2021 Edition

The Public Relations Student Playbook, now titled Public Relations Playbook, was selected by Book Authority as one of the best new public relations books to read in 2020. The new edition provides insightful tips and tactics in more than 80 areas of public relations. If I had the benefit of this book in my career, I would have accelerated my advancement and been able to devote more time to enjoying my quality of life. The Playbook invites readers to explore the PR profession. It doesn’t sell or sugar-coat the profession. It provides a transparent look at aspects of the profession from a multitude of thought-provoking angles. Readers can pursue their interests randomly in the table of contents. There’s no sequence of chapters to read because there is a mix of subjects with which I had personal experiences. It responds to all the questions I got from students in teaching more than 50 classes over 10 years in PR plans, writing and campaigns, and from managing interns and entry-level professionals. The book, in no way, is intended to be a comprehensive introduction to the profession. It shows you that you don’t have to be a pioneer in every learning experience, that you can learn from the School of Experience rather than the School of Hard Knocks.  It should be seen as a companion to keep close by when you are dealing with public relations matters, especially when you are deep in thought about a situation, an action, a difficult decision, a worrisome or burdensome challenge, or feel that you need a little guidance or a nudge forward.
 
Readers will find mind-set, self-examination and self-presentation topics. Readers will find wisdom that emphasizes learning lessons over experiencing consequences. Readers will find teaching points, nitty-gritty tactics and how-to-do-it guidelines that build skills and expedite work. Readers will find valuable insights from seasoned professionals and vignettes of some interesting, less considered, areas of the profession.