Book Publishing and the Media are Misaligned

Why do we keep doing the same things if they don’t work?

I’ve been thinking about writing this piece for a while, but when I saw New York Magazine’s cover story this week, "Media Elites Tell All!" I knew it was time. As I read the article about the current state of media, I wondered why book publishing keeps putting the onus on publicists to go after things that a) will not happen and b) don’t exist much anymore. Let’s talk about what this means.

When it is time for publishers to have a sales conference, publicity and marketing plans for books must be buttoned up and ready to present to the sales department. This means a lot of information printed on ARCs or in catalogs (usually digital ones) is generic. Here’s an example:

·      5-city tour

·      National Media, including TV and Radio

·      Review Coverage

·      Interviews or features in major publications

These four simple bullet points signal to the sales department that the publicist will attempt to book national media and secure reviews. The tour means indie bookstores will likely be involved, so sales reps should solicit them for event requests. The problem? Save for the tour, only a small percentage of media coverage will occur, and it might not even sell copies of the book. Why do we keep doing this when we already know the answer? Is it to fool ourselves into thinking the media landscape isn’t as bad? Is it to remain hopeful in the face of a marketplace that can’t sustain the number of books published versus the media outlets that can cover them? The answer is “yes” to all of the above.

Authors consistently ask me if reviews are possible, and the answer, unless they have written a spectacular book with a good publisher, is “probably not.” If they have a hybrid deal with a publisher, the chances are lower that reviews will occur because there is still a stigma attached to self- and hybrid publishing (Hint: this is where hiring a marketer is helpful). Feature interviews are even less likely, and I think it is essential to explain why, which means examining the media ecosystem.

Every article or review you see must have a decent ROI (return on investment) for its respective media outlet. Your book, story, and name must drive clicks. Advertisers want to know about clicks because they can determine if spending an ad with an outlet like The Washington Post is worth their money. With digital advertising trending down, media has to up the ante on what it covers and where. Often, stories buried on media websites aren’t necessarily expected to perform well. Sometimes, they get widely shared and surprise everyone involved. Those instances are rare, though. This is all to say that unless an author is a “name” or has a highly anticipated debut being published, pickings are slim for media coverage.

The other aspect is that every media outlet fights for people’s time and money. Newsrooms aren’t immune to the broader business goals of their owner(s). Book publishing faces the same challenge, so you’ll notice a small percentage of books getting all the attention: those are the ones publishers need to work fiscally. The books publishers need to work on are usually the same ones you see in the media because a big name is attached to them. This is a vicious cycle that helps everyone except the average author. That said, the average author must know what they are up against so they can manage expectations. It’s not to say all is lost, but to say, “Let’s be more creative.”

I don’t place blame on publicity departments because the issue is that editors, publishers, and sales departments are stuck on what used to work instead of seeing how things work now, especially in media. Have they noticed the significant shift in journalists leaving legacy media to start newsletters? Do they know that content for media needs to drive clicks, or it won’t get covered? Do they understand that reviews barely move the sales needle? Have they seen that NPR’s Fresh Air doesn’t have the same impact it once did? I am doubtful, and that is the crux of the issue. Without updating outdated ideas about media coverage, we will continue to see the same bullet points on ARCs and sell sheets, and everyone will continue to be disappointed.

My struggle working in-house for publishers was always that I thought I could change people's attitudes toward marketing and publicity. I always tried to gently educate others about what publicity was up against, but mostly got a response like, “Well, keep trying.” That isn’t good enough anymore. The media landscape will change drastically over the next five years, and book publishing must change along with it. Newsletters and independent media companies founded by journalists will become more prevalent. Why? Because they reach the consumer directly. Book publishing relies far too heavily on the audiences of certain media and platforms to do its promotional work. Granted, platforms are necessary, but I have yet to see a publisher experimenting with a social-first promotional strategy (leaning on influencers instead of traditional media). Do publishers even realize they can maintain the same brand voice for different promotional activities? Are they working to improve their brand identities so consumers will look at books as products from, say, Riverhead Books?

I have done a lot of speaking gigs where I am asked about author platforms and why they are essential. The best reason I can give you right now is that your platform is the way you will connect with your readers. No one else can do that for you. Being opposed to creating a platform will hurt your book’s chance to sell. Consumers want connection. They want to feel like they are a part of something. Why do you think there is such a bond between people who see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour? Swifties are a community. I am not saying that we need the equivalent of Taylor Swift to create a robust author community. Still, book publishing must examine audience growth for each of its authors instead of creating a situation where publicity goals are unrealistic. Further, authors can’t operate in a silo. They must know how the media operates and why they are asked to focus on certain promotional activities.

I write this newsletter so people, whether authors or publishing professionals, understand how things work better. This is my warning signal that the media as we knew it five years ago no longer exists. There are many ways to connect with consumers, but publishers must invest heavily in making it work for them. Similarly, the idea that newsletter coverage is a toss-away media “get” is ridiculous. Would you prefer a review sit behind a paywall where barely anyone sees it or land in 72,000 inboxes of newsletter subscribers? If I am a publisher, the latter is my first choice.

I can hear the arguments about how there is a place for reviews (I still think this is true!), not all authors need platforms (yes, they do), and specific media remains valuable (I never said it wasn’t!). I am asking authors and publishing professionals to understand where their published content fits into the media ecosystem. Would people click on a story about the author you are signing? Why? Are you, the author, doing everything you can to connect directly with your audience? Why not? Are marketing departments still creating generic plans that most likely won’t result in many sales but look good on paper? It can’t go on like this. If it does, we can expect more disappointment and fewer book sales for the average author.

END NOTES:

What I’m Reading: For my first MA in English/Writing class, I must read Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk. It is paired with The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. So far, I like the Wouk book, which is the first time I have read him.

What I’m Listening To: I just finished the audiobook of Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten. What a remarkable memoir.

What I’m Watching: I finally finished watching Bad Monkey on Apple+ and loved it. Vince Vaughn is perfect in it. I also binged Nobody Wants This on Netflix, which I enjoyed. Next up is season 2 of Shrinking on Apple+.

Most Recent Book I Bought: Brothers by Alex Van Halen