Baby, think twice (before you send that book to journalists)

Every week or so I receive an email asking if I would like [insert name of author] new business book. Due to them not being relevant to anything I'm working on - or hoping to work on - it's never a yes. I don’t know when I last accepted a book by a PR, or covered one in a piece. (Or perhaps I’m being wrongly targeted – if there was one that was more sustainability focused that could generate feature ideas, I’d be open to such an email).  

But I was prompted to write this newsletter after working at the BBC in Manchester last week and seeing yet another book uncalled for/unwanted/unasked for business book being sent to an editor and put to one side, never to be read. You might all know by now how much I abhor waste anyhow, but wow, how many unread business books and other books must be sent to journalists every week. Do ask a journalist first if they want said book rather than it being left to collect dust in the office and chucked out years later when there’s an office clean up. I know some journalists will want books, there’ll be dedicated sections, book reviews, and so on. But so many books are sent unprompted to journalists who are never going to read it, never mind have the opportunity to feature it anywhere. If that’s the case, then do ask beforehand, rather than sending out. 

Ps one journalist told me that at least said books were rather useful before – by using them to create a makeshift laptop stand before HR kindly granted him one.