Ever hire a publicist?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Barbara R.

Old Hand in the Biz
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
1,963
Reaction score
242
Location
New York
Website
www.barbararogan.com
I'm not sure if this is the right section, but no doubt the sysops will transport this if I've got it wrong. I'm curious to know if any of you have hired your own publicists. I'm fortunate enough to be published by Viking, which like all the big houses assigns publicists to all their books; but given their case loads (and a meager publicity budget), there's only so much they can do. I'm wondering if it might be worth hiring a publicist to coordinate and supplement my publisher's efforts when my next book comes out.

I'm not talking about all the new one-sized-fits-all marketing services that have sprung up around to service (or soak) self-published writers. Not interested in packaged blog tours or services that blast thousands of inappropriate press releases that go straight to delete. I'm talking about traditional publicists with a track record who've cultivated personal contacts in places that can actually help, primarily print media. I'd love to hear your experiences with such publicists, what they were able to do for you, and whether it was worth the investment.

Thanks!
 

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,854
Reaction score
3,057
Location
Not where you last saw me.
Hi, Barbara

I'm going to move this to the Book Promotion Ideas and Advice forum. I'm not sure if that's the best fit, but we'll both find out.

So, hold on a sec, please.


Ari
 

GradyHendrix

New kid, be gentle!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Messages
157
Reaction score
15
An independent publicist can do a lot for you, but they are expensive, and in every situation where I've seen an author do this, their publisher freaks out. Why? I have no idea, but I've seen three different traditionally published authors hire their own publicist (I'm one of them) and their publisher's publicists have basically declared war.

If you do it, expect to get no support from your publisher unless you've discussed it with them in advance and they clearly tell you they think it's a good idea and they are fine with it.
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
An independent publicist can do a lot for you, but they are expensive, and in every situation where I've seen an author do this, their publisher freaks out. Why? I have no idea, but I've seen three different traditionally published authors hire their own publicist (I'm one of them) and their publisher's publicists have basically declared war.

If you do it, expect to get no support from your publisher unless you've discussed it with them in advance and they clearly tell you they think it's a good idea and they are fine with it.

I have several friends who hire their own publicists, and as far as I know they've never had any friction with their publishers as a result.

I have never known a publisher to "declare war" on a writer who has tried to sell more of their books. I have seen them ask their writers to stop doing things which are counterproductive, though.

It's important to liaise with your publishers' publicists if you're going to hire your own. Doing so should cut out most potential conflicts before they arise.
 

Barbara R.

Old Hand in the Biz
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
1,963
Reaction score
242
Location
New York
Website
www.barbararogan.com
Thanks, Old Hack and GradyHendrix. I would only hire an outside publicist if my in-house publicist loved the idea and was willing to coordinate efforts. Otherwise it's self-defeating.

But I'm still wondering if undertaking that expense makes sense. I'd need to be convinced that the book would get a ton more exposure than it would otherwise.
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
Barbara, you could speak to your publisher's publicist, or to your editor, and ask if they could recommend any freelance publicists to you; and at the same time, ask how cost-effective other writers have found it to be. They have to have worked with writers who have done this in the past, and they must know what effect, if any, it had.
 

GradyHendrix

New kid, be gentle!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Messages
157
Reaction score
15
The problem with publicity is that no one can guarantee anything. The best publicist is one you know, no matter how remotely. A friend of a friend even. Otherwise, you're a bit at the mercy of whoever you hire. It can yield really good results, but to be honest, you might want to do it yourself. Journalists are hungry for a story, and most of them make their email addresses visible. Forget a press release - try dropping a few journalists a direct email with some kind of newsworthy pitch and see if they bite. That might give you an indication if it would be worth it for you.

Any chance you can tell a little bit more about your book? Fiction? Non-fiction? Are you looking for local or national coverage?

(re. "declaring war" - a bit melodramatic, but I've seen one writer hire a publicist, have his editor freak out, and then been forced to let his publicist go - later when his book came out it was buried. Might have happened anyways, but why not let the poor guy use a publicist? I've had a lousy experience with hiring a publicist, even after discussing it calmly and fully with my editor and their PR people and having them say they were on board with the idea.)
 

Barbara R.

Old Hand in the Biz
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
1,963
Reaction score
242
Location
New York
Website
www.barbararogan.com
The problem with publicity is that no one can guarantee anything. The best publicist is one you know, no matter how remotely. A friend of a friend even. Otherwise, you're a bit at the mercy of whoever you hire. It can yield really good results, but to be honest, you might want to do it yourself. Journalists are hungry for a story, and most of them make their email addresses visible. Forget a press release - try dropping a few journalists a direct email with some kind of newsworthy pitch and see if they bite. That might give you an indication if it would be worth it for you.

Any chance you can tell a little bit more about your book? Fiction? Non-fiction? Are you looking for local or national coverage?

My next book will be the second in a series about a literary agent named Jo Donovan with a penchant for getting involved in (and helping solve) murders. The first in the series was A DANGEROUS FICTION, published by Viking about 6 months ago. I was very happy with my publicist there---great guy!--he got me some very nice reviews, including this one on NPR station WSHU, and an interview in PW. When the book comes out in paperback in July, there will be a new, modest round of publicity. But publicity is sort of like house-cleaning: as good a job as the cleaner did, you tend to notice what wasn't done.

So when I think of hiring a p.r. agent for the sequel (and I'm only just thinking about it at this point), it would have to be someone who has the national media chops, to help take sales to the next level and also to give new life to my backlist, most of which, I'm happy to say, were recently reissued as ebooks and POD. I wouldn't think of it unless my in-house team was fully on board. Can't have people pulling in different directions!
 

Wilde_at_heart

υπείκωphobe
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
3,243
Reaction score
514
Location
Southern Ontario
I'm not sure if this is the right section, but no doubt the sysops will transport this if I've got it wrong. I'm curious to know if any of you have hired your own publicists. I'm fortunate enough to be published by Viking, which like all the big houses assigns publicists to all their books; but given their case loads (and a meager publicity budget), there's only so much they can do. I'm wondering if it might be worth hiring a publicist to coordinate and supplement my publisher's efforts when my next book comes out.

I'm not talking about all the new one-sized-fits-all marketing services that have sprung up around to service (or soak) self-published writers. Not interested in packaged blog tours or services that blast thousands of inappropriate press releases that go straight to delete. I'm talking about traditional publicists with a track record who've cultivated personal contacts in places that can actually help, primarily print media. I'd love to hear your experiences with such publicists, what they were able to do for you, and whether it was worth the investment.

Thanks!

You're on the right track here, I think. Perusing LinkedIn and Twitter can also be a good way to figure out who knows who as well, at least to an extent.

Or as others have said, sending a pitch along to the right journalists or editors yourself might be useful, particularly if there's no other major 'story' at the time that might keep them busy.
 

GradyHendrix

New kid, be gentle!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Messages
157
Reaction score
15
I'd see if the in-house publicist at your current house recommends anyone. If he/she doesn't, then I kind of think you should do it yourself. If he/she does recommend someone then that not only gives you a person to work with, but it also signals that the in-house PR people are open to working with an outside publicist.

I think it'd be worth hiring a publicist if there was a newsworthy hook for your upcoming book - it's non-fiction about current events, it's fiction based on real events or a real-world issue that is hot right now, or it somehow involves or relates to some celebrity (entertainment, political, what-have-you).

Otherwise, I think your best bet is to target reviewers yourself and work with the in-house publicist to get a couple of big name reviews or interviews. My feeling for publicity has always been: the New York Times matters, everything else is nice, but doesn't carry the same weight. If you can't get the Times then the best thing to do is to get as many small outlets as you can - quantity over quality.

Looking at some of your other books, it looks like People or Entertainment Weekly would be really great fits if you were able to get someone to just focus on those two. However, the review queues for those two are as long as the river Nile, so it's a crap shoot.

Based on your strong mainstream reviews, you may want to go out REALLY early and target mystery blogs and people with a following in the business (and do anything you can to get a big-name blurb - your current publisher can do that for you) and try to build up word-of-mouth buzz. That means going out waaay before publication, putting together a snazzy one-sheet, and getting ready to send out 100 or so books. I think you'd do a better job of that than a publicist, and people like it when the author contacts them. It feels more like "I'm helping this human being whose book I love" rather than "I am doing this because a publicist asked me to."
 

Barbara R.

Old Hand in the Biz
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
1,963
Reaction score
242
Location
New York
Website
www.barbararogan.com
I'd see if the in-house publicist at your current house recommends anyone. If he/she doesn't, then I kind of think you should do it yourself. If he/she does recommend someone then that not only gives you a person to work with, but it also signals that the in-house PR people are open to working with an outside publicist...Otherwise, I think your best bet is to target reviewers yourself and work with the in-house publicist to get a couple of big name reviews or interviews. My feeling for publicity has always been: the New York Times matters, everything else is nice, but doesn't carry the same weight. If you can't get the Times then the best thing to do is to get as many small outlets as you can - quantity over quality.

Looking at some of your other books, it looks like People or Entertainment Weekly would be really great fits if you were able to get someone to just focus on those two. However, the review queues for those two are as long as the river Nile, so it's a crap shoot.

Based on your strong mainstream reviews, you may want to go out REALLY early and target mystery blogs and people with a following in the business (and do anything you can to get a big-name blurb - your current publisher can do that for you) and try to build up word-of-mouth buzz. That means going out waaay before publication, putting together a snazzy one-sheet, and getting ready to send out 100 or so books. I think you'd do a better job of that than a publicist, and people like it when the author contacts them. It feels more like "I'm helping this human being whose book I love" rather than "I am doing this because a publicist asked me to."

Thanks for the thoughtful response. Actually, everything you advise doing was done by my PR guy at Viking for A DANGEROUS FICTION. Hundreds of books given away, including 100 or so to literary agents, since the book's about an agent and set in the NYC publishing world, and others via Goodreads. All the usual magazines and papers targeted. It hurt that the NYT didn't review, as they'd reviewed earlier books, but it wasn't for lack of trying. The NY Post put it on their "Must Read" list, and an NPR station gave it a rave: big coups, all thanks to my Viking rep. And the reviews were heartwarming.

I'm not complaining. I know a lot of writers would kill to have my "problem." But you know, the goal bars keep moving, and I'm still in the game, trying to score. Thus the idea of an independent publicist to double down on what the publisher does.

The book of mine that sold best and made some bestseller lists was SUSPICION, and that was one that S&S published in a big way. Top-level marketing meetings, money spent on a national radio campaign, personal letters from the publisher to bookstores (remember bookstores?)---all of it paid off big time in sales. The moral may be that to make money, you have to spend money.

As for your other suggestion, acting as my own flack--I don't think I'd ever feel comfortable doing that. Other people can praise my book to the skies to induce reviewers to read; I can't. It's unprofessional, not to mention immodest. I'd also be afraid of being lumped in with self-published writers, most of whom have no choice but to promote themselves. Of course we're all expected to do our bit, and I do: blog, twitter, FB, signings, etc. But I've grown allergic to "Buy my book" pleas from writers, including my own.

Do you have a background in PR? Sounds sort of like it.
 

katiemac

Five by Five
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
11,521
Reaction score
1,661
Location
Yesterday
I'm a publicist, but not for books, so please take this with a grain of salt.

I agree with Grady that if you're willing to put in the work you might benefit from doing this yourself rather than hiring a second publicist. But I'd have a conversation with your publisher first. If you can come up with some clear goals and ideas, figure out the "what's not getting done" that you would like done, you may be able to convince them to let you do some work with their support. The in-house publisher may be willing to share their existing materials--press releases, etc.--with you and cut down on some of the time you could spend building them.

That said, if they already have the contacts for the places you're after for a review, they are likely using them.

You say you want the big nationals but those are the toughest; you could rethink strategy and go after smaller, regional pieces, and there are publicity agencies that do this kind of thing: you'll get a mini publicist in Boston, Chicago, Philly, etc. who are familiar with their individual territories and can tailor pitching accordingly. I can't speak to the cost of something like this, however. With a little bit of research this is something you can accomplish yourself as well.

I could recommend hiring someone if you can't write (but you're a writer!) or if you have no idea where to start or what to do. But you already have a few models you can follow and I think you'd find yourself paying a publicist for his or her ideas but perhaps not the guaranteed outcome.
 
Last edited:

Barbara R.

Old Hand in the Biz
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
1,963
Reaction score
242
Location
New York
Website
www.barbararogan.com
Thanks, Katiemac. It's interesting and unusual to find some unanimity here. The takeaway for me is that hiring an outside publicist to supplement in-house efforts is not a good investment. At the very least, I'm convinced that a serious sit-down and discussion with in-house PR rep is the first thing that needs to happen.
 

GradyHendrix

New kid, be gentle!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Messages
157
Reaction score
15
I started a film festival with some friends about 15 years ago, and since I was a journalist I wound up doing all the press. That grew into doing PR and marketing for films and other projects and I did that for years.

I wound up stopping because I realized that when I had a project I was really excited about, it did really, really well. But to make money I had to take projects I wasn't excited about, and those did okay but I wasn't comfortable being enthusiastic about them.

Which leads me to now, when I share your pain. It's really hard to market yourself, but I'm having to learn how to do it, and I'm realizing that the only person who feels weird about it is me. Good luck!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.