Television is the New Book Deal

Why a show beats a bestseller for authority now, and how a salon owner ended up hosting one in Hollywood.

My friend Rachel McCord says something I like to quote:

"Television today is what a book deal was 12 years ago."

Twelve years ago, the fastest way to become "the expert" was getting published. The book on the shelf did the positioning for you. Today? The authority signal that does that job is a show.

I know because I lived the whole arc. I started as a hair and nail salon owner who once faxed a press release to the local paper. Today I host my own TV Talk Show in Hollywood, filmed on the same movie lot where Avatar, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, and The Mandalorian were made.

It may seem crazy to go from a salon owner to a TV host but I want you to see how reachable this actually is, because the myths around TV are even thicker than the myths around press.

WHAT NOBODY TELLS YOU ABOUT TV

Shows are hungry. Every show, from local morning TV to streaming talk shows, needs guests constantly. Weekly. Forever. The producers' problem is not too many experts. It's finding prepared ones.

You don't need a speech. You need sound bites. Media doesn't want your hour-long framework. It wants two or three tight, quotable lines it can use.

"Not polished, but precise". Prepare three sound bites per topic you speak on, and you're more camera-ready than most people with media training.

Local TV is the open door. Your local morning show books guests every single day. Everyone overlooks it while chasing national. Start where they're hungry, collect the footage, and climb.

The appearance ends. The assets never do. One TV segment becomes your sizzle reel, your "as seen on" logos, your pitch-deck clips, and the credibility that makes premium clients say yes faster.

Premium clients don't choose the best expert. They choose the one with the authority, the positioning, and the know, like and trust. TV manufactures all three.

And one more thing, because I can hear you thinking it: you are not "not ready." The women on TV are not better than you. They raised their hands sooner.

And this may shock you: Many women (including celebs) actually PAY for media. This is the “little secret” that is not discussed in public.

Publications, TV shows and podcasts make a portion of their revenue now with this “pay to play” model.

And think of it this way. Would you rather pay a publicist thousands per month with no guarantee of getting in a magazine or a TV show interview or pay for that exposure directly?

Of course, you should pitch yourself and get as much “free” media coverage as you can. It’s still available and out there. But it’s smart to also use the pay to play shortcut and fasttrack your results.

THE CHECKLIST (SAVE THIS)

1. Write your three sound bites. Tight, quotable, under two sentences each.
2. List your local TV shows and the segments they run.
3. Build one simple angle tied to a season, holiday, or trend.
4. Record yourself delivering your sound bites on your phone. That's your starter reel.
5. Pitch ONE show this month. Not perfect. Sent.

If a producer called you tomorrow, what would your segment be about? Tell me below, I want to hear them. 💖👇

Next week: the strangest post I've ever published, my highest-reach post ever, and it was basically a warning label.

Subscribe so you don't miss it.

xoxo,

Christina

P.S. I keep a few guest spots on my own TV Talk Show open for women in my community. If being on TV is on your dream list, take a look here: https://www.standoutonline.ai/hto

Want to see what it looks like? Watch Christina Rowe's TV talk show, filmed with members of Women Helping Women Entrepreneurs®.

Want help getting seen by more of your ideal clients? Stand Out Online is an online marketing membership for women entrepreneurs who sell coaching, programs, digital products, and services on Facebook. It's created by Christina Rowe, founder of Women Helping Women Entrepreneurs®, the free Facebook group with 980,000+ members. See how Stand Out Online works →

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Originally published on Substack: https://christinarowe.substack.com/p/television-is-the-new-book-deal