Any journalists around who can help me with this question?

[TwoManyFallsAndYouGetABadScore]

I am doing the publicity for a couple of books I think could get onto the "20 interesting gifts for your Dad" type of lists this christmas. Who (in a paper or magazine) normally puts these lists together? All my contacts are current affairs/history/book type people so I am looking for some ideas of who to send the press release to.

One is a gorgeous coffee table type book of photos of famous battlescences (how they look today) and the other is a republication of a book that was published at the beginning of WWII to help people pass the time during the blackout - quite quirky.

Can anyone help.

lol at "any journalists around here?"

sorry can't help good luck

lol stuffit

I realised the of that question as soon as I posted

To be honest, you might well be too late for magazine deadlines. Many are working six months ahead, and even those that don't will be getting them to print in a couple of weeks.

Best thing to do is to ring round mags and see if they have put their book lists to bed yet. You can get contacts from PIMMS, but I think you have to pay. Otherwise its just that old slog of calling up and asking.

Gift pages will be done by lifestyle editors or homes editors or on smaller titles features editors or even assistant/deputy editors. Not editors! It will just annoy them. Make sure the release is very short and to the point.

Not too late at all for weeklies (you have another 6 weeks ish) or newspapers of course, but is for monthlies.

true boyn, forgot about the weeklies!

And, I can't believe I am actually saying this, but they sound perfect for the DM. Oh lordy.

OK, thanks. I think its probably more relevant for newpapers/supplements but thanks for the tip about magazines. (I don't do much work with magazines so didn't realise the lead time was quite so long).

Hate to admit this MadameDefarge but the DM is normally the first point of call for the type of books I work on. The literary editor there is on my christmas card list.....

Never fear. Have had professional relations with them too in my time..Ah, the joys of being a publicity gal!

DM would be perfect. Why feel embarassed/horrified? It's business.

Where can I get a copy of the WWII book, sounds like a cool xmas pressie to me
Seriously, where do I get it? How much £ though is the Q...

twofalls - we want an update over here please.

Sorry to gatecrash.

Features editors would be interested in that sort of stuff.
Why lol at 'any journalists around here?' There are loads on MN, me included.

Send it to the Press Association features desk and it will go to all the nationals, big regionals, etc.

Here you go birdfromdanorf, the blackout book

and the publisher's blog entry on the book

Its not been published yet but you can pre-order

Lyra, I think the lol was at me asking IF there are any journalists around. i think we all know that there are always loads of them looking for the next story. It wasn't a lol at the loads of regular MNers who are journalists if you see what I mean.

Vacaloca, just about to go and update the other thread

Sorry, I misunderstood [thick emoticon]

that blackout book looks good for my parents - they were 9 in 1939 and both lived in an industrial city so have many memories of family evenings in the blackout

Thanks hatwoman, I do think it will sell well and hopefully get a bit of decent publicity. I think its a good price for a stocking filler too.