Beck’s
Book
Flack Fairy is a founder's secret weapon. It's a practical, knowledgeable, and fun-to-read playbook for crafting communications that will make people give a damn about your company.”
Kerry Bennett, Marketing Partner, Upfront Ventures
Beck’s
Book
Flack Fairy:
noun a savvy public relations expert who makes media appear and stories take shape from seemingly nothing (magical)
As a venture-backed startup founder, you know how to pitch a VC and get a signed term sheet, but can you land a headline in a top-tier media outlet? Pitching journalists is a whole other skillset, and few venture-backed startup founders ever master it, let alone know where to start.
In "Flack Fairy," Beck Bamberger shares the media relations strategies that have helped venture-backed startups raise more than $8 billion in venture capital funding via the consistent headlines, positive earned media, and solid storytelling she executed with her agency, BAM, over the last 10 years. Both a tech agency founder and startup investor, Beck has a no-nonsense approach to media relations that speaks directly to venture-backed founders who need tangible examples and refreshing candor about what it takes to deploy a strong media relations plan that attracts funding. A must-read for venture-backed founders, "Flack Fairy" is the cardinal guide for acing media relations that can propel growth and eventual exits.
Rave Reviews
Highly recommend this book to any founders looking to crack the code on media relations. No dark magic or incantations - just practical tips, insights, and case studies from PR savant Beck Bamberger, PhD. Peep the appendix for some extra useful nuggets!
Beck Bamberger, PhD's new book — Flack Fairy — is a useful resource for startups looking to launch a PR strategy (or just come out of stealth!) If you're in the trenches building startups, Flack Fairy is available now and is filled with practical advice.
Been nodding along to every anecdote, hot take, and hard truth in Flack Fairy by Beck Bamberger, PhD, the ultimate guide for founders navigating the wild world of PR and media.
It’s not just a practical playbook, it also includes a goldmine of real pitch templates that worked. If you work in startup comms (or ever find yourself pitching anything), this is a must-read 👇
🧚🏼♂️ Flack Fairy is by hustle queen Beck Bamberger, PhD who is a champion of expertly curated media events. I'm also obsessed with her monthly emails that include real successful pitches. PR / Comms moves through a million stages in the early years of a company and the support you need as a founder will inevitably keep changing. For example, I often refer folks to Beck's BAM Agency when they're ready to invest in a volume of PR that's more than my capacity. This book looks like it will be an incredible resource to help founders understand both the big picture and the everyday tactics.
Beck Bamberger, PhD offers heaps of both in her just-released book Flack Fairy. The high level direction she offers is great, but I think it's the actionable appendix of successful pitches and stats on reporter norms that will really make this a favorite for founders.
Recommend!
Beck is an A-List connector, storyteller, and advocate for founders and early stage teams. If you're looking for smart, practical, and inspiring tidbits on how to navigate PR in the tech world, grab a copy.
To all the founders out there navigating the ever-evolving world of PR, check out Flack Fairy by Beck Bamberger, PhD. Beck combines real-world pitch examples with the expertise of her powerhouse agency, BAM, to create an essential guide for scaling your comms strategy with confidence and clarity. S/o and congrats to Beck on launching the book!
I just finished Flack Fairy by Beck Bamberger, PhD Bamberger. If you're a founder, comms leader, or investor, you’ll want this one on your desk. I’ve had the privilege of attending Beck’s events, seeking her advice, and recommending her to many portfolio companies over the years. She is the real deal -- a PR pro who knows the venture-backed world better than anyone.
I liked the practical advice and hilarious (and painfully true) observations about the startup-media dance. Whether you're preparing for your first big funding announcement or just trying to avoid the pitfalls of "spray and pray" pitching, this book will make you smarter. Congratulations, Beck!
I finished "Flack Fairy" this past weekend and it does not disappoint! This new book from comms guru Beck Bamberger, PhD is the PR playbook for venture-backed startups that I wish I had had in my operator days and will make great use of now in my Platform role.
What I appreciate most about the book is the perfect blend of tactical advice AND the strategic "why" behind those tactics. I'm already flagging pages to reference later – especially those example pitches and resources she shares throughout!
A few examples of what's covered:
*Blocking, bridging, and flagging – three advanced interview strategies with real examples of how to execute them flawlessly
*How to successfully partner with PR pros (agency, freelancer, or internal team) without frustration
*Best practices for hiring external PR folks when you're ready for it
Whether you're just starting your PR/media journey or scaling up, this book belongs on your shelf
I am so excited that Beck Bamberger, PhD’s new book, Flack Fairy, is finally out. There are plenty of PR guides for venture-backed startups, but this one is easily the most comprehensive, clear, and genuinely useful I have read.
When I first got into venture, Beck welcomed me into the VC comms community and showed me the ropes. She’s been a mentor, a leader, and a friend whose insights have truly shaped how I approach comms at Konvoy.
If you are a founder, marketer, or just curious about the current media landscape, run—don’t walk—and grab your copy!
Flack Fairy by Beck Bamberger, PhD is the PR field guide I wish I could hand every founder in our portfolio. Clear, sharp, refreshingly honest — and actually useful for real-world startup comms.
From messaging to media outreach to launch timing and everything in between, Beck answers all the questions I get asked daily (and a few founders didn’t know they should be asking yet).
A must-read for any early-stage founder thinking about how to tell their story.
We were on a monthly “happy hour” call with Beck Bamberger, PhD last year when she mentioned that she was thinking of taking everything she’s been practicing with venture-backed PR for the past 10+ years and putting it into a book.
Roughly one year later, a copy of Flack Fairy shows up, signed with a personal note from Beck herself. She doesn’t just talk, she does!
Startup founders and entrepreneurs at any stage will find actionable tips from real life experiences in these pages. Anyone doing software marketing and communications can also leverage the data and examples in this book to prove the value of investing limited time and resources in PR.
Thank you to Beck for taking this beast of a topic and creating an amazing resource for busy professionals like me looking to amp up our PR!
Highly recommend grabbing a copy so you can make an impact with your PR efforts, not just check a box!
PR can feel like a black box for early-stage startups—but it doesn’t have to. Flack Fairy by Beck Bamberger, PhD is one of the most practical, clear-eyed guides I’ve read on how to approach comms in a way that actually works.
Beck’s also been an incredible resource to so many founders—generous with her time, practical with her advice, and deeply committed to helping startups get it right.
This book distills that experience into sharp, actionable guidance on what’s worth announcing, how to work with media, and how to build a comms strategy that supports real growth.
It’s straight to the point and a go-to resource for VC Comms and PR professionals that supports its founders with PR and also those running PR for their funds.
Flack Fairy covers everything from key terminology and pitch examples to storytelling, messaging, hiring PR help, and more. (Yes, I peeked at the contents and I’m especially excited about the chapter on “Making a Media Flywheel to Enable Sales” 📈)
💡 What makes this book stand out?
Beck gets the VC-backed world. She’s been in the space for years and speaks our language: “Understanding exactly how a VC issues a check for millions of dollars to a startup is as daunting as understanding how a reporter writes up a story about a startup and publishes it”
🧚 A great product serves multiple audiences. That's the case for 'Flack Fairy', Beck Bamberger, PhD's (Founder & CEO of BAM) newly launched book. 📚
She lays out, in a 'Costco-casual' tone of voice, both tips and pitfalls of PR for venture-backed startups. Yet her PR-pro wisdom nuggets apply to anyone who seeks to steadily build their reputation and business.
⚡️ It's a quick and useful read that breaks down PR industry terminology, offering tested examples/templates of how to plan messaging, pitch journalists, handle interviews and crises, hire support, and turn your wins into news.
Furthermore, form follows function: font and design choices make this a joy to read, summaries remind you of key points & simple illustrations communicate.
"Freelance publicists, in-house comms, and PR agencies work best when you treat them like partners, not vendors." That's a good one for today, May day. 💪
Get your hands on this book.
Thank you Beck Bamberger, PhD for officially saving hours of my future life.
New rule: whenever anyone I’m working with asks me why a media pitch I intrinsically know in the depths of my former journalist soul will not land, I will just say, “Here, skip to page 45,” and hand over Beck’s new book, Flack Fairy.
Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
Go to page 45, because that is where the Flack Fairy chapter “Pitches that Placed” begins with a list of NGMI pitch ideas that are extremely common for companies to want to send to the media in hopes of getting news like:
🫠 Your new web site or rebrand
🫠 The C-Suite hire
🫠 Growth metrics
…And that list goes on, followed by a treasure trove of pitches that worked for high profile publications. Having sat on both sides of the PR table over the course of many years, I think Beck and her team at BAM are spot on in their advice.
Definite must-read for any venture-backed startup navigating visibility and looking to grow a solid media presence.
Beck Bamberger wrote the book on startup comms and PR. And how she has *literally* written the book, which is out now: Flack Fairy. If you're ready to take your startup to even greater heights by nailing your press flywheel, this is the book for you!
Get it. Get it. Get it. 👇
Recebi da querida Beck Bamberger, PhD o livro Flack Fairy, um verdadeiro guia estratégico para quem trabalha com comunicação no ecossistema de startups. Beck compartilha sua experiência direta com dezenas de empresas de tecnologia e venture capital para mostrar como founders podem — e devem — usar PR como uma alavanca de crescimento, reputação e diferenciação.
Assim como fundraising, contar a história da empresa para a imprensa, investidores e mercado exige a presença, clareza e convicção do(a) founder. Jornalistas e stakeholders querem ouvir de quem está liderando a visão, não de terceiros.
Thank you, Beck Bamberger, PhD, for so generously sharing what you’ve learned over years of navigating between journalists and startups. 😊
Recebi da querida Beck Bamberger, PhD o livro THE must-read PR book for startup founders 🧚♀️✨
If you're a founder navigating PR (or avoiding it), this book is your new secret weapon. Beck breaks down:
- Why PR matters for venture-backed startups
- How to craft pitches journalists actually open
- The art of "media flywheel" to maximize coverage
- When to hire PR help (and who to avoid)
What sets this apart is how practical it is - actual pitch examples that secured coverage in top outlets, real crisis playbooks, and straightforward guidance on measuring PR impact.
As someone who's seen founders struggle with PR, I can't recommend this enough. It's like having a PR agency founder in your pocket!
If you’re a founder thinking about PR or wondering why some startups seem to get all the coverage, Flack Fairy is a genuinely useful read. Beck breaks down why strong PR often starts with the founder not an agency, and why early-stage teams are usually better off focusing on clear messaging and momentum before chasing top-tier media.
The book is full of practical advice—how to write better pitches, prep for interviews using strategies like blocking and bridging and know when it actually makes sense to bring on PR support. I also appreciated the honest take on what media can and can’t do, and how the right coverage at the right time can help with hiring, fundraising and visibility.
Worth checking out if you’re navigating the media landscape for the first time or just want to be more thoughtful about how your story gets told. Give it a read!
Beck Bamberger, PhD not only directly supports VC-backed companies with PR, but also runs a community to empower marketing and comms professionals to network, level-up, and overall support each other in winning.
Now, she’s gone a step further by releasing a book all about cracking open the black box of PR and making it accessible for startups and operators alike.
This is a great read for anyone looking to get a better sense for strategies around PR
Last month, my travels kicked off in Miami at VC Platform Summit, where I was gifted Flack Fairy during an intimate salon dinner with fellow leaders in Marketing and Communications—hosted and sponsored by the brilliant team at BAM . Beck Bamberger, PhD (founder of BAM) handed me the book with a wink and a challenge: read it, review it.
Challenge accepted!
I brought Flack Fairy with me to Medellín and cracked it open at a local café. It’s a quick read, but don’t let that fool you, it’s packed with insight. As someone who operates on both sides of the table (founder and marketer), I saw myself on every page. No fluff. All facts.
Three takeaways that stuck:
1. PR isn’t magic, it’s momentum. You need motion before media.
2. Your founder story is part of your market strategy. Own it or get outshined.
3. Media is trust. And trust is capital in this climate.
Beck demystifies the PR process in a way that’s empowering and she gets to the HOW in a way that's digestible. Especially for founders who think PR is either inaccessible or unnecessary (spoiler: it’s neither).
Grateful for this timely read. Pick up your copy of Flack Fairy—it just might reframe how you tell your story.
For your weekend reads list you might consider:
Beck Bamberger, PhD's Flack Fairy: Navigating PR and Media for Venture-Backed Startups.
Who she wrote it for: Startup folks that find themselves suddenly wearing the comms + media relations hat (along with ~14 other hats, ofc) and need an actionable guide to owning this important function.
The book offers:
➡️Deep dive into understanding journalists, how to be interesting enough to get their attention and how to prep for your conversation with them when you do. Pro tip: Do not skim the Media Personas chapter. Read and absorb it.
➡️When it comes to bringing out outside comms talent, how to be the best partner you can be to get the most out of any engagement.
➡️Finally, the most important section for my technical founders and analytical friends - Chapter 11: Measuring What Matters. how to measure success. It's been squishy since the 1800s but there are quantitative ways to measure success of media efforts.
Congrats, Beck, on your book launch!
Here's to Flack Fairy immediately becoming required reading for founders and new-to-comms pros alike! 🥂
Just dove into Beck Bamberger, PhD's book Flack Fairy — it’s short, sharp, and refreshingly no-BS. Beck has helped hundreds of startups (seed stage to unicorn) master PR, and distills her experience into actionable tips. Beck encourages founders to build their own media relationships (reporters trust founders more than PR firms).
A fairy 🧚♀️ is a type of mythical being with supernatural qualities. A form of a spirit, really, that exercises its magical powers in the human world.
Fairies' personalities vary greatly – they can be friendly, mischievous, or even dangerous...
Is that Beck Bamberger, PhD? Yeah, probably. After seeing each other at the VC Platform Summit in Miami, we agreed that we're both a bit... witchy? In a good way, of course. Still, it's a good thing we weren't alive in the late 17th century.
Today, the ability to seemingly conjure up positive results – in her case, consistent, positive press coverage for her clients – is a very good thing.
In her book Flack Fairy, though, it's clear that it's not magic, it's a strategic process that requires obsession with audience and good old-fashioned hard work.
I’m so excited to share the launch of Flack Fairy by the PR queen herself, Beck Bamberger, PhD! 🧚🏼♂️
Beck’s spent the last decade in the trenches helping venture-backed startups raise billions through strategic, consistent media. In Flack Fairy, she breaks down the playbook: from what’s actually worth announcing to how to build a comms engine that compounds over time.
If you’re building in stealth, gearing up for a launch, or thinking about your Series A narrative—this book will give you the edge.
Grab your copy yesterday!
Beck’s book hashtag#FlackFairy is a culmination of the decades of real learnings from being deep in the thick of running hashtag#PR for VCs and VC backed startups.
People have to know your business exists in order for your business to succeed. BAM’s research proves VC-backed startups with PR have a higher chance of winning. Visibility isn’t vanity-it’s survival.
Founders, marketers, PR-curious, Flack Fairy is your new secret weapon. Grab it, read it.🪄
I’m so excited to share the launch of Flack Fairy by the PR queen herself, Beck Bamberger, PhD! 🧚🏼♂️
Beck’s spent the last decade in the trenches helping venture-backed startups raise billions through strategic, consistent media. In Flack Fairy, she breaks down the playbook: from what’s actually worth announcing to how to build a comms engine that compounds over time.
If you’re building in stealth, gearing up for a launch, or thinking about your Series A narrative—this book will give you the edge.
Grab your copy yesterday!
Even with 2 decades of communications experience under my belt, Beck Bamberger, PhD's new book, Flack Fairy, had enough practical gems that I grabbed my highlighters and post-its. I marked up my copy, knowing I'll frequently refer busy founders to specific sections and passages.
As she's known to do, Beck dishes out smart, practical, and no-nonsense advice, offering a clear roadmap for those eager to tell their stories effectively from the start.
PR for startups has always been nuanced, and today's fast-moving and constantly evolving environment makes it trickier than ever. Her candid approach offers a realistic framework that acknowledges the challenges founders face.
This quick read and easy-to-follow guide will help set realistic expectations, efficiently allocate resources, and get busy with manageable tactics to meet lofty goals.
If you are looking to cut through the noise and tell a story that lands with investors, customers, partners, talent, and press, you need this on your desk.