Why you should never hire a publicist for your book do this instead. If you do decide to hire a publicist, or your roommate who happens to be a marketing major in college, let them do what they do best. As well, the authors credentials need to support the topic about which he or she will be speaking, especially if the book is nonfiction. What is a publicist going to do to help sell my book s. Hell, if i had to do that, then i wouldnt need a smallcompany publicist, would i. In order to make deadlines for the media, some require submission 34 months before publication. They will probably cost you considerably more than that fantastic editor because they need to spend more hours over a longer time period working for you and your book. Even better, she charged by the hour, with only a 10hour minimum. Oct 04, 2018 by joan stewartyou dont need a book publicist if youre ready to learn the tricks on how to promote your book, and youll work tirelessly to promote it.
When you get to a certain point in your music career, you may need to invest in a publicist. The book publicist sits at the back end of the publishing chain and is the team member who pushes the finished book into the marketplace. Far more authors release a book and then plan to put it up for sale on amazon for free and somehow hope that it will magically turn into a hit. Each publicist looks for clients willing to do some things on their own, and they also look for authors to be realistic.
It is important that the publicist have strong media contacts, good writing skills and verbal skills and a general awareness or interest in the book s subject matter. Do you think that you have what it takes to be your own publicist and run your own campaign. Dani says, when youve released a few books and you see yourself with more than one book release per year and want to do this long term, then you want. You dont need a book publicist if youre ready to learn the tricks on how to promote your book, and youll work tirelessly to promote it. Sometimes a writer will come to me and say, ive just written a book, so i need a publicist. My doctor gave me a prescription for xanax and i took two before going on the air. Why you should never hire a publicist for your book do. Finally, though, i found a publicist who used to work at a big traditional house and seemed experienced and smart.
A book publicist can help connect book bloggers and authors as part of the authors promotional plan. In the strict sense of the word, a publicist s role is to secure media coverage for your book. I cant give a quick answer because it depends on your longterm goals and financial situation. Heres what you need to know about hiring a publicist. How can i be sure my publicist will get me the coverage im. How to know when you need to hire a publicist the publicity. You need an editor who is experienced in book publishing for both content and line edits, not just proofing. Whether you publish through a traditional publisher or plan to selfpublish, you will need both people on your team. How does a book publicist differ from a literary agent and why do you need one. It is important that the publicist have strong media contacts, good writing skills and verbal skills and a general awareness or interest in the books subject matter. Apr 18, 2016 collect information on prices, timeline and availability.
But a publicist can be a solid investment for the right. Book promotion services for authors we help your publicize. For instance, the inhouse publicist hit up fiction blogs while we contacted parenting sites. Friends and family have told you that your channel is great, but now you just need more people to notice it. Having worked as a book publicist for amazon publishing, i am certain that small releases have the best odds at the lowest price point. My advice on hiring and working with a publicist jane friedman. Whats more, you need to be clear on what you hope a publicist will do for your career. There are no formal requirements to become a book publicist, but an enthusiasm for books paired with excellent social skills is definitely helpful for someone who markets books, as is a college degree in a relevant field. If your book has lost its novelty element, you need to find an even stronger element to support your pitch. A publicist is a key to a books success in the media. No author is so great a writer that they do not need to be edited if for no other reason than the writer knows what it is supposed to say, so therefore may not catch mistakes.
The 12 dos and donts of how to write a blog a publicists job is to find publicity for your book and for you, the fascinating author of. Youll need to think outside the box when crafting an effective pr campaign. Because there are too many stories, too many angles, and too many opportunities you might miss by not knowing the rules of the game, so to speak. Get exposure for you and your book in newspapers, magazines and blogs, both online and traditional. A common question i get in my private facebook group goes like this. How to know if you need a book publicist and what to. For one thing, i thought i should stay out of the way of the publishers publicist. While attending, i sat in on two sessions focusing on book publicity, with panelists penny sansevieri, andrea dunlop and natalie obando all publicists or marketing consultants. There are several different paths someone can pursue to become a book publicist if there is an interest in careers in this area of the publishing industry.
I felt my eyes roll back in my head and i said no kidding i dont know. My biggest tip to a selfpublished author is commit to your book. It looks a lot easier to be on tv than it actually is. If you decide upfront, okim going to focus all my efforts on these three things, youre shooting yourself in the foot. Im a bestselling selfpublished author and publicist. How to interview a book publicist the book designer. While the emergence of digital and social media marketing strategies have prompted many publicists to diversify their offering, their first and foremost value add lies in their media network and their ability to sell your story. To publish your book, you have to make sure its in the best possible shape before you take it to agents. In the new second edition of my ebook, how to hire the perfect publicist, you wont find a list of publicists who i recommend. I had a very specific problem with doing my own marketing when i made the switch from book publicist to author for my first novel. Sometimes authors are surprised by the amount of time they need to spend on their online marketing.
Childrens book in french spoken word like thank reply. Yet successful marketing strategies are often longterm and. Give them all the information they need and let them run with it. Good marketing and publicity is a team effort, and the author is part of that team. A good book publicist can take you places youre afraid to go on your own. My job, as a publicist for a book, is to generate media coverage for a book or author. Every artist wants it, but many fail to secure any real attention. How can i be sure my publicist will get me the coverage im looking for. She prefers authors to have a personal website or a website for the book. Jul 19, 2017 at least once a week, an author asks me, should i hire a book publicist. A lot of that is on the authors shoulders for writing a good book to start with, but also to promote, be seen, be a personality to sell the book. We see hundreds of indie and selfpublished books every month here at city.
If you have to ask the question, chances are you probably need one. Writing has always been a core part of public relations, but with the proliferation of technology and social media, publicists now spend more than 90 percent of their time writing andor crafting copy for everything from emails, proposals and pitches, to tweets, social media captions and marketing. Jan 02, 2016 a lot of that is on the authors shoulders for writing a good book to start with, but also to promote, be seen, be a personality to sell the book. For example, if an author wants their book to be a movie. Book publicists book pr book publicist book publicity. Since our contacts in the media are exceptionally good. Book marketing expert and book publicist scott lorenz. When katie couric asked, so jane, how does it feel going from publicist to author. My first job in publicity was in 1986 at a movie theater in. Do i need to be available to hold someones hand to read my book and turn the pages for them, too. How to know if you need a book publicist and what to expect. Can an independent publicist help you maximize your books success. While publishing houses usually assign an inhouse pro to work on each book, both traditionally published and indie or hybrid authors opt to hire a freelance book publicist to ensure individualized publicity attention for their books.
Some authors have notions that publishers or being published alone can ensure the success of their book. From my experience so far as an author of a first novel and not as a publicisthere. Of course, its understandable that indie or hybrid authors would want to hire their own publicists, but many traditionally published authors also. People will ask me all the time, why do i need a publicist. Ask how many blogs you can expect your publicist to book.
If you are published by an independent press who covers all your publishing and distribution costs, hats off to you, but you may still decide you need your own publicist. Advice from a former book publicist newswire the fussy. Life in the mom zone, my first book, a great push just when it was needed. How to find and work with a book publicistsuccessfully jane. When it comes to book promotion, a strategy of just relying on an inhouse book publicist to send out press releases or trying social media wont get you very far. I cant do that because i dont know your budget, the type of publicist you need, or whether a particular publicists personality meshes well with yours. As with any other marketing channel, there is no guarantee of success in book publicity. Its definitely about the story and showing the media why its so important to share it were filled with a sea of noise on tv, radio and print so to rise above is an incredible. They plan to release the book and want someone who can go out and magically turn it into a hit. How to get publicity for your book is a diy guide for savvy authors. Many outside book publicists require contracts of six months to a year, and their rates are high enough to bring a struggling novelist to her knees. The wisest and most savvy authors and indie publishers are investigating what a book publicist can do for them. Are youre wondering how to get publicity for your videos, your channel or your next. To get the most bang for your marketingandpublicity dollars, a professional book publicist needs to start working on the promotional campaign before publication date.
Susan schwartzman is the best friend an author can have. A book publicist or book launch specialist will often charge 10k or more, guarantee nothing and focus on. Nov 18, 2014 as a book publicist, my job is sometimes as much about educating authors about publishing and bookselling as it is about getting media attention for their book. Even if you land a deal with a major publisher, youll be expected to help with or even assume the bulk of your books publicity. Selfpublisher and publicist with over 150,000 copies sold and dozens of national media mentions. Find out more about their area of specialty and expertise. These book publicists share how they can help authors optimize their.
Additional interest has resulted in more sales and notoriety, and the attention to detail and personal contact was a great help to me as a new author. I m a bestselling selfpublished author and publicist. She is the publisher of the hot sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named publishing commentator of the year by digital book world in 2019. The job of the literary agent vs the public relations person or publicist is distinctly different. A publicist will need as much from the author as the author needs from herhim. If youre in the market for a book publicist, susan schwartzman is for my money, the only game in town. Learn how to hire a freelance book publicist the balance careers. Why you should never hire a publicist for your book do this.
Oct 02, 20 when you get to a certain point in your music career, you may need to invest in a publicist. Without book publicists and selfpromoting or selfpublished authors, their jobs would be much harder. I went on to write three more books and booked myself on tv and radio stations across the country without using the services of a publicist or booking agent. My advice on hiring and working with a publicist jane. Were here to help you understand what a publicist can do for you and help you determine when the time has come to hire one. At least once a week, an author asks me, should i hire a book publicist. Im not looking to make back my money in sales in six months. Would you like to get great publicity for your book without having to spend money on hiring a publicist. Book publicity begins six to 12 months prior to release date when the marketing plan and book. One of the biggest lessons is that effective publicity requires flexibility. For example, if the book has sold tens of thousands of copies, if its received a prize or an award, or if it can be retrospectively tied to a recent news event. The 12 dos and donts of how to write a blog a publicists job is to find publicity for your book and for you, the fascinating author of this and future books. A book publicist or book launch specialist will often charge 10k or more, guarantee nothing and focus on things that dont directly sell books.
I cant do that because i dont know your budget, the type of publicist you need, or whether a. Back in the day, the only way for an artist to become famous was a mixture of radio airplay and massive pushes from teams of publicists, with all of this typically backed by labels who had the money to invest in artists and albums. Many book publicists will set up an author blog tour. As a result of my efforts, that first book was downloaded more than 10,000 times in just two days across six continents. You have to be able and willing to try different things and do more of what works while abandoning what doesnt. An established book publicist provides the competitive edge you need in todays book marketing arena. The best fonts for books how much should my book cost. If youre fortunate enough to be able to afford one, a competent publicist can jumpstart your publicity campaign because she has contacts you dont have. How to find and work with a book publicist jane friedman this past weekend, i had the honor of speaking at the san francisco writers conference. Jul 22, 2018 a publicist is a key to a book s success in the media. As well, the authors credentials need to support the topic about which. General licensing customers including restaurants, bars. As for what a client should expect, i think dependability and responsiveness are key. Book publicity services international author promotion.