Free Isn’t Always Free

Freedom of the press or free press is not free for the average American. The truth is, unless you’re rich, famous, a criminal, involved in a tragedy or a saint; you have to pay for your news coverage. That’s right, graduation, engagement, wedding, birth anniversary and death announcements all come with a price tag. 

Want to get the word out about your new business or your recently published book? No problem, that’s called an advertisement. And it can be really expensive. 

So, you already have a nice press release to submit? Go ahead, it’s free to submit. The only problem is, it may not get released. A free press release is released at the discretion of the news media. In other words, no pay no say.

Let’s look at some cost-effective ways to get the word out to your community and the masses:

1. Good old fashion word of mouth will work for your community.
   
   
2. The cheapest and most obvious way to reach the masses is social media. This can be a gold mine, if done correctly. You need to really work this one and milk it for all you can get out of it.  You should always make your posts public and ask your friends to share them. I’m still learning. The only problem with social media is, you are limited to your circle of friends unless you pay for advertisements and/or boost the number of people that can see your posts. However, there are different rates which will allow you to stay within your budget. 
   
   
3. Start a blog. This is one of the methods I’m using to get the word out about my book: In Control on a Wing and a Prayer and its sequel. Although this is not as expensive as advertising in a major news media, it will cost you. You will need a blog template or software and a domain or website in which to launch your blog.
   
   
4. You can also pay for a press release. They can run anywhere from $600.00 to $60.00. Check out PR.com for reasonable rates. 

That’s it for now. I hope you’re getting something from this. Continue to follow me on this journey as I find out what really happens after publishing.

If you’re looking for a good read or a story that’s sure to stir you, then check out my book: In Control on a Wing and a Prayer. It is available on Amazon, Kindle and my website http://www.authorpriscillarussell.com. You may also find information about the book on my Facebook Page: In Control on a Wing and a Prayer.