Getting your startup profiled in the New York Times is still one of the fastest--and cheapest--ways to acquiring customers and building a brand (Warby Parker sold out their inventory after a spread in the Wall Street Journal).

Techcrunch et al and social media may not be where your customers are. If your business caters to middle-age families planning their next vacation, they're probably reading Conde Nast Traveler, not tech blogs.

But journalists get pitched hundreds of time a week. How are you going to stand out and make it into print?

As a one-time journalist turned tech geek, I will show you how to hack the media world without having to hire your own expensive--and ineffective--PR agency.

Lessons include:

1) How to write the perfect email pitch (hint: the wrong subject line can mean you never had a chance)

2) Who should you pitch? With secrets on how to track them down

3) Rookie mistakes that everyone makes--and journalists hate

4) Rock the phone interview (tip: make a crib sheet), and it's not as easy as it looks; I froze up the other day while getting interviewed by a NYT writer.

5) Case study: Tim Ferriss and how he hacked me (see what he did hack our interview)

Bonus workshop: bring one "dream story" you want to get placed (and where), and we will work on crafting the right PR campaign to make that happen. If you're interested in tech writing as a career, will be happy to cover that too.