What You Need to Know About Book Publicity

Demystifying what book publicists do (and don't do).

As I’ve previously written, book publishing is a fickle business. No other area in the industry I’ve experienced is as stressful as publicity (Shoutout to all the folks in managing ed. and production, who are the unsung heroes of books). In my experience, most of the tension in book publicity occurs because the process is misunderstood or shrouded in mystery. Well, friends, it’s your lucky day. So let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what a book publicist does/does not do and how to best work with one.

Preface

I don’t think I’m making an understatement when I say that book publicists experience high anxiety. Think about it: We are responsible for telling authors, agents, editors, salespeople, and publishers bad news, and we tend to have to do that quite a lot. For every piece of good news we deliver, there are ten pieces of bad news. The highs and lows of being a book publicist can give you whiplash. We are often the last stop on the publishing train, and the responsibility for a book’s success or failure falls on our shoulders. I’m going to be blunt: There are books that publicists know—really know—that are bad acquisitions but are required to make something happen for them anyway. Sometimes, a bullseye appears on the publicist’s back if said bad acquisition doesn't get attention. In other words, there is crying in book publishing, and one of the reasons I am writing this newsletter is to make book publicity clear to everyone involved in the publishing process: more understanding and less crying.

Contents

Generally speaking, publicists know what books they’re assigned about six months before their publication date. That can vary depending on the book—some books are “crash” titles, which means there might be three months or less to execute a whole publicity campaign. There are sales conferences for each season—Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer—where books are “positioned” by each publisher to the sales team. What does it mean to “position” a book? Simply put, positioning a book means the publisher presents publicity, marketing plans, and an expected first printing (I will get to this in a minute) to sales. Within that presentation, publishers signal to sales whether or not a book is a big deal. How do you know if a book is a big deal? The more ambitious the publicity and marketing plans, the bigger the book. The larger the “announced first printing,” the more significant the book. Let’s talk about it for a minute.

If I get in trouble for writing this, I may have to start charging for the newsletter. Here it goes: Announced first printings are more inflated than the Goodyear blimp. If we say a book has an announced first printing of 25,000 copies, the reality could be 5,000 copies or less. 50,000 copies? Probably more like 20,000 copies or less. The exception here are authors with outstanding sales tracks and big celeb books. Another term for “announced first printing” internally is a “get out” number. This means that the announced first printing of 25,000 copies is actually the number the publisher hopes to sell into retail accounts. It is setting an expectation with the sales team. It also sends a message to the publicity department: Sales will want confirmed media early for this title. Not pie-in-the-sky “possible” media—confirmed, cemented media.

What to Expect Pre-Publication

As book publicists, we would love to read every book we work on from cover to cover—and we often do. However, publicity departments are chronically understaffed, and publicists have unruly workloads, so don’t be devastated if your publicist hasn’t read your book. Sometimes, it isn’t realistic. That said, we are your best evangelists when we read books we love.

If your book is on schedule, a publicist will often see it in manuscript form. You should know that a publicist won’t be 100% assigned to a title unless the Publicity Director knows that the publication date will stick (as much as one can know this—anything can happen). You’ll usually hear from your assigned publicist about four months before your publication date. Sometimes, you’ll even hear from them earlier. It varies from book to book.

A good publicist will have done their homework on an author and come to the initial meeting/phone call prepared with a publicity plan. What you need to do is this: write a list of questions you would like to ask your publicist. I will cover several things a publicist will address, so instead of suggesting questions to ask your publicist, I will do a public service and tell you what not to ask.

DO NOT ASK OR SAY:

How many other books are you working on, including mine? No one is going to tell you. However, it’s safe to assume it’s much more than you think, so be nice.

You are probably too young to remember this/know this…This is ageism. Please don’t do it. No one owes you a disclosure of their age, young or old. It isn’t very kind.

What is the publicity budget for my book? No publicist will tell you this. Bucket shifting is a constant in book publishing, so you could have $5K for a book one week, which could be reduced to $3K the following week because another title required some padding. That is confidential, internal information, so please don’t put your publicist in an awkward position. Talk to your agent and editor.

What is the first printing of my book? Again, no publicist will tell you this (unless they’ve been given permission). Real first printing numbers in book publishing are a thorny issue, and people get in trouble for disclosing that information externally. This is a question for your agent and editor, not your publicist.

Why isn’t there advertising planned for my book? Sometimes the publicity and marketing department heads are the same person and can help answer this. In other instances, the marketing department is separate or centralized, so the answer isn’t clear. Publishers decide on title advertising, so this is another question best posed to your editor or agent.

Can you send me your media list? No, we can’t. We have worked tirelessly to nurture our relationships with the media. Our media lists are proprietary. We are not going to give you contact information for media people. It’s not just about you—it’s about our reputation.

Do not speak ill of your editor, agent, or anyone else involved in the Publication of your book. Listen, publishing can be frustrating. Don’t take it out on your publicist if you have issues with your editor or agent. It’s not good form.

Do not be verbally abusive to your publicist. The truth is, I do have to say this. I’ve been on the receiving end of verbal abuse from authors more than I’d like to remember. Staff who have worked for me also experienced this, and I will never have it. A publicist is not your punching bag. EVER.

Okay! Now onto the good stuff:

6 Months + Before Publication:

Platform Building. You must work on any social media presence or newsletter subscription list long before publishing your book. I can’t emphasize this enough. Asking for help with this 3-6 months before your book’s publication is a moot point. Building a following takes time and is a lot of work. I’ll write about this in an upcoming newsletter (possibly next week).

3-6 Months Before Publication:

Your publicist will create press materials. Gone are the days of multi-piece press kits in folders (I will never forget a producer telling me they’d throw away the materials and give their kid the folders). Press materials may vary, but at the very least, a press release will include a book synopsis and your bio. There will usually be a pitch letter, too. You will be asked to review and approve the press release as the book's author. The pitch is different: good publicists know how to write excellent pitches. They know what the media wants. They also have relationships with the media and tailor their pitches depending on who is on the receiving end. Note: An “announcement” press release is sometimes sent en masse to the media. This is the exception, not the rule.

Your publicist will send ARCs (Advance Reader Copies, aka Galleys, aka who knows why they are interchangeable terms) to the book publishing trades for advance reviews. The core book publishing trades are Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and Library Journal. A good trade review can help the sales team with “sell-in” (jargon for selling books to buyers at accounts). A lousy trade review isn’t the end of the world. A word about the trades: they are utterly inundated with titles from publishers, so even though they’ve previously reviewed your books, it doesn’t mean they’ll review the latest one. It’s rare for a book to receive reviews from all four trades, so if Kirkus gives you a rave, be thankful and use that pull quote everywhere! If the trades skip your book, it isn’t a reflection of the publisher or your writing: as with other media, there is only so much space for reviews, and the number of books published makes it impossible to review everything. Tough choices are made. Have a pity party for one night, get some ice cream, and move on. It’ll be okay—one more thing: Not all publications accept printed ARCs alone. Digital copies are also sent, or rather, they are on NetGalley or Edelweiss (platforms where publishers upload catalogs, ARCS, metadata, etc.).

Your publicist will send ARCs to book review editors. Much like the publishing trades, book review editors receive more books than they could ever review. Sadly, book review sections have shrunk alarmingly over the past few years, so publicists are working with a much smaller pool of editors than previously. If your last book was published ten years ago and The New York Times gave it a rave, I have some bad news: they may ignore your new book. On the other hand, they may also review it. Who knows! Don’t pressure your publicist by reminding them of the reviews you received over five years ago. The entire publishing landscape has changed, as has the media landscape. A healthy attitude is that reviews are one piece of the book publicity puzzle. They are complicated: it’s not a secret that the more robust a marketing campaign is for a title, the more it is hyped, the better chance it will get reviewed. Sally Rooney bucket hats, anyone? This is all to say that your book publicist will make every effort to champion your book when pitching it, but the final say comes from the book review editor. This is also where a publicist’s relationship with book review editors is essential. We spend years cultivating relationships with the media trying to earn their trust. We ask that you trust us when we say we are doing our best to get reviews.

Print still exists, but digital media is king. I am at the ripe age of 50, and I can’t remember the last time I read a physical newspaper. I read two publications in physical form: People magazine and The New York Review of Books (who can resist their classifieds!). The majority of consumers receive information via their electronic devices. If it’s not in a news app, it’s in a newsletter. If it’s not in a newsletter, it’s on a website. Try not to get stuck on the idea that your media coverage needs to be in print. Print circulation is down drastically, and many eyeballs see book coverage online. Remember: if your book is covered online, whatever is written about it is shareable on social media. That’s valuable.

Long-lead publications are few and far between. Sadly, the days of pitching most monthly magazines have ended. A few still exist; if they cover books, your publicist will pitch them if your title fits.

We all want to be on Fresh Air, but Fresh Air is a tough get. I love NPR. I listen to it every morning. We know an interview with Terry Gross is at the top-of-the-book promo mountain. Please understand this: we pitch the producer…we follow up…we follow up again…hear those crickets? Yeah, so do we. If they want something, they’ll let us know. If Terry Gross interviewed you a decade ago, it doesn’t mean she will interview you now. NPR has excellent book coverage online and many shows, both on the national and regional levels. We pitch them!

Hello, Sunshine! Reading with Jenna, GMA’s Book Club, Reese’s Book Club, and Oprah’s Book Club make their choices when books are still in manuscript form—most of the time. Chances are they are looking at fall titles and beyond right now. Discuss book clubs with your editor and agent first, then loop in your publicist. Sometimes publishers will decide to push a particular title with book clubs. When your publicist sends out ARCs, it is likely too late for you to be considered a book club choice, at least not at publication. Discuss this as early as possible with your agent.

It’s a podcast world, and we just live in it. As I build my client list, I am also building podcast lists. Podcasts are a great way to promote books, and I am working to make them somewhat of a niche for my PR services. The popular ones book far in advance, so your publicist is most likely pitching them 3-4 months before the publication of your book. Don’t be afraid to make suggestions! I have a couple of clients (authors) who have sent me the names of podcasts they’d like to be on, and I’m more than happy to pitch them. There are thousands of podcasts, so your publicist may not have heard of ones that interest you. Suggest away!

Get the band together; we’re going on tour. Ah, the author tour. Anyone who knows me well knows I have mixed feelings about author tours. There are reasons for this. First, the quality of your events is more important than the quantity of events. If you have five jam-packed book signings, that is incredible! If you have twenty events and only five of them are successful? That’s not so good. Think about the resources you’re using for that big tour. Could that money be spent on marketing? Probably. Second, if you go on a tour, think strategically about the cities you’ll visit. Are there people in those places you can invite to the event? Is there another author in that city you can partner with and make it an “in conversation” event? Booksellers must pay staff to work events and sell a certain number of books at the event to break even. If you’re a debut author, it might be hard for your publicist to convince a store to host you. The possibility of a book tour is something you should discuss with your editor and agent in advance. Don’t wait until you are assigned a publicist to ask about it. If you do a tour, the stores must be confirmed at least three months from your publication date.

A word about virtual events: I attended my first virtual book event a few months ago. Matthew Perry was in conversation with someone in NYC, and I wanted to see how he was on tour. It was a hybrid event: people attended in person and virtually. You had to purchase a ticket, but the cost was nominal, and it was worth it. I think virtual events work well for celebs and brand-name authors IF books are part of the price of admission. If you don’t fall into those categories, strictly virtual events are still nice, but they don’t sell many books. If a bookstore or other venue can manage a hybrid event, go for it. Still, talk to your editor and agent early on about expectations for a tour.

Three months and up to Publication Date:

This is probably the most challenging period for authors. You’re waiting for news from your publicist. You stare at your email. You wonder if you should keep asking them about reviews. I get it!

There will be periods when your publicist is less communicative than you think they should be. I am here to tell you that silence doesn’t mean work isn’t getting done. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. A lot of work happens behind the scenes. Sometimes, publicists are stretched thin, and it isn’t front of mind to check in with an author. Here is my advice: don’t wait for a publicist to email you and then complain that you aren’t hearing from them. Instead, contact them if you haven’t heard anything for a bit. Be reasonable—if your previous email was non-urgent, give them 36 hours (at least) to respond. Don't expect an instant response if you send an email at 4pm on Friday or over the weekend. Yes, we always have our phones. No, we will not always answer work emails during our downtime. But a little courtesy goes a long way. I’d also add that copying a publicist’s boss and publisher to say you haven’t heard from said publicist when, in fact, you sent a non-urgent email less than 36 hours ago…will not make you any friends. The old adage “treat people how you want to be treated” applies here.

Judging a Book by Its Cover. Years ago, I worked on a debut literary novel I thought would be widely reviewed. After a few rounds of following up with the media and not getting a single response, I felt I was ineffective at my job and had failed the author. A few things happened for the book, but it was largely ignored. This happens. If I had to guess, it was the title and the cover. Sometimes, as publicists, we raise concerns about titles and covers. Sometimes, people listen to us. Other times, they don’t. Publicists are very good at assessing cover art and book titles. It isn’t solely a matter of taste; it is also what we see and know from being media junkies. A good cover and title can sometimes mean the difference between the recycle bin and the “to assign” shelves for book review editors. Publicists face a lot of rejection: for every 50 pitches, we may only receive two responses. So anything that can help your book stand out is a good thing.

About responses: This is a bone of contention with many publicists, but I empathize with the media who don’t respond to us. I have a lot of good friends who are journalists, and their inboxes frighten me. I recall a journalist friend who showed me their phone—they had over 200K unread emails. I also have good friends who are book critics and…same. Unfortunately, they can’t respond to every publicist’s pitch because there aren’t enough hours in the day to do so. This isn’t anyone’s fault, but it is something that isn’t going to improve anytime soon. When you are three months or less from the publication of your book and your publicist tells you they haven’t heard anything from The New York Times, believe them. The same goes for all other media. We spend hours pitching and following up—sometimes to no avail. The critical thing to remember is that there are different ways to promote your book. I’ll address that in another edition of this newsletter.

Don’t Withhold! If you have relationships with the media, tell your publicist! You may have added the information to an author questionnaire, but publicists don’t always see them or remember what’s there (just being honest). When you have the initial call with your publicist, let them know about your media contacts and discuss who should approach them. My rule is that if you and the media person are buddies, you need to do the talking. Just keep me in the loop.

Finished Copies. Pre-pandemic book publicists would do mailings of finished books about six weeks or so before their publication date. Mailings still happen, but there is a twist: many reviewers are still working from home, so we sometimes need to pitch them first. They’ll tell us where to send the book if they're interested. This also applies to ARC mailings. They are still done, but sometimes we need to pitch first. If you have a personal mailing list, discuss it with your agent and editor early. Publicists have to allow for publicity reserves of finished copies, which affects the number of the first printing. Publicity reserves are also used to supply bookstores for author tours. Author copies are allotted according to the terms in your contract. Some advice: make sure your personal mailing list has complete information, has a purpose, and isn’t so large that all hands need to be on deck to get it done.

Pub Date! I’ve seen a lot of authors hyper-focused on “launch week.” It is an exciting time! Your book is out in the world! It is kind of like Christmas Day, so I want to talk about the anti-climactic nature of book launches. Book publicists try their best to get media the week your book is published, and that would happen in a perfect world. Alas, we live in an imperfect world, and while some things will be going on during launch week, please remember publishing a book is a marathon, not a sprint. We are excited for you; we want you to have a great launch week and will do whatever we can to make you happy. Don’t despair if it’s a little quiet when your book is published. Focus on all the good stuff, like the fact that you wrote and published a book. That is amazing!

Some Quick Hits

At some point, I’ll dig deeper into this, but here are some quick tips:

-If you want to hire a freelance publicist, you must do it at least 3-6 months or more in advance. I am currently talking to authors with fall 2023 and winter 2024 publication dates. I have some room for a couple of summer titles.

-Speak up. If you’re unhappy with something, take a beat, think about how you’ll phrase it to your publicist, and then compose the email.

-Remember that publicists aren’t miracle workers. We pull off some incredible feats but can’t snap our fingers and make something happen. (Humble brag: I did get a stage built and put together a private Prince concert at the Gansevoort Hotel in NYC within two weeks—it almost killed me.)

-Collaboration is essential. Your publicist doesn’t want to work in a silo, so you shouldn’t either. We are on the same team and want the best for a book. No one sets out for a book to fail.

-Show respect. It isn’t pleasant for a book publicist to read an email where an author or agent criticizes them (or anyone else, for that matter). Your publicist is a human being with feelings. Mutual respect is sometimes a problem in book publishing, and it is unacceptable. People must respect one another, no matter where they are in their careers.

I hope this was a helpful read. Please let me know if you have any questions! You can reach the newsletter here: publishingconfidential@gmail.com and if you’re interested in my services as a freelance publicist/marketer, you can contact me here: kathleen@kmspr.com

Index:

What I’m Reading: The Information. It’s a paid newsletter, but it’s one of the best ones about tech. Platformer is also great. I also love Culture Study, Anne Helen Peterson’s substack. Her Friday threads are excellent.

What I’m Watching: I’m just about finished rewatching season 3 of Succession because YAY Succession is back on Sunday. I’m also stoked for John Wick 4, which comes out this week. I’m trying to get through the second season of Sex/Love—this will make some of you who know me laugh: there is too much sex in it. I know, I know, I can’t believe I just wrote that, either.

What I’m Listening to: I’ve had this song on repeat for days—it’s a 90s R&B joint: “It’s Over Now” by 112 (with Diddy!). My morning song is usually “Sure Thing” by Miguel, which I will never get sick of.

Places I’m Going: Today, I registered for the Book Industry Study Group’s annual meeting in April and the US Book Show that Publishers Weekly is doing in May. I’m going to start attending more industry conferences so I can write about them here.