do you need a book publisher?
probably not. but it depends on what you are trying to accomplish with your book.
For most authors, writing a nonfiction book is a way to support their larger business goals. a book is a tool they can take advantage of to enter your industry and demonstrate their expertise.
You are reading: How to find a publicist for books
Most of the time, it makes sense to start small with your marketing efforts and gradually increase them.
Increase the volume of any promotional efforts you already have, especially if you’re on a limited budget. focus on your niche audience. then let your book spread by word of mouth.
Whether you must hire a professional book publisher comes down to two things:
- how much help you are willing to pay.
- how much help you need to communicate with the media.
We’ll talk about each of these below.
how much does a book publisher cost?
it is difficult to talk about typical costs because it depends on the media campaign.
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At a typical public relations firm, people could probably find representation for a monthly retainer of $5,000, possibly less. but at the very least, you’re looking at four figures every month, just in advertising costs.
There are some advertising companies that focus specifically on books and are run on a typical agency model. that means that, to make a profit, they have to work on a larger scale. In other words, each PR person carries many authors.
This often leaves authors feeling like they’ve been sold a list of products. there can be a disconnect between how your advertisers talk about strategy and how they actually execute the job.
It’s not because advertisers are bad at their jobs. it’s just the nature of the industry.
When you have more customers than you can handle and you’re in a hectic atmosphere, you’re running on adrenaline. the balls fall out. the wires cross. errors are likely to occur.
So if you’re looking for a book publisher, don’t worry about your budget. if you’re going to spend five cents on your ad dollars, don’t. you’re just setting yourself up for resentment and frustration.
Look at the general history of the agency and the person you would work with, and make sure you are very clear about the cost versus the benefit and if it is worth it for you.
when is that cost worth it?
the cost may be worth it if you really want a lot of media coverage (because it’s time consuming).
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It also pays off when the advertiser’s connections will help get you in the door with the media that will realistically help you reach your goals.
A publisher can make it easy to connect with specific outlets, but you can discover many of those resources on your own if you decide not to hire a publisher.
The cost can also be worth it if you have big goals.
By “big” I mean 2 things:
- wants to enter new markets, either geographically or in adjacent industries.
- if the book has any kind of national interest or broader appeal.
Here’s the rub: Most authors feel their book has national interest or broader appeal when it doesn’t.
That’s not an insult. some of the most successful books were written for specific audiences.
When authors write for a broad audience, they often water down their knowledge so much that it’s useless to people in their industry.
If a nonfiction book becomes a bestseller, it’s not necessarily because it was written for a national audience. it’s because it was so useful that people couldn’t stop talking about it. They recommended it to everyone they knew and the book gained traction.
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