How Long Does Publicity Take?

There is not one answer.

I don’t know about you, but I am getting whiplash from the current news cycle. I’ve adjusted my media diet, so I bookmark articles to read after dinner. I’ve found that, as a publicist, consuming too many stories before my workday begins drains my energy. Instead, I skim newsletters (not on Substack) like Media Star, Reliable Sources, and Status News. I turned off all news alerts on my phone, which I highly recommend. I save Substack reading for bed. This has improved my mood, so maybe it will help you.

Today, I want to discuss publicity time frames. Authors are often advised to engage publicists 4 to 6 months (or more) before their book’s publication. If an author has an in-house publicist, they typically hold an initial meeting 4 to 6 months before a book’s release. This time frame is suggested because publicists need time to do their invisible work: create press materials and pitches, compile media lists (which often require research), coordinate efforts with marketing, schedule book signings, mail ARCs, start pitching media, and more. This is what I call “front loading.” Publicists are doing all the necessary things before a book’s publication. NOTE: It is still important for ARCs to be created at least 4 months before a book’s publication. Publicists need to be able to send them to interested parties.

What Happens Next?

Let’s use this example: your nonfiction book is set to be published in August, and you have an in-house publicist. You’ve also hired an outside publicist to manage event scheduling, pitch podcasts, and explore interview opportunities with newsletters. Both publicists began working on the campaign in February, and it is now April. Here is what the author knows: some bookstores are scheduled, but not all have responded yet. The media is being pitched, but there aren’t any confirmations yet. Should the author worry? Absolutely not. April is still four months away from the book’s publication, and the news cycle is unpredictable. Podcasts will likely be scheduled soon, with recordings taking place over the next few months. The in-house publicist is pitching other media, but they can’t control if or when people respond. I’ve always found this the hardest point to explain to anxious authors. Publicists can control who and how they pitch, how often they follow up, and their relationships with journalists, but we cannot control whether they cover a book.

Timing is Everything

If you’ve been paying attention to book reviews, you’ve probably seen that Audition by Katie Kitamura is everywhere. The same happens with Sally Rooney's and Emily Henry’s books. They are the exception, not the rule, and that is the problem. Often, when authors see a cluster of reviews for a particular book around its publication date, they wonder why their book isn’t being reviewed. The short answer is that there are too many books and insufficient space to review them. The long answer is that big publishers decide internally which books will get a big marketing and publicity push, which often aligns with media attention. They might pay for an Indie Next campaign, print hundreds of ARCS, send the author to regional trade shows, hold a media luncheon, etc. Again, this is the exception, not the rule, but these elements make it tough for publicists to pitch books that are not getting the same marketing push.

Pitching fiction is challenging and demands patience from authors. Often, publicists do not receive responses to their pitches immediately. They may never hear back from book editors, as those individuals are overwhelmed with emails from publicists daily. This is why it is important for publicists to cultivate relationships with media: sometimes, even if the answer is “no,” a publicist will hear from a contact because there is a mutually beneficial relationship. However, there are times when publicists won’t even hear from their best contacts. Authors should not take this as a personal affront. Good publicists will either keep at it or tell you how they think the campaign should pivot. This usually becomes clear about 8 weeks from publication. It recently happened with one of my campaigns.

I had been pitching a nonfiction book for a couple of months, and although I secured an interview for my client and free advertising, the rest of the media remained silent. I was shocked. The pitch is solid, and the client hired me along with a publicist on the West Coast. We’ve been doing PR for nearly 30 years and were taken aback by the media’s lack of interest. With the publication date looming, I told my West Coast counterpart we should pivot to a TikTok strategy. I explained what needed to happen, and she got someone to edit the videos. The first TikTok we posted garnered over 17K views. Bingo.

It is essential to consider the timing because, eventually, publicists exhaust their contacts and cannot continue following up after the fourth round of emails. We all wish the media would at least respond with “no thanks,” but they are overwhelmed. I have journalist friends with over 200K unread emails in their respective inboxes. Publicists cannot keep sending emails into the ether and expect an actual response. Knowing when to fold your cards is essential, but you also need ideas about what to do next. If the book’s publication is two months away, there is still time to figure it out.

A mistake is for authors to keep pushing publicists to get reviews when we, the publicists, know it won’t happen. Besides, as I have often said, reviews don’t sell many books. That doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable, but it does mean authors should manage their expectations. I say this with love: No one owes an author a review. It doesn’t matter if the author has been previously well-reviewed. A whole new crop of books is published every Tuesday, and one of them might attract more reviews than yours. That doesn’t mean you didn’t write a good book; it means you must think about how to connect with your readers—which you should do from the start. Connecting with your audience is something authors need to continuously work on before, during, and after their book’s publication. When we discuss timing, it means your readers should know about your new book months in advance—not just when all other options are exhausted.

The timing issue is that publicists sometimes know a book is under consideration for review, but we remain unaware of when a review will occur. Occasionally, we only find out when we see the published review.

I spent Monday and Tuesday pitching media and must have sent over 150 pitches. Have I received responses yet? No, because I just pitched people. When will I follow up? It depends, but some follow-ups will occur late next week. It’s also important to note that schools are on spring break at different times this month, so many out-of-office replies are plentiful. It could take months to nail down an interview. My view is that it is better for it to happen at some point than not to happen at all. The problem is the somewhat artificial “shelf life” of books that publishers impose. It does no good for authors to feel like they have a condensed timeline of access to an in-house publicist. I understand why it is like this: in-house publicists are stretched thin, and their workloads are unreasonable. I want to tell authors that they should not get too intense about timing. Your publicist is well aware of what must be done, but they don’t have a crystal ball to inform them of how it’ll all turn out. That is why it is so important for authors and publicists to collaborate. Unrealistic expectations breed adversarial relationships.

Publishing Myths about Timing

I laugh whenever someone tells me that book publishing is empty during the summer. That is the biggest myth ever! Publicity departments are working on summer, fall, and winter books by May of each year. Yes, people go on vacation, but no one I know is hiding in The Hamptons from June through August (Although, if you are, I accept invitations).

Some TV talk shows go on hiatus for the summer, but not all of them. Besides, how realistic is it that an author will get booked on daytime talk shows if they aren’t a celebrity? Some talk shows tape enough episodes in advance so they are “off” for the summer. Think: Kelly Clarkson, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Hudson. The View takes a hiatus as well.

There is no such thing as a slow season in book publishing. Way back, January and February were slower, but that is no longer the case. Sometimes, January is my busiest month.

You can still market a book after its publication date, and you should. Depending on the book, various options are available. Podcast interviews are also possible after publication, depending on the book and the author. If you’ve written fiction with a strong non-fiction angle, that works too. Most non-fiction works as well.

Reviews can sometimes happen post-publication, though being included in a seasonal round-up is more likely. Gift guides are always worth exploring.

Hiring a publicist post-publication is not a waste; have a conversation with them and listen to their advice. Shop around. Some publicists won’t take on clients after their book launch, but plenty will (I take clients on post-publication if I feel there is work left to do).

In Closing

My best advice is to pay attention to timing but not to the point of being inflexible. Sometimes, a conversation with a publicist will clarify things. Other times, you may not need to hire a publicist for a campaign—maybe you only need a consultation.

Don’t get stuck on people telling you when things should happen for your book. Every book is different, as is the timing for what happens with it.

END NOTES:

What I’m Watching: I love Friends & Neighbors on Apple. Then again, I would watch Jon Hamm crumple paper.

I am also invested in a TikTok mini-series called The Group Chat. Check out (at)thatgirlsydjo, and trust me, you will get hooked. It’s brilliant.

What I’m Reading: Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. A woman with sexual feelings towards planes? Sign me up.

What I’m Listening to: My yacht rock playlist on Spotify. I am willing to have warmer weather on the Jersey Shore. We have a frost warning for tonight. Just…no.