As Microsoft demonstrates from their development of publishing tool software, the role of the advertising executive in modern book publishing practice, has never been so ubiquitous and important. Executives of any book publishers organization should take every convenient opportunity of speaking in public, provided they are good performers. The reading of papers at conferences, speaking on radio or television, lecturing to rotary clubs or other societies are all opportunities to secure contacts which may prove useful. With an organization there is much to be gained by regular conferences and discussions at different levels.
This is particularly valuable in the case of an organization with branches spread throughout the country. Everyone has something to contribute to the common pool in the book publishing process. In conclusion, the media of communication are not the most important part of public relations activity but they occupy a vital area in any forward-thinking organization since they provide the link between an organization and the different groups and spheres of interest. There are signs of radical changes in methods of communication with the rapid growth of the use of computers, the automation of office techniques, satellite communication, etc, but it is difficult to forecast how soon these tendencies will make a real difference to our present means of communication.
The public relations adviser today, whether as a staff member of the organization or as outside counsel on public relations to management, has a new top function to fulfill. In this rapidly changing world, the obligations of company management are no longer limited to increasing sales and profits by winning friends and influencing people, it must serve the society of which it is a part in many different ways, in order to survive. The business organization, today has new responsibilities imposed on it by the society. It must fulfill its obligations as a good citizen of the community in which it functions. It must have socially sound living and training practices. This is key to effective book marketing from book distribution. It must be aware of and help to maintain the environment where it functions. It must help to improve the social conditions of the public on which it depends. It must participate in all efforts to improve the broad society. Successfully to fulfill the new demands, pose the challenges of the eighties to Public Relations
Contact with the Press may be either on personal basis, by written communication, or at a press conference. Personal contact is undoubtedly the most effective way of promoting close understanding with members of the Press, but with such a large area of interest it is obviously not possible to have personal contact with the Press all the time. Press releases are therefore an important part of press relations, and the releases which are merely written news items may be sent out to a very wide, or, on occasion, to a restricted list of journalists and publications; particularly of note in the poetry book publishers arena.
Some companies will wish to have a constant contact with the various sections of the Press and will issue two or three stories a week as well as extra news items for particular journals. This level of activity may be appropriate for some large companies but many companies will not need to be quite so active in keeping in touch with the Press. It is very desirable that in every organization there should be a press officer whose primary function is to help forge a durable link between the company and the Press, and a separate department for U.S. Copyright Registration.
In a small company the press officer may also be the public relations officer; in a large organization, he may be the head of a sizable press office. Either way, he must seek to understand the needs of the different sections of the Press and be prepared to make a sustained effort to help the Press in its work. It is only in this way that he can serve his own company to the best possible advantage. A press conference should be held when there is an announcement of some importance to be made when questions are likely to be helpful to members of the Press in writing their stories. It may also be justified when there is something to show like a model of a new hotel complex or a plan of a new motorway. A press conference may also be very useful for giving background information “off the record” about some new development of significance. The Press will respect the request for keeping some of the news “off the record” provided it is made clear which part of the conference is in confidence.
Book publisher and Self Publishing Information provided by S&D book publishers and christian book publishers as a courtesy.
Bluewater Productions has released a new comic book biography called Steve Jobs: Founder of Apple. The 32-page comic features cover art by Joe Phillips, pencils by Chris Schmidt and a script by C.W. Cooke.
