The Outside Publicist
Monday, May 3, 2010 One of the questions that I get asked most often - and that is most often discussed between authors - is whether or not one should hire an outside publicist, which, for those not quite there yet, means someone other than the assigned-to-you publicist within your publishing house. I was thinking about this subject recently, and with the release of The One That I Want just a month away (eep!), I thought it might be a good time to open up the subject for debate/discussion.
I have opted not to hire someone for my past two books, but as always, as the publication date nears, there is second-guessing, and I think that truly, there is no clear answer to whether or not an outside publicist is worthwhile in a broader sense, though in specific cases, yes, it is. For me, with Time of My Life (and with The One That I Want, as I'm with the same publisher at Random House), I truly, truly, 100% believed that my publicist was doing everything she could in her power to garner me press. She was (and is) a pro, and I'd only heard the greatest of raves for her. Knowing this, I thought, "Well, she's pitching the hell out of outlets, I really don't know that anyone else can do it better than her, and the outside publicist would also be covering much the same territory as she had anyway." I instead budgeted for some ad space: my marketing manager at RH targeted some prime websites, and they put together some ads for me (in addition to what they were doing on their own), and I paid for something that I KNEW would happen: namely that my ad would get out in front of our targeted demographic, which is all you can ask for.
The risk of a publicist is that it's an unknown quantity: a few will work for you on a paid-per-mention basis, but most don't. So...like...you could get ALL the press in the world...or you could get very little. So many factors come into play with PR and reviews and mentions that it's very hard to assess which side of the line you and your book will come down on. NOW, that said, there are some WONDERFUL publicists out there who will think outside the box for you, who will drum up fabulous contests, connect you with all sorts of online outlets you'd never think of and that perhaps your in-house publicist would never think of. Especially with the internet these days and with print reviews falling by the wayside: there are some really great ways to spread the word, and I've seen some of these publicists do just that. (Two who come to mind whom I have a lot of respect for and whom I'd recommend if you're in the market: Crystal Patriarche and Jocelyn Kelley.) PLEASE don't think that I'm slighting them. In fact, if you don't feel like you're going to get the attention you need at your house, then an outside publicist is probably a great way to go (if you have the money) because someone will be focusing exclusively on YOU. In-house reps usually juggle a variety of campaigns, and the truth is, if you're not a big book or not a book that's generating a decent amount of buzz, you might fall through the cracks. (ETA: The wonderful writer mama - and publicity guru, Christina Katz, just pointed out on Twitter that she recommends hiring one for your first book. I think that's an important distinction as your first book may be your most important, in terms of your buzz and sales.)
One of the tricky aspects - and I think least talked about aspects of publicity - is that, regardless of how much press you get (within reason), a lot of your book's success is out of your hands. Namely, a lot of it comes down to print run. Huh? How's that? Well, your initial print run is decided before your book ever comes out - based on how many orders bookstores/book buyers place. And the honest truth is that if your print run isn't high - and if readers thus don't see the book in front of them at the store or don't have easy access to it - all the press in the world won't skyrocket you to the bestseller list. I know of what I speak: my first book had a decent though not huge print run. It got a good deal of press for a debut, albeit not People or EW (which can really boost interest), but a slew of national women's mags and some good buzz. But without a huge print run, it didn't matter. Sales were fine, not incredible, and so it went. Even with the help of an outside publicist, little could be done because, well, there weren't huge quantities of the book to buy. And I've heard this echoed from many, many other author friends: print run is king. If your publisher is printing 50k copies of your hardcover, People is going to be more interested, which is going to spread the word more easily, which is going to translate into sales. So from the start, you're already way ahead of the game.
Does that make sense? I hope so. Is it fair? Probably not but it's (more or less) the way things shake down. But back to hiring a publicist. Even if you're not hitting the best-seller list, buzz can be a great thing, which is what these reps can do for you - if it's done well. (The two examples cited above do it very well. Some do it less well, and that's where I start to worry about the money being spent.) Look, I think authors want to feel like they've done everything they can in their capacity to ensure the success of their book. So if you have the money and find a publicist who has unique, creative ways to create campaigns for you - AND you keep you expectations in check as to if the world can be set on fire - then I sincerely say go for it. As I said, I've seen some really great PR campaigns from some reps I know personally, and I'm impressed with them - these are women I'd hire if I didn't so completely believe in my RH team. They're acting as your advocates, really fighting on your behalf, and when so much feels out of your hands in the book launch process, that alone might be priceless. Your current sales dictate the advance (and buzz) of your next book, so selling extra copies might be worth your bottom line - it all depends on your advance, your budget, and how much attention you're getting in-house. I think there's no blanket right way or wrong way to do it.
So...whew, after all that - please weigh in: outside publicist, why or why not? Have you ever hired one? How did it work out?
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Reader Comments (13)
Great post Allison- and I think it's an important topic for any first time author to consider. And I can personally attest that Crystal over at BookSparks is the BEST! Without her, Lisa and I would be blogging to an audience composed mostly of the family and friends who we browbeat to read it!
P.S. I just received my ARC of THE ONE THAT I WANT and finished it in twelve hours flat. A beautifully written story-LOVED IT! xo
Liz-
THANK YOU!! So thrilled that you loved it. And as you know, I adore Chick Lit Is Not Dead, and I'm glad that Crystal has done gread things for it!
A
Thanks so much!!! We heart you to death and are counting the days until you are on the site again! xoxoxoxo
Great post, Allison, thank you! This is what I always tell people who ask me about finding a publicist for their book/work - find someone who is as passionate about your work as you are. Passion is infectious!
Allison-
Thank you for giving a shout out to Crystal. She was such a find! Plus, she's more than just a FANTASTIC publicist. She's a good friend. And that's the best combo Liz and I could ask for.
PS: I also finished your book. LOVED. LOVED. LOVED. xo
Great Post! Didn't realize how much was really involved in the process!
I did not know about the importance of print run, although I had an inkling to how it could certainly hinder a book. I found this publicist info helpful. I attended a whole session on the topic at Muse & the Marketplace. I loved your session, too, but more on that elsewhere.
I was one of those who debated long and hard about hiring an outside publicist. But in a conversation with a fellow debut author, she said something along the lines of how if nothing else, it would bring peace of mind in knowing we did everything possible to secure our books' success.
I'm one of the lucky ones who has worked with Crystal, and I can attest that it is money well-spent. A good outside publicist will work in harmony with your in-house p.r. team, and I think that even in cases where they are both going after the same outlet, hearing pitches from multiple sources will help the odds that your book will get coverage. I've been really happy with my decision and I know my publisher is, too.
Good points, Sarah. Thanks for chiming in. Being able to work with your own in-house team is critical.
Lisa - THANK YOU!!!
Alexandra - thanks for coming out to Muse! I had a great time.
Thanks for your insights, Allison. I've hired Jocelyn Kelley for my debut novel. I know there are no guarantees, but I figure a PR pro, especially Jocelyn, gives me the best chance for success. Our campaign started this week, and I'm excited to see how we do.
I can't wait until my book finally gets sold and I can worry about such things as hiring my own publicist! :)
I was contacted by Crystal Patriarche just this past week about reviewing some of the current titles that she's working with and am thrilled that I'll be working with her! It's great to hear such high words of praise.
As an outside publicist, I find this post revelatory because it is written by a publicity consumer instead of the vendor. Although I could tell you what I do, only an author can state what publicity she wants and what she thinks is worth paying for.
An author who is naming the right reasons for hiring a publicist is doing the whole writing community a service.
Thanks for this post, Allison.
Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist
Award-winning Nonfiction & Historical Fiction Authors
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