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Melissa Balmer

@pedallove

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Media relations + Reclaiming Creativity coach for advocates + creatives. PR + storytelling for @xtexastrail. My fiction + art: @melissawritesromance

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a year ago

Guess what?

Local, regional, and statewide stories CAN go national across the U.S. (and beyond!) IF you successfully pitch to a news organization *local to you* that's networked to do that sort of thing.

Think NPR, Fox News, networks like ABC, CBC, and NBC etc.

(Tagging some friends doing newsworthy work and getting their stories into the press - @thewhiteline.foundation @dcrdesign_ @sidneys_rainbows @trafficgardens @bikebusworld )

3 key things:

1) Do your homework. Find the right reporter. Send a personalized email pitch. That's how I got the attention of the reporter at Texas Public Radio to write about the xTexas Trail Project.

2) Have all of the details together. I recommend hosting them on a "newsroom" or "media room" on your website. I'm talking about bios, data, past news stories, your news blog, and a link to good images and videos the media can access.

3) Be ready to say YES to the media's timeline. When they're interested, they can move VERY quickly. For this Texas Public Radion story example

a) I pitched the Texas Public Radio story via email.

b) The reporter called me back in 10 minutes and asked if my husband (Charlie Gandy the xTx Trail founder) was available THAT SAME DAY to record an interview via cell phone.

c) I got in touch with Charlie ground proofing from his van and he said yes, "let's do it!". The interview happened.

d) The interview ran on TPR the *next* day.

e) A week later the reporter called to tell us that his regional NPR producer thought the story could go national. Would Charlie come in studio to get a better interview recording AND set them up with a landowner to interview. We said YES.

f) In March 2025 the story ran again on TPR - and - NPR's All Things Considered around the country. Family, friends, and colleagues from across the country called, texted and emailed to let us know.

g) The March story on NPR was their 20th *most read* story of 2025.

What story about your important work could you copy this strategy? I'd love to know!

#mediarelations #howtopitchthemedia #prtools #prtips #mediatools by @pedallove

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9 months ago

For 2026 I'll be sharing some media relations tools basics!

The 1st is why you need a newsroom or media room and not just a news blog. This is the place where you make it super easy for the news media to find everything they need in order to write a story about you except for the actual interview.

In August '24 we launched @xtexastrail cross-state hiking, biking, and equestrian trail project. To date, just 17 months in, we've been featured in more than 40 news stories.

I didn't pitch most of these stories directly. They're "earned" meaning the media heard about us through another media source and decided they'd write a story too. They could do this because we had a media room from the get go.

95% of the stories written about the xTx (including TV coverage) used at least some of our images and videos for their stories.

Think about that.

Yes, you need a media room. They're not hard to create. They're a static page not a journal page like a blog. The basic things they include are:

>> The person to contact and get in touch with quickly for news stories
>> A link to a Google Drive or Dropbbox folder with bios, photos and videos clearly labeled, any important reports, data and research you want to share.
>> Links to any press releases
>> Link to your news blog if you have one
>> Links to any other recent media stories

You can find the xTx media room here:

https://www.xtexas.org/media-room

More tips, tools, and examples coming soon!

#prtools #prtips #nonprofittools #nonprofittips #mediarelations by @pedallove

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9 months ago

To all of my friends & colleagues hosting summits, programs, events, campaigns + more early in the year NOW is the time to get ready to increase and improve your news media coverage in 2026.

Yes I mean you dear @bikeleague !! Keep this in mind @tooledesigngroup @sdbikecoalition @pedestriandignity @railstotrails @familiesforsafestreets

1) I'm a broken record I know but you need a media room not just a news blog. Keep it updated!

2) Create a pitching calendar to remind yourself what you have coming up that the media would be interested in. Remember to look at what you're doing through THEIR lens not just yours.

3) Update your media list. Journalists change their jobs often. If you've never created a media list start an Excel or Google sheet to capture the media outlets, the journalists who cover your issues, email addresses, tel. numbers, and tracking your results.

4) Remember that media outlets used our xTexas Trail images + video 95% of the time in 2025. We're working on having even better images and video for this year!

5) Plan your pitches in advance. Whittle them down to be as short, pithy, and relevant to that news outlet as possible. Give the media several weeks' notice the 1st time you reach out.

6) If you have an event, campaign etc. in March you need to be planning your media outreach now!

7) You'll probably have to reach out to the media multiple times to get a story placed. Make peace with it. You're busy. They're busier. (Support indie media!)

8) Focus on news outlets that share their stories across multiple platforms i.e. Associated Press, Fox, NPR.

Why? You can have one story go viral that way.

You're doing important work. You're pedaling love! Make sure you're being smart about getting the word out to the largest audience possible.

XO Melissa

#mediatips #mediatools #newsmedia #prtips #prtools by @pedallove

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9 months ago

by @pedallove

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a year ago

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a year ago

I wandered around my aunt's garden this am @thewildeshelf @writergenesisbird thinking about the prompt of receiving a first payment for publishing.

Fall is such a fascinating time of transition.

Interestingly, this lead to my contemplating which bank I'd want the deposit to go to (yes, checks *are* still a thing but I'm pretty sure Draft2Digital will use electronic transfer).

And this led me to looking into which US banks are considered the most ethical and don't invest in oil and gas because I decided I want to open a new bank account when I publish on Bookshop(dot)org next year.

How about you? Any "aha" moments for this prompt?

And here's hoping I can catch up this weekend!

#embodiedauthorchallenge #ideating #visioning #imagining by @pedallove

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a year ago

This book (which I've listened to repeatedly) has been so pivotal in helping me to break the strangle hold perfectionism had on me as a writer and artist for decades.

How about you?

#theartistsway #selfcare #selftime #healingtools #healingjourney #artistsjourney by @pedallove

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a year ago

by @pedallove

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a year ago

by @pedallove

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a year ago

#writerfriendschallenge #authorembodiment @thewildeshelf + @writergenesisbird - Still catching up from our Wi-Fi being out and having my head down in editing mode. Here's two posts in one because they're related.

My MC Shelby loves to dance. She's using dance to heal from the grief of the death of her late Uncle - and - get more in touch with her body for intimacy and so much more! 🤪

It's all about embodiment baby!

Today I danced to Kiley Minogue's song magic for yesterday's author embodiment prompt and holy guacamole did it bring up the feels.

Whew! Lots of tears, happy tears to be dancing, for the vibe of the song, to be doing these prompt adventures created by generous women.

But also grief tears that my 30 something self, and 40 something self, and most of my 50 something self who didn't yet have Somatic Practitioning tools (mind + body) to utilize.

I just knew I was becoming very ill and my positive affirmations were no longer manifesting.

Oh, I was going out dancing alright, and it helped, but I didn't understand that chronic childhood trauma was trying hard to get my attention. I didn't understand about vibration and alignment.

I'm so happy that now I do. Such fascinating synergy is unfolding!

#amediting #amdancing #selfcare #selftime #authorstuff #writerthoughts #somaticawareness
#somaticpractitioning #embodiedauthorchallenge
#empath #cpstd #cptsdrecovery #writingcommunity
#writegram #romanstagram #writingmagicalrealismromance
#manifest #manifestation #manifesting #alignment #vibration by @pedallove

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a year ago

#writerfriendschallenge - here's hoping the 3rd time is the charm to have this post work!

How do I want my stories to make my readers feel? I had no idea I had so many thoughts until I started to create this post! My favorite books have either made me feel many of these things or all of them.

Do any of these resonate for you? @thewildeshelf thanks for inspiring me to expand the original list!

Entertained, intrigued, seen, validated, understood, better informed, eager, ASMR tingles, romantic, embodied, sexy, happy, vibrant, satisfied

And more tuned into your own synergy, synchronicity & magic!

#mystory #mywip #comingsoon #romanstagram #writingmagicalrealismromance #selfcare #selftime #keepreading #novellover #amreadingromance #romanceforever #smartromance #romancebookfeels #thefeels #manifesting #alignment #vibration #embodied #bookfeels #feelingseen #feelingvalidated #feelingsexy #feelingembodied #synergy #synchronicity #magic #aligning #alignment by @pedallove

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a year ago