Book Publicity Isn't a Contest

Comparing yourself to other authors is never a good strategy.

I hope you had a good weekend. I’m writing this from my couch on a rainy afternoon at the Jersey Shore. I watched the first four episodes of The Four Seasons on Netflix, and I like it. Tidbit: The resort they visit on an island is the El Conquistador in Puerto Rico, a favorite of mine (you will never find me in some tent, ever). My 17-year-old daughter has two AP exams this week, so if you’re a parent in the throes of teens studying, solidarity. The good news is that we’re opening our pool on Wednesday. I love to swim, so I’m excited! I’ve also become more focused on what I want my business to look like going forward. I’ll write about that soon, but I’m grateful for conversations with other colleagues in the industry and a career coach who asked great questions and made me see my professional life differently. In other news, I need a vacation.

Note: Check out the events at the end of the newsletter, especially if you’re in the NYC area.

Something that’s been on my mind lately is how often authors compare their publicity to someone else’s. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “But (insert author’s name here)’s book was reviewed in (insert media outlet) and they were interviewed on (insert media outlet).” This is an easy trap to fall into, and you must work hard to avoid it. It happens to book publicists, too. When we see our colleagues posting a lot of media hits for a particular book, it can make us feel inept. I look at the success of other book publicity campaigns as a study guide, and authors can, too. Here’s how:

• Is there anything the author did that you can apply to your campaign? Sometimes, on Amazon, I screenshot the highlights they post of a book’s media mentions, such as “Most Anticipated” lists, inclusion on a website I may not have known about, non-celebrity book club attention, and more. If I work on a similar book, I will reference the screenshots I’ve kept.

• What does the author’s platform look like? This is important because platforms aren’t built in a day, and some authors forget that the current success of another author is because of their platform, which took years to achieve. There’s no singular path to building a platform; some authors aren’t cut out for the work. That’s okay, but remind yourself that a platform, whether social media, a newsletter, or your website, is the best way to connect with readers directly. If you’re missing a way to reach readers, you’re probably missing out on book sales.

• What did the author do on their platform? I’m not implying you must film yourself performing stunts. However, you should try to get into a mindset where you don’t feel like the stakes are high. If no one likes your post or you’re not getting many views, delete! It’s information you can use to determine what content will work. Threads is my primary social media platform, with 24K followers. Many of my “threads” have gone viral, receiving over 20K “likes.” Here’s the secret: there isn’t one. Sometimes my threads are a bust, so I delete them. Other times, something as inane as “Conclave is about to have a huge week on streaming,” after the Pope died, goes viral. It was a throwaway post. Conversely, if I were an author, I’d be strategic with Instagram and, if applicable, TikTok. Leigh Stein writes brilliantly about ways to do this. If you want post ideas or read about what’s trending on social platforms, read newsletters like Link in Bio by Rachel Karten and ICYMI by Lia Haberman.

• Can you piece together some of the marketing the author’s publisher did? If you see a book chosen for the Indie Next list, it can be assumed that the publisher paid for promotion with the American Booksellers Association. Maybe the publisher paid for Amazon and social media ads. Perhaps they also paid for hundreds of ARCs and sent the author to trade shows. Or perhaps the publisher has created an influencer program, as HarperCollins did with Shelves in the City. This is not to say another author’s publisher can or will do the same, but rather a way to understand why a particular book seemed to get a lot of attention.

• Look for signs that a book is important to reviewers. On Saturday, I read the best author interview. David Marchese of The New York Times spoke to Ocean Vuong in advance of the publication of his new book, The Emperor of Gladness. Vuong is well-known in the literary world, but this interview will widen his audience. He was honest, tender, and vulnerable. I expect his new book to be reviewed everywhere. In my recent conversations with book review editors, they’ve told me that May 2025 is packed with new releases. They’re right. Kevin Wilson, Fredrik Backman, Robert Macfarlane, Stephen King, Glennon Doyle, Isabel Allende, Jeanine Cummins (of American Dirt fame), Carl Hiaasen, Meg Mitchell Moore, Nora Roberts, and Stacey Abrams (to name a few) are releasing books over the next few weeks. Competing with big names is hard, so here’s some advice: don’t. Don’t obsess over their pub dates, reviews, Amazon rankings, etc. That’s a fast path to self-loathing. Instead, focus on your work, connecting with your readers, and remember that bestseller lists are not the end-all be-all.

• Sometimes, the publicist doesn’t make the book—the book makes the publicist. When I started my company, I fell into a bad habit of comparing myself to other publicists who had better projects than I and were getting lots of media for them. What I’m about to say does not, in any way, diminish the work of any publicist. Some books are set up for success by publishers, which makes the PR element easier. What I mean by that is when you work on certain books, reviewers/other media will respond immediately. Sometimes, the media may approach the publicist. This is how a lot of us who grew up in publishing during the 90s were able to cultivate media relationships. Additionally, some high-profile authors (well-known media figures, etc.) and books would get a ton of media coverage regardless. All of that is still work, but it’s different from pitching books by little-known or unknown authors. Several projects I’ve taken on over the past year were less about a big splash and more about elevating an author’s profile and reaching their readers. I still work on high-profile books, and welcome them, but I also like building things from scratch and incorporating marketing into my work.

• Remember, there is invisible work being done for books. As much as you can find out online about a book’s publicity and marketing campaign, invisible work is also being done. You won’t know about how a book was received at a sales conference, how a publisher’s budget fluctuates, staff turnover, internal marketing meetings, etc. Every publisher has different processes, often contributing to a book’s success.

• You can’t control what books people buy. True, but if you look at a bestseller list, you can determine what’s selling. Tip: It’s easier to assume the books on the top half of the NYT Hardcover Fiction Bestseller list have more sales than the bottom half. For example, Emily Henry’s new book sold nearly 140K copies in its first week and debuted at number one. The books towards the bottom of the NYT Hardcover Fiction Bestseller list have been selling between 2500 and 5000 copies weekly. The longer a book stays on the bestseller list, the harder it is to knock it off. It means people are still talking about the book, the author still has a robust platform, or the author is a fan favorite like Jodi Picoult (full disclosure: I was one of Jodi’s publicists, and she is terrific), who goes on the road pretty much every year to do events. It doesn’t hurt that her books are good!

• Where does this leave us? First, write a great book, and write the book you want. Second, start building your readership as early as possible. That doesn’t mean you must send your drafts out into the world. It means thinking about and acting on what makes you and your book interesting. If you read the interview above with Ocean Vuong, I bet you’ll want to read one of his books. I’ve never read him, and that interview made me see what I’m missing. Have you ever bought a book because the author’s posts on Instagram end up in one of your friends’ stories? I have. Find your groove on a platform and lean into it. Chances are you are not dull, so don’t be boring! Remember what Betty Draper said in Mad Men:

  

  When you observe what another author is doing, don’t get jealous. Get curious. Make a good idea better. Don’t rely on reviews to speak for your book; you need to speak for your book. Reviews are steeply declining, and they don’t sell many books, so don’t sweat it if they don’t happen for your book.

  
  Most importantly, don’t focus on reviews to validate your writing. I understand why writers want book critics to pay attention to their books, but book sales are a better form of validation. If I got stuck on the feedback from my current linguistics professor in my MA program, I wouldn’t want to write. I have an A in the class, but her feedback is brutal. I process it as a learning experience and keep going.

• Finally, remember your “why.” Be intentional about your writing. Stay flexible (or learn how to be flexible). Educate yourself about the publishing industry. There is an abundance of information about it online. Find your community. Don’t take down other authors publicly. Publishing is a complex, weird industry, but it is also full of people who do good. Yourself included.

EVENTS!

Manhattan:

Celebrate AANHPI Month with Women’s Media Group at a special event on MAY 21st. Register here. It’s $20 for non-members, and that money goes to the Women’s Media Group Education Fund, which provides scholarships to diverse candidates to further their careers in media & publishing.

Brooklyn:

Hear Laura Pegram of Kweli Literary Journal and Kweli contributors Naima Coster and Nicole Dennis-Benn at Books Are Magic on May 15th.

Tickets are under $20, and you can receive a copy of the book or a gift card to Books Are Magic. Tickets are available here.