๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐:
About 5-6 month ago, a little before our Kickstarter, I knew I needed to start reaching out for press but I had NO connections. None. Zippo. As far as anything newsworthy was concerned, I was persona non-grata living the glamorous life of a mom/writer/self-publisher.
I wrote a press release, edited a bit by my marketing gal and sent it out to my first few contacts.
Didn't hear a peep, but I knew this tends to be the case.
The next day, I looked up the editor of our local paper that covers a small section of northern Phoenix, the North Phoenix Times.
It's actually a great local paper and I enjoy reading all of the micro-things that go on in our area.
I hopped on LinkedIn and brazenly sent a DM to this editor telling her how much I loved her paper.
To my shock, she actually wrote me back. She and I chatted for a bit and she told me to send her my release.
This amazing woman, Shelly Everson took her own time to edit my release, tell me *exactly* how news sources wanted to receive it and what would get me better recognition.
Fast forward a few months and she extended an invitation on LinkedIn for self-published authors to write about their experiences, specifically starting in mid-life.
I jumped right in and sent her my musings.
The article was published about three weeks ago on Next Avenue.
And now... ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ has picked it up.ย
Yeah, like the tiny financial almanac.
Here's the best part: It's under the ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ sectionย 
I must have emailed or queried FIFTY news sources. I heard back from one or two, but this amazing lady gave up her time to help a newbie.ย
๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ: All it takes is one. Person-to-person contact is so very important. Not only that, but this publisher's kindness and compassion made such an imprint on my soul that I should never think of myself as "too green" to turn around and help someone else.
If you need help with writing press releases or are just looking for a *starting point* for PR, I'm here for it, and I'm here for you.