How to Be a Story or, at least, Part of the Story.

I didn't usually kiss my sources...

Newsrooms have been sacked. Cubicles are empty. Journalists are worried. The digital age and those damned bloggers are changing the way journalists do their jobs, and the way they see their future.

For the small business owner, or the newsworthy person, these changes mean it is harder to get into the paper, magazine, or on TV. But, it also presents possibilities.

You can suggest great stories to reporters, many of whom are spending their days feeding the story monster and who would appreciate your good tip.

I’ve tweeked the talk I gave at a Blissdom Workshop a couple of weeks ago and am presenting it here as a  How to Be A Story PDF and a slide presentation. (My workshop, by the way, was with the very fabulous and smart: Wendy Piersall, Lindsay Maines, Jenn Fowler and Renee J. Ross.)

It is intended for the small business with little, or no, PR budget; for the blogger with an awesome site; for the person with the interesting story/hobby/craft/lifestyle etc; for the expert who would make a great source, offer a great quote in a trend story, whether it be in the news,business, features or sports section.

You get the idea, right?

Now, the mistake people make when they go after media is thinking only of the gigantic story. But, there are briefs, and trend stories and quickie quotes that offer great exposure too.

I encouraged the bloggers I spoke with at Blissdom to become experts, to become go-to people for the reporters in their area. Sometimes, this will land you a story, sometimes you’ll be part of the story, but once you become a go-to person, you get what others don’t: Connection.

And, calls returned.

Lucky You.

(Now, that picture above. A couple was raising alpacas and llamas in the middle of a fancy neighborhood in Nashville. The guy called me. I did a feature in the winter of 2003. All it took was one telephone call.)

Good luck.