Avoid Firms that Don’t Do Their Homework

Today, I received a letter from XYZ firm telling me all about how fabulous they were and best of all they could put me on the New York Times list for under a $1000.

I imagine my fellow authors see the issue right away. Not once did this firm mention my brand, my website, my awards, my agency or my publisher. They didn’t even mention one of my books. So how could XYZ know they could put me on a major list if they apparently don’t even know what I write. For all XYZ knows, I’m a total hack.

If you get a message like this Delete, Delete, Delete.

Here is the message. I’ve redacted the name of the firm:

Dear Ms. Dreiling,

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and I wish you a very blessed, healthy, and prosperous new year.

I would like to provide you with a quick update about XYZ:

XYZ has remained #1 for book publicity in the USA by topPRagencies.com for several months now. We are also rated A+ with the Better Business Bureau.

We still offer campaigns for less than a thousand dollars, and we are still as successful as ever for our clients.  Please take a moment to look at these “full contact” testimonials on our site: (Redacted)

We’ve helped several authors hit the NY Times bestsellers list. We are still known for providing national publicity for most of our clients, whether it’s for authors of new or old books (up to 5 years old), businesses, entertainers, or any other services.

What makes XYZ so successful is our vast database that enables us to reach almost all media outlets across the USA for each of our clients. It just automatically generates interviews and reviews for everyone!  And, we still offer month-to-month plans.

END OF XYZ EMAIL

Notably they never mention niche or target markets. I know you’re all smart enough to realize the whole world of fiction isn’t your market!

As a former marketer for a Fortune 500 firm, I am astounded by this message. To my fellow authors, if you get an email like this, run the other way. Any marketing/PR professional with a brain in his/her head would research a prospective client before approaching an author.

Not once did this firm mention my brand, my publisher, what a I write, my awards, etc. The truth is anyone with half a brain could find that information on my website and various social media sites.

My fellow authors, if you get a message like this Delete, Delete, Delete.