October 30, 2020 is National Publicists Day, so I’ve decided to blog on the topic of publicity. I’m often asked what an author publicist does, and the answer depends on what kind of publicist you’re referring to.
Publishing Houses
Usually, publishing houses employ publicists to “get the word out” about new books. The publicist will write press releases and pitch stories about your book to newspaper and magazine editors, and attempt to get you featured on radio, podcasts, and television. The goal is to increase book sales.
Independent Authors
But what if you signed with a smaller publisher or self-published your book? That’s where I come in. I serve as a publicist for authors who aren’t sure how to become recognized and don’t have a support system in place.
Put it this way… no one can buy your book if they don’t know it exists.
Time and again, this seems to be the biggest obstacle for authors. But you have to take responsibility for the marketing of your book. Accept the fact that you’ll need a marketing plan and budget, and a lot of elbow grease. Before you worry about the dollar signs, rest assured that there are many ways to promote yourself at little or no cost.
Author Publicist Services
So much depends on what type of book you’ve written and the impact your book will make on readers. Is it a book about a rare disease? A military memoir? A graphic novel? A romance? A spy thriller?
I help authors wade through a saturated market and find opportunities to shine. What makes their books different, unique, more intriguing or more readable? Are there potential crossover audiences? What are the competing titles?
I provide services for my clients such as social media management, assisting in the building and managing your official Facebook page, Twitter page, Instagram page, LinkedIn page, and even video scripting for your YouTube channel. Note that you
You may qualify for a Wikipedia or IMDb page. If so, I can help with that.
You may have a website and a blog — I can help with that too, both updating content and adding new content with search engine optimization in mind.
And yes, I can help with bookings on podcasts, radio, book blog tours and photo shoots. I can also assist in helping you get featured in magazines and newspapers.