THE BOOK

Perfecting The Pitch: Creating Publicity Though Media Rapport

Gaining and maintaining relationships is vitally important in everyday life and in business. Those who master the art of relationship building stand to gain as a result of those relationships. Whether you seek relationships with family and friends, or with possible business partners, clients/customers, or even the media, all relationships are built on a foundation. Understanding that foundation and mastering it can help you build something special. Perfecting The Pitch: Creating Publicity Through Media Rapport (Larstan 2007) is the ultimate guide to learning about building relationships with journalists.

Perfecting the Pitch defines “Media Rapport” and gives insight on how that rapport is necessary in order to obtain and maintain a consistent, trustworthy relationship with the media. The book breaks down the four cornerstones and 16 building blocks that, when put together, create The Foundation of Media Rapport TM. Readers learn the importance of newsworthiness, passion, writing, and persistence among others, and the importance of each in creating a pitch. Readers quickly gain the understanding that once rapport is established; pitching a successful story idea becomes much easier.

Perfecting the Pitch  is the professional’s guide to building rapport with journalists. The book is not a public relations “how-to” manual; in contrast, it is written with a “what they didn’t teach you in college” perspective. The book examines every aspect of working with the media, from understanding beats, deadlines, and communication preferences to crafting the perfect pitch. It references The Foundation of Media Rapport TM as establishing a positive, long-term relationship with the media.

Hundreds of respected journalists from across the country and across all forms of media were surveyed to find out what they look for in their sources and story pitches. Through their responses, readers gain valuable real world insight that creates the foundation on which healthy media relationships are built. As a public relations expert, Ben Lewis provides the necessary information for readers to maintain these relationships. Based on real life experiences obtained by working exceptionally close with the media for over 15 years he explains the dos and don’ts of maintaining a positive relationship.