What does a publicist go for these days?

PJ Nunn

Publicists talk for a living. A whole lot of talking going on. But (and I hate to ask) how much of the talk can you believe? Not enough, sometimes, and it’s unfortunate because it makes us all look bad. I see a lot of tweets on Twitter, and links on Facebook, and they look good. But when I follow them, too often I find the info is not as accurate as I’d like.

 

When I first started this business in 1998, there weren’t many, or even any (that I know of), who guaranteed what an author would get for the money. I’ve developed relationships with several good firms over the years and they still don’t charge that way. You pay a flat, and usually large, campaign fee and they’ll get what they can for you. You’re paying for the effort, not the results. A recent query of three such firms came up with ballpark starter fees of $12,000, $15,000 and $23,000 for a three month campaign. All paid up front. All guaranteeing nothing but the best effort. One of those firms was quick to assure that they never had a dissatisfied client. Another hastened to add that they hand-pick their clients and refer the others to someone who could better serve them. In other words, they accept clients they know they can place and send the others elsewhere. At those rates, they can afford to do that.

 

I’m not sure why so many are reluctant to discuss details of pricing, but most are.

 

In recent years, several have sprung up online. I get emails periodically about astronomical book promotion packages with guaranteed results! Of course I’m curious to see what others are doing, especially if guarantees are involved, but often disappointed again. Either they charge astronomical prices for simple tasks that others include in the most basic packages, or they promise things that simply sound a lot better than they really are. I’m not lacking in business so it’s not an envy of the competition. I just hate to see any author taken advantage of because he or she either believes what she’s told or doesn’t know enough to spot a scam.

 

Wait. Maybe scam is too harsh a word. Still. One of the biggest problems I run into in this business is that of miscommunication or missing communication. I don’t like those who dress up a simple task and make it sound like a big deal so they can charge more for it and make the author think they’re getting a great deal. Yes, they have every right to charge whatever they want, but silly me. I still remember a phrase called truth in advertising and wish it was an ideal we’d uphold today. I realize there’s a fine line between phrasing things so you present them in the best possible light, accentuate the positives and minimize the negatives, and so on. But it’s easy to cross the line and aggrandize. Sometimes it’s nothing more than over-optimism. Other times I fear it’s someone out to make a buck without much concern for how that’s done.

 

So how is an author to know if he or she needs a publicist? And if so, who that publicist might be? When starting out, it’s tricky. There are so many tiny details and nuances in this industry and they change year by year. What worked well five years ago probably won’t bring the best results today. “We’ve always done it this way before” is a red flag to me. Change, however uncomfortable, is inevitable.

 

Honestly, there are few things I can do for an author that the author couldn’t do for himself. True I may do it better. Or I may do it a lot faster because I have a database of contacts ready and relationships within the industry. But what I do isn’t rocket science. If it was I’d be a lot richer. I say all that to say that “need” is a relative term. Not every author will “need” a publicist. Maybe none really do. But here’s what a publicist can do if the author judges any of these things an area of need:

·         Answer questions about the industry to help guide an author

·         Make suggestions about areas and markets that might bring enhanced results to an author’s campaign

·         Schedule events and interviews more quickly and succinctly

·         Free up the author’s time by handling details of sending confirmations and press releases

·         Keep the author’s name and title active in the industry while the author is busy writing another book or doing final edits on deadline

·         Persuade journalists to consider reviews or article ideas

·         Make knowledgeable referrals to other industry professionals such as webmasters, agents, freelance editors, graphic designers, etc.

·         Help authors secure placement at annual events such as conferences, regional festivals, etc.

·         Answer questions about a surprising number of things that are any way related to the publishing industry

 

What a publicist really can’t do (so consider these flags if it comes up):

·         Guarantee that anything will bring exactly the results the author is expecting. There are too many variables that affect outcome for there to be absolute certainty.

·         Predict turnout at booksignings or sales spikes from interviews. Again, too many variables.

·         Create a successful, lasting buzz about the author without the author’s participation. Consider the publicist as the wedding planner. She takes care of getting you there and a lot of pesky details, but when all is said and done, the author is the performer who has to sell the show.

·         Convince a journalist to write a review or article if they don’t like the book. There’s no accounting for taste as they say. In today’s market, getting print coverage is harder than ever. A good publicist should have contacts and be able to get the book into the hands of someone who’ll consider it, but again, it’s the book that will sway the final decision.

·         Know what the author didn’t tell. So many times, I’ve worked with authors who forgot to tell me about their next book (it’s not coming out till next year!) and I’ve missed opportunities for good publicity because I didn’t have information. Keep in mind that a lot of markets work as far ahead as a year, some even farther out. It’s rarely too soon to give information. A publicist can’t sell what he doesn’t know about.

 

I suppose this has been largely a rant. I do get tired of hearing horror stories about publicists who are less than professional. Whether I ever work with you or not, I want you to have representation that is both helpful and affordable. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions and check references. If they’re representing you, they’ll be responsible for the first impression of you some people have. So be careful.

 

Till next time,

Comments

[Dana King]

Thank you for this. I'm a pre-published author. Should I ever get to knock the "pre" off, I know my publisher will expect me to handle most, possibly all, of my publicity, and will not only not help much with the expense, they're not likely even to help with contacts or a knowledge of what works best. Some kind of publicity assistance will be needed, as I work a full time job and can't afford to pull a Joe Konrath and meet personally with every adult in the United States to sell my book. (That's no rap on Joe; I just don't have that kind of personality.) You've just given me some valuable knowledge.

[PJ Nunn]

Dana, glad to be of help. Give a shout when you get that contract!

[J.L. Powers]

This was helpful. My first novel (a y.a. mystery novel) was published in 2007 and I've often wondered whether I should have hired a publicist. I tried to do the best I could on my own with my limited time (I was, at the time, in a Ph.D. program) and limited knowledge (although I had done book publicity for a small press in the past, I felt like I didn't know the first thing to really do for my OWN book). It was helpful to get your sense of what publicists can do and what they can't.