Congratulations to Paula Hubbs Cohen of Peoria, AZ, who won the contest for worst press release opening.   She wins a free copy of Press Releases Are Not a PR Strategy and a Starbucks gift card for this marvelous entry:

“The members of the Board of Directors are collectively proud and thrilled to announce that it’s executive director, who already owns a yards long list of awards (LOL), recently one 3rd Place Honorable Mention for her outstanding ode regarding the new palate of colors that have been used and will be used in all the foundations’s press releases from now on, giving all recipients a huge selection to choose from.”

She earned extra points with her punctuation and spelling errors.  (Can you spot them?)

Her inspiration for this noteworthy entry was “a woman I used to work for who INSISTED that her name and title be prominently mentioned in the first paragraph of every single press release I wrote for her – no matter how awkward-sounding the phrasing. I would get into major-league trouble if I did not do this, and hence, used to dream about writing the most obnoxious, superlative-filled quotes for her – the problem being, she loved them. In addition, I was required to issue press releases about the most fluff stuff simply to appease her massive ego, so thanks for the opportunity to actually put pen to proverbial paper and vent some of the verbiage I apparently had stored-up for a number of years.”

Glad to provide you such catharsis, Paula, and thanks to everyone who entered!    Happy writing.

You have just over a week (August 17th) for the contest — come up with a really bad opening line for a press release.   Journalists would say this shouldn’t be hard for PR people at all – prove them right for a change! 

Business book and coffee - the perfect combo!

Now’s the time to practice your absolute worst press release opening line skills.   In honor of the first anniversary of my PR Strategy Blog, I’m announcing a contest for the worst opening line(s) of a press release…

The winner will receive an autographed copy of my book and a $20 gift card from Starbucks.  

All you have to do is come up with the most wretched, adjective- and superlative-filled copy you can think of to announce a real or fictitious product, event or service.   You have til August 17th to do it, and submit it to me via linda at lindavandevrede dot com.  You’ll earn extra points for misspellings, grammatical errors, and punctuation mistakes.   Only a few lines are needed – you don’t need to craft the entire release.   Just write enough that we get the gist, however painful…

I’ll announce the winner (and any runners up) here on the blog.  “Press Releases Are Not a PR Strategy” is the perfect book to give an executive or client who thinks PR is the same as sales, and that issuing releases every 2 weeks is an ideal strategy.  

To get your creative juices going, I’m including the original passage that started the  craze for creating bad opening lines for novels, from “Paul Clifford” written by Victorian author Edward Bulwer-Lytton:

Single?  Like books?  Live in Arizona?  Tired of meeting people online and want to meet face-to-face?  

BookBonds is a new free speed dating event that aims to pair up people who enjoy reading and discussing literature with other like-minded individuals.   The debut event is Wednesday, June 9th, at the Borders bookstore in North Phoenix (7000 E. Mayo Blvd) from 7-8:30 p.m.  I LOVE this idea!

Here’s how the co-organizers (Jessica Tribble from Poisoned Pen Press and Liz Pike,  a columnist for the Examiner online ) describe it:

The women will sit at tables. Every five minutes men will move to another table, engaging in a conversation about the book with the women sitting across from them. Both men and women will fill out cards indicating if they would like or not like to see a specific person again. At the end of the night, the organizers will gather this information. If you have a mutual match, the organizers will e-mail you with more information.

The book to be discussed June 9th is George Orwell’s Animal Farm.   You can order the book ahead of time here from Borders, and find out more information and RSVP at this Facebook link.   Email them at bookbondsaz@gmail.com.

What do you think of this concept?   A good way to avoid Neanderthal dating types who don’t like to read, I say.

MADCAP Theater, Tempe, AZ

The agenda is now up for the Social Media for Business event that will be held Monday, January 25th, at the Madcap Theater in Tempe.  You can check it out here. 

Organized by Fred von Graf, #SMAZ was first held in Tempe last August.   It’s an informal conference where you have a veritable fish hatchery of people in AZ who are involved in social media.   You should attend if you:

• are new to social media and have questions – sit in on the panel I’ll be moderating Monday afternoon 3:00 – 4:00 p.m., which welcomes questions from the audience
• want to hear the latest trends in social media
• like mingling with others who are interested in twitter, blogs, Facebook, search marketing, web analytics
• want to learn how to use social media to build brand evangelists
• are interested in how to make social media pay

By the way, the food is fantastic – breakfast and lunch are included in the fee.  And parking is easy.   And no restroom lines!!!

To get 45% off the ticket price, use the discount code VPRB.

As part of Scottsdale ArtFest’s Bookstreet, the Arizona Book Publishing Association will be featuring several local authors.    Stop by their booth this weekend and check them out!   Here’s a partial list of publishers and authors, covering everything from local Arizona attractions to gun laws, memoirs, self-improvement, murder mysteries, children’s books, house remodeling.   I will be there as well, with my book, “Press Releases are not a PR Strategy.”

Acacia Publishing – Karen Gray

American Traveler Press – Bill Fessler – including Pete Chasar, Marshall Trimble, and Clay Thompson

AZ Publishing Services – Patti Hulstrand

Bloomfield Press – Alan Korwin – “We Publish the Gun Laws”

Brooks Goldman – Patricia Brooks – including Cay Randal May, Kebba Buckley Button, Michael J. Lyding, Mia Pratt, and Kiki Swanson

Cattle Guard Publishing – Rick Lemler

Charles Irion Books – Charles Irion

DiscoverNPublishing – Sandra Merriam

Goodfellow Publishing Services – Pamela Goodfellow – including Margaret Turley, Marilyn Kobrzycki, Carrie Goodfellow, Anna Arnett, and Melinda Sanchez

Jade Phoenix Publishing – Gail Graham

Murder Mysteries – Becky Bartness

Nice Creative – Robin Gold

Poisoned Pen Press – Robert Rosenwald

Pumpkin Patch Press – Merle McCann

Red Coyote Press – Susan Budavari – including Kris Neri, Susan Budavari, and Suzanne Flaig

Anne Eiland

Blissful Publications – Kathy Balland

Chadwyck Press – Jon Dorrough

Maricopa Publishing – William Trimble

SJ Westward Holdings – Sherry Ward

Tewillager Publishing – Maggie Wright

VandeVrede Public Relations – Linda VandeVrede

For information and directions, visit www.888artfest.com

If you have a client who plans to write a book in the future, or promote a book they have already written, there are two key events next week that can help out. 

Dan Poynter – speaker – Thursday, Nov. 19 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

“Opportunities:  Book Publishing Past, Present & Future” - everything you’ve heard about book writing, publishing, distributing and promoting is obsolete.  Dan will describe the changes in book publishing and share with us how to take advantage of them.

Dan Poynter is an author (100+ books), publisher (since 1969), and speaker (Certified Speaking Professional). His seminars have been featured on CNN, his books have been pictured in The Wall Street Journal and his story has been told in US News & World Report. The media come to Dan because he is the leading authority on book publishing. A professional speaker, he travels more than 6,000 miles each week to share his book plan. He lives in Santa Barbara.

Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport North
427 N. 44th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008
Phone: 602-220-4400
For the the exact location, visit Mapquest.com
North of Van Buren; south of 202

Program (includes dinner) 5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Registration: $35 members $45 non-members
Advance payment is required for registration here.

Please register above or
RSVP to the ABPA hotline (602) 274-6264.
Questions? Email info@azbookpub.com.

 *********************

Scottsdale Artfest “Bookstreet” – Friday and Saturday Nov 21-22, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The annual ArtFest™ of Scottsdale is the highest rated Fall Festival in Arizona by outdoor art festival artists according to national and regional trade publications. The festival takes place at the Scottsdale Civic Center, just south of Indian School at Drinkwater Boulevard, from 75th Street to Brown Road. The ArtFest™ of Scottsdale features over 200 contemporary artists along with “Book Street” an Arizona authors’ area, community partners, international foods, continuous live music, and an interactive kids’ area.  Free parking and free admission. Nearly two dozen Arizona publishers and authors will be featured in Bookstreet this year — your chance to talk with local experts about how they wrote, edited, published, distributed and promoted their literary works of art.  

For more information, visit www.888artfest.com and www.azbookpub.com

I got started on my path to writing and publishing “Press Releases are not a PR Strategy” by attending events like these to talk with other authors.   Don’t miss out!

I presented this morning to members of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, an event hosted by Sonoran Bank.    Both the chamber and the bank are committed to helping minorities grow and improve their businesses.   I thought of how many similar meetings there must be going on all over Arizona, little tribes or communities of people supporting and encouraging each other.  

There’s magic when you find your own tribe.   Do you feel like a fish out of water?   Keep searching.   They’re there.   As Seth Godin points out in his book, “Our role today is to find, connect and lead tribes in order to make change happen.”

Sonoran Bank will host a free social media seminar in Phoenix November 6th, and yours truly is the featured speaker.  

This hour-long seminar will provide attendees with an introductory overview of how social media differs from so-called “traditional media,” how to incorporate it into a business plan, and easy steps to take without becoming overwhelmed or intimidated. It’s especially designed for business owners who have been afraid to try social media, or have tried it and failed to see its appeal or benefits.

WHEN:  Friday, November 6, 2009  Breakfast and check in:  8:00 a.m., Presentation at 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., networking 9:30 – 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:  Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 255 E. Osborn Road Suite 201, Phoenix, Arizona, 85012

COST:  Free and open to all Valley businesses – you don’t have to be a customer of Sonoran Bank to attend

RSVP:  at info@sonoranbank.com or call Sonoran Bank at 602-393-6950

SPACE IS LIMITED.  Free continental breakfast served.

This Wednesday, I’ll be the “Voice of Experience” presenter at the monthly Arizona Book Publishing Association meeting.   I’ll be talking about Press Releases 101:   Tips on what to write, when to write, and how to distribute.

Hope you’ll join us.   You can register here or through the RSVP hotline at (602) 274-6264.   Our new location is the Radisson Hotel Phoenix on the east side of 44th Street, north of Van Buren.