Interview with Irwin Zucker, Book Publicist and the president of Promotion in Motion
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get started in the publishing industry?
I've always been interested in the written word, starting at Brooklyn (NY) Boys High School where I edited the school paper and was president of my senior class, June 1944. I always liked working with people.
After high school, I attended NYU and then, at age 18, I was drafted into the U.S.Army where I continued my love of journalism editing the Camp Lee Traveler at Camp Lee, Virginia. Then finished my college education (majoring in journalism) at the Univ. of Michigan, graduating in 1948 (wrote sports for the college paper, The Michigan Daily).
Spent the summer of '48 in Europe and then returned to my native New York City to embark seriously on a professional career, doing PR for record companies (Decca & MGM) for a few years. In 1955, I ventured out on my own as a publicist, starting in NYC and then moving to 3,000 miles to Los Angeles. As a very diversified record promoter, I had some good clients such as Steve Allen, Dinah Shore, Burl Ives and many more. In 1956, I acquired authors and book publishers as clients. The first was Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a minister who had a giant best-seller, "The Power of Positive Thinking." I was assigned by his publisher, Prentice-Hall, to work on his autobiography, "Minister to Millions."
Soon, as an independent publicist in HOLLYWOOD, I was doing both musical and literary campaigns. One of the biggest was promoting the book, "The Sensuous Woman," by an author first known simply as "J" (later with her real name, Terry Garrity). I also promoted Jacqueline Susann, Veronica Lake, Dr. Earl Mindell plus thousands of other authors from 1956 to the present. I phased out of the record biz and have been mostly a book publicist the past three decades. In 1976, I founded the Book Publicists of So. Calif and was its president for 18 years. I am still very active with the group, penning its newsletter, "Know Thy Shelf." I have organized BPSC's next meeting, Feb. 13, with Dan Poynter, the guru of self-publishing, as the main speaker, at Sportsmen's Lodge, Studio City, Calif.
Tell us a little about the BPSC.
BPSC meets bi-monthly and draws over 100 at each event. We always furnish up-to-date info on changes in the book biz. The main thrust of the group is to learn how to sell more books. We are always seeking new members. In fact, we now have 18 Life Members who have each generously paid $500 to enter that elite circle. Regular membership is now $40 per year.
What is the best advice you can give new authors?
Live, eat and drink the biz around the clock. Learn all you can about books by joining organizations. Get to know whatever local bookstores that are left today. Work the Internet like crazy to gather all valuable info. I urge authors to try promoting their wares on their own. Don't hire a professional publicist at the outset of your career as an author. Live and learn by your mistakes.
What are some of the mistakes that new authors make when they are trying to promote a new book?
One of the major mistakes new authors make is being too pushy with the media and bugging them to death. It's always the contents of a book that first appeals to a media host or producer. Get to know the media--local and national.
Be a true friend to media. If you get shot down, come up with new angles/slants/opinions. Remember it's always entertainment and information that the media is seeking. And, as a guest, you've got to be a good one, always looking your best, speaking clearly and not over-plugging your book on the air or with a print person. Don't expect a media contact to have read your book in its entirety. Today, having a good website with helpful info about you and your book, is a must. Try to listen to talk radio as much as possible and feel what shows you'd be suited for, local or national. Same is true of TV.
Read newspapers and magazines--see what fits you and the contents of your book. By doing your own PR initially you'll learn what professional PR folks have to go through. When you can afford professional PR, don't leave everything up to that person to make your book a best-seller. You've got to work closely with the PR agent--you're all part of a team--bounce off each other with fresh ideas. Never give up! I feel each book has its own audience--find that niche and milk it!
I have been promoting books and authors since 1955. I'm probably the senior book publicist in the U.S. Today, at age 85, I'm still working 7 days a week. My wife, movie critic Devra Hill, has written several books as have our twin daughters, Judi and Shari Zucker, with their health titles (they were recently on the NBC-Tv Today show plugging their latest book). They are my "in-house clients."
How can authors and publishers reach you?
I can be reached at 714 Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90028 or via my email: irwin@promotioninmotion.net or by phone 323-461-3921. Google my name for more about yours truly or visit my website, Promotion in Motion. I would be happy to send you our latest newsletter at no charge to you.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I invite you to be a member of our Book Publicists of So. Calif., no matter where you reside. We have over 1,000 members--quite a feat in the 36-year-history of BPSC.
THANK YOU, Irwin! I was such a pleasure to do this interview!
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get started in the publishing industry?
I've always been interested in the written word, starting at Brooklyn (NY) Boys High School where I edited the school paper and was president of my senior class, June 1944. I always liked working with people.
After high school, I attended NYU and then, at age 18, I was drafted into the U.S.Army where I continued my love of journalism editing the Camp Lee Traveler at Camp Lee, Virginia. Then finished my college education (majoring in journalism) at the Univ. of Michigan, graduating in 1948 (wrote sports for the college paper, The Michigan Daily).
Spent the summer of '48 in Europe and then returned to my native New York City to embark seriously on a professional career, doing PR for record companies (Decca & MGM) for a few years. In 1955, I ventured out on my own as a publicist, starting in NYC and then moving to 3,000 miles to Los Angeles. As a very diversified record promoter, I had some good clients such as Steve Allen, Dinah Shore, Burl Ives and many more. In 1956, I acquired authors and book publishers as clients. The first was Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a minister who had a giant best-seller, "The Power of Positive Thinking." I was assigned by his publisher, Prentice-Hall, to work on his autobiography, "Minister to Millions."
Soon, as an independent publicist in HOLLYWOOD, I was doing both musical and literary campaigns. One of the biggest was promoting the book, "The Sensuous Woman," by an author first known simply as "J" (later with her real name, Terry Garrity). I also promoted Jacqueline Susann, Veronica Lake, Dr. Earl Mindell plus thousands of other authors from 1956 to the present. I phased out of the record biz and have been mostly a book publicist the past three decades. In 1976, I founded the Book Publicists of So. Calif and was its president for 18 years. I am still very active with the group, penning its newsletter, "Know Thy Shelf." I have organized BPSC's next meeting, Feb. 13, with Dan Poynter, the guru of self-publishing, as the main speaker, at Sportsmen's Lodge, Studio City, Calif.
Tell us a little about the BPSC.
BPSC meets bi-monthly and draws over 100 at each event. We always furnish up-to-date info on changes in the book biz. The main thrust of the group is to learn how to sell more books. We are always seeking new members. In fact, we now have 18 Life Members who have each generously paid $500 to enter that elite circle. Regular membership is now $40 per year.
What is the best advice you can give new authors?
Live, eat and drink the biz around the clock. Learn all you can about books by joining organizations. Get to know whatever local bookstores that are left today. Work the Internet like crazy to gather all valuable info. I urge authors to try promoting their wares on their own. Don't hire a professional publicist at the outset of your career as an author. Live and learn by your mistakes.
What are some of the mistakes that new authors make when they are trying to promote a new book?
One of the major mistakes new authors make is being too pushy with the media and bugging them to death. It's always the contents of a book that first appeals to a media host or producer. Get to know the media--local and national.
Be a true friend to media. If you get shot down, come up with new angles/slants/opinions. Remember it's always entertainment and information that the media is seeking. And, as a guest, you've got to be a good one, always looking your best, speaking clearly and not over-plugging your book on the air or with a print person. Don't expect a media contact to have read your book in its entirety. Today, having a good website with helpful info about you and your book, is a must. Try to listen to talk radio as much as possible and feel what shows you'd be suited for, local or national. Same is true of TV.
Read newspapers and magazines--see what fits you and the contents of your book. By doing your own PR initially you'll learn what professional PR folks have to go through. When you can afford professional PR, don't leave everything up to that person to make your book a best-seller. You've got to work closely with the PR agent--you're all part of a team--bounce off each other with fresh ideas. Never give up! I feel each book has its own audience--find that niche and milk it!
I have been promoting books and authors since 1955. I'm probably the senior book publicist in the U.S. Today, at age 85, I'm still working 7 days a week. My wife, movie critic Devra Hill, has written several books as have our twin daughters, Judi and Shari Zucker, with their health titles (they were recently on the NBC-Tv Today show plugging their latest book). They are my "in-house clients."
How can authors and publishers reach you?
I can be reached at 714 Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90028 or via my email: irwin@promotioninmotion.net or by phone 323-461-3921. Google my name for more about yours truly or visit my website, Promotion in Motion. I would be happy to send you our latest newsletter at no charge to you.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I invite you to be a member of our Book Publicists of So. Calif., no matter where you reside. We have over 1,000 members--quite a feat in the 36-year-history of BPSC.
THANK YOU, Irwin! I was such a pleasure to do this interview!
