4 Reasons to Invest in Book Publicity

If you’ve just finished writing your book, congratulations! You might be feeling like the hard work is done. I don’t want to burst your bubble, but any bestselling author would tell you that a lot of the work is just starting. Let me explain. 

First of all, over 700,000 books are published every year. The caveat (which could be good news for those who are traditionally published) is that half of those are self-published and only sell a handful of copies. But that’s equally not comforting if you happen to be a self-published author. And across the board on traditional and self-published books, the average book sells 500 copies. 

What does this mean? You’ll need to spend a lot of time marketing your book if you want to stand out from the crowd. Hiring a publicist can be a very strategic move if you are looking to get exposure for your book. 

Here’s 4 Reasons To Invest In Book Publicity:

1. Time Is Money

A lot of authors may opt to do their publicity themselves to save money. And while it’s true that publicity is an investment, it’s going to take a lot of time to figure out how to get publicity on your own. And here’s the thing. Your time is valuable. Doesn’t it make more sense to use your time to do what you do best (whatever that might be,) in order to have the money to spend on a publicist who already has media contacts and knows exactly how to promote your book? 

Hiring a PR specialist is a win-win to preserve your valuable time. It’s also a huge sanity saver. 

2. Your Book Is “News” For About Three Months

For the most part, you will get the most bang for your buck publicizing your book during the first three months it’s out. Now, at Guide My Brand, we do work with authors whose books came out more than three months ago. In fact, we get a lot of clients who come to us because either they or their publisher didn’t get the PR they had hoped for during their launch. And we can help authors get publicity after the fact. Especially since many of our clients bring so much more to the table than just their book. 

But, as far as the media is concerned, your book is newsworthy when it first releases. Why? Well, with competition from 700,000 of your peers, it makes sense why so many media outlets focus on what’s new. 

3. You Will Be Busy Launching Your Book

So many of our clients come to us for PR services because they are swamped just with everything else going on as their book launches. First of all, most authors have day jobs. Add marketing your book and just doing the media a publicist secures on top of a 9-5 and it doesn’t leave much time for anything else.

Typically, even if you have a traditional book publisher, many authors are responsible for planning their own launch party or book events, engaging with their readers via social media and through e-newsletters, building their Amazon and Goodreads author profiles, and creating and maintaining their website. 

Believe me, you will be so busy that you will appreciate having a publicist to research outlets, write and send pitches, and help coordinate media hits around your already crazy schedule. 

4. Your Publisher’s Publicity Plan May Fall Short

In-house publicists are amazing. They juggle a ton of titles every season and have strong contacts at media outlets. However, there are a variety of reasons why your publicity plan could fall short. First of all, a lot of publishing houses are paring down publicity. They just have too many titles and focus on sales and marketing over securing media with a dwindling list of outlets. 

Second, you might have the most amazing publicist in the world, but your book, for whatever reason, isn’t a priority. Priorities are usually set before your title is assigned to a publicist, so even if they love your book and expertise, their hands are tied on how much attention and time they are able to give you. 

Third, you might just not have a good publicist. And I hate saying this, because so often people blame great publicists for a lack of coverage, when it isn’t their fault. But you are more likely to find someone who may not be a talented publicist at an entry level position. When it comes to publicity, experience matters.  

The good news is that at Guide My Brand, we have several book publicity options that can be customized to fit any budget. Interested in learning more? 

Schedule a free discovery call with us to chat about your PR goals.