A Pep Talk for Authors During Chaotic Times

(And everyone else in book publishing)

Editor’s note: I experienced tech issues on Friday and Saturday, so Book Therapy for paid subscribers will resume this week (on Friday).

Stocks are tanking, tariffs are in effect, and all signs indicate a recession is afoot. The daily rundown of news in the U.S. is far from great, and it is hard not to feel worried. You might even feel more concerned if you are about to publish a book or had a book published over the past couple of months. I don’t blame you, but I also want to offer a view from someone who has worked in publishing through 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, the start of wars, a global pandemic, and more. That someone is me, and I hope what I write helps.

Don’t Panic

It is easy to panic about how your book will sell, what kind of attention it will receive, and what you should do right now and as we advance. In a moment of chaos, the most important thing you can do is control the things you can control. As an author, that means assessing your promotional strategy, updating your website, and creating content for whichever platform you’ve chosen. It means finding ways to connect with your audience authentically. Do you have a book publishing in the fall or beyond? Now is a good time to have conversations with freelance publicists. If you’re a publicist, it means reading the media room and being mindful of who and what you pitch. It means pivoting strategy for your authors, whatever that means for the book. It also means revisiting your business development strategies to identify gaps. Communication between authors and publicists is especially crucial during this time. A simple check-in can mean a lot.

Be Patient

Over the weekend, I posted a note about my recent publicity wins and how long each took. Here it is:

• Interview and review for an author and his book in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. TIME IT TOOK: 3 months.

• Client interview + client on a magazine cover (issue forthcoming). TIME IT TOOK: 2 months.

• I got to tell another author that their book won an award—I submitted it as a surprise for her. TIME IT TOOK: 2 months.

• A book will be included in Glamour magazine’s spring roundup. TIME IT TOOK: Not long for the confirmation, but I’ve been cultivating a relationship with the editor for a few months. She’s terrific.

• 50+ podcast interviews for an author. TIME IT TOOK: 3 months, and still going.

I’m using these examples so authors have an idea of the amount of work that goes into confirming media, etc. It’s never immediate! It takes time, and most people who don’t do publicity for a living aren’t aware of how hard publicists have to work to get a media hit. Unless you are a celebrity, political figure, or bestselling author (and even then, attention is not guaranteed), publicity is a long game. I wish all media confirmations happened instantly, but that isn’t realistic. Recently, there have been days when I have held off pitching until the news cycle calmed down for a few hours. I use that time to do what I call “the invisible work of publicists”: Compiling media lists, researching contacts, cultivating relationships with book influencers, mining Substack for book-related newsletters, consuming media, developing pitches, and much more.

I won’t sugarcoat this. The speed with which the media is covering this administration's actions is one of the craziest news cycles I have ever seen, and it will not slow down any time soon. The key for publicists is to find people covering topics that they’re pitching. Summer reading roundups are still happening, as are Mother’s Day gift guides. Further, consumers will look for comfort items as they did during the pandemic. Books often fall into that category; getting attention for them might take a while.

Build Community

I can’t emphasize this enough: authors should work on building community. Often, readers want to feel like they are part of something. This is not to say you, the author, must build community independently. Are there other authors you can partner with to create something? If you don’t know where to start, think about your peers and make a list of who you know and how you envision building a community with them. Where can you do it? What can you offer readers to make them feel they are getting something out of it? Community is what will get us through.

Don’t Despair about Sales

I fully expect book sales to be soft for a while—at least until this tariff mess is cleaned up. Most brands in sectors outside of book publishing are re-forecasting with lower sales estimates. Things could be regulated sooner than expected, but it is prudent to prepare for a possible recession. There is nothing we can do to force people to spend money on books. We control what we can; we put forth our best efforts to make consumers aware of books and hope people are compelled to buy them. We can never predict how many copies of a book will sell or how long it will take.

We Don’t Know the Effects of Tariffs on Publishing Yet

Publishers are accustomed to printing books domestically, and many books are printed overseas. However, the things to look out for regarding tariffs in the industry are imported paper and other printing materials. We don’t know what effect that will have on the price of books yet (or if it will). We can make the best decisions based on the information we have right now. I often tell my 17-year-old daughter, “Don’t create situations in your head that haven’t happened yet.” That applies here.

Not All Media Focuses on Business and Politics

I listen to a syndicated radio show (they still exist on terrestrial radio!) called “Free Beer and Hot Wings” every morning. I’ve been a longtime fan, and I am always impressed by their ability to remain apolitical. It’s a fun show, and not in a zany morning show kind of way. They never book guests, but it doesn’t matter. My favorite segment is “Dumber Than the Show Trivia.” I may be unable to find my keys, but I know there were three lead singers of Van Halen!

The media is flooded with news about the current administration’s actions, but it’s important to remember that not all media is in that boat. Yes, it is chaotic, and media people also have feelings about what is happening. I’m watching closely how tariffs affect the beauty and fashion industries. Their ad dollars support media, and if tariffs mean their products will be more expensive, we will see a steep decline in an already dismal advertising climate. Why does this matter? Because ad revenue helps pay media salaries. There could be more media layoffs forthcoming.

The bottom line is that some books—I’m really talking about nonfiction—will work for the media now, and others won’t. As always, fiction is anyone’s guess, but being proactive in the abovementioned ways will help.

Am I Worried?

Yes, I’m worried, but I wouldn’t be a solopreneur if I didn’t. As much as I plan fiscally for the next 6 months, it’s hard to do because I don’t know how much business I’ll get. I have to factor in that some of my proposals won’t close a deal with an author or publisher or that a client may not pay me (for the record, all my current clients pay on time). I also must consider the cost of my overhead: media databases, podcast databases, website updates, subscriptions, wifi, cell phone bills, and more. I’m not a fan of ambiguity, so I stress myself out when I have proposals with potential clients, and they take a while to respond. Usually, everything works out, but my entire vibe is What’s next?

I’ve decided to remain in my MA/English & Creative Writing program. Quitting grad school is a tough call for me. Knowing I successfully completed my MBA program drives me to want another degree. Eventually, I’d like to teach college, so sticking with grad school seems like a good idea. I’m trying to focus on the here and now, which keeps me from catastrophizing. I remind myself how much publishing has survived and that I am lucky to work in the industry.

One day last week, I started crying in my kitchen because everything felt scary. I repeated the following aloud: “You are safe. You can work. You aren’t alone. You are here.” Maybe that will help you, too.

We are in this together.

END NOTES:

• I did not know the season finale of The White Lotus would play with my emotions so much. IMO, it was the best finale out of all three seasons. Kudos to Mike White. And if you need a book person’s analysis, here is mine: This season of the show was all about selling your soul…or finding one.

• I love The Studio on Apple+. The pacing is incredible, and Kathryn Hahn, as the head of marketing, is hilarious.

• Dying for Sex on Hulu made me ugly cry. It also made me laugh. The friendship between Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate’s characters is beautiful.

• I have so many questions I need The Pitt to answer. I don’t think the finale will resolve some of them.

• I haven’t read it yet, but it seems like Audition by Katie Kitamura is “the book” of the spring. I’ve noticed it in several roundups. Here’s the NYT review.

• I’m interested in how the upcoming books about Joe Biden will do. I could be wrong, but I don’t think many people want to read about the 2024 election right now.

• Don’t expect a TikTok deal as long as this is happening.

• Publishers Weekly is now charging a $25 fee for every book submitted for review. There are exceptions. You can read about it here. Here’s some tough love from me: If you can’t submit a book to PW at least 3-4 months before its publication, don’t submit it. They and other trade publications receive an astronomical number of titles for review. If you are two months or less from your book’s publication date, the chances for a trade review are slim (unless you purchase a PW or Kirkus review).