[mjs00]

Start by being very clear in you mind _who_ the target of your product is, or your reason for publicity. HN/TechCrunch won't help you much if you are targeting Accountants or Moms. For a startup you generally want to have a sustainable, differentiable, competitive advantage. Pick one key part of the 'what's different/new', and pitch or place that point with bloggers, online groups, editors, etc, who are focused on your target as an audience. Overly simplified, but doesn't require pre-existing network, just doing outreach to those that might have interest in exploring 'what's new' with you.