Media Strategies – Joanne McCall Book Publicist

You’re Being Auditioned Before the Interview Begins

Joanne McCall — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 16:00:36 +0000

A few years ago, one of my clients landed a pre-interview with a producer. This was good news. The pitch had done its job, the producer was interested, and now they wanted to talk with him before deciding whether to move forward. It’s like an audition. The conversation between the two of them started well. In fact, maybe a little too well. The producer was friendly and easy to talk to…

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You Got Their Attention. Don’t Blow the Next Step.

Joanne McCall — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:00:16 +0000

You send a pitch to a producer, editor, writer, or podcast host, and then comes the reply you have been hoping for: “Please send me more information.” That is exciting, and it should be. You got their attention after all, but authors and experts sometimes read that response as, “They love the idea. I’m practically booked!” Well, not quite. While something might look and feel like a yes, it isn’…

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The Story Behind the Book May Be the Real Media Story

Joanne McCall — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:00:58 +0000

Here is something authors are often surprised to learn about media. A producer or journalist may not care very much that you wrote a book. Ouch, I know. But they may care enormously about what you know because of the business you have spent years building. And yes, your book makes you timely. I have seen this play out many times. An author comes to me understandably excited about the book.

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What a TV Producer Sees That You Don’t

Joanne McCall — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:00:40 +0000

This week, one of my clients sent me a video from one of her recent book events in Boston. It was lovely. It was professionally produced and beautifully edited. The team had great shots of her, her book, the event, and the people attending. It was exactly the kind of video you would be delighted to post on social media or on your website. There was only one problem. I was looking at it…

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When Trust Is Already in Short Supply

Joanne McCall — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:00:08 +0000

Last week, I wrote about how AI can waste enormous amounts of your time. It can produce too many ideas, too many versions, too many directions, and too much material to sort through. Something that should have taken fifteen minutes can suddenly consume hours. Perhaps you have already discovered this. If you missed it, you can read it right here. But there is another consequence of AI that has…

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They Wanted Oprah Because Oprah Was Oprah

Joanne McCall — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:00:06 +0000

Back in the day, when Oprah was still huge on network television, I used to do a little private experiment on discovery calls. I would silently time how long it took a potential client to ask about getting on Oprah. And honestly, I understood. Oprah had enormous power. There was nothing quite like her. She could move books, shape conversations, introduce authors to millions of people…

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Why You? Why Now?

Joanne McCall — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:00:04 +0000

There is a question running in the back of every producer’s, reporter’s, freelancer’s, editor’s, and podcast host’s mind when they receive a pitch from you. Rarely is it spoken. Most of the time, it’s not. But it is always there. And the question is… Why you? Why now? Those two little questions sit quietly behind so many media decisions, and it is up to you to answer them almost…

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What Not to Do When You Want Earned Media

Joanne McCall — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:00:43 +0000

There is a line between being visible and looking desperate. And it’s a line that an author and expert needs to know. I once worked with a woman who was going to be in New York City. She had written a book and wanted national media attention, especially from the Today show. Her big idea? She planned to go down to the outdoor plaza at NBC, hold up her book on camera, yell and holler when…

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Your Book Is Not Your Hook

Joanne McCall — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:00:03 +0000

There is something powerful that happens when a room full of nonfiction writers gathers together. Even if the room is virtual, you can feel it. The ideas, and the questions, and the quiet determination. The “I know I have something important to say, but how do I help people find it?” energy. Love it. There is nothing like it. That was the feeling at this week’s Nonfiction Writers Conference…

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The New Media Map

Joanne McCall — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 17:00:02 +0000

Back in the day, Oprah was the holy grail of media “gets.” You could meet someone at a networking event, talk to a fiction or nonfiction author, and within 60 seconds they would say her name. Not because they loved daytime TV, but because Oprah represented something else. Something big. Legitimacy. And that belief is still alive today, even if the name has changed. Today it sounds like: “If…

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