Part C: PR & Marketing: Working with Your Publisher Effectively
For many authors, PR and marketing is something of a mystery that publishers keep close to their chests. Yet, it’s important for us to understand what our publisher has up their sleeves, not just to help us sleep better at night, but also to make sure that our efforts complement theirs. However, we also need to be careful not to push too hard for information or action at the wrong time.
Publishers start early with their PR and marketing plans. Nathalie Ramirez (Director of Marketing & Imprint Partnerships, Zando) said, “From the time a book is announced, we have a plan.” But the bulk of the work begins for most books about 10-12 months before publication.
Michelle Aielli (Associate Publisher, Hachette Book Group) is “all for getting in touch with authors early,” when it’s the right move for the book. She suggested that you talk to your editor about why you feel it might be a good idea to include you in an early meeting. However, she cautioned against an author engaging in any promotions before preorders are available.
The moment the preorder button goes live is a key moment in a book’s timeline. Another area for potential presales are bulk purchases, especially if you’re a speaker, or if a certain industry or association would be interested in your book. The earlier the presales start coming in, Aielli said, “The more that it shapes the campaign and the publisher’s plans for the book.” She added, “The more preorders an author can accrue, the more we print, the greater the distribution, the more visible the book. So, call in all your favors and connect with influencers to amass preorders.”
While waiting for the preorder button to go live, Alison Rich (Senior VP of Author Development, Penguin Random House) explained, “authors should be building an authentic platform.” In other words, you need to be making connections with potential readers and building your author equity.
Ramirez said, “That doesn’t mean you need to have a huge following.” The level of engagement with that following is far more important. Ramirez added that authors must be aware of and work social media.
A friend of mine recently spent thousands of dollars to put a PR firm on retainer to publicize her new book. When I asked various experts attending the U.S. Book Show if that was a good idea, all generally agreed that most authors can’t afford to hire an effective publicist. As Ramirez said, “The best way to sell a book is word of mouth.”
Brianna Yamashita (Executive Director of Marketing, Scribner) warned that authors should plan their promotions and publicity in consultation with their publisher to make neither steps on the other’s toes. And definitely “don’t do Amazon ads.” That’s a waste of money.
Whatever you do, there’s no guarantee that it will work. Aielli suggested asking your publisher to direct you to where you would be most likely to see results. In fact, she said that if an interesting prospect comes up, you should let the publisher know. “They adjust the budget frequently.” And they might pay for it if they see it could lead to more book sales.
Readers’ responses to a book can also push a publisher to re-imagine their marketing campaign and increase their budget. As Yamashita explained, “A novel can start out, and it looks like it will be small, and then it becomes big.” That’s what is called an “opportunity book.” If that happens, the publisher will find the budget. “If Covid taught us anything it’s to be flexible.”
What that means to the author is that it’s not an imposition to go to the publisher and tell them things have changed, and you’d like to talk to them about new ideas and opportunities for the book.
And what happens when the author hits a brick wall, and nothing they do is getting them the sales results they’d hoped for? Ramirez said to talk to your editor (through your agent) and see what they suggest. The key is open communication and working collaboratively with the publisher.
Aielli shared another perspective on communications between publishers and authors/agents. “I have been the direct recipient of agent rage.” She tells her PR and publicity team that when they’re communicating with an author to cc the entire author’s team (agent, PR person, etc.). When the publisher provides consistent updates and shares what ideas are being considered for a book, “then the agent will have a sense of where the pain points are. When the agent hasn’t had many updates, it’s difficult.” If the author and her agent is “in the loop early, then it’s more a thing of collaboration and brainstorming.” She added, “Sometimes the frustration is warranted. Come in with some suggestions if that happens.”
More from this 2023 U.S. Book Show Report:
- Intro: What is Author Equity & Why Should I Care?
- Part A: The Math Behind a Publisher’s Decision to Acquire Your Book
- Part B: Digging Deeper: What the Big Data of Book Acquisition Means to Authors
- Part D: Using Social Media to Increase Your Author Equity
- Part E: Catching the Eye of Influencers
- Postscript: When an Author’s Equity Doesn’t Tell the Full Story
Note: I am sharing this report to benefit my fellow writers, making it freely available to everyone. If you quote or share this report, please credit “Sally Wiener Grotta, SallyWienerGrotta.com.” Thank you.