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| PREFACE |
I thought I would take a minute to explain the purpose of this book and my objectives in writing it.
The purpose of this book is to help authors create and execute their own publicity plan for his book. Period.
I wanted to create a book that would help the author decide whether she has the time and money to do this on her own -- or if she should let someone else do it for her. I wanted to teach an author how to design an appropriate publicity plan: educate him on the various media outlets; show him how to create his own special press kit, figure out a budget that makes sense, and write an effective press release; guide him on making pitch calls; and cheer him on as he goes through this process. I think it is important for authors to know that they can do many of the things a professional publicist can do – and that it’s well worth their time and effort. I thought it would be helpful for authors to know all of this before they decide to dive in and do it themselves. This is not a book about marketing, advertising or book sales. That’s not what I do. I wouldn’t presume to know what those professionals know or attempt to teach someone those skills.
After reading this book, some of you may think I haven’t spent enough time talking about what the first-time author can do to publicize his book. All of the information contained in this book should be of equal interest to first-time authors and to more established authors. I am aware that many of you who read this book may think there is a huge difference between getting publicity for a more established author and a first-time author. I’ll let you in on a little secret: It’s not that big a gap. A good story is a good story. If it’s worthy of media coverage, the media will probably cover it. Established authors may have a slight edge in getting in the media door, but with a solid plan, some basic skills, and major dose of courage, first-time authors can get book reviews and feature stories just as easily as more established authors. After all, there are only a handful of mega-powerful, A-list authors and a lot of blank pages that have to be filled in newspapers and magazines and a lot of air time to be filled on television and radio. The percentages are in your favor.
It is true that A-list authors are of more interest to the media, but that doesn’t mean a first-time author can’t work a little harder and get the media coverage he needs or wants. An A-list author may get on Oprah, but getting a huge article written about your book in your local paper can be just as effective – and it’s a darn good place to start. Remember that the big-shot authors all started with an article in their local paper. You’re no different from them; they’ve just had more time to move up the media food chain. Your patience and tenacity will pay off in the long run.
The publicity tactics are really no different for any book or any level of writer. There are things first-time authors will do that well established authors won’t do, but they are few and far between. The major difference concerns local media. Established authors do not have the time or the need to speak with a lot of local media; they go right to national media. However, the principles for written press materials (like press releases and so on), contacting the media and follow-up work are exactly the same whether you’re speaking at your local university or appearing on a national network program. Exactly the same. A first-time author can do the same things an established author can do, just on a smaller scale. The realistic expectations of a first-time author will be significantly different, but the tasks to be accomplished are the same.
Expectations are relative. A publishing house handling an A-list author may expect five major articles to run for that author’s new book. If they only get two, they’re upset. If a first-time author got those two major articles, she’d be thrilled. Who is more right doesn’t really matter.
My objectives for this book are simple. I wanted to create a concise, easy to follow, basic, practical guide to literary publicity. I also wanted it to be fun to read. In four years of undergrad and two years of grad school, I have never read a text book that didn’t bore me to death. Informative shouldn’t mean dull. Have you ever really re-read one of your old text books? You may keep them “just in case,” but have you ever really used them after final exams? (I mean other than as a spare leg for a wobbly end table.) This book is meant to be an adjunct resource rather than a primary one. It is not meant to supercede a standard text book. That’s best left to the “publish-or-perish” crowd. I’m writing this as a professional who is actually doing this every day, not as an education professional. I hope any faculty members who read this will forgive my imperfections in grammar and writing style.
Some of you may not appreciate the humor I have tried to inject into this book. To you, I send my sincere apologies. I hope you can overlook this shortcoming and use the information to your benefit and ignore my attempts at humor. My greatest wish is that this book will never be sold as a used book. This is for philosophical as well as financial reasons. I want this book to stay with you and be dog-eared and coffee stained -- and used. I want it on top of your desk and in your book bag for many years to come. Or at least until I write a revised edition.
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| INTRODUCTION |
So you want to be a best-selling, big-shot author? You want fame, fortune, and everything that goes with it, do you? Only foreign sports cars go from zero to sixty in three seconds. There are many steps to take between writing a book and appearing on Oprah. Most first-time authors think that just because they wrote a good book, they will sell millions of their books and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, this is just not true.
Many factors come into play in making a book successful. The story has to be interestingand well-written, sure, but these days, with the thousands of books flooding the marketplace, the media and the consumer have to know that your book even exists and where they can buy it. Even in the television industry – the most cutthroat industry I can think of – there are a finite number of channels and a finite number of hours in the programming day. In publishing, the number of books that can be created is potentially infinite. The competition is fierce.
The number of variables an author must consider when writing a book is enormous. Which story should I tell? Who will be interested in this story? Am I capable of writing this story? Do I have the time to write this story and meet my deadlines? How do I get an agent? Which agent will best represent me? How can I tell if I’m getting a fair deal? Which publishing house is the best one for my book? Will they really be behind me once I turn in my final draft? What will they do to promote my book? How do I get stories in the newspaper or appear on a talk show to promote my book? Who will distribute my book? Will the distributors really back my book or will they bury it in the back of the store? And on and on.
It can make an author’s head explode just thinking about it.
I can’t help you write a good book, get an agent, tell you which publishing house to go with, explain contract law to you, or help you with distribution and sales. There are other people who are more qualified than I to help you solve those problems and answer those questions. I poke my head in the door at the very beginning of the writing process and then disappear until your book is ready to be sold to the consumer. You’re on your own in between.
Every time I am asked to speak at writer’s conferences, the first sentences out of my mouth are always, “You need to think about publicity before you even begin working on your outline. If you don’t, you might waste a year of your life writing a book that no one will know exists.” No matter who is ultimately going to do the publicity for your book, your publicist needs certain things to help you make your book a success. We cannot make diamonds from coal.
As a publicist, here’s what I need: A well-written book; written by an interesting, well-spoken author who doesn’t second-guess me every step of the way; about an interesting subject that appeals to a great number of people; national distribution in brick-and-mortar stores; four to six months to work; and a lot of cash. That’s the reality.
It is difficult for me to understand why many authors do not realize that publishing is a billion-dollar industry. It is a business; it is about the bottom line. I believe that if Austen, Byron, Dickens, Joyce, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, or Faulkner wanted to publish today, they’d have one heck of a time trying to get a book deal. You only have to look at the most recent best-seller lists to see what is being published these days and what consumers are actually buying to see the basis of this opinion. This is a business, your book is a product, and a publicist has to scratch and claw his way to the consumer via the disinterested media. If your book does not have a strong media angle, the chances for publicity are dramatically reduced – nearly to zero. You need to have realistic goals, a good story, and a dynamic publicity plan if you want to succeed.
Publicity is what I know and publicity is what I discuss in this book.
This book is a basic guide for planning and executing a grassroots publicity plan, specifically for authors who are just getting started and want to begin work on their own publicity. It can also be helpful for those of you who can afford to hire a publicist, but don't know what they should be doing for you. This book does not include every single thing I have ever learned about publicity and the media. It does include practical information so you can start doing something right now. I have included general principles of publicity, a little background information on the different types of media, a checklist or two, and some writing guidelines. If you grasp the underlying concepts and follow these steps, you should be able to create a press kit, write a press release, figure out who to contact and what to say when you make follow-up calls to the media (i.e. television programs, radio programs, newspapers, magazines and internet websites).
I have tried to keep it simple, concise, and logical. I hope I have succeeded.
I'll give you a short version of who I am and why I wrote this book. You can learn a bit more about me by reading my one-page biography in the third part of this book. (That item also serves as an example for writing your own biography.) I've worked at two well-known public relations agencies, where I was responsible for executing the publicity campaigns for several major corporate accounts -- and some not-so-corporate accounts. I discovered that although was good at it, I'm not really wired for "corporate" things, be they client or employer. I explained to one of my employers that the vest on a three-piece suit cuts off the circulation to my creativity. I was informed that my jeans cut off their ability to sign a paycheck. I wore a suit. For a while. (I still wear them, of course, but only when absolutely necessary.)
It was at one of the bigger agencies that I was given the daunting task of handling public relations for best-selling author, Michael Crichton. That was right before a little book and film, called Jurassic Park, hit. I was scared to death, and a bit intimidated to be working with someone of Michael Crichton’s caliber, but was relieved to find Dr. Crichton to be one of the most intelligent and humorous people with whom I have ever had the pleasure to work. He was the antithesis of my corporate clients.
Once I got the hang of doing this literary publicity thing, I began to take on more and more authors. I found that I genuinely liked them. I like how they think, how they speak, and how passionate they are about their projects. I am also very good at helping them get media coverage. Some people are good at reattaching severed limbs. I'm good at getting media coverage. Everyone is special in their own little way.
After working for other people for a few years, I decided to open my own company. As of this writing, I have launched some 25 or 30 books, most by first-time authors. I have also acted in the capacity as "literary consultant" for more thanr 50 authors and their projects -- story structure, agents, publishing houses, and so on. It's been a very busy few years.
I decided to write this book for two reasons:
First, it is very expensive to hire a professional publicist -- maybe too expensive for most first-time authors. It costs a lot to do a lot. The good news is that most professional publicists get results. The less good news: If you decide to hire a professional publicist later on, you should expect to pay a monthly retainer fee of $2,500 to $5,000, plus expenses . . . and prices are only going up! Most agencies also require a 4 to 6 month minimum. If the publicist is charging anything less than $2,500, check his references thoroughly. As the saying goes, if it's too good to be true. . . .
Generally speaking, consultation fees should range from $100 to $250 per hour. Some PR consultants will charge you for reading time and some will charge a 1-hour minimum.
It is expensive for many reasons.
In case you’re interested, my PR firm is on the higher end of both the monthly retainer and the consultation fee payment schedules. This is primarily because I work with a maximum of 6 clients at a time, and that means less opportunities to make a living. It's a practical matter. Burnout runs rampant in my industry. There is no way one publicist can juggle 14 clients without burning out. Burnout also increases staff turnover and increases training costs. Many agency publicists with whom I worked, have left the agency business and took jobs in politics, where they said it was less stressful! Me, I ended up smoking too much, drinking too much coffee and forgetting how to laugh. Now that I own my own company, I still smoke, though not as much; still drink coffee, but now it's decaf;; and laugh a lot more. My first piece of advice: Keep your sense of humor throughout this whole writing/publicity process. Remember that we're not saving the whales.
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