Looking back at the recent holiday season, if you could have asked Santa for one thing this Christmas pertaining to your book promotion, what would it have been?

For the sake of this newsletter, let's say you want more media coverage.

Unfortunately, the big man in red is only familiar with chimneys, so we'll have to do this one ourselves.

Let's resort to the age old adage: "You must first give, in order to receive." To receive the publicity you want, you must first give the media something they want. But what do the media want? Well, I happen to have seen the media's wish list, and they want information. They want new material. They want the inside story. They are as eager to receive information as you are to give it to them.

So here are a few pointers on how to give the media exactly the type of information they want.

Everyone loves a good story
Sometimes it's good to simply list the basic facts, but other times what a reporter wants to see is how the information you give can be made into a story. For example, a book might be about a company that produced 8 million teapots this year, making it the biggest teapot supplier in the country. However, the story could revolve around how Americans are drinking more green and white tea due to new health benefits associated with them. Tying a bigger concept to your book makes the story more intriguing to the reporter and the public. It also makes you look more knowledgeable about trends in society.

Don't give Santa an electric razor
In other words, the information you give should be relevant. Make an effort to understand exactly to whom you are giving the information. Ask yourself if the reporter is going to be interested in the story. For example, Better Homes and Gardens might not necessarily care about a big free-speech case that gets extensive coverage in your book. Unless it had something to do with petunias.

Think "seasonal" and "timely"
Use the time of year to your advantage when creating a news angle. Being fresh and unique in your approach can win bonus points with reporters.

A gift card to information never fails
Of course it is ideal to give the media information about your company or have them quote you as a source. Unfortunately, not all news leads relate to you. However, maybe you know someone else who would be able to offer their expertise to a reporter. What the media like almost as much as information from you is information from you about how they can receive more pertinent information. Supply a reporter with a valuable source, and even offer to introduce the two. Reporters will be grateful to you for helping them and will be more open to hearing from you in the future.

If you are consistent and accurate with the information you give, the word will spread and you will have a good reputation in the media world. Think about it this way: there's always that one relative or friend who gives fantastic gifts that you look forward to receiving from each year.