In a world where communication avenues and opportunities are simultaneously more available and more clogged than ever, busting through the chattering masses in order to make your work rise to the top is almost as important as the quality of your work itself. In other words: Should your tree fall in the woods, you had better make sure that someone hears it.

Making a name for yourself, however, is hardly a simple recipe. In fact, the practice of pitching yourself-and succeeding when opportunity knocks-is a fine art indeed, one with ever-changing rules and practices that can mean the difference between promise and peril.

One of the most important things to recognize is that not all reporters and bloggers are the same...

Of course, the first step is figuring out who to pitch, and developing some sort of relationship with that person. And every blogger and producer has their own needs and preferences.

Along with figuring out who to pitch and how to make contact, you want to make sure you take advantage of the chances you get...

If a pitch to a television network finds a receptive target, there are still two more keys to success: availability and flexibility.

Here at Democrat Unity, we will look to regularly give the spotlight to a helpful idea or piece of advice for your campaign. Here's today's tip courtesy of Campaigntips.com which has a helpful list of quick tips for candidates...

Don’t let reporters take control of interviews.

One of the most common mistakes candidates make during interviews is allowing reporters to control the topic, tone, and pace of the interview. Reporters accomplish this with all kinds of tricks like speeding up, slowing down, addressing random topics, interrupting, acting upset, disagreeing, and that’s just the beginning. At the end of the day, interviews are simple. Go in with a clear message and a clear game plan. Then, stick with it and don’t let the reporter get you off balance.

IF YOU DO NOT SAY IT, THEY CANNOT PRINT IT. Plan your answers carefully allowing as little room for interpretation and maniuplation as possible, otherwise you will find yourself defending a portion of a statement you never even made in the first place.