President & CEO of Ascot Media Group, Inc., Trish Stevens was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about her exciting new business partnership with CEO of Reliant Public Relations, Monica Foster.
Thanks to Trish Stevens and Monica Foster for their time, and for the interesting and informative responses to the questions. They are greatly appreciated.
What was the background to forming this partnership between Ascot Media Group and Reliant Public Relations?
Trish Stevens: After hearing from authors how they had poured their heart and soul into a book only to find out that getting it published left little for publicity, we put our heads together to come up with a plan that would be affordable for authors and still cover our own costs. We teamed up in such a way that Ascot promotes the Plan, and Reliant handles the processing.
How does this partnership serve authors better as their publicists?
Trish Stevens: Because we have the ability to reach tens of thousands of media personnel, we eliminate the middle man (the one-on-one publicist) and the author handles contact with the media directly. We get the media attention they need – they become their own publicist – all for a nominal fee!
One of the new initiatives you are employing is Author 333. How does this concept work to benefit authors, publishers, the media, and your company?
Trish Stevens: First of all, we have made the cost so affordable ($333) we give authors equal opportunity to hit the top! Publishers can promote several book titles at one time and still pay a great deal less than hiring a one-on-one publicist, ultimately increasing their Return on Investment (ROI). The media actually prefers to read ‘Teasers’ so our way simplifies the process – it is short and to the point versus reading an entire press release. The new Plan benefits us because it attracts authors in volume. Word-of-mouth and results are key!
Trish Stevens, Ascot Media Group (photo left)
How does this initiative revolutionize how authors approach publicists on a cost basis?
Trish Stevens: It revolutionizes the whole process – the author becomes his/her own publicist by dealing directly with the media. It actually eliminates the cost of an individual publicist completely.
How can one firm working alone charge a high fee, while two firms working together charge so little in fees. How does this counter-intuitive concept work?
Trish Stevens: We believe that traditional PR firms do not understand the ROI for authors. Celebrities need publicists but it is not economically feasible for new authors or those who have not yet hit the big time. Once they hit the NY Times best-selling list, they can afford a publicist. We give them an opportunity they normally would not get without a publicist – we get them out there, we get them the attention, and we get them recognized!!
Monica Foster , Reliant Public Relations (photo left)
How important is it for authors to consider working with a publicist in today's crowded book marketplace?
Trish Stevens: Many authors do not have the funds to hire an individual publicist but that doesn’t mean they should give up. In reality, the most important thing to consider is that they need to get their book out there – and that means any way they can! However, if they have the funds or have a busy lifestyle, e.g., a celebrity, physician or lawyer, it would be beneficial for them to hire a publicist to handle every detail. There are so many new authors who are typically ‘writers with day jobs’ – people with a dream who have often worked on their book for years and finally get it published – only to realize they can’t afford thousands of dollars to pay a PR firm for publicity. This is where the Author 333 Plan comes in.
How can this low cost venture help even more authors find success?
Trish Stevens: It’s all about exposure – we write a 6-line Teaser with their approval and distribute it to tens of thousands of media personnel – what better way to give them the opportunity to get in front of the ‘majors’ and a shot at the top!
What is next for Trish Stevens and Monica Foster, and for this new partnership venture?
Trish Stevens: Since our goal is to get clients the recognition they deserve and a chance to achieve maximum success, we see the Author 333 Plan as just another step in this process. It is a win-win for all concerned – the author, Reliant and Ascot! We welcome you to visit our site and view client testimonials at: http://www.ascotmedia.com/testimonials.html. As for future ventures, well, we’ll just have to wait and see…
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