Joanne McCall Book Publicist

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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Your Publicity Campaign Ended. Your Pitch Didn’t.

Joanne McCall — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:00:10 +0000

Something happened recently that still makes me smile, even after all these years working with media. I heard back from someone I pitched approximately a year ago. A full year ago. Most authors and experts assume that when they send a pitch and hear nothing, the story is over, and sometimes it is. Sometimes the pitch landed badly, the timing was wrong, or the media contact simply was not…

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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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Why A Great Pitch Can Get No Response

Joanne McCall — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:00:33 +0000

An author I know recently pitched a media outlet that made complete sense. It fit their “This outlet is perfect for me” test, which includes the following: The topic was right for them. The audience was right. The timing was good. The author had the expertise. It was the kind of match that makes you think, “Of course they are going to be interested.” And then… Crickets. Nothing. No response.

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Why Did My Interview End Early?

Joanne McCall — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:00:07 +0000

A former client once called me after a podcast interview and was clearly unhappy. The interview had been scheduled for an hour, but it only lasted about twenty minutes. To him, that meant something had gone wrong, like maybe I had gotten the scheduled length wrong. While it’s true mistakes can happen, I double checked this and that was not the issue. But it got me to thinking about something…

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It’s Already Holiday Gift Guide Season

Joanne McCall — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 16:00:33 +0000

Every year, authors make the same mistake with holiday gift guides. They wait until the holidays. On the surface that seems right, but when it comes to media, you often have to be thinking way ahead. By November, when the stores are decorated, holiday music is playing, and everyone is finally thinking about gifts, many authors decide it might be a good time to pitch their books for holiday…

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AI Learned From Us. Now It Thinks We’re AI.

Joanne McCall — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:22 +0000

Apparently, the Founding Fathers used AI. Who knew? I came across something recently that sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole. The U.S. Constitution, written in 1787, has been put through AI detectors, and some of them have concluded that portions of it were written by artificial intelligence. One reported test even came back with a score of more than 90 percent AI-generated. Obviously…

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Think Fiction is Too Hard to Publicize? Think Again.

Joanne McCall — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:00:58 +0000

A book marketing expert I highly respect made an interesting comment recently. She said most publicists stay away from fiction because it is simply too hard to publicize. I understand what she means, and I respectfully disagree. Fiction can be more challenging if the entire pitch is, “Here is a wonderful new novel you should know about.” There’s not much there for a producer, editor…

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That Flattering Email May Not Be What It Seems

Joanne McCall — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:00:18 +0000

During my webinar earlier this week, an author asked a question that immediately got Stephanie and me talking. Stephanie Chandler is the founder of the Nonfiction Authors Association and was hosting the webinar. During the Q&A, one participant asked about emails she had been receiving about her book. They were very complimentary. Some sounded as though the sender had actually taken the time to…

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