Many people have gone broke promoting seminars and events. It’s a gamble.  But let me say this: A 1% response to direct mail is really good, probably more like 1/2% So if it cost you $300 for the room, and $200 in misc expenses, you could spend $1500 on mailings, which after printing and postage of about .50 each, gives you about 3,000 pieces. at one percent it’s 30 people, at .5% it’s 15.  Not counting your time, you can see how the costs add up quickly.

Advertising costs money, while PR is free media attention. Writing for magazines is better as you can get paid for it and it will advertise you to a certain extent. You could call it PR, but I doubt anyone in the PR biz would call it that. PR would be a magazine doing a story about you. 😉 Basically, public relations is getting someone in the media to promote you in some way.

If you like to write, consider doing a column for a local paper. Many small papers will print your work and give you some advertising space in return. These are small papers, but with your market, it might just be the ticket to building a reputation.