Marketing and Promotions

[COS Productions]

Where have all the good publicists gone?
I have a friend who has begun a marketing and promotions businesses. I had never noticed before this years RT, just how many there are, and just how many more there needs to be.

Is there a shortage of publicists and I just never heard about it?

As a publicist myself, I know how much work goes into promoting an author and his/her book. So, I'm always surprised to hear when someone has taken on another ten clients.

I don't advertise myself as a publicist, even though I work for many NY Times best selling authors. I don't because I already know that I can't spend any more time than what I already spend. It just wouldn't be fair to any of my clients if I over-booked myself.

What are other publicists doing? I see a lot of publicists doing promotions such as newsletters, having bookmarks made, mailings, and sending out ARCs. I don't do that. I do other things such as viral marketing, booking TV appearances, contacting magazines to do features or take excerpts, etc.

Is it that authors needs an assistant and a publicists? That's what most of my clients do. That seems to work the best for them. But, what works for others? I'm just curious as to how other authors get their promotions done.

[Charlotte Boyett-Compo]

Some of us are forming groups of our own to put together promotional ideas. I spearhead a group of independent authors from many different publishers and we are doing group ads at Realms of Fantasy magazine because we're all spec fic authors. Right now we're over 50 strong and growing and open for new members. We also put our heads together at the group Yahoo page to come up with ways to get our names and books out there. We share what has worked for us and talk about what hasn't.

Charlee

[COS Productions]

Charlotte, I think this is a brilliant solution! With that many people who have different experiences and talents you're bound to do much better than a single person promoting alone.
Great idea!!!
Sheila

[Karen Syed]

Sadly, I think that the problem is...not enough authors are willing to make the investment in their careers and hire pubiscists. This comes from the misconception that publishers will do all the marketing. I think the assistant and publicist is an excellent plan.

I, too, have a friend who is trying to get a fledging publicity business started and cannot find clients. She is not charging high fees right now as she is yet unproven, but this is not indicitive of her enthusiasm and committment to succeed.

Publicisits are (can be) expensive but if you are not willing to do the work yourself you must be willing to delegate it or you are doomed to failure.

I think if authors take a more proactive stance on their potential success this will help increase the need for publicists and then increase the productivity of them and the authors in the sales venues.

Marketing Mavericks
http://maverickmarketers.ning.com/

[COS Productions]

Investing in a career is often a secondary concern, and rightly so, to writing. If you don't have the book, there's nothing to promote. So, delegating, as you so rightly point out, is key.
I have clients who use COS Productions that hope their publisher will do the promoting. I always cringe when I hear that. I do have COS contact publishers and work with in-house publicists when possible. But, even then, people would be surprised at the antiquated ways promotions are being done.
Your friend may want to try attending the conventions and doing talks on promotions. I have seen that be very successful for other new publicists. It lets people know what you believe works or doesn't work, and if that belief matches their own, they are more likely to hire you.
Thanks, Karen! I appreciate your comments.

Sheila

[Rae Lori]

I thought about getting a publicist but being a starving artist, well it was a bit out of my range. So I had to get creative and do some of my own publicity work. I'm still researching the different ways us authors can get the world out on their books and even though I don't have many industry contacts, I'm trying to make do with what I am able to do for now and talk directly to potential readers. It's still pretty fun to share my book one on one with book lovers and the net is a wonderful resource to reach out to different people I wouldn't have otherwise known!

Maybe one day I can snag a publicist and an agent when I get big time. But for now I'll keep reading, researching and learning. :-)

-Rae

[COS Productions]

Rae,

Word of mouth and talking one on one with readers is the backbone of ANY campaign, whether a publicist does it or the author does. You can never take away the importance of letting readers get to know you better. Without readers being willing to try out any publicity gimmick, nothing would work. You're doing the exact right thing right now by "being present" in your own career!
Sheila

[Tim Quinton]

What can a publicist do, that I can't do myself? I've seen where people hire them, but what I've seen is exactly what I've done myself. Can they get me into bookstores that I can't get into? Can they help spread the word about my book, without it costing my first born? Even though I wouldn't get that much for him.

[COS Productions]

ROFL!!! Maybe you can get your first born to blog for you?!! LOL

I think publicists bring something to the table, but perhaps not exactly what "everyone" wants to eat. lol

Since I don't advertise my services I'm found through word of mouth. And since I'm booked solid right now, I am going to believe that the word is good. lol

Really, there is a lot you can do for yourself. Provided you have time. Some people have a good instinct about marketing and promotions and are absolutely fine with doing it all themselves.

I think we excel at what we love to do. If you love to write, you get published. If you love to market, you make connections and follow trends with an intensity that would require most people to become medicated. lol

Because I am a representitive of an author, people feel that the author must have more clout or status. I didn't make up that rule, but it is there. They also feel that they can approach a third party to ask questions and see if they are interested in doing something with a particular author, but they don't have to worry about offending that person if they decide not to go through with thier idea or query.

Last month I got a call from the good people at MySpace. They asked if I could supply content to MySpace Books. They do that for a lot of reasons. One reason is because I have access to a group of authors and can give content en masse.

I have strong connections at large bookstore chains and supply them with content. No co-op fees...content.

An, having a publicist allows someone else to "build you up" so to speak. If you say those things you could come across as arrogant, but if I am singing your praises it gives a totally different slant on the information (even though what I'd say and what you'd tell them is probably the same thing).

If you tell people your book is great, they'll say you're self promoting. But, if I blog about this great book I read, or video I saw, others will wonder what all the talk is about and go check it out. So, some if it is perception.

This has probably gotten far to lengthy, but it was a good question!

Sheila

[Sylvia Hubbard]

Because I couldn't find a local publicist that can work for me within my money range, I formed a group called Michigan Murder and Mayhem (http://michiganmurderandmayhem.com). We have just started with a blog but we plan on doing contests and events to bring attention to the suspense and crime writing world in Michigan. Most publicist around here won't touch erotic and I write sensual noir (erotic suspense) so I have a difficult time getting out there, but blogging has been very helpful in the realm in getting readers to know about me, keeping in touch with me, and they do a lot of word of mouth for me.

Sylvia Hubbard
http://sylviahubbard.com

[COS Productions]

It sounds like this is a trend. Charlotte also posted to this saying that she's part of a group who help promote each other and themselves.
This really is the best way to go. If you can't afford a publicist or you're just starting and don't really require one, pulling resources and doing a group blog is a brilliant idea!
Why don't you send me your blog URL, and permission, and I'll post your blog on REC TV online (www.readersentertainment.tv) for a week or so. My email is- [e-mail]

Cheers!

Sheila

[Schuyler Thorpe]

I do word of mouth. Being on an extremely limited budget doesn't afford much more than some idle sympathies from everyone else. :op

[COS Productions]

LOL!

I put my "idle sympathies from everyone else" to work. Some authors (COS Productions does this too) have what they call a "street team". You choose those friends, family and fans who you know you can entice, guilt or encourage into being YOUR spokesperson.
When you blog, you email your group (street team) and let them know you blogged so they can go an comment, thus making your blog more popular and pushing it up to the better listings on most search engines.

Be a "guest blogger". Or, go to Google, hit the "blogs" button and google your genre, story topic or even your own name. Then, go over in a very friendly manner and just chat. Don't sell anything, just chat and be engaging. It gets your name out there and you can always plug your book in some inconspicuous way. For example (I'm also an author) I will say, "As an author of scifi myself, I can totally relate to this. When I was writing Shadows Across the Moon....) See how easy that is. :-)