Book publicity

"So, what will your publisher do to promote your book?" a friend asked when I sold my second novel.

Truthfully, I had no idea what the plan was. Something, I hoped. It has taken me two decades to start selling fiction. In that time, I've seen writer friends publish novels that bring in royalties by the fistful, while others despair as their books sink like concrete blocks tossed into icy quarries. What makes the difference between a book that sells and one that tanks? Nobody knows. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to prove to my publisher that my novels were a worthy investment. For my first novel, I created a website, wrote guest posts for book blogs, built a Twitter following, and arranged my own tour of literary festivals, book clubs and libraries. Now I had to think about what stones, or even pebbles, I'd left unturned. "Maybe you should hire an outside publicist," another friend suggested. Book publicity My husband was appalled. "How can you justify the expense?" he wanted to know. "Will you actually earn back that money if you spend it on a publicist?" That, of course, is the million-dollar question in advertising. It's difficult to quantify just what your marketing dollars will buy when you're selling any product. To support my fiction habit, I've been a college marketing writer for years. I know the admissions "yield" of any brochure, billboard or postcard is uncertain. At the same time, getting a college's name out there is essential if the school is going to survive. "I think I have to try it," I told him.

"Fiction is my business now, and every business has to invest money in publicity." Of course, I had no idea how much money a publicist would cost, and I was gobsmacked by their fees. Many outside book publicists require contracts of six months to a year, and their rates are high enough to bring a struggling novelist to her knees. Finally, though, I found a publicist who used to work at a big traditional house and seemed experienced and smart. Even better, she charged by the hour, with only a 10-hour minimum. I decided I could afford those 10 hours and hired her six months ahead of the release time for my new novel, Beach Plum Island