What Happens to Book Publicity Now?

Plus, an update about Publishing Confidential

Hi Everyone,

If you’re in the path of the blizzard, I hope you’re safe. We are in the “eye” of the storm here at the Jersey Shore, with two feet of snow already on the ground, and more falling as I type this.

IMPORTANT: I was going to write a separate newsletter about this, but the time has come for Publishing Confidential to become a paid newsletter. I have agonized over this decision because I want the newsletter accessible. However, I also want to keep writing it, and to do so, it needs to be a better source of income for me. Here’s why: My fees for PR and marketing work are lower than those of most of my colleagues. I only charge $350 for a 6-week course that includes a consultation with me. I want to keep my services accessible to a wide swath of authors, which is important to me. I always tell people I have several full-time jobs: PR, this newsletter, teaching, the author course I offer, and the occasional speaking gig. I cannot possibly add another job to my list, and I need the income to provide as much as I do to all of you.

Here’s the deal: This edition is all-access. After this, about 80% of the newsletter will be paid content. If you decide to become a paid subscriber, you’ll be able to ask me anything about book publishing every Friday when I send the Book Therapy newsletter. Now, I want to be as fair as possible, so there is a 20% group discount for groups of FIVE or more (great for publishers, agencies, writers’ groups, etc.). You can do that here. If you are in a financial situation that prevents you from becoming a paid subscriber and need a comp subscription, please complete this form. I will assess these on a case-by-case basis and give special consideration to students. Reminder: This newsletter is $6/month, $70/year. Compared to many other newsletters, it is not that expensive. Also, you can write this off on your taxes if you’re a writer/media person/publishing person.

Here’s what NOT to do: Please do not email me to complain about the newsletter going paid. I have put my heart and soul into this newsletter for three years. It takes work. I am also sensitive and prone to depression, so your negative emails can affect me all day. The last time I tried going paid, someone sent me such a mean email that I cried. You do not know what the person writing this is dealing with in her head. Be kind.

WHERE DOES BOOK PUBLICITY GO FROM HERE?

A lot has been written about the diminished book review landscape, but few solutions have been put forth. I can’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do have a lot of perspective.

When I began my career in the mid-1990s, there were, what seemed, endless media outlets to pitch books. It was a time when certain coverage was expected, which was realistic because you could actually get journalists on the phone. My first major “get” was the cover of The New York Daily News—it was a story about a man who had a terminally ill wife, and he assisted in her suicide. He, of course, wrote a book about it, and it blew up in the press. There was no social media and no email. This media hit happened because I picked up the phone and pitched a reporter. That is not the case today.

What many pieces mourning the elimination of The Washington Post’s book coverage haven’t acknowledged is that publishers often drive the boat when it comes to what books get reviewed. Through pre-publication marketing, publishers make it clear which books they are putting muscle behind. This can look like White Box Mailings by the ABA (American Booksellers Association), sending authors to meet with booksellers in advance of a book’s publication, announcing a large first printing in Publishers Weekly’s seasonal announcements (FYI, those numbers are majorly inflated), ordering a hefty first printing (if your publisher isn’t printing at least 5K copies of your book, hitting a bestseller list is unlikely), a large ARC printing, and more. This signals to the industry and the media that a publisher expects big things for a book. Obviously, not all books are created equal, so 90% of the time, none of the above happens for a title. This is not cause for despair.

The good news is that independent media is seeing tremendous growth. There’s a podcast for just about every subject you can think of, and they are not limited to non-fiction authors. If you’re a fiction author, think about what angles could work for podcasts and why. This is especially crucial if you’re a fiction author with an interesting personal story that aligns with your book. Newsletters are booming and are quickly becoming places where meaningful book coverage appears. Blogs—yes, blogs—still exist and are great places to reach specific audiences.

The most important thing authors can do is temper their expectations and shift their perception of what counts as “good coverage.” You can receive a great review in The New York Times, but it may not sell many copies of your book. I’ve had numerous conversations with authors whose books garnered critical acclaim but sold lukewarmly. Sure, the review will make you feel good in the short term, but the lack of sales will hurt you in the long term. It is better to define your audience and figure out different ways to reach them. That could mean niche podcasts, topic-specific newsletters, and focusing on the platform your audience uses most. What authors should not do is think that their book is for everyone. It’s not, and you truly need to understand the readers you are trying to reach and how to reach them.

One of the biggest mistakes an author can make is to hand over the keys to their publication process to their publisher and not get involved. It is your book, and you need to participate in the process. I talk about this often in the Publishing Confidential Cohort (details on how to sign up are below). I also talk about the red flags publishers look for while considering whether to option an author’s second book: sales collapse after launch (meaning, your pre-orders were good, but sales completely dropped off by week 2), no audience growth (your email list, etc., remain stagnant 6-12 months after publication), poor professional relatability (you miss deadlines, you behave badly), platform without conversion (you have the followers, but you do not have good engagement, so there is no sales conversion), no clear positioning evolution (book 2 is a complete departure from book 1 and not aligned with your author brand), and silence after launch (you disappear—it happens).

Conversely, there are green flags publishers look for, such as: sustained sales growth (remember, steady sales over time is always the goal), audience growth, and engagement depth (you communicate with your audience and it grows—posting and walking away is never a good idea), community loyalty and reader retention (includes book club/library/bookstore appearances & strong newsletter engagement), professional reliability (self-explanatory), and clear positioning in the marketplace (you know what your book is and how to talk about it—and what the comps are).

None of what I laid out above is outrageous. Instead, it provides you, even if you are a debut author, with actionable items. As we move further into the future of books, it is essential for authors to connect with their respective audiences.

I’ve been watching the “Being Gordon Ramsey” docu-series on Netflix, and something struck me. Instead of relying on food critics, who Ramsey admits have trashed him over the years, he decided to hold an event for 100 influencers at the new space he’s opening in London. He said it was because he knows they’ll post content that reaches more people with the information that matters much faster than a food critic would. He is the last person I would ever expect to do this. Now apply that same thought process to books. As Ramsey said, food critics are important, but he has to reach a wider audience with speed to make his grand opening successful. Book critics are important, as are book reviews, but you can reach far more people faster by building a platform, engaging meaningfully, and thinking about the velocity of podcasts and other independent media for your book. You cannot start thinking about this three months before your book is published. You must think about it all. the. time.

The buck doesn’t necessarily stop with authors. Publishers must also adapt to a world in which reviews and mentions in legacy media are increasingly difficult to obtain, and even when they do, they do not impact book sales as much as one might think. Yes, it is nice to be mentioned in People Magazine. No, it usually doesn't sell many books. That doesn’t mean publicists shouldn’t try for People; it means there must always be a plan B. It also means that agents, editors, and sales teams must realize that what was expected and what worked 10 years ago no longer works. Additionally, publishers must consider audience segmentation rather than marketing to the masses, which almost never works. Specificity is the name of the audience game.

Sometimes, I wish we could go back to how publicity worked in the 1990s. I didn’t mind calling book review editors and chatting—it led to many great conversations. It also meant publicists needed to articulate, in a few words, why a reviewer should cover a book. Funny enough, publicists need to do the same thing with podcasts and newsletters. As digital as everything is, publishing and media are still relationship businesses. That said, the most important relationship any author could have is the one with their audience. Technology has made that easier than ever, but doing it requires authors and publishers to understand that there are no shortcuts to reaching a book’s audience. It takes a lot of time and energy, but it is worth it.

LAST CALL FOR THE SECOND PUBLISHING CONFIDENTIAL COHORT!

Class begins Wednesday, March 4!

The What: A 6-week course that meets on Wednesday evenings, where I teach authors about marketing, publicity, and the publishing process. Every registered and paid student receives a spot in the cohort and a 45-minute consultation with me. I also teach you how to pitch your book for events and interviews (especially podcasts).

The Where: All sessions are on Zoom. They are recorded, and a link with the recording and slides is sent to all authors the day after class. The group is truly a great community.

The Cost: $350 (a bargain)

Sign Up: Please use this Google Form to sign up. Once you sign up, I will send you an invoice that MUST BE PAID upon receipt, so I know who is definitely taking the class, and how many spots I can continue to offer before it is at capacity. I like to cap it at 40 people, on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you pay, your spot is secured.

Need More Convincing? The dates for this cohort are 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 4/1, 4/8, and 4/15, 7:30-9pm EASTERN. If you miss a class, not to worry, because you will receive the recording and can always ask me questions. The complete syllabus is here.