How a Publicist Chooses Which Books to Represent

Ever wonder how a publicist decides which books she’ll agree to promote? Here are a few items that factor into a publicist's decision when considering a new client:

1. Is the book good?
Believe it or not, having a well-written and professionally published book is the number-one criteria for taking on a client. If the book isn’t good (i.e., is poorly written, hasn’t been edited, is riddled with typos, has a cover clearly not designed by a professional, etc.), it will be difficult to find a publicist to represent it. This fact is sometimes hard to hear, especially for those authors whose work has been already been rejected by agents and editors. Chances are, if your book is not good enough to be traditionally published, you may want to look at improving it before asking a publicist to look at it. The business of publicity is all about generating word-of-mouth buzz about your book. But, a bad book will not generate buzz, no matter how much exposure a publicist is able to obtain for it.
But, you ask, what if my book was rejected by agents and editors, and I want to self-publish it? Will a publicist still be willing to take it on? The answer is oftentimes yes, but be sure your book is the best it can possibly be before the publicist sees it. A good publicist is going to agree to represent books that are well-written and marketable; even if your book is self-published, you’ll want to make sure it has been professionally edited, designed, and printed, and that it has proper distribution.

2. Does the author have a platform?
This is the second most important criteria for taking on a client. Having a platform means that you, the author, have some kind of background or experience that is marketable and newsworthy. Publicists will want to know what it is about you that is interesting or notable, and this background will be crucial to obtaining media interviews for you.
How do you develop a platform if you don’t have one? Take classes and go to workshops that will help educate you in your book’s subject area (this is true for both fiction and non-fiction authors). If you have expertise, develop speaking topics and give presentations and workshops. Create a website and a blog, and make sure both are informative and educational. Become an expert in your subject area by blogging about your book’s content. Use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to develop a following. Write articles and publish essays on your content area. Enter contests and do as much as you can to become a known and sought-after entity in your subject area.

3. Is the book with a reputable publisher?
While it’s possible for a publicist to promote a self-published book, it can be a bit more difficult to do so if a book is not with a reputable press. There are a number of self-publishing entities out there that exist mainly to make money from writers. These entities are known in the industry as vanity presses, and some of them have unsavory reputations. Before you sign with a publisher, especially if you’re self-publishing, you’ll want to make sure that your publisher has a good reputation. Do background searches on the Internet and check with other writers and writers’ forums to see if the press you’re considering is a good one.
Also, be aware that most booksellers will not shelve books that are self-published. And even though booksellers are struggling and may soon become a thing of the past, there are still many independent and chain bookstores in existence that sell books to readers. If you want your book to be available through a bookseller, do all you can to have the book traditionally published. If your book is self-published, be sure it is available through distributors like Baker & Taylor or Ingram, or through independent distributors, if you want booksellers to stock it in their stores.

4. Is the book ready for distribution?
I get many calls from writers asking about publicity services months before their books are ready to be distributed. While it’s good to start early with publicity efforts, authors should take care to time their promotions so that their books are available when readers hear about them. I usually recommend that clients wait to start a publicity campaign until at least one or two months before their books are available through their distributors; otherwise, the booksellers I call cannot find the books in their listing services, or they’ll turn down opportunities for events because they see that the books are not yet available for ordering. If your publisher is producing advance review copies (ARCs), then we’ll be able to send copies to interested booksellers and media for review ahead of time. But if you don’t have review copies available, it’s best to wait until your book is listed with a distributor and very close to being available in print before starting your promotional efforts.
What if your book is only going to be available as an ebook? I hear from many authors who choose not to offer printed versions of their books. If that’s the case, then promotional efforts can begin as soon as the book is available for download. My only caution is to be sure that the book is ready to be read – publishing an ebook that is poorly written or has not yet been edited, can lead to weak reviews and no word-of-mouth buzz from readers. Make sure it’s truly ready for public consumption by having the copy professionally edited, the cover professionally designed, and obtaining back cover blurbs and endorsements from as many credited authors and readers as you can.

5. Does the author know what s/he wants in the way of publicity?
A publicist can recommend a game plan for promoting any book, but it helps to work with an author who knows what s/he wants in the way of publicity. Do you want a book signing tour, a blog tour, book reviews, media interviews, or all of the above? And what kind of budget do you have? Knowing the answers to these questions beforehand can help give a publicist some direction for the work she does, and will help ensure that you get what you want in terms of promotion for your book.

6. Is the author open to new ideas and possibilities?
I sometimes encounter authors who want publicity for their books, but are not willing to do much to help make that happen. A publicist can set up signing engagements, book tours, and line up media interviews, but it is up to the author to fulfill these engagements. An author who limits what can be done for his book, will limit the amount of reach the book has with readers. Likewise, an author who does not want to speak publicly, is unwilling to travel, and/or refuses to pursue social networking for his book, is not likely to be successful. Good promotion requires spreading the word to readers, and that requires reaching out to them in as many ways as possible. A good publicist will urge her clients to think outside the box and expand their promotional reach as far as possible; clients who are unwilling to do so are not likely to be good candidates for a publicity campaign.

7. Is the timeframe reasonable?
One of my favorite characters, Varuca Salt, in Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, is famous for her demanding cry, “I want it now!” Many authors are excited once their books are finally published and, in their haste to get promotional programs moving, demand instantaneous results from their publicists. But publicity can be a painstaking and time-consuming business. Oftentimes, scheduling events and interviews for clients can take numerous phone calls, email messages, and meetings to bring the sought-after press to fruition. Authors should realize that it may take days and sometimes even weeks to get agreements for events or media articles and interviews. The wise author will allow his publicist the time s/he needs to pursue promotional opportunities and know that having patience generally pays off with a yes nod for coveted media spots.

8. Is the author willing to work hard at promoting?
It doesn’t matter how good your publicist is – whether your book makes it or breaks it will depend on how hard you, the author, are willing to work. A good publicist can open doors and set the stage for you to inform others about your work. But, ultimately, it is up to you to make the most of those opportunities. Whether it is giving a talk at a professional meeting, doing a book signing, speaking at a trade show, or giving a radio or TV interview, the energy and professionalism you put into your performance is the most important factor in influencing readers to buy your book. Likewise, your willingness to put long hours into developing a professional and engaging website, create an active blog, work the social networks, and get out there and meet readers, is crucial to your book’s success.

Goodreads Giveaways a Good Way to Go for New Authors

Note: Following is a guest post on his experience with Goodreads by one of my clients, Greg Fournier, author of Zug Island: A Detroit Riot Novel, a wonderful coming-of-age story about a young man who experiences first-hand the prejudice and civil strife that led to the race riots of the sixties. You can find out more about Greg and Zug Island at Greg's blog, Fornology: News and Views of Gregory A. Fournier.

Goodreads Giveaways
By Gregory Fournier

Authors without a powerful publishing house behind them find getting publicity and exposure for their books a slow and expensive process. For the cost of as little as one book and postage, an author can run a giveaway on www.goodreads.com by agreeing to a few reasonable conditions.

I have found this promotion the best offer an independent author can find to bring readers to his/her website and book title. My giveaway promotion for Zug Island ran two weeks and attracted 674 participants.

Sixty people have added my novel “to buy” and a like number have placed it on their “to read” lists. That is a combined 18% potential sales conhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifversion rate. I have read that 7% is a healthy number.

If you have a book coming out soon, or have a book that has been out six months or less, it is easy to run a giveaway. Register with www.goodreads.com, set up your profile and an author’s page, then run your contest. It is that easy. When all is said and done, you will be the big winner.

What Can I Do with $600?

A self-published, first-time author recently contacted me about publicity for her YA novel. “I only have $600 to spend on promotion,” she told me. “What can I do with that?”

Well, there’s actually quite a bit of exposure that can be obtained with very little cash. I charge $50 per hour for my services, so $600 will buy 12 hours worth of work. There is much that can be accomplished in 12 hours – I can generally get a news release written and up on the news wires, book signing events for a few months out (depending on the author’s platform and willingness to travel), and possibly even squeeze in a little media work.

It’s most important that authors get out there and let readers know about the book. I tell writers that book promotion is like dropping a stone in a pond – the more they get out and talk about their book, the more readers who hear about it will tell others and the word will spread from there. Many authors put their books up on Amazon and create a website or blog and think their work is done. But without some face-time with readers, the books most likely won’t have the word-of-mouth ripple effect that comes from hearing other readers talk about it.

Despite the increasing dominance of the ebook market, authors can still sign at bookstores, and I urge all authors to do so now, while there are still some stores out there (they won’t be around in the future, if current market trends continue). Although most remaining Borders stores have embargoed book orders, there are independent bookstores and other chains, like Barnes & Noble, that are still hosting authors. Many libraries will host book signings for authors, and authors should consider appearances at non-traditional venues (schools, colleges and universities, stores, airports, professional organizations, literary and street fairs, etc.) where their book and subject matter have a fit.

Generally, when I take on any new client, the first thing I do is write a press release announcing the book’s publication and get that up on the newswires. Next, I like to book events, usually for six months out. Once the events are lined up, I will call media (usually about three weeks prior to each event date) to line up print, television, and radio spots. It’s best to have some events to promote, as well as the author and the book, when calling local media, so I find that having events scheduled is extremely important before lining up media gigs.

Having an online presence is important, too. I urge my clients to create active websites and blogs and set up accounts on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and reading/reviewing sites like Goodreads, Library Thing, AuthorsDen, and Shelfari.

Finally, I can’t stress enough how important it is to have written a good book. Even if an author were to spend $600 to do some event and media bookings, it’s all for naught if the book is poorly written or riddled with errors. If an author hasn’t had a professional editor work on it, I generally recommend that s/he spend the $600 on having the book professionally edited, rather than waste it on promotion for a poorly written book. Likewise, I recommend that authors hire professional designers to create their book covers and professional photographers to take their author photos. Having a book that is well-written and professionally designed will help make an author’s $600 publicity expenditure worthwhile.

The Sorting Hat Settles at Centrum

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see; I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me."
—The Sorting Hat, opening lines of the 1991 Sorting Hat song, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
__________________________________

I live many lives.

By day, I’m a San Diego working mother of two – I run a busy freelance book publicity business and teach communications classes at a local community college. By night, I’m an active mom and wife, cooking dinners, driving kids to sporting events, overseeing homework and social activities, washing clothes, grocery shopping, etc. For each activity, I wear a different Harry Potter-style Sorting Hat: advisor, nurturer, consoler, communicator, parent, and partner.

But my other life is a more personal one; I have been a writer for almost ten years, and somehow managed to get one novel written and published despite the many other hats that find their way to my head. With the writing came some wonderful benefits: a number of lively and friendly writing groups, three artist residencies, all in beautiful places (Oregon, Hawaii, and Vermont), connections with other authors, publishers, agents, and, since my book was a Native American story, the local Pala Indian community, who welcomed me with warmth and generosity. The writing hat fits well, indeed.

But this past year has been a tough one on my writing life, as both of my kids are getting ready to leave for college – one this year, and one the year after. It’s been a hectic time of softball recruiting visits for my daughter and college visits for my older son. But both are finally settled on the schools they plan to attend, so when a friend invited me to apply for an artist residency at Centrum in Port Townsend, Washington, I agreed. The time slot that Centrum offered us fit perfectly with my teaching schedule (it was, luckily, the same time as spring break), so I left my many-sided life in San Diego and have been here in the rainy Pacific Northwest, joyfully allowing the writing hat to slip back onto my head.

The Centrum campus is located on the grounds of Fort Worden State Park, a lovely wide-open green belt, with old-style military barracks, cabins, and apartment buildings scattered across the grounds. There is a youth hostel here, along with some mansion-sized homes and tiny wooden huts. I was first housed in one of the older, two-story apartments, but the building's rickety heater pumped heat non-stop (there was no thermostat in our unit). After two nights of sweating and incessant rattling noise, I asked to be moved to one of the cabins, and that’s where I sit as I write this post.

Fort Worden Park sits on a bluff above Admiralty Bay and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center beach and pier. The views are stunning – from my former second story apartment, I could see almost all of Whidbey Island across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which glitters in the sun and turns moody and sullen when the sky is cloudy. In my new cabin, I have even more impressive views overlooking the grassy cliffs and the bay down below. The cabin is peaceful, and the heat is – blessedly – controllable and quiet.

Centrum is a beautiful place; it bustles with the comings and goings of visiting artists, writers, and musicians (we saw a magnificent choro -- Brazilian jazz -- concert performed by some of the greatest folk musicians in the world two nights ago). The park also houses families and guests who rent the buildings to explore the Victorian harbor town of Port Townsend. So, there are children here, running across the grounds with their Frisbees, footballs, scooters, and bikes. The place teems with twittering birds and a few well-fed cats, yet it also has a quiet ambience, reinforced by the stately views of the sea and the elegant deer that tiptoe across the grass in the morning to nibble at the clover blossoms. The sun sets later in the day here, bringing with it a clarity and warmth that is soothing and breath-taking at the same time.

I’m happy to be here, in this lovely, northern world. I do miss my husband, kids, clients, and students (and, of course, my own bed), but I know that all the other hats I wear will be waiting for me when I return, refreshed and eager to pick up where I left off.

Complications: A Doctor's Love Story

I have been meaning to write updates about my clients' books and have been so busy lately that my good intentions have fallen by the wayside.

So, it is with a heavy heart that I've decided to hold true to my resolutions and begin with my wonderful client, Dr. Linda Gromko, and her memoir: Complications, A Doctor's Love Story.

I'm writing with a heavy heart because Linda's husband, Steve Williams, passed away today after a long battle with kidney failure. I didn't know Steve, but I have known Linda for almost two years (we met at the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference in August, 2009). After meeting Linda and working with her to promote her book at bookstores and kidney dialysis conferences, I heard all about what a smart, funny, courageous, and kind man Steve was. He and Linda were certainly well-matched, for she has the same intelligence, warmth, and tremendous wit that he is famous for. My heart is breaking for Linda and her family at his loss, and I hope that she can find some comfort in the outstanding life and wonderful memories that she and Steve created over the years.

Linda's book, Complications, is part love story and part history of Steve's struggle with kidney failure. Though realistic about the rigors of life with kidney dialysis and heart disease, Complications also offers readers a wonderful portrait of sacrifice and hope.

Dr. Gromko’s true story begins with an implausible inheritance from a former patient and her first meeting with Steve, a businessman who is “gifted at banter, irreverently funny, and loyal as a beagle.” Soon after the couple decide to wed, Steve's history of diabetes and high blood pressure leads him to fall precipitously into the abyss of kidney failure. Written from a doctor’s perspective, the book takes the reader on a tumultuous course of medical and personal trials, as Dr. Gromko exerts the most powerful advocacy of her life for the man she loves.

Joe Piscatella, author and President of The Institute for Fitness and Health, endorsed the book with these words: “Dr. Linda Gromko has written a gritty, realistic piece about true life with kidney failure and heart disease. If anything makes a case for prevention and a healthy lifestyle, this book delivers!” And best-selling author Elizabeth Lyon noted: “Dr. Gromko explains everything about the realities of kidney disease, and in a way that readers can not only easily understand, but will also feel on the edge of their seats awaiting the next diagnosis, procedure, victory, or complication. Ultimately, this memoir is a stirring account about hope, commitment, sacrifice, and love.”

I urge all of you who might be interested in kidney disease, dialysis, and modern-day love stories, to purchase a copy (softcover or Kindle) of Complications. As you read, take the time to reflect on the courageous and loving life this couple built together, and send your best thoughts and wishes to Linda Gromko and her family.

Team Truimph

I don’t have a lot of knick-knacks on my desk (I prefer a clean surface when I’m working), but there are a few treasured items that reside along the perimeter of my work area: photos of my husband and kids, my Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference mug, a banksia nut candle that Dan brought me from one of his trips to Australia, and my prized possession, a small digital clock that I won as a team competition participant in the Coors Light Biathlon.

I won the biathlon prize many years ago, when I was in my twenties and lived in Santa Barbara. An avid cyclist, I spent long hours training and competing in centuries, triathlons, and biathlons along the California coast. My team partner, Deirdre, was a co-worker and a lithe, athletic runner with great speed, who had done triathlons with me in the past. She convinced me to enter this race, arguing that we had a chance to win based mainly on the strength of her running prowess (she was right about that).

Winning this particular competition almost didn’t happen. On the last lap of the cycling portion of the race, the gear-shifting mechanism on my bicycle sheared off as I approached the runners’ transition line. No longer able to make the bike move forward, I ended up running the last few yards on foot, stumbling along in my cycling shoes to hand off the baton to Deirdre. We won the competition by seconds; I imagine that we would not have succeeded if my bicycle’s gears had failed any earlier in the race.

I treasure this particular win, not only because it was one of the few competition victories I can actually claim (I was a decent rider, but by no means a star), but because I won as part of a team. Victories are sweet when they are hard won, but I believe they’re even sweeter when they come as a result of team effort. There’s something uniquely special and uplifting about winning a challenging fight with a colleague at your side. It’s the group mentality, that feeling of connecting with another person and fighting together, that brings about a unique sense of joy that only athletes who participate in team sports can realize.

This sense of team accomplishment carries over into many areas of life, including work and career. Like the world of sports, the business world can be just as competitive (and physically and mentally grinding) as a sporting event. With an accomplished team, all of us are more likely to succeed – we bring our individual talents and strengths to the situations we encounter and, in addition, we are there to prop each other up, cheer each other on, and celebrate our victories together.

I like to think that the author who has a team working with him is damn lucky. My sense is that the most successful authors have agents, editors, designers, publishers, and publicists all working on their side. Without this kind of team, the author who tries to go it alone is like the athlete who competes by himself – success is possible, but the achievements and victories are oftentimes fewer realized and even less acknowledged.

With a good team behind her, however, an author has a much better chance of succeeding on a big stage. Some authors may manage to take the publishing world by storm on their own, but most of the successful best sellers are so because they are published and promoted by the best agents, editors, and publicity people in the business.

One can argue that going it alone has its upside: there is no one to answer to, fewer time delays, and certainly never any argument about how a work should look, what it should contain, or how it is promoted. But the person who chooses to do the writing, editing, cover designing, publishing, and promoting himself, had better be damn good at all these things. Most are not, and the staggering number of poorly written and designed self-published books bears evidence to this fact.

But the author who chooses to build a strong, professional team around him has a good chance of being a winner. Like their athletic counterparts, authors who have talent, train hard, and surround themselves with the strongest teammates in the business, have a much better chance of standing out in the brutally competitive world of publishing than those who choose to go it alone.

Be Focused, Be Prepared, Be Committed – Steps to Take Before Hiring a Publicist

Most prospective clients who approach me about publicity are new authors who have never worked with a publicist before. Whether self or traditionally published, many of them write to me with questions, the most common being: What would you charge for promoting my book?

My response is always the same: What is it you're looking for? A book tour? Media coverage? Internet exposure? All of the above? And how much do you want to spend? Without knowing what it is an author wants, it's difficult for me to put a price on how much I can do for him

It's also difficult to say how much publicity an author is likely to get without having read the author’s book or knowing a little about her platform.

So, for new authors who are thinking about hiring a publicist, I've composed the following tips on items to consider before calling or sending an inquiry email to a PR expert:

1. What kind of book have you written?
With over 288,000 new titles released each year, it's important to know where your book fits in to the overall market. Is it a young adult novel, targeted for teens, or would younger kids, say 5 -9 year olds, be more likely to read it? Does your mystery fit more in the true crime or detective category? Is your love story a traditional romance or does it fit more under the women's fiction heading? Knowing what you’ve got to sell will help you pinpoint what you have to do (and where you have to go) to sell it.

2. Is there a market for it? If so, who and where is that market?
Once you know what you've written, you need to decide who would read it. Is your audience both men and women, or are only women likely to be interested? Are there targeted niche audiences for your book? If so, where can you best reach them? Be ready to discuss with your publicist who your audience is and where you’re willing to go to get their attention.

3. What kind of experience/expertise/knowledge do you have that can be used to promote your book?
Having a platform is essential for both fiction and non-fiction writers, especially when promoting your book to media producers and reporters. Platform has to do with you (the author), your background, and the level of expertise or recognition you have in your subject area. Before you hire a publicist, ask yourself the following questions: Are you a recognized expert in your field? If not, would you be willing to educate yourself and/or work to establish yourself as such? What is it about your background and experience that makes you an interesting interview for the media? Are you willing speak, write, and blog about your book/subject area? When you speak or meet with your publicist for the first time, be ready to describe what you bring to the table in terms of background and experience.

4. How much are you willing to spend on publicity?
Before you hire a publicist, sit down with your spouse or significant other and decide how much you can afford for book promotion. Review items 1-3 above and decide what will give you the most exposure for your type of book and audience(s). Decide if you're willing to travel to speak, tour, and/or sell your book, and figure out how long you are willing to do that. Plan to create web, blog, and social media sites for your book and estimate the expenses, both time and money-wise, for those. Finally, create a budget that factors in costs for printing and shipping copies of your book, creation of promotional items (bookmarks, posters, fliers, etc.), website development and hosting, travel, hotel, and food expenses for signing and/or media tours, booth space fees, postage, advertising, etc. Also factor in the cost of hiring a publicist (see my post entitled Straight Talk on Book Publicity Costs for more on that) or other professionals (graphic reproduction, ebook formatting, legal, etc.) you might need to help with your book's promotion.

5. How committed are you to doing what your publicist recommends?
I'm always surprised at how many of my clients do the groundwork of hiring me and then, once we begin their promotional tour, panic when they achieve some level of success. As many authors realize after trying to do it themselves, it’s extremely difficult in today’s noisy and crowded publishing landscape to get attention from booksellers and the media. It can take an experienced publicist repeat contacting and hours of follow-up and pitching to get a bookseller, reporter, or producer to agree to an event or interview for a client.

But, despite their desire for exposure, there are always a few authors who balk at doing signings or radio and television interviews once they get them, which is frustrating on many levels. It can be awkward for a publicist to go back to booksellers and the media to say that a client is passing on an event after working so hard to get them to agree to it in the first place. It's also time-consuming to have to revisit plans and goals with authors, who say they want publicity and then waver on following through. Yes, it can be scary to be in front of the camera for the first time or, for some, to have to stand up in front of a group and speak. But a good publicist can provide helpful tips for overcoming those early jitters, and most authors agree that, like any other activity, they get better at it the more they do it. And successful authors know that without that kind of outreach, they would not be able to generate the essential word-of-mouth ripple effect that comes from continued audience exposure.

It's a shame to waste opportunities, especially if an author has done his footwork and has spent the time and money to get the hard-won exposure he needs to successfully promote his book. Be committed to your book’s success, and if you hire a publicist, follow through on her efforts to obtain the promotional attention you seek.