Publicity Revelation

I don't remember if I have written about this in the past or not, but let's talk publicity.

How am I supposed to write and do my daily grind type stuff if I also have to work on the publicity for my book?
I'm not talking about the actual book events and interviews and such things as that. Please, those are the fun and can be very enlightening. Plus, you never know what story idea may come from it.

I'm talking about the actual creation and submittal press releases. Even though I may be able to write one where do I send it? There is no clear list for a new writer that says, "Send here."
And there are no instructions on how and who to contact to get media interviews.
To top that off, as a novice author with a small publishing house how do you arrange book events?

I'm sure that it can and has been done. But, dang, if that does not take a great deal of time and research. I have spent days trying to find information, and although I know I am internet search challenged, I still have not found answers. For example, how do I send a press release to the New York Time, Washington Post, or Boston Globe? Better yet...all major newspapers across the US and on the web?

Let's face it, without good publicity that book will remain in a warehouse or on a shelf (if it's even in the bookstores). That begs another question. How to get the bookstores to carry the book?

If you have answers to these questions, please feel free to post them here for others.

Now, knowing that I am not a marketing guru or a salesperson, I decided to locate and contact a public relations firm. Actually, I contacted 3 of them. Can you believe that not one has responded back?? That begs the question of why? Is it because my book is a romance? Hey - don't say anything. There were several agencies I checked into that specifically did not work with "genre fiction". No accounting for taste. :-)

Perhaps they don't think my book is worth the effort because my publisher is small? So what. They'll only get bigger...and already are.

And knowing that I have a second book to be released this year you would think, "Yeah, this is a no-brainer. We should work with this writer."

So...bottom line is this. I want my writing to be my career. How do I get there? PUBLICITY
How do I get that publicity?

Yup, I'm in the background waving my hand saying, "I have no clue."