Thursday, September 13, 2012

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.

12 comments:

  1. Never even thought of hiring a publicist.

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  2. Alex, you do a great job of being your own publicist!

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  3. Helen, I just flipped through the first chapter and a half on Amazon's "look inside" preview and I loved what I read. I'd be happy to do a review for you!

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  4. I often think of all the aspects that go into publishing and marketing after the book is finished.

    I don't know how self-published authors do it.

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  5. I look forward to reading more on your adventures with a publicist. Should be interesting, since I know I'm horrible at my own publicity/self promotion. Good luck

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  6. There's so much to think about in these days of publishing and self-publishing! I would never have thought of hiring a publicist! I look forward to your posts :)

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  7. I have not considered a publicist. I do read a lot of blogs and online info. with advice on how to promote novels and have more confidence in something that has already worked for someone.
    Ann

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  8. I've used a PR agent for a couple media appearances, but it can get expensive.

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  9. I did use a publicist a long time ago when my first two fiction books came out. She was able to get me a couple of promo events, and I think if one can afford a publicist, it is well worth the money. The price can sometimes be daunting, but if it means a launch into success, then it is worth it. Trouble is, you never know. So much about this business seems to be like rolling dice. (smile) Look forward to your updates on how this works for you.

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  10. I think marketing the book is way harder than actually writing one. :)

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  11. Publicist is a profession unknown to me. I guess they haven't reached us up north yet.

    Good luck with the marketing of your book. I hope it sells like ice cream in Hell >:)

    Cold As Heaven

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  12. I look forward to seeing how your publicist work goes. I've hired one a couple of times. It costs a lot, and they did about the same things I'm doing. Wish I had the bucks to hire one for a huge campaign!

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