PR and Publicity Books for Creative People

More often than not, when I meet an artist or creative person the first thing I'm asked is if I can help with publicity and marketing. Alas, Votre Vray is not really an expert in this area. I try new methods all of the time and work, work, work on getting people to know who I am, what I do, and the artists and creative people whose stories I have learned.

Just this month I signed a one-time contract with a direct mail company to see how that impacts my local market. The price was right (only $405 for a half-page ad to go to 10,000 homes, and $630 for brochures to go to 10,000 more) and their artwork department had deals I loved, including the option of having 1,000 brochures printed for me for $60 more than my other services. One of the local free papers charges $300 for a one-time quarter page ad and the only people who see it are those who go out, pick up the paper and bring it home. They had no way of making sure it arrived in 20,000 homes. My direct mail company at least can get it into each residential mailbox.
Below is a list of some PR and Publicity books I have seen mentioned and some I've read. Please note a few of these are print-on-demand and must be ordered before a copy will be printed. I'm not endorsing any book but simply letting you know what is out there. Good luck and keep creating!
-Mel.

• Complete Publicity Plans: How to Create Publicity That Will Spark Media Exposure and Excitement (Adams Streetwise Series) (Paperback)
• The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly (Paperback) by David Meerman Scott (Author)
• Guerrilla Publicity: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars (Paperback) by Jay Conrad Levinson (Author), Rick Frishman (Author), Jill Lublin (Author)
• The Publicity Handbook, New Edition : The Inside Scoop from More than 100 Journalists and PR Pros on How to Get Great Publicity Coverage (Paperback) by David R. Yale (Author), Andrew J. Carothers (Author)
• On Deadline: Managing Media Relations (Paperback) by Carole M. Howard (Author), Wilma K. Mathews (Author)
• Making News: A Straight-Shooting Guide to Media Relations (Paperback) by David Henderson (Author)
• Press Releases Are Not a PR Strategy (Paperback) by Linda (Author), B. VandeVrede (Author)
• PR Idea Book: 50 Proven Tools That Really Work (Paperback)by Jeff Winke
• PR on a Budget: Free, Cheap, and Worth the Money Strategies for Getting Noticed (Paperback) by Leonard Saffir (Author)
• Media Training 101: A Guide to Meeting the Press (Hardcover) by Sally Stewart (Author)
• The New PR Toolkit: Strategies for Successful Media Relations (Financial Times Prentice Hall Books) (Paperback)by Deirdre Breakenridge (Author), Thomas J. DeLoughry (Author)
• Full Frontal PR: Building Buzz About Your Business, Your Product, or You (Paperback)by Richard Laermer (Author)