Publicists

This past Sunday I had a two hour lunch meeting with my publicist. The ideas she comes up with are fascinating to me. Things that never would have crossed my mind.

Some of them are quite doable. Others are, in my mind, a bit far fetched. (I asked myself, sheesh, could I do that?)

The answer to that inner question is, well, I'll never know until I give it a try. The most important thing is that she has ideas and she knows how to set things up.

Have any of you used a publicist before? If so, what did she or he do for you? Were the results worth the cost? Could s/he make things happen that you could not? Or you would not have had time to do?

I think these are things to consider before you partner with a publicist. Is s/he experienced? Is s/he experienced in promoting an author? Does s/he have the time to devote to you and your book? Does s/he believe in you and your book?

And, of course, what will this cost you? What if, in the end, hiring a publicist costs more than you make off the book? Is it still a good idea because you got a lot more exposure than you could have arranged on your own? Will that make a difference when the next book comes out?

So many questions. And you probably won't have answers until after the campaign.

As I begin to do things to promote Angel Sometimes and Dismembering the Past, I'll try to keep you up on what my results are. At this point, my first speaking event is October 25. When the date gets closer, I'll remind you of the date, if any of you would like to come. And when it's over, I'll let you know how it went.

Also, I'm looking for someone who is not a member of the Heart of Texas chapter of Sisters in Crime who would like to read Angel Sometimes and write a review. HoTSinC has a monthly newsletter which goes out to members and is posted online. They will accept a review of a book by a HoTSinC member (me), but it needs to be done by someone outside of the group. Email me if you're interested.