Book Publicity: What to Expect in 2024

The role of book publicists is changing as quickly as the media landscape. Here's what to expect in 2024.

Hello Confidantes,

I’m working on a deep dive into various publishing paths, so watch for that before the year’s end. In the meantime, I want to discuss what book publicity will look like in 2024. But first, subscription housekeeping:

I’ve previously written about the ins and outs of book publicity, so check out my archives if you haven’t. As 2023 comes to a close and 2024 publication dates creep up on us, it’s essential to assess the future of book publicity, which is increasingly fluid.

I. Bestseller Lists:

I’ll write a separate newsletter about this, but The Wall Street Journal is eliminating its bestseller lists, which is a blow to self-published authors. Since the WSJ used hard data from Circana Bookscan, you could often find self-published authors on the bestseller list. USA Today and NYT are the two remaining major bestseller lists, which is not great. The NYT doesn’t recognize self-published books nor reveals how it ranks bestsellers (hint: they do as they wish). USA Today eliminated its bestseller list but then revived it, though I’ve noticed the absence of self-published books. The industry must rethink how it defines a bestseller without the marketing constructs of the NYT or USA Today. Many author contracts include a bestseller clause; an author will earn a monetary bonus if their book hits the list. Considering the NYT is cagey about its methodology, it’s not exactly equitable to offer bonuses on hitting a list that, more often than not, is rigged. Bonuses shouldn't be attached to them until there is transparency in calculating bestseller lists. More to come on this topic.

II. Reviews:

If you’ve read this newsletter long enough, you know I have mixed feelings about book reviews. I respect book critics and the difficult decisions they face when choosing which books to review. However, time and again, I have seen books well-reviewed without gaining sales momentum. I’d love nothing more than to tell you a review in the NYT sells thousands of copies of a book,