Independent book publicist for hire

Book publicists, pr services, and book publicity experts. Jan 19, 2009 the above scenarios are all too common and illustrate why you should hire an independent publicist, even if you are a new york times bestselling author. Kickstarter has an allornothing policy that states you must reach your goal before receiving any money. This page features pr services, publicists, media coaches, and pr agencies which specialize in working with book authors and publishers.

This is an excerpt from the market your book smarter workshop. By working together, the benefit of their efforts will increase. Publicists for hire can simply put something online to attract authors attention by means of marketing his services. The book publicist is in line as the caboose of the publishing process and is the team member who pushes the finished book into the marketplace. A publicist does a lot of work for their clients, but that doesnt make them a servant. Sometimes, if your book becomes a really big hit, your publicist will help you get the proper training for public appearances. Even if your publisher is pulling out all the stops, a good independent publicist can and will get you more media coverage than your inhouse publicist. Journalist, seo consultant and public relations manager based in paris and french riviera, with 12 years of experience working with companies and media of all sizes. 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.

I am a public relations specialist with 22 years of experience. Book publicist scott lorenz is president of westwind communications book marketing, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. May 14, 2019 if you hire a publicist and they do good work for you and treat you warmly, treat them warmly in return. If you want to increase the visibility of your book and yourself, a publicist can be a great resource. Music publicity why and when to hire a music publicist. Inhouse and freelance publicists are quite cooperative.

May 02, 20 over the years, i have received several calls and emails from independent authors looking to hire a publicist. But to get the most out of an independent publicist. Written a book with a focus on health, diet, or nutrition. An author can use the money for publishing or distribution costs, to upgrade to a better distributor, or to pay for the costs of the book publicist hired to give your book the push it needs. Contrary to popular belief, a publicist doesnt just send email blasts and get you on red carpets at least a good one wont. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and selfpublished authors promoting all types of books, whether its their. Skipjack publishing should an indie author use a publicist. That way, when you do hire a publicist, the publicist has some starting assets. In fact, quick change is the new norm, so we must be willing to learn new. A lot of that is on the authors shoulders for writing a good. Its worth noting that i said hire a local publicist not a local book publicist.

Trusted book publicists for hire your online publicist. If youre thinking about hiring an independent communications professional, be sure to let your book publicist and editor know. Once you have the contact information of the publicist, list all your concerns on a checklist. In fact, quick change is the new norm, so we must be willing to learn new things and change quickly, too. Nov 18, 2014 so, should you be your own publicist or do you need a professional book publicist. A publicist does a lot of work for their clients, but that doesnt make them a servant that can be kicked around. She is the publisher of the hot sheet, the essential. Why you should never hire a publicist for your book do. A common question i get in my private facebook group goes like this. When you get to a certain point in your career, it may make sense to hire a professional publicist. Our goal is to publish titles that will have a positive impact in the world, and provide information and.

The key to our success is a strong understanding of what it takes to get your target audiences attention. If you expect a publicist to land you on the new york times bestseller list as an indie author, you may need to adjust your expectations. Even if your publicist is able to get you coverage in the new york times, that might lead to a few sales only. A really good independent publicist can tailor a book pitch to hundreds of media contacts with a high rate of success. A book publicist will point you in the right direction and line up opportunities for you, but they will not guarantee financial success. Do independent publicists and marketing agencies really help. Once i knew what my inhouse publicist was doing, it was easy to work with my outside publicist to create a list of additional web sites and blogs related to themes. Before reaching out to a book publicist there are three things you should handle first. For example, a book about southwestern architecture is more likely to go to a regional publisher than a new york house. Jessica hardesty norris has worn many hats in the course of her career. If you hire a publicist and they do good work for you and treat you warmly, treat them warmly in return. Susan schwartzman is the hardestworking book publicist in the business. Theres a big difference between selfpublishing a book with the hope of selling a few copies and taking the decisiveand potentially priceystep of hiring a professional publicity firm.

After spending five years as a biologist and fulbright scholar in south america and earning a phd in ecology from duke, her professional path took an abrupt turn towards writing when she traded in her machete for a computer and started a family. It can be your own personal one why i wrote this book, how i became a bestselling independent author, etc. The following pro and con lists on hiring a book publicist should help you evaluate your options. Book marketing is a fulltime challenge that successful authors trust to a top book publicist like scott lorenz book marketing strategy in a typical book marketing campaign, westwind communications. 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. If the book is about a regional topic, an independent, regional publisher is more likely to be interested than a big publishing house. Generally, your inhouse publicist will be quite happy if you hire an independent publicist to augment their efforts. 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. An independent book publicist is one that works on behalf of the author. Publicists are public relations specialists who have the role to maintain and represent the images of individuals, rather than representing an entire.

Hiring independent publicists to supplement publishers plans is an excellent way for authors to find and connect with their readers. 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. In summary, why should an indie author hire a publicist. The average author may not have the time, either, but an independent publicist can step in and supplement an author and publishers plans. Most authors find it well worth thousands of dollars to hire a professional to craft and implement a book campaign. Its hard to find a book publicist in most midsized or smaller cities. For instance, the inhouse publicist hit up fiction blogs while we contacted parenting sites. Jan 02, 2016 a book publicist will point you in the right direction and line up opportunities for you, but they will not guarantee financial success.

Can an independent publicist help you maximize your books success. Therefore, obando said, the best authors are those already familiar with their audience and who have aspects of their platform already in place. The book publicist book publicist scott lorenz offers. From start to finish, jks has the expertise to take you from page to prominence. Feb 19, 20 money 3 reasons not to hire a publicist one pr professional i interviewed couldnt pronounce my company name, or fathom a highpowered woman in finance. The role of the literary agent independent publisher. We asked authors, booksellers, publishers, editors, and others to share the places they go to connect with writers of the past, to the bars and cafes where todays authors give readings, and to those sites that are most inspiring for writing. How to know if you should hire a publicist the creative. Before you consider hiring one, its important to understand what a publicists job entails. The above scenarios are all too common and illustrate why you should hire an independent publicist, even if you are a new york times bestselling author. Book publicity today requires having the right connections and strategy. Jul 22, 2018 a publicist is a key to a book s success in the media. 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.

Four things independent authors need to consider before. With over 300,000 books releasing each year, the competition for. Some have books releasing from small, traditional publishers who dont have the resources for publicity while others are selfpublished and thus responsible for their own publicity. Book publicists book pr book publicist book publicity. My advice on hiring and working with a publicist jane friedman. 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. Martins press, mcgrawhill, workman publishing, william morrow, harcourt brace. There are definitely books that dont need to be represented by an agent, though. Apply to publicist, artist, junior publicist and more. Having a book publicist may sound like something that happens once an author cracks the new york times bestseller list and starts bathing in mares milk, but authors are often surprised to.

Book marketing expert and book publicist scott lorenz. As with any other marketing channel, there is no guarantee of success in book publicity. A publicist is an authors sounding board, marketing advisor. There are all sorts of alternative publicity sites out there. Marsha friedman recalls a particularly successful campaign for angermanagement specialist. Having worked as a book publicist for amazon publishing, i am certain that small releases have the best odds at the lowest price point.

While publishing houses usually assign an inhouse pro to work on each book, both traditionally published and indie or hybrid authors. Of course, a publicist will never be able to guarantee any sort of coverage, but they should be able to tell you what you can realistically expect. Book publicist susan schwartzman has been in the publishing and publicity for more than 30 years. This helps authors focus on their goals and stay on track, should the publicist deviate from the authors enquiries. The short answer is fees vary mainly according to the services offered and the size of the firm you hire, but one thing i will say that for the most part. But when do you know that you need someone to do it for you. If you do hire a publicist, first do some research to find one who can devote real time. Finally, though, i found a publicist who used to work at a big traditional house and seemed experienced and smart. 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. To book better shows, get radio airplay and maybe the attention of labels. We are your advocate in book publishing and promotion. Can a publicist actually help you increase your book sales. Once i knew what my inhouse publicist was doing, it was easy to work with my outside publicist to create a list of additional web sites and blogs related to themes relevant to beach plum island. Five things to do when hiring a publicist ibpa independent.

Mar 15, 2019 the average author may not have the time, either, but an independent publicist can step in and supplement an author and publishers plans. Jan 10, 2014 im going to answer the many requests ive received to try to shed some light on how much it costs to hire a publicist. About mindbuck media book publicity and public relations. A publicist is a key to a books success in the media. Apr 18, 2018 upon landing on the website of a publicist for hire, click on the websites contact button. Stephanie barko, literary publicist few skills may be more important for an author than knowing how to hire a publicist to promote your book.

At release, your publicist will compile a list of how many people requested the book, the number of publicity hits with links, blurbs and other earned media. Plum bay independent publishing house claire mckinney pr. A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure especially a celebrity or for a work such as a book, film, or album. There is not right or wrong answer to this question and it will vary depending on who asks it. Oct 02, 20 when you get to a certain point in your career, it may make sense to hire a professional publicist. Representing some of the finest publishers, authors and books around. Similarly, there is a wide range of media that your publicist can potentially pitch your story to. Do independent publicists and marketing agencies really. One of the lessons here is to know as much about how to do this yourself as possible so that you can better monitor the outside services you hire. The reality is, if those worked every movie star, supermodel, sports star, record company, and top talent agency would be using them. 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. Before signing with any service, be sure to check out their references.

But to get the most out of an independent publicist, an. Visibility can lead to sales, agents, and distribution, but its not a sure thing. Publicity seeks to find, identify, or target the audience to make them aware of your book. My current passion is the reimagining of the book publishing. Because, publicists are an essential part of an authors ability to be widely read, regardless of how a book is published. I specialize in executing thought leadership pr campaigns for startups, tech companies, and small to midsize b2b companies. We are an independent publishing house and hybrid selfpublisher. Powerful words, incorporated in a publicists website, compel prospective. It looks a lot easier to be on tv than it actually is.