It really depends on the book and what happened for it pre- and during publication. No matter what, you want to keep expanding your audience, which could mean finding new communities online in Facebook groups, cultivating a newsletter audience, or seeking out podcasts that are a fit for what you’ve written about.
Hi Kathleen! When promoting your book pre-launch and trying to drum up pre-orders, where is the best place to link people to? I want to support indie stores so maybe bookshop.org? But Amazon is so easy... Or create a landing page with all buying options? Is it better to zero in on one channel if you want to try making a big impact in pre-orders or is just as effective to cast your net across all channels? Thank you!!
I believe in giving readers all choices, so creating a Linktree with all the options is the best route. Publishers tell authors to offer all the options because it can't look like you are playing favorites. It's also important to remember that consumers don't like to have to click through several times to get to the book, so having one place where those links live is key.
Could you shed some light on what in the world is going on with nonfiction acquisitions? In preliminary and really illuminating conversations I’ve had with big-shot agents, everyone tells me buyers are really risk-averse to nonfiction these days. Are they off?
I am hearing this a lot from authors. Nonfiction sales have been softer than fiction, so publishers are being cautious. They want people with big platforms who can promote the book to their followers--even though algorithms are wonky. They're also looking for people who are big on the speaking circuit, high-profile journalists, political figures, and celebs. The issues begin at the retail level: if nonfiction isn't selling on Amazon or in B&N and indie bookstores, they are less likely to place orders for those books and therefore publishers won't take risks.
Of the tasks that either a publicist or an author can do--not major long lead media, of course, but efforts like setting up bookstore events, pitching essays to niche outlets, outreach to (non-celebrity) book clubs--where would you recommend an author step up first? Or is that a question only an author’s assigned publicist can answer based on their own contacts and preferences?
You should always coordinate efforts with your publicist. An in-house publicist probably won't pitch essays for you, but they will schedule bookstore events (in most cases). Some marketing departments do outreach to non-celeb book clubs, so you can ask your agent/editor if that is being done for your book. It doesn't mean you shouldn't reach out to book clubs--just make sure you aren't doubling up. The areas of focus for an author should be anything that elevates their profile, which is what essays/opinion pieces do. The other thing I tell clients is that if they are not going to actively participate on a social media platform, they should find what I call "digital surrogates." A digital surrogate is someone who has a robust social following and can post about your book. This way, you don't have to feel like you are being forced to do social media when you don't want to.
Not sure if this is helpful, but when my publisher has been hesitant to help with scheduling events, I've done my own stock signings, either with my agent's help communicating with the store in advance or completely spontaneously--just walk in, introduce yourself, sign what they've got. I find this works really well because it also generates content for you and the bookstore if you tell readers on socials where to go; it's a positive feedback loop, and it has the added benefit of encouraging booksellers to handsell your work when you foster a good relationship with them. (Sometimes publishers are also more willing to set up stock signings than actual events because it's much less effort/expenditure.)
I have to preface by saying it highly depends on the book and this is only my opinion: I often tell clients that post-publication is as important as pre-publication because you still need the book to sell. One tried and true method is connecting with readers where they're at, which could mean some social media platforms + groups, building a subscriber base for a newsletter, speaking gigs where it makes sense--start small and build out. It could be book clubs (though there is no centralized database of every book club so it's tough). It could also entail niche podcasts. What definitely does not work: advertising.
I consider FB advertising low-stakes. You can test it out for $100 and see if it works. I haven't seen it make a significant impact in sales, but that doesn't mean it can't for some books. If it works, great, keep doing it. I am not a big fan of spending a lot of money there because you are still at the mercy of someone else's algorithm.
Thank you! The idea of focusing on niche podcasts, book clubs, speaking/reading engagements, and a newsletter sounds doable and actually maybe even...fun? I'd rather engage with individuals and audiences in these at least semi-personal ways rather than spend too much time on social media/Goodreads (which I know from reading your newsletter you don't put much stock in!). Thank you for offering this Friday thread, it's very generous of you!
First off, thank you so much for offering this book therapy thread! Very generous of you! I've been querying my first novel (upmarket fiction) for the past few months to mixed feedback. I think I need to do another edit on the book before sending out another round, but wow, the traditional publishing route is so intense. My question is around self-publishing. I've been reading many of the "publishing predictions" (including yours, which was amazing) and it seems like self publishing may soon surge even more. Do you think this is mostly around genre fiction? Or do you think we will start to see more upmarket/book club fiction self published and do well? I ask because my goal is readers in my target audience, not necessarily money. (I've come to terms that I'll have to have another main source of income as a writer). But given that traditional publishers are spending less and less on marketing, I'm wondering what path is best? I have a background in content marketing, so could theoretically apply those skills to my own work. Everything just seems to be at a juncture (although maybe that's still a ways out?) Sorry this was long-winded (need more coffee!), but thank you in advance for your thoughts!
Great question! Here's my honest opinion: Self-publishing lends itself well to genre fiction. I hope to see that change, but I'm not sure when it will. My prediction is within the next 5 years. If the traditional publishing route isn't working, you might want to think about hybrid publishing or small presses. What you need to remember about going the hybrid route is that you'll have to hire something resembling a team to do marketing and publicity. You'll also need to put up a financial investment to get the book published. I'd work on another edit of the book and see how that goes before considering other options.
Is there anything you can suggest for writers of middle grade and children's fiction to promote themselves? I've been told to reach out to schools and librarians but beyond my own local library and kids' school, I'm not sure how best to go about this. I'm very shy by nature, so maybe its just a me problem haha
I do tons of school visits - I write YA that appeals to middle schoolers. I started by doing free visits and getting feedback as well as quotes I could use. I made brochures for when I go to events like the Missouri School Librarians Association or TXLA. It builds over time.
I am also here to ask about this! I often feel like the good and regular marketing tips and strategies talked about in the publishing world don't apply to kid lit folks in the same way, but I'd love to know more specifically and concretely what DOES apply and what works?
How many books/authors is an in-house PR working on at any given moment? (Knowing that each project is at different places in the life of the book.) What's YOUR ideal amount of books/authors to work with at the same time? Thanks!
Great question. In-house publicists work on 5-10 books at one time--on average. I’ve worked on as many as 15 books at once while in-house, and it burnt me out. When you’re in-house, you’re working on your current titles, titles for the next season, and planning for the season after that. For example, in-house publicists are now working on winter, spring, and summer books, but also planning Fall 2024.
Personally, my ideal number of clients depends on the campaign + cost. If I have a handful of clients who have me on a monthly retainer, I’m less likely to take on shorter-term work or a specific aspect of someone’s campaign. I don’t ever want to be in a situation where I can’t service my clients. The hard part comes when you want to scale your business & need to hire some help to do so. That’s kind of where I’m at right now.
Quick follow-up! For in house work, is that 5-10 projects per person or team? Is it a solo PR with that many books, or a PR with their support team? Thank you for your insights and time!
Per person! Per department, it’s a lot. Keep in mind that in-house publicists are told which books to focus on. That’s not to say it fixes being overwhelmed--many in-house publicists are overworked and underpaid. There’s a lot of turnover.
For anyone else reading, I'll share perspective and the WHY of my question. I run a not-non-for profit independent publishing house. One person does PR for all books...plus acquiring, editing, and the everything else. (Non-profit publishers have access to grant funds and interns and will often have more PR assistance than a not-non-profit publisher. )
Suffice to say, whether, Big, Independent, or Self...publicity and marketing folks are overwhelmed.
I'm sorry to be greedy but I thought of another question for Kathleen and the group. I've been on Substack for about 6 months and not while actively promoting a book (I have a book coming out in 2024, exact release TBD.) I'm wondering if you've seen any book-promo best practices authors have employed on Substack.
It’s still early days for book promo here, but one thing to do is to balance your content so it’s not only about the book. Other things: create a footer for your newsletter with the book cover & embed a link to order it. I’ve found Substack to be a very “you get what you give” platform. I subscribe to a lot of newsletters, share them, comment on them, etc. When you’re building a readership it’s important to participate.
I have built a good platform over many years as a non-fiction author and am going to be querying with my first novel at the end of this year. How important is my platform to that querying process? And how much does do i need to have pivoted my platform to being fiction focused (my novel explores similar themes to my non fiction work but also big departure because I'm writing a contemporary fantasy) before I query? Thanks!
Platforms are still very important to the querying process. What you need to show them is that you can pivot from non-fiction to fiction and grow/retain your audience. Fantasy is a popular category, so agents/editors want to see that an author connects with their readers. It's a tough category for publicity, so the marketing is important.
I have a first book coming out with a small press in the spring, planned as one of a series, though the contract is for one book only. I went directly to the publisher with it/no agent. Are agents interested in authors who are part way through a series? Would it be worthwhile to approach agents about this, or is it better to wait until the next project/next series, and start then?
Also--thanks for this forum. I so appreciate your work and your opening this Q&A for us!
Thank you! You can totally approach agents part way through a series. They'll want to know what kind of publicity first one received and how many more books there are going to be in the series. Make sure you look at who the agents were for any comp titles being used for your book/series. Good place to start.
I assume that different books get varying publicity attention based on advances and other factors, yes? Is there a way to ask my editor how much publicity they plan to throw at my book so I can assess how much and how long I need from outside marketing and publicity people? Thanks!
They'll never disclose the publicity or marketing budget because that is against most policies. You can ask them what the publicity and marketing plans are, and if they don't align with what your goals are for the book, speak up & tell them you are thinking about hiring someone. My advice is to find out as early as possible. I'm booking clients for fall 2024 and beyond right now, and you really want to give an outside publicist at least 4-6 months to work on it. You are correct that the higher the advance, the more $ a publisher will throw behind marketing. They need to recoup the money. Some things to look for are plans that seem too general like "Goodreads campaign." It's okay to ask what that means.
Hi, Jo-Ann, I’m not trying to jump in here and “answer” your question, but I’m in roughly the same boat so want to share where I’m at. I have a book slated for winter ‘25, and I got only a modest advance for it. I have a history with the editor/publisher so I expect a good amount of support; I just got the author questionnaire for instance so I know they’re already making plans. But I also know based on the timing/advance that the support will likely be limited. Therefore I am already making my own marketing plans; thinking about events, and interviews I could book on my own, articles I could write and podcasts and similar places to pitch. Journalists I know and could prod. I expect I’ll have to do a lot of hustling on my own.
Thanks Paul! I will definitely make some of my own marketing plans but that is not my strong suit and my time is limited because I'm a psychologist before I'm a writer. I wonder how much to read into the author questionnaire questions. For example, mine asked for my preferred airlines, seats, and my frequent flyer numbers. But I doubt they're planning to book and pay for my book tour! Yes, good luck to us all!
I know. It made me laugh! My friend with the same imprint, different editor, didn't recall that on hers but she filled it out a few months before me so she wasn't sure.
I'm aging myself, but I remember those q's from the late 90s and early 2000s! I'm having flashbacks of making sure corporate travel agents have the frequent flier numbers...
How can an author determine if their book will be front-list or backlist for the publisher? What are some things to look out for during the offer, early meetings, etc. that can help us understand where we stand in the pecking order?
First, look at some of the publisher's current backlist titles or ask your agent/editor what titles backlist best for them. The more information you have, the better. The best indication to a publisher that a book will backlist well is if it is steadily selling post-publication. That doesn't mean it needs to be a bestseller. It means the publisher has set a certain threshold the book must meet in sales numbers each week/month to continue to keep it in print. Not all fiction/nonfiction will backlist, and that is because there was no sales momentum. The truth is, most publishers don't fully know if a book will be a strong backlist title until they see how it sells upon publication. Sometimes it has less to do with pecking order and more to do with a book selling steadily, even if the author wasn't paid a big advance.
I still think it’s Amazon because it can be the most lucrative. There’s Ingram Spark, which has its own advantages, but there are more tools for self-published authors on Amazon, and Kindle is still the most popular way to read e-books.
If a debut author gets only a modest advance, and so can expect only modest marketing support from the publisher (and doesn't have the $ to hire an outside publicist), what might the publisher actually DO in that kind of situation? Obviously, they're not paying for any tours (haha) or for any expensive media promotions (hahaha), so what would they most likely do?
(In case it makes a difference, my book will be historical fiction set in an asylum during the American Civil War.)
Hi Zena. The first thing you should do is have an honest conversation with your publisher about what you can expect from their publicity department. Be clear about your goals for the book. In these situations, publishers sometimes leave authors hanging, which is not great, but that's what happens. It's super important to be really up front with them about what you can expect.
Thanks, Kathleen! So there's nothing in particular to *expect* in advance of talking with the the publisher (in the kind of situation I mentioned)? It really varies what they might do?
And, sorry, I'm also not sure what you mean by my goals for the book. My goal would be to get copies of my book into as many readers' hands as possible, given the budget available. ;) What more specific goals of mine would be relevant? Which goals could make any difference to the publicity the publisher gives the book?
Thank you so much for your answer. It's a contemporary adult adventure rom-com (comp titles: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura or Something Wilder by Christina Lauren). Currently, it's far from its release date. I'll look into digital marketing. Thank you again.
Do you have a few suggested strategies (or services) for post pub months once publicity team attention has shifted?
It really depends on the book and what happened for it pre- and during publication. No matter what, you want to keep expanding your audience, which could mean finding new communities online in Facebook groups, cultivating a newsletter audience, or seeking out podcasts that are a fit for what you’ve written about.
Hi Kathleen! When promoting your book pre-launch and trying to drum up pre-orders, where is the best place to link people to? I want to support indie stores so maybe bookshop.org? But Amazon is so easy... Or create a landing page with all buying options? Is it better to zero in on one channel if you want to try making a big impact in pre-orders or is just as effective to cast your net across all channels? Thank you!!
I believe in giving readers all choices, so creating a Linktree with all the options is the best route. Publishers tell authors to offer all the options because it can't look like you are playing favorites. It's also important to remember that consumers don't like to have to click through several times to get to the book, so having one place where those links live is key.
Could you shed some light on what in the world is going on with nonfiction acquisitions? In preliminary and really illuminating conversations I’ve had with big-shot agents, everyone tells me buyers are really risk-averse to nonfiction these days. Are they off?
I am hearing this a lot from authors. Nonfiction sales have been softer than fiction, so publishers are being cautious. They want people with big platforms who can promote the book to their followers--even though algorithms are wonky. They're also looking for people who are big on the speaking circuit, high-profile journalists, political figures, and celebs. The issues begin at the retail level: if nonfiction isn't selling on Amazon or in B&N and indie bookstores, they are less likely to place orders for those books and therefore publishers won't take risks.
Of the tasks that either a publicist or an author can do--not major long lead media, of course, but efforts like setting up bookstore events, pitching essays to niche outlets, outreach to (non-celebrity) book clubs--where would you recommend an author step up first? Or is that a question only an author’s assigned publicist can answer based on their own contacts and preferences?
You should always coordinate efforts with your publicist. An in-house publicist probably won't pitch essays for you, but they will schedule bookstore events (in most cases). Some marketing departments do outreach to non-celeb book clubs, so you can ask your agent/editor if that is being done for your book. It doesn't mean you shouldn't reach out to book clubs--just make sure you aren't doubling up. The areas of focus for an author should be anything that elevates their profile, which is what essays/opinion pieces do. The other thing I tell clients is that if they are not going to actively participate on a social media platform, they should find what I call "digital surrogates." A digital surrogate is someone who has a robust social following and can post about your book. This way, you don't have to feel like you are being forced to do social media when you don't want to.
A deep dive into digital surrogates (how to find and reach out to them, criteria, examples) would be fascinating to read!
I’ll think about how to write that.
Not sure if this is helpful, but when my publisher has been hesitant to help with scheduling events, I've done my own stock signings, either with my agent's help communicating with the store in advance or completely spontaneously--just walk in, introduce yourself, sign what they've got. I find this works really well because it also generates content for you and the bookstore if you tell readers on socials where to go; it's a positive feedback loop, and it has the added benefit of encouraging booksellers to handsell your work when you foster a good relationship with them. (Sometimes publishers are also more willing to set up stock signings than actual events because it's much less effort/expenditure.)
What do you think gives the biggest ROI as an author promoting a trad pub book (post release)?
I have to preface by saying it highly depends on the book and this is only my opinion: I often tell clients that post-publication is as important as pre-publication because you still need the book to sell. One tried and true method is connecting with readers where they're at, which could mean some social media platforms + groups, building a subscriber base for a newsletter, speaking gigs where it makes sense--start small and build out. It could be book clubs (though there is no centralized database of every book club so it's tough). It could also entail niche podcasts. What definitely does not work: advertising.
“Meeting readers where they are” is going to be mantra :) I love that. Rather than trying to drag them over to where I am. Thanks!
love to know the thinking behind your last sentence because a lot of indie authors I know swear by FB ads for increasing their post-pub sales
I consider FB advertising low-stakes. You can test it out for $100 and see if it works. I haven't seen it make a significant impact in sales, but that doesn't mean it can't for some books. If it works, great, keep doing it. I am not a big fan of spending a lot of money there because you are still at the mercy of someone else's algorithm.
I have the same question as Sara!
See above!
Thank you! The idea of focusing on niche podcasts, book clubs, speaking/reading engagements, and a newsletter sounds doable and actually maybe even...fun? I'd rather engage with individuals and audiences in these at least semi-personal ways rather than spend too much time on social media/Goodreads (which I know from reading your newsletter you don't put much stock in!). Thank you for offering this Friday thread, it's very generous of you!
First off, thank you so much for offering this book therapy thread! Very generous of you! I've been querying my first novel (upmarket fiction) for the past few months to mixed feedback. I think I need to do another edit on the book before sending out another round, but wow, the traditional publishing route is so intense. My question is around self-publishing. I've been reading many of the "publishing predictions" (including yours, which was amazing) and it seems like self publishing may soon surge even more. Do you think this is mostly around genre fiction? Or do you think we will start to see more upmarket/book club fiction self published and do well? I ask because my goal is readers in my target audience, not necessarily money. (I've come to terms that I'll have to have another main source of income as a writer). But given that traditional publishers are spending less and less on marketing, I'm wondering what path is best? I have a background in content marketing, so could theoretically apply those skills to my own work. Everything just seems to be at a juncture (although maybe that's still a ways out?) Sorry this was long-winded (need more coffee!), but thank you in advance for your thoughts!
Great question! Here's my honest opinion: Self-publishing lends itself well to genre fiction. I hope to see that change, but I'm not sure when it will. My prediction is within the next 5 years. If the traditional publishing route isn't working, you might want to think about hybrid publishing or small presses. What you need to remember about going the hybrid route is that you'll have to hire something resembling a team to do marketing and publicity. You'll also need to put up a financial investment to get the book published. I'd work on another edit of the book and see how that goes before considering other options.
Extremely helpful insights, thank you!
Is there anything you can suggest for writers of middle grade and children's fiction to promote themselves? I've been told to reach out to schools and librarians but beyond my own local library and kids' school, I'm not sure how best to go about this. I'm very shy by nature, so maybe its just a me problem haha
Hi! Hold tight because I am asking a friend to help me with this question. Middle grade and children's fiction is probably my one weak area.
I do tons of school visits - I write YA that appeals to middle schoolers. I started by doing free visits and getting feedback as well as quotes I could use. I made brochures for when I go to events like the Missouri School Librarians Association or TXLA. It builds over time.
I am also here to ask about this! I often feel like the good and regular marketing tips and strategies talked about in the publishing world don't apply to kid lit folks in the same way, but I'd love to know more specifically and concretely what DOES apply and what works?
Adult trade marketing is very different from kid lit. I do know that. I've asked a friend who worked in kid lit for a long time to give me some tips.
How many books/authors is an in-house PR working on at any given moment? (Knowing that each project is at different places in the life of the book.) What's YOUR ideal amount of books/authors to work with at the same time? Thanks!
Great question. In-house publicists work on 5-10 books at one time--on average. I’ve worked on as many as 15 books at once while in-house, and it burnt me out. When you’re in-house, you’re working on your current titles, titles for the next season, and planning for the season after that. For example, in-house publicists are now working on winter, spring, and summer books, but also planning Fall 2024.
Personally, my ideal number of clients depends on the campaign + cost. If I have a handful of clients who have me on a monthly retainer, I’m less likely to take on shorter-term work or a specific aspect of someone’s campaign. I don’t ever want to be in a situation where I can’t service my clients. The hard part comes when you want to scale your business & need to hire some help to do so. That’s kind of where I’m at right now.
Quick follow-up! For in house work, is that 5-10 projects per person or team? Is it a solo PR with that many books, or a PR with their support team? Thank you for your insights and time!
Per person! Per department, it’s a lot. Keep in mind that in-house publicists are told which books to focus on. That’s not to say it fixes being overwhelmed--many in-house publicists are overworked and underpaid. There’s a lot of turnover.
For anyone else reading, I'll share perspective and the WHY of my question. I run a not-non-for profit independent publishing house. One person does PR for all books...plus acquiring, editing, and the everything else. (Non-profit publishers have access to grant funds and interns and will often have more PR assistance than a not-non-profit publisher. )
Suffice to say, whether, Big, Independent, or Self...publicity and marketing folks are overwhelmed.
I'm sorry to be greedy but I thought of another question for Kathleen and the group. I've been on Substack for about 6 months and not while actively promoting a book (I have a book coming out in 2024, exact release TBD.) I'm wondering if you've seen any book-promo best practices authors have employed on Substack.
It’s still early days for book promo here, but one thing to do is to balance your content so it’s not only about the book. Other things: create a footer for your newsletter with the book cover & embed a link to order it. I’ve found Substack to be a very “you get what you give” platform. I subscribe to a lot of newsletters, share them, comment on them, etc. When you’re building a readership it’s important to participate.
I have built a good platform over many years as a non-fiction author and am going to be querying with my first novel at the end of this year. How important is my platform to that querying process? And how much does do i need to have pivoted my platform to being fiction focused (my novel explores similar themes to my non fiction work but also big departure because I'm writing a contemporary fantasy) before I query? Thanks!
Platforms are still very important to the querying process. What you need to show them is that you can pivot from non-fiction to fiction and grow/retain your audience. Fantasy is a popular category, so agents/editors want to see that an author connects with their readers. It's a tough category for publicity, so the marketing is important.
Thanks!
I have a first book coming out with a small press in the spring, planned as one of a series, though the contract is for one book only. I went directly to the publisher with it/no agent. Are agents interested in authors who are part way through a series? Would it be worthwhile to approach agents about this, or is it better to wait until the next project/next series, and start then?
Also--thanks for this forum. I so appreciate your work and your opening this Q&A for us!
Thank you! You can totally approach agents part way through a series. They'll want to know what kind of publicity first one received and how many more books there are going to be in the series. Make sure you look at who the agents were for any comp titles being used for your book/series. Good place to start.
Many thanks!
I assume that different books get varying publicity attention based on advances and other factors, yes? Is there a way to ask my editor how much publicity they plan to throw at my book so I can assess how much and how long I need from outside marketing and publicity people? Thanks!
They'll never disclose the publicity or marketing budget because that is against most policies. You can ask them what the publicity and marketing plans are, and if they don't align with what your goals are for the book, speak up & tell them you are thinking about hiring someone. My advice is to find out as early as possible. I'm booking clients for fall 2024 and beyond right now, and you really want to give an outside publicist at least 4-6 months to work on it. You are correct that the higher the advance, the more $ a publisher will throw behind marketing. They need to recoup the money. Some things to look for are plans that seem too general like "Goodreads campaign." It's okay to ask what that means.
Thanks Kathleen!
Hi, Jo-Ann, I’m not trying to jump in here and “answer” your question, but I’m in roughly the same boat so want to share where I’m at. I have a book slated for winter ‘25, and I got only a modest advance for it. I have a history with the editor/publisher so I expect a good amount of support; I just got the author questionnaire for instance so I know they’re already making plans. But I also know based on the timing/advance that the support will likely be limited. Therefore I am already making my own marketing plans; thinking about events, and interviews I could book on my own, articles I could write and podcasts and similar places to pitch. Journalists I know and could prod. I expect I’ll have to do a lot of hustling on my own.
Good luck to us all!
Thanks Paul! I will definitely make some of my own marketing plans but that is not my strong suit and my time is limited because I'm a psychologist before I'm a writer. I wonder how much to read into the author questionnaire questions. For example, mine asked for my preferred airlines, seats, and my frequent flyer numbers. But I doubt they're planning to book and pay for my book tour! Yes, good luck to us all!
That sounds like a very old school questionnaire!
I know. It made me laugh! My friend with the same imprint, different editor, didn't recall that on hers but she filled it out a few months before me so she wasn't sure.
I'm aging myself, but I remember those q's from the late 90s and early 2000s! I'm having flashbacks of making sure corporate travel agents have the frequent flier numbers...
apologies for any PTSD I may have caused :)
Looks like you’ll have to coordinate backup for your patients while you’re gone. :)
How can an author determine if their book will be front-list or backlist for the publisher? What are some things to look out for during the offer, early meetings, etc. that can help us understand where we stand in the pecking order?
First, look at some of the publisher's current backlist titles or ask your agent/editor what titles backlist best for them. The more information you have, the better. The best indication to a publisher that a book will backlist well is if it is steadily selling post-publication. That doesn't mean it needs to be a bestseller. It means the publisher has set a certain threshold the book must meet in sales numbers each week/month to continue to keep it in print. Not all fiction/nonfiction will backlist, and that is because there was no sales momentum. The truth is, most publishers don't fully know if a book will be a strong backlist title until they see how it sells upon publication. Sometimes it has less to do with pecking order and more to do with a book selling steadily, even if the author wasn't paid a big advance.
In your opinion, what is the best platform to publish on for self publishers?
I still think it’s Amazon because it can be the most lucrative. There’s Ingram Spark, which has its own advantages, but there are more tools for self-published authors on Amazon, and Kindle is still the most popular way to read e-books.
Thank you! And thank you so much for doing this. It is so refreshing to see real advice/input on the world of publishing.
If a debut author gets only a modest advance, and so can expect only modest marketing support from the publisher (and doesn't have the $ to hire an outside publicist), what might the publisher actually DO in that kind of situation? Obviously, they're not paying for any tours (haha) or for any expensive media promotions (hahaha), so what would they most likely do?
(In case it makes a difference, my book will be historical fiction set in an asylum during the American Civil War.)
Thanks for doing this Q&A!
Hi Zena. The first thing you should do is have an honest conversation with your publisher about what you can expect from their publicity department. Be clear about your goals for the book. In these situations, publishers sometimes leave authors hanging, which is not great, but that's what happens. It's super important to be really up front with them about what you can expect.
Thanks, Kathleen! So there's nothing in particular to *expect* in advance of talking with the the publisher (in the kind of situation I mentioned)? It really varies what they might do?
And, sorry, I'm also not sure what you mean by my goals for the book. My goal would be to get copies of my book into as many readers' hands as possible, given the budget available. ;) What more specific goals of mine would be relevant? Which goals could make any difference to the publicity the publisher gives the book?
Thanks! And sorry if I'm being dense.
Thank you so much for your answer. It's a contemporary adult adventure rom-com (comp titles: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura or Something Wilder by Christina Lauren). Currently, it's far from its release date. I'll look into digital marketing. Thank you again.
Look at Leo PR. They do Christina Lauren’s publicity.
Thank you! :)