What’s a publicist to do? by PJ Nunn

Imagine walking into an enormous shoe store with all kinds of shoes, then telling the salesman you’re not sure what kind you’re looking for, or what size you wear, or how much you want to spend. Just show me something…

 

At the very least, a good publicist should understand that you’re fairly new at the process and be able to ask questions that help determine what you’re looking for. Of course, that’s hard to do on a website or an email so usually a phone call is best. He or she should also be honest about whether or not what you’re looking for is going to help you achieve the desired results.

 

Many approach me seeming to think that hiring me will be a shortcut to success. I wish it was, but it probably isn’t. My job isn’t to promote your books for you, it’s to help you promote your books more effectively. What I aim to help you do is to make sure you’re making a great first impression, on the web, in person, on the radio, in print – whatever you choose to do. You may never see me do most of what I do, but it does make a difference.

 

It would be nice if there was a one-size-fits-all promotion plan that could be duplicated again and again, but there isn’t. At least I haven’t found it. A great campaign can be small or large and focused on one area of promotion or several. What’s important is that it works for you and that you feel comfortable doing what it entails.

 

Three things a publicist can and should do no matter what the campaign involves:

 

1. Handle rejection – it happens, but it’s not personal and nobody likes to hear it. If it might be personal, I would talk to you about making some changes to take care of it, but usually it’s just business. I hear “no” in some form all the time. But I know it means “not now”, “call back another day”, or some variation of that. It usually doesn’t mean they’re rejecting you or your book. And in the rare cases in which it does, it’s easier for me to hear it than you. I’ll know to move on and look elsewhere.

 

2. Free up your time for writing – Many of the tasks involved in promotion are hugely time consuming. Unending follow up calls are inevitable. Since this is what we do, we’ve streamlined the process and can free up large amounts of your time. Let me do these things for you so you’ll have more time to write!

 

3. Lastly, we should be able to offer you direction when things get overwhelming and you’re not sure what to do next. Any promotional campaign should be very flexible. The market is highly unpredictable and whatever is in the news that day makes a difference whether you’ll get print space or broadcast time. If you’ve tried something and results are lackluster, your publicist can help you decide if it’s worth trying again, or time to move on to something different.

 

Above all, your publicist should be a team player, ready and willing to help you and your publisher get the right kind of attention for your book and help increase your sales base.

http://www.breakthroughpromotions.net/