Feature Your Pawn Shop in a New Book

A "done for you" free publicity and PR opportunity for your pawn shop business; but only if you take action quickly!

By Steve Krupnik

Because I'm a consultant to the pawnbroking industry offering coaching products to pawnshop owners and pawn employees, I check the news on the pawn industry worldwide several times per week.  This gives me the ability to stay in touch with the industry, post content to my blogs on the Internet, spot industry trends, and offer cutting-edge information to my clients.  Sometimes it's also highly entertaining.

A recent morning was one of those entertaining days.  I went to an industry chat board on the Internet called Pawn Chat (http://www.pawnchat.com).  On the forum was a very short story from a Canadian pawnbroker who had just loaned a young lady $30.  Quickly.  She was in pain.  Actually, in labor.  She needed the $30 for a cab ride to the hospital.

I thought, this story would seem extraordinary to anyone outside of the pawnbroking industry.  But to me it seems like just another day at the pawnshop.  As you know, it is.  For some reason that day, the story would not leave my head.  I kept thinking about it.  In my heart I knew we are in an industry willing to share countless fascinating stories with anyone willing to listen.  And I knew these stories should be told.

If you have attended an industry trade show you realize that every pawnbroker on the planet has one thing in common.  Stories.  Lots of them.  I had always hoped to take the time to put mine down on paper.  And with the recent success I have enjoyed with my book, Pawnonomics, I was hoping to put my stories in the form of a book.  The story on Pawn Chat helped me reach my tipping point.  Quit thinking about it and do it Steve.  Write another book.

Jotting down some of my most extraordinary stories, I tried not to think like a pawnbroker because, as you know, once you've worked in a pawnshop the unusual doesn't seem that unusual anymore.  But when I looked at my list, I thought to myself, NO, this isn't about me.  It's bigger.  This book should be about the industry.

That's where my request to you comes in.  Imagine your pawnshop being featured in my next book.  Are you willing to share your best stories with the world?  If your answer is no, you have the right to refuse, I understand.  But if you are unsure or just curious, let me share with you why you may want to consider doing so.  First of all, by sharing a story with me and having your pawnshop featured in this book, you will be presenting yourself and our industry to thousands of readers in a very favorable interesting light.

Perhaps you already know which stories you could share.  The hilarious one.  The amazing one.  The story that will tug at your heart strings and your funny bone all at the same time.  The story that will portray you and your business with genuine kindness and empathy.  The story that makes you shake your head and smile.  The story that shows the true compassionate nature of our beloved industry.

But let me give you another reason to consider sharing a story or two with me.  If you choose to submit a story and it's selected for the book, you get a complimentary signed first edition of the book as soon as it's released. You will also receive a professionally written press release about your pawnshop being featured in this book, along with instructions on how to distribute the press release to all of the media outlets in your marketplace.  This will attract free publicity for you.  Lots of it.

Because I'm confident you will experience this positive PR when your submitted story is published, I will also send you a complimentary copy of the "Media Systems" section of the Pawn Shop Advisor™ coaching program.  This section gives you the straight scoop on how to professionally handle your newfound fame giving interviews and being written about in your marketplace, presenting yourself as a true media pro.

Plus, any journalists or reporters who contact you about your press release will be able to receive a complimentary review copy of the book with a simple e-mail.  So let me review what you will receive by submitting a story for the book and having it selected for publication.  If your story is selected you will get:

If you recognize the opportunity for your pawnshop business to be included in this book I hope you will consider submitting a story or two.  I have made it very easy for you to do so.  First of all, you don't need to sit down and painfully grind out some form of literary mastery.  Either I or a member of my staff will interview you and put your story into a form that will be suitable for the book.  But in order to choose the stories to be included in the book, I will at least need the basic premise of your story to make that choice.

To submit a story for your pawnshop here's all you need to do. 

Provide me with a short version of the story, just enough to feel it should be considered, and e-mail it along with your contact information to: support@CloudTenInc.com.  All e-mailed stories will be acknowledged, so if you do not receive a return e-mail you may want to check for a typo in the email address or look in your spam filter.  You can also submit this short version of your story along with your contact information by fax toll-free at: (888) 289-8557 or you can also utilize the same number to leave a voicemail to be contacted about your story.  You can also submit this short version along with your contact information by mail sent to: Cloud Ten Inc. 808 Trail Ridge East, Mishawaka, IN 46544, or you can submit a story right from the contact form on the bottom of this website page.

There are a few rules that come with this opportunity you should know about before you submit a story.  First being, only stories that are funny, unusual, emotional, uplifting, or compassionate will be considered.  This book is designed to offer a positive and uplifting view of modern pawnbrokers.  No stories about customers pawning their gold teeth or wooden legs will be considered for publication.  Second, if you do not seek publicity and notoriety in your marketplace, you may not want to submit a story.  This book will be marketed very aggressively worldwide.  Thousands of people will read about you.  Journalists and reporters will contact you.  If you do not want this, do not submit a story.

Third, if your story is selected for publication, you must agree to sign a release allowing me to use your story in the book along with your name, and the name and location of your pawnshop.  You must also agree to give permission to use any or all of your story in the marketing of the book.  You will also be required to submit a photo of you in your shop to be published in the book.  If you do not have the ability to send a high-resolution JPEG photo for publication, I will work with you and a photographer in your area. 

And fourth and final, only one pawnshop from your marketplace will be accepted.  This offer is on a first-come exclusively-featured basis.  This is because having more than one pawnshop in your marketplace featured in the book would undermine the incredible opportunity you will receive for publicity and positive PR.  So you can rest assured if you submit a story and it is selected for publication you have an exclusive in your area.  I will consider publishing multiple stories from your pawnshop.

Again, if you choose to submit a story for this first of its kind book, and one-of-a-kind publicity opportunity for your pawnshop, you may do so by e-mail, fax, voice mail, this website, or regular postal service.  Nothing fancy required, just submit a short version of your story along with your contact information.  If your story is selected for the book and your marketplace is still open for the publication, someone on my staff will interview you and write the long version of your story to be included in the book.  This long version will be submitted to you for your approval before publication. 

In the past year there has been much written about the pawnbroking industry including two major books and two television shows.  But nothing like this upcoming book has ever been prepared in the history of our industry.  It could prove to be one of the most successful and important positive public relations tools pawnbroking has ever encountered.  But don't delay because this window of opportunity will be closing very quickly!  Thank you for considering being a part of this groundbreaking publicity and PR Project for the pawnbroking industry.  It would be my honor to tell your story.

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