reach to coworkers and acquaintances. Using social media to network is a great way to kill two birds with one stone, and the internet is full of organizations and groups interested in all kinds of topics, such as the topic your book covers. Utilizing the world wide web really does open up a whole new world of possibilities.

Put Yourself Out There

Although bookstores were once the most common venue for authors to set up meet and greets, many authors and publicists now realize people won’t go out of their way to go to a bookstore. Instead, it can be a good idea to plan events in venues such as a bar or restaurant where the event feels more social than formal and the turnout will almost certainly be high.

Hire a Professional

Yes, you can go on Twitter and tweet about your new book or sit in a bar and talk about your new book, but there’s an even easier way. Milton Kahn has years of experience as one of the entertainment industry’s premier public relations and marketing specialists. If you really want to get noticed, don’t take a chance with someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. As a professional author you write, and as a professional marketer, Milton Kahn can promote your book. Don’t take the chance your book goes unnoticed, learn more about Milton Kahn today!

Entertainment Publicist Milton Kahn’s Wine Adventure

Along with being the top publishing consultant in the business, Milton’s work as an

entertainment publicist has brought him in close contact with the biggest names in show

business. Representing clients like Grammy award winning composer Robert Aldridge, former

Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences president and talented director Arthur Hiller,

and of course his best friend, director and perhaps the ultimate cineaste Roger Corman, have

been among his career highlights.

However, as a marketing and publicity expert, Milton has also been consulted and retained by

leaders in other industries as well. Leaving behind the glittering world of Beverly Hills for the

more stately and refined environs of Montecito in 1984, Milton Kahn soon met Brooks Firestone,

the scion of the Firestone Tire Company and owner of Firestone Vineyard.

The winery was founded in 1972 by Brooks and other family members as Santa Barbara

County’s first estate vineyard-in other words, all the grapes were grown, and the wine was

completely completely processed onsite. More than a decade later, the Firestone family sought

to publicize their label with the efforts of Milton Kahn.

As expected, Milton’s efforts were extremely successful, and while Brooks later moved on from

winemaking and into politics, he hired Milton again in 2012 to promote his new book Evensong,

a nonfiction account of his retirement years spent singing in choral groups around the world

with his beloved wife Kate. In a Clarion Review, the book was described as portraying “these

travels and the musical thread that connects them in lush detail, and it will delight music lovers,

especially those who have found community in sharing voices.” While modest in its scope,

focusing only on the experiences Firestone has had as a singer, it has found devoted readers

through the book marketing efforts of Milton Kahn.

 

 

Entertainment Publicist and Book Marketing Expert Milton Kahn Gets Results

Milton Kahn has worked with literary, sports and entertainment superstars, but few know he also represented composer, Academy Award winner and conductor Bill Conti. The famed musical genius hired Milton on the suggestion of Conti’s personal manager Bobby Roberts, who understood the full reach and power of savvy entertainment publicity.

Conti had started as an unknown piano player from Juilliard and Louisiana State University by way of Miami, getting his first big break as the composer for producer Irwin Winkler’s small United Artists picture Rocky. Bill Conti’s music accompanied the now famous film’s training montage, culminating in the explosive “Gonna Fly Now,” also a Conti tune.

As a shrewd entertainment PR genius, Milton saw the opportunity in publicizing Conti’s equally compelling underdog story, and flooded the media with the saga of Conti’s long battle for recognition before he was discovered. Newspapers and media channels picked up on the story of the composer, and Conti shot to fame, going on to be nominated for an Academy Award with Rocky’s “Gonna Fly Now” and to finally win the Oscar for his work on The Right Stuff.

Milton Kahn’s canny understanding of the marketplace and what it takes to differentiate an artist from the pack is both his signature and the reason he has gone on to become the leading independent book publicist in the country today. Channeling his talents into promoting the authors he so carefully markets for success, Milton is regarded as a genius in his own right, the  book publicity expert who can truly set the stage for writers to “take flight” onto the national scene today.

 

Milton Kahn: Publishing Consultant, and Marketing Expert

Ask any of the major players in Los Angeles entertainment PR firms who Milton Kahn is, and you will get the same answer: the publishing consultant, and marketing expert who changed the game in Hollywood, winning more Oscar and EMMY nominations for his clients than any other entertainment publicity expert before or since. As the entertainment PR agent to stars like Gregory Peck and Michael Landon, composers Herb Alpert, Bill Conti, Jimmy Haskell, Fred Karlin and Bruce Broughton, Milton became a living legend among those who make their business the world of entertainment. With Roger Corman’s lifetime achievement Academy Award, Milton was also able to see his longtime friend and client receive the recognition he earned with over 400 films over the length of his career. Indeed, Milton has left a significant mark, bringing fame and fortune to his friends and clients in the spotlight.

Today, as the leading book marketer in the United States today, Milton has represented such luminaries as J.A. Jance, Jeffrey Belle, James Halperin, Stanley Alpert and countless other bestselling names and titles,  including a World Almanac Book of Records. Indeed, the New York Times bestseller list frequently reads like a personal contacts directory belonging to Mr. Kahn, with his storied career and many entertainment and publishing contacts.

As a sports book marketer, Milton has also parlayed his interest in basketball, football, hockey and more into extreme success for his celebrity clients. Over the years, he has represented George Brett, Tony Dorsett, Bart Starr, Eric Dickerson, Gordie Howe and many others in lucrative book marketing projects that led to bestsellers and lasting success for all.

Most recently, Milton turned down a 5 year, 10 million dollar offer from a national corporation interested in expanding his services, so as to remain a book publicist in Santa Barbara. Despite his exposure to powerful celebrities, Milton above all values his quaint small town, Santa Barbara lifestyle and the important personalized service he is able to provide his stable of successful authors. Call him today for a free consultation on your unique project! Large or small, you’ll get a sense of what both needs to be done-and how Milton Kahn can provide the  marketing skills necessary to make it happen. Affordable and effective, you’ll understand why Milton has earned his reputation as the nation’s premier book publicity expert.

Book Marketing All Draft Picks for the New York Giants

When asked what was the most unusual book marketing assignments of his career, Milton recalls his work for actor and football fan Bradford Dillman’s nonfiction book Inside the New York Giants as one of the most challenging.

The book centered around Dillman’s thoughts on the New York Giants draft picks and included a player review and rating system that stretched back to include picks from 1967 all the way to 1995. Complex and written for serious football fans, it was not a title that lent itself to a simple publicity campaign, despite its engaging tone.

After some consideration, publishing consultant Milton Kahn decided to reach out to James Brady, who wrote profile piece each Sunday for Parade Magazine entitled “In Step With.” Brady enjoyed a readership of over 60 million with his popular column and like Dillman, was also a former Marine.

Milton used all his considerable charms as a book publicist and PR expert to convince Mr. Brady to interview Dillman. He did, and the interview was a huge success for both Parade Magazine and Milton’s marketing client. Dillman sold over 50,000 books from the piece. In turn, it garnered him several major television and radio interviews nationwide, and led to even more sales over time.

Milton Kahn: Book Publicist and Sports Fan

Milton Kahn, book publicist and president of Milton Kahn Associates, has always counted himself a sports fan. Indeed, it is this passion that led him to represent many Hall of Fame athletes over the years including Bob Cousy, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, George Brett, Bart Starr, Tony Dorsett, Don Sutton, Joe Morgan, Glenn Davis, Gordie Howe, Adam Oates and many others.

While in Los Angeles, Milton was a season ticket holder for the Dodgers, Lakers and the Kings. Since moving to Santa Barbara, he decided it best to enjoy watching his favorite teams on television.

Milton Kahn’s book campaign for Gordie Howe’s memoir And… resulted in all 10,000 copies he had arranged to self publish selling out, after Milton told the hockey legend to sign every copy, since he knew the autograph would ultimately be worth far more than the book.

When the campaign ended Gordie Howe sent Milton a signed autographed photo. It read, fittingly,  “And to Milton Kahn, A STAR OFF THE ICE.”

 

Goodreads Sale Continues To Attract Attention

Goodreads Sale Continues To Attract Attention

Amazon’s recent acquisition of Goodreads continues to attract attention from authors and readers, with mixed reviews. The Authors Guild, helmed by president Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent and other bestsellers, released a statement, describing the takeover in the following way:  “In a truly devastating act of vertical integration, Amazon is buying Goodreads, its only sizable competitor for reader reviews and a site known for the depth and breadth of its users’ book recommendations.”  While the jury is still out, so to speak, on the effects this corporate shift has on the way the public buys books, Milton Kahn and Associates remains an author’s best resource for generating book sales within this constantly changing marketplace.

BookStats Study Released With Good News for Smaller Publishers

BookStats Study Released With Good News for Smaller Publishers

The digital age  is upon us, signaling huge changes ahead in the venerable traditions of the great New York publishing houses. The news is most positive for smaller, independent publishers. While transitions are inevitable, readership is still strong, with a joint study released by the Book Industry Study Group and the Association of American Publishers reporting that net unit sales have grown by over 12% since 2008 to 12.8 billion units per year. The survey also reveals that publishers with net sales between $500,000 and $5 million in annual sales increased their unit sales numbers by more than 25%, fully doubling the industry’s overall unit numbers. This sector of publishing also reports enormous revenue growth over the same period, with publishers who net  $500,000 to $5 million growing at more than five times the industry’s average. As these independent publishers demonstrate, the publishing community is indeed alive and well, but the marketplace continues to make significant shifts. Milton Kahn, as the savvy book publicist who remains the industry’s leading marketer for authors across multiple genres, is perhaps more essential than ever in ensuring your title’s success within this changing economic landscape. As smaller publishing houses and e-books becoming forces to reckon with, authors will increasingly require effective book marketing to make an impression on the public. Milton Kahn and Associates, with the immediate personal attention only a smaller book publicity agency can provide, has the track record and the technique necessary for blockbuster sales.