You can reduce the number of media you contact each time and go with a lower cost effort. You can skip the major metropolitan areas, and zero in on the mid-range markets and cities. If you are working with the mid-range media markets, the total number of radio shows, radio stations, tv shows, tv stations, and daily and weekly newspapers can easily number a total of 100 media contacts. If you landed one or two interviews and a single article, I'd say it would probably be a profitable venture. Now this next point is of critical importance.
Many authors have a book subject with broad national interest or appeal.
This will get some editors thinking about an invitation or an article, but it will not get as many as when their is a distinct local news angle highlighted in the news release. A local news angle is one which features a local citizen, event, activity, problem, or concern, or benefit. Thus, if you send a news release to New Orleans, the release should contain something of specific interest to people in New Orleans. This can be one of the most difficult ideas to implement effectively. It often takes some real creativity if you don't know anyone who can act as a local focal point or subject of interest.