Susan Friedmann [00:00:31]:
Welcome to Book Marketing Mentors, the weekly podcast where you learn proven strategies, tools, ideas, and tips from the masters. Every week, I introduce you to a marketing master who will share their expertise to help you market and sell more books.

Today, my special guest is Meredith Allen Breitstein. Meredith is an internationally acclaimed speaker and leadership trainer who inspires courage and confidence. Specializing in empowering teams and captivating audiences, her TEDx talk, Don't Waste a Minute, Shine Right Now, motivates immediate powerful action. Meredith uses her media expertise from journalism to hosting The Meredith Show to enhance her visibility and impact. Her journey of resilience, the magic in change is celebrated widely, paralleling her passion for teaching others to shine.

A friend and National Speaker Association colleague, Meredith, what an absolute pleasure it is to welcome you to the show, and thank you for being this week's guest expert and mentor.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:01:46]:
Absolutely delighted to be here with you and your listeners. Thank you so much.

Susan Friedmann [00:01:52]:
Well, Meredith, the subject that we have not spent very much time talking about over these 8 years that I've been doing Book Marketing Mentors is television. And yet television seems to have this allure. It's like people want to be on television, but yet they don't know how. And here you are. You've done The Meredith Show now for 10 years. Congratulations. You beat me. I've only 8 years of podcasting.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:02:22]:
Thank you. Exactly. It feels really good.

Susan Friedmann [00:02:26]:
And I do it audio, and you have a visual show. I mean, this is fabulous. Talk to us about having authors be a guest on a television show. What are some of the things that they need to pay attention to?

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:02:45]:
Well, I think it's the most fun to have an author on the show because as a journalist who is a host, I love a good story. And we have so many wonderful books in the world. And my greatest joy is making sure that they're not the best kept secret. And the beauty of television is they cannot only see the author and the book and the cover. In fact, I just take my TV show here in Los Angeles as we did on set. We had multiple books on display. And another great thing for authors to know is if they send their book with something really smart, fun, and well written attached, perhaps even an extra little memorable gift in their marketing, they can land some pretty sweet opportunities of not only exposure, but things that they can leverage to make sure that the world not only sees and hears about them, that they're absolute experts at what it is that they're talking about.

Susan Friedmann [00:03:52]:
This is, I think, every author's dream, Meredith. So let's dig deeper into what that really looks like, starting with what is the best way to approach a would it be a producer of the show? I mean, who even is the person they should be reaching out to in the first instance?

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:04:13]:
This is something I love to share about because as a former journalist myself and producer, I've had all those roles in television through the years. I see what press releases, press kits, and packaging gets tossed in the garbage and what gets scooped up and featured. The difference is often, you have to consider, no matter how much you love your book, that you need to grab the attention of some very busy people. The people that you target to answer your question are the producers of your favorite show or news cast that you like watching? Or they could be someone called, if you Google online, the word assignment editor and television stations, you'll get somebody who gives the actual assignment to the reporters for the day. That happens every day, usually at minimum, 2 to 3 times a day, depending upon the shift. So there's this great demand to fill newscasts and programs every day that many people don't realize is available to them. But it actually starts with creating a media list. What does that look like? Well, if you are an author who has really great information about how to manage your money, For instance, I created a segment called money Monday.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:05:34]:
You would wanna pitch whenever the monthly jobs report comes out, something with what I call a hook. I'm sure many book writers and great, great authors understand the power of a hook. That's similar to in your world, a great title on the book or the chapter. You wanna look at it the same way as you pitch to media outlets. And we wanna build a media list curated to the maximum exposure. Sometimes, it could be the lowest, easiest hanging fruit with the biggest reach here in Los Angeles. KTLA TV has good morning programming, and that's a great place to pitch to if you're local in the region. I always say don't spend the 10,000 or more dollars on pitching yourself to media if this isn't your number one focus.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:06:24]:
But rather, get your fingers working on Google and start looking for all the stations in your market. So if you're in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I would Google the name of the city and state and put in ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox. And, voila, if you write the words contact information, producer information, all of that can be at your fingertips, and it starts with a list. And then you wanna send them a thoughtful email with links to the book. It could be a cover shot, ideally, and a headshot of your own and what we like to think of as a press release. So that's the who, what, where, when, and why they should have you on a show or feature you on their program. So would it be

Susan Friedmann [00:07:15]:
a mistake for them to send a book, for instance?

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:07:19]:
The second thing I definitely recommend is sending a physical book. And equally as effective, if you have a way to package it that's unusual. And, I mean, literally, put it in a purple envelope, especially if it matches your branding. I've seen people send a blow up guitar if they're marketing a musical book. And that not only creates fun and delight upon the receiver, but it makes you stand out. Think about how often everybody who's anybody would love to be featured and have extra exposure in public relations and media. And then think about what makes you unique, what problem your book or novel can solve. And if you look at it that way, marketing yourself in a way that is stand out or exceptionally makes you look like you shine, is what I like to talk about all the time.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:08:15]:
And that's my way of saying that you speak up, stand out, and really, really make yourself memorable in the sea of what I call sameness. You don't wanna be in

Susan Friedmann [00:08:26]:
the sea of sameness. You wanna differentiate at every given moment and opportunity. Yeah. I mean, just that whole idea of standing out from the crowd and doing something different. I know in PR, that's exactly what you want to do. Now, let's say they get hired or whatever the terminology is. So excuse me for being ignorant in terms of they come on the show. They're a guest on the show.

Susan Friedmann [00:08:55]:
So then, what should they know? What should they be prepared for?

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:09:02]:
Great, great question. It's like the $1,000,000 question. I wound up accidentally launching a business around this because I found that as I had guests on my show for many, many years, we are the best experts on our stuff. But what people in television are looking for are what we call speaking in sound bites. Really being prepared and it could start with a list of questions that you give the producer that they might like to ask you. Producers are very busy and often lazy. You would be a dream guest if you presented them with 5 essential questions that prompt answers about what makes your book valuable, special, helpful, unique. And being a prepared guest is the best kind of guest, for sure.

Susan Friedmann [00:09:53]:
An example of what a sound bite might sound like. What would be a sound bite, for instance, for an author?

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:10:01]:
Sure. If you're talking about why you love being a pilot and how that can translate not only to the beauty of your job, but how I've seen many, many authors translate that to giving somebody a call to courage. You might say something on TV like, you know, I've always wanted to be a pilot, but I never realized the impact I could have on people across the board by just sharing my story and knowing that women can be pilots, that we can all achieve a goal and a dream, even if it seems far fetched, if we have courage. That's an example of something that could get picked up, repurposed, put on the 5, 6, 7, and then again at the 6 AM and 7 AM the next day. And that's the dream that you get just a few sentences, believe it or not, that get picked up and used even if you're a live guest. The idea is TV can be the gift that keeps giving. And not just, by the way, if you get repurposed on multiple networks. Sometimes they have a sister station.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:11:14]:
When I worked at ABC, every night, we could pitch a few of our fabulous local stories to the national for pickups. Those are wonderful. But what I love for authors about getting on to television is it is a forever marketing tool if you can see, as seen on ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. And even better, you have a link under your signature showing you featured on ABC, NBC, or CBS to that YouTube capture of it. So always ask for the video. And then you should put it on your website prominently, whether it's the logos and ideally the segment, or at least at minimum, 1 on all of your marketing materials. It's a great way to add credibility and reach and the opportunity to maximize every minute that you've gotten on TV from sound bite to finish.

Susan Friedmann [00:12:08]:
Often, I think of the fact that it's not just the book, but it's about the They think that people are going to jump up and down with excitement, but it's not the book, it's what's inside the book. These sound bites that you're talking about, those are what they would prepare beforehand knowing how the conversation is going to go with the host of the show. So you're saying, they should prepare all of that in advance. And would they necessarily have the opportunity, let's say, to show the book? Or how would they, sort of gently ring the book into the conversation, let's say?

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:13:02]:
Absolutely. So I think the best case scenario is they have the fortunes and the follow-up. If you pitch yourself to a TV station, and don't be surprised if nobody follows up, It often starts with an email or something in the mail. The second thing you should do is call and say, hi there. I just sent over an email this morning. I am an author that just released a book. I'm available beginning tomorrow for interviews about x. What you're doing there is you're saying saying that you are local, you are available.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:13:33]:
You're making sure when a news station gets something like, I don't know, 700 emails a day included in pitching, you've got to call and follow-up. And then they may say, yes. It looks great. But an hour before, for instance, if you had an event, a book launch party, you could call again. Then I'd call just as it kicks off and say, hey. We are about to kick off. Are you able to send somebody? Because we wanna make sure you get the best photos, etcetera, etcetera. So, you wanna follow-up continuously and then, ideally, meet with, if you're chosen, the producer, or have an email exchange, or have a phone call where you can provide them ideally in top ten list, a top five list of the most valuable nuggets in your book, and questions to prompt them with the answers that you've ideally rehearsed with someone.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:14:25]:
I would say 99% of people don't do that. And you know your book better than anybody. But the best people and the best interviews get what I call repeat business. They get booked again. And sometimes I've had people come on as regulars when I found that they're comfortable, confident, and most importantly, valuable to the viewer. So you don't just want to talk about your book, even though you might love it. And obviously, you haven't written it if you don't believe in it. But speak into it when you're on TV about how in every way your ahas, your greatest nuggets can help somebody and who they help the most.

Susan Friedmann [00:15:04]:
You bring up a really, really important point, and that is the fact that you could be brought back again. Because I've heard authors come to me and they say, Oh, how can I be the person they turn to, that expert in such an area? Like on CNN, for instance, they have the same people who come back as experts. You just talked about that so beautifully because, yes, I mean, that's ideally what you would like. Is that's really, for me, the gift that keeps on giving is the fact that people like you so much. They want to have you back.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:15:42]:
I'll give you a great example. I had a friend who was just a beautiful soul and she owned a travel agency. Many of those didn't make it through the Internet era, but she was exceptionally lovely. She had great customer service, a niche market. She did destination weddings. I said to her, Jennifer, if you could find the courage, I know you've never done it before, I'd love to have you on my TV show. Well, she was shaking with nerves the day it came, but I helped prepare her, reminded her that it was just me and that I was her friend. And then you should always look at an interview that way.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:16:15]:
If it gives you comfort, pretend you're speaking to your grandpa when you look into the camera or talk to the individual there. But I think the end of the day, Jennifer was so good once she got going. We brought her back and then I got a huge break and went to work for a national network. And I took Jennifer with me. I brought her in and the producers where I moved to loved her so much, she became the Fox on Fox in the morning. It was a Fox News affiliate. And then before she knew it, she got picked up because she was the perfect package. She made herself available every week on a regular basis at sometimes awful hours in the early morning when a lot of people are watching, by the way.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:16:59]:
She wound up on the travel network and has a huge amount of media expertise and a robust, tremendous business. Still down. I'm probably thinking it's been about 20 years since that debut long after almost all of the physical travel companies went away. She really leveraged media into super stardom and a big part of her brand. And I think that's really possible for anybody. I have a few tips, though, on how you could accelerate that process.

Susan Friedmann [00:17:32]:
We want to hear some of those.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:17:34]:
Okay. Being a great guest not only comes along with being available and ready, but constantly re pitching. So when Jennifer would see that there are new regulations for travel advisory, she'd send a quick note to her producer friends, and she would say something like, I see this as a regular thing and it's coming up with all my clients. She would follow the trends in your industry and whatever it is that your book is about and make sure that you're relevant. So it it's an easy pitch. And the next thing is, you've got to know no matter how valuable you are, how great the book is. They've got to love you. Build relationships with your TV producers.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:18:13]:
I know it sounds terrible. Bring them a little coffee if you know what they like or ask them a donut, a healthy thing if you know they're on a health kick. Send them little thoughtful notes after you've guessed it of appreciation and gratitude. It doesn't have to be a physical gift, but sometimes the thoughtfulness goes really far. Let's face it. They get bombarded. I know I did when I was on TV working in the news industry. It was insane, actually.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:18:40]:
So you wanna just make yourself so valuable and so easy and so thoughtful that it would be hard not to rebook you.

Susan Friedmann [00:18:50]:
I love that. Because interestingly enough, I was just on a call with one of my authors, and I said, have you gotten some local press for your book? And he said, No. He says, I couldn't get anything. And I'm like thinking, Well, how often do you call? Or when is the time where you become a nuisance versus looking to be invited to be a guest on the show?

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:19:18]:
Yeah. I think the real answer is I know this is gonna be controversial to some people, but I think a lot of my TV friends would agree with me. You need to be ad nauseam. I don't think there's an over the top. I think that you have to assume that nobody cares about you. I know that sounds terrible. But at the end of the day, you have to make yourself continuously present and top of mind of a producer or a show or a program that you're targeting. I can't tell you how easily I can be worn down if I'm desperate to fill a 30 minute show and somebody has just relentlessly followed up with me and catches me on a good moment.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:19:56]:
I think, obviously, if someone tells you to buzz off and please not contact them again, you certainly wanna respect that. But barring that situation, there is a desperate need every day to fill, even in your local news station, up to 10 hours, if you think about it, of local programming. Many stations start at 4 AM. They go to 10 or 11 AM with local programming. They have a new newscast and then often a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 can all be localized. So there's so much opportunity there if you have the focus and the drive. I just think you should focus, however, on what makes most sense for you and your audience for return on the time.

Susan Friedmann [00:20:38]:
Yes. Very much so. I love that unless you're told to bugger off, that, hey, keep going. I mean, does it matter that the book, let's say is already a few months old? Does that make a difference or

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:20:54]:
no? Not at all. I assume if you create your press release, you can be crafty. You could say on the world-renowned book, if it's already been out for a while, or the essential book about. And if it is launching, it's a great reason to do a press release. If it's a new author having their stuff come out, I definitely people have controversial thoughts about press releases. I personally love them as a journalist because if you do a press release well, you literally answer the most essential questions a producer needs. Who you are, how they can contact you, where, when, and why they should have you. And if you answer those questions, I teach this over and over again.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:21:33]:
I call it the 5 w's with a side of an h. You're gonna get really clear messaging across

Susan Friedmann [00:21:40]:
to the producer if you're a fit for their program, their hour, their subject, or their interest. And you really can't go wrong. This is so valuable information because I think more often than not and I'd love to hear about, you know, a couple of the common mistakes that you have come across that guests make in general, but authors because that's our market. Because, yes, I think there's this fear that they don't want to overstep the boundaries, and book's been out a few months so nobody's gonna care about it. But I think you've negated a lot of the things that I think are people's fears to even approach the media. But let's talk about a couple of big, juicy mistakes that guests make.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:22:30]:
Well, I think the biggest mistake I see over and over again is not being prepared. And what I mean by that is, if you wanna be a guest that's invited back, if you wanna have a successful segment, do your homework. Watch the show that you've been booked on. If you aren't already a fan, quite a bit before you come in. Know if the anchor that is interviewing you has a mother who's ill. And really personalized, like, thank you so much. And you will have a few moments before any segment, ideally, to connect with somebody. And the greatest mistake you can have is be a ball of nerves, show up frazzled, don't ever ever come in late, be early and not on time for television.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:23:12]:
Things are fast moving. Clear your calendar is another mistake for as long as possible afterwards. They might say, that was great. Can you do the next hour live? We have another 5 minutes coming up. Make yourself available and silence your phones. Like, I have to apologize. I'm broadcasting to you from home, and I've heard a couple beeps go off. That's not my norm.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:23:34]:
I realized I didn't silence everything before I come on. If you do that on television, we'll tease you quite a bit, but they won't respect you as a seasoned television guest. I think we're a little bit more lax when we're doing podcasts and and many other things with radio. But TV, you see everything. Also, dress to impress. This is not a fashion show, but people are seeing everything. Don't assume people won't see your toes and show up in your flip flops, even if it's the summer. You know, really present yourself as your best because if someone shows up a late, I'll never book them again if I do choose to have them, because it's frazzling for not just the interviewee.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:24:16]:
There are an average of, like, 20 to 25 people who make you look good on TV from soup to nuts. And if you are late, oh my goodness. The other thing I could say is there's gonna be a factor for doing anything for the first time where you have fear. Really use your resources. Let them know this is your first time. Ask them what makes an ideal guest for them. That makes them, you know, really appreciate that you're willing to come out and do the segment and that you want to win the day and have a good segment. I think that authenticity is the best.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:24:51]:
I would never ever, ever overspeak my experience on anything live on television or leading up to it. But sometimes the best people are messy in the sense that they're not perfect, but they're authentic. So the greatest mistake you can have, I think, is pretending you have it all together. You know, we can sniff a fake or a phony, you know, and as can the viewers, more importantly, more than anything. So, if you're nervous, you can say, goodness. It was a crazy morning getting here. I'm really excited and I'm delighted. You know, own that you might have some nerves in a nice way and just roll with it.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:25:31]:
They wanna support you to be your best. And the more you communicate, they'll meet you where you are. This is why, actually, Susan, I invented my media visibility school because on my TV show, I give people a full 10 minutes. If you're on a news program, you can expect 2 minutes at best. But either way, most people have never done it before. So I would say phone a friend. If you don't have a mentor like myself in your life, I bet you do have a friend who's been on television. So do your homework.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:26:01]:
Watch the show. Reach out for support. And bar none, when you ask me the greatest mistake that people make, never ever wing it. I mean, there are many things that I think it's okay for. I never think it's okay for a speech. I think you can tell. I know you can tell because you and I are both seasoned speakers from a mile away. Somebody who's flustered, doesn't have it together, unprepared, unrehearsed.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:26:27]:
And it's the same with television. Show up and be your authentic self. But if you created questions that you've given to the producer, have your family member, friend, or colleague go through it with you. But not just once. Maybe 4 or 5 times, so you set yourself up for success to be the best that you can, even if it's your first time.

Susan Friedmann [00:26:48]:
Oh, what valuable tips. And you did this brilliant segue to start telling us about you and the services that you offer. Because I know that our guests will want to know that.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:27:01]:
Well, thank you so much. You know, it's interesting. I have worked for, I think, looking back decades in TV news and every TV network under the sun. And sadly, after a while, the grind of fires and murders that with the side of kidnapping every day just tugged in my heart. It didn't really align with my soul. So a decade ago, and I can't believe, by the way, it's been a full 10 years. It was such a shocker when I realized that. I walked away from it all and decided I'm going to create a TV talk show that's everything that what I've done wasn't.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:27:37]:
I literally interview people with their stories of overcoming adversity and very often authors whose dream it's been is to share their message with the world. And my only prerequisite for being on my TV show is that they have a story where they shine after they've come through adversity. And as a motivational speaker, I just believe those are the moments an audience, both in television and a room, connect to the most. It's not that they don't want to hear about your success, but how you got there and what it took is inevitably fascinating and a deep connector over and over. I just figured out through the long game that most people would love a little bit of help. After having my show for a long time and showcasing these stories from the demand of my guests, actually, unexpected business was born. And I created the Shine Society, where people come to get lots of training on how to build a media list quickly, what to do with it when you have it. But, most importantly, where you get to shine.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:28:43]:
And if that's TV and you want to come on my show, I make sure that my guests have been rehearsed, prepared, trained, poised, and most importantly, excited and delighted feeling ready to be on TV. So, it's a big wheel, I would say, hamster wheel for me, of love. Full circle. All the things. Because, you know, at the end of the day, if somebody is willing to put themselves out there, share some really difficult things perhaps that are in their book for your example, or that they've overcome in their business or life, then I wanna make sure that on my show, they don't just show up. They absolutely shine.

Susan Friedmann [00:29:25]:
Beautiful. And I hear the passion. And for me, you know, that's always such a a telltale that, you know, they really love what they do. And just your passion for what you do just exudes that, that you love what you do, which comes through loud and clear. If you were to leave our listeners with a golden nugget, Meredith, what would that be?

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:29:51]:
I think it's follow your heart. I had a dream as a little girl to retire Oprah Winfrey and someday have my TV talk show. I think that I was laughed at. I actually remember somebody who said, yeah, right. Look at you. You know, you're the shy girl. Well, you know, what's really cool is get the best revenge and be courageous enough, even if you're fearful, to reach for your dreams. Mine happened to be on television.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:30:20]:
And if yours is in sharing your story in any way, whether it's in a book or with the world, I think that TV is a lot of fun. And I think your message, more importantly, deserves the biggest audience that's even possible. I recommend if you have a book, if you have a dream of sharing it in a big way with the world, go for it. Go all in and leverage all your resources and contacts. And it's absolutely an honor if I can help any of your listeners

Susan Friedmann [00:30:55]:
in any way. Beautiful. And we'll put a link in the show notes of how they can get hold of you. And I believe you have a little gift for everybody as well.

Meredith Allan Breitstein [00:31:04]:
Yes. Thank you so much. What I have found is not everybody shines in the same places, and it definitely doesn't make sense for everybody to do every kind of show. So I've created a list so that you can kind of figure that out. It's called "18 Ways to Raise Your Visibility and Shine." And I would love to give that to anybody who would like. You can find it on my website, and I'm sure, Susan, you'll make that link available as well.

Susan Friedmann [00:31:31]:
I will. Thank you. And talking about having people back, I know that, you know, we tried to cover a lot of information in a short period of time. That begs the invitation to come back and share some more because this is such a rich subject that I know so many of our listeners are interested in. So thank you so, so much for sharing your wisdom with us, Meredith. And listeners, if your book isn't selling the way you wanted or expected to, let's you and I jump on a quick call together to brainstorm ways to ramp up those sales because you've invested a whole lot of time, money, and energy, and it's time you got the return you were hoping for. Go to brainstorm with susan.com to schedule your free call. And in the meantime, I hope this powerful interview sparked some ideas you can use to sell more books.

Susan Friedmann [00:32:31]:
So until next week, here's wishing you much book and author marketing success.

Here's how to download Meredith's free gift, "18 Ways to Raise Your Visibility and Shine."