written by Vicky Lynch

Making the decision to hire a book publicist is a big decision. Not only is it a significant investment, but you’ll also be dedicating time to working with your publicist, doing interviews and potentially writing original articles to promote your book in online outlets and magazines. 

But think about this. Writing a book is no small feat. Did you know that nearly 81% of Americans say they have a book in them? But how many actually write that book? You put in the time and hard work to carry your book through to publication. But publishing the book? It’s just the very first step in your journey to be successful as an author. And bonus – with publicity, you’ll not only spread the word about your book, but you’ll level up your online platform at the same time. 

Some authors may try to promote their book themselves first before they bring in the help of a professional. And while we are always happy to jump in and help at any stage, there are significant advantages for authors who hire a publicist prior to their pub date. 

Here are 4 Reasons to Hire a Book Publicist ASAP: 

 

It’s possible to line up PR to hit as your book releases

Even if your publicist secures an interview the first week of your campaign, it could take anywhere from a couple of days to months for that interview to go LIVE. We’ve had many clients who have recorded podcast interviews fairly quickly upon starting with us, only to have those interviews added to the podcaster’s queue for months later. And guess what? That’s actually typical. 

If your book releases three months from now, your best chance at getting some PR hits lined up to go LIVE as the book releases is to get started right away. 

Your book is “new” for 3 months

At Guide My Brand, we don’t just promote our clients’ books. We are promoting everything about our client. But the book is a great reason for the media to cover our client in a timely manner. And beyond that, the book provides all kinds of content for us to pitch, re-purpose and excerpt. 

We’ve actually mined books and used them to our advantage getting clients coverage for up to a year, but for bigger outlets, striking in those first 3 months when the iron is hot is your best chance at coverage. 

Trade book review outlets have a minimum 4-month lead time

Now, trade book review outlets aren’t going to be a great fit for all books. But if you are traditionally published, it’s worth it to submit your book for review to outlets like Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Library Journal. You might wonder why these are valuable? Well, they are read by book buyers at major book chains, big box stores (think Target), book clubs, independent distributors, and librarians. They help get your book sold into the places where it has the potential to sell. 

You can’t be a best-selling book if copies of your book aren’t available for purchase. These reviews can make or break your buy-in and print run. Many publishers handle submitting these books for their authors, but if not, you’ll have to get them sent in before the deadlines. 

Early PR coverage can help with pre-sales

There was a time (not so long ago) when you didn’t want the PR to hit before your book was released. Because if it was a great hit and people went looking to buy your book and it wasn’t available, they could possibly forget about it by the time your book could be bought. Of course in our brave new world, most books can be pre-ordered ahead of time and will arrive on your book step once they are available. 

And in fact, having people purchase your book ahead of time is actually an advantage now. All those pre-sales are counted on the first day your book is released, which can be enough to propel your book to various best-seller lists. 

Do you have a book releasing soon? Schedule a call to chat with us. We’d love to help you promote your book!