Whether you are published or pre-published, book publicity is something you must be mindful of. The amazing Maryglenn McCombs
has graciously agreed to endure an interview with me in order to share
some of her knowledge on the subject. Maryglenn has actively been
working in the book publishing industry
for nearly 20 years. She has served as a guest lecturer for publishing workshops, conferences
and events, including serving as a panelist for the Southern Festival
of Books. She is a member of the Publishers Association of the
South (PAS) and Publishers Marketing Association (PMA).
*****
. What are the reasons an author should consider using a
publicist?
I think there are two
main reasons authors should consider hiring a publicist. First, it makes a huge
difference to have someone who is familiar with the media, understands the
timing of when (and when not) to pitch a book, how to pitch a book, knows what
reviewers and journalists are looking for, and knows the ins and outs of how to
get a book reviewed, covered, or featured. Second, I think it would be
extremely hard to try to promote my own book—assuming I had a book to promote.
I would definitely want to hire a go-between to do the promoting for me. That
isn’t to say that there aren’t a multitude of great authors who also happen to
be great self-promoters, but I would definitely want to have someone doing that
work on my behalf as opposed to trying to do it myself. I have reviewer
contacts who’ve told me they prefer working with publicists and while they love
hearing from authors, don’t necessarily want to be pitched by the authors
themselves. Sometimes that can get a little tricky, I’m told.
With social media becoming more and more prevalent, how have you
seen your job as a publicist change?
Social media has
definitely had an impact on my job. Journalists—especially those who have a
social media presence—seem to be more accessible (and it doesn’t hurt to be
able to know what they’re thinking, blogging, tweeting, or Facebook-ing about).
Social media, in some ways, has exponentially increased the value and scope of
good reviews. I encourage all of my authors to share good reviews and coverage
via social media. Having an outstanding quote or review to share with your
social network can be a wonderful way to get people excited about your book—and
build momentum.
3
Is there a timeline that an author should consider when it comes
to publicity and/or contacting a publicist, and if so, what is it?
In a perfect world,
all authors would contact me about 6 months in advance of publication. In the
real world, I’m happy to have a little advance notice (at least a month) but do
occasionally take on books that are already released. Having lots of lead time
can help, but there are ways to promote books past their release dates. In
fact, I tend to tell authors that it is really never too late to promote a
book. I recommend starting early, though—or at least that authors start
thinking about PR early.
4
You have a reputation for “thinking outside the book” when it
comes to publicizing your clients and their books. What are some of your
favorite things you have done to promote a client/book?
Thanks for asking that
question. I have some good stories but my favorite has to be one that happened
last December. I’ve worked with mystery writer Don Bruns for years—I
think we’ve done 7 or 8 books together now. I begged him for years to include
my Old English Sheepdog, Garcia, as a character in one of his books. (On a sad
note, I should mention that we lost our Sweet Garcia in June after 11 wonderful
and glorious years.)
 |
| Garcia |
I finally wore Don
down and he made Garcia a character in Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, a
mystery novel that came out last December.
I had heard through
the grapevine that Rush Limbaugh was a proud Old English Sheepdog owner so I
sent his dogs (Abby and Wellesley) a pitch letter from my dog, Garcia, telling
them about the book and how great it would be if the dogs could convince their
“dad” (Rush Limbaugh) to talk about the book –and Garcia, of course—on his
show.
And he did! So
now I have the distinction of telling people that I was successful at getting
my dog (and Don’s book) on the Rush Limbaugh Show. Don and I still get
quite a chuckle over that story. Our phones rang off the hook for days…I had no
idea just how many loyal Rush Limbaugh listeners there were!
5
In a challenging economy such as this one, each dollar
counts. For a pre-published author who has to decide between spending
money on conferences, memberships in writing organizations, websites, etc.,
what advice do you have for the not-yet-published author in terms of where to
direct their resources?
Conferences,
conferences, conferences. So valuable—and the networking opportunities
alone far exceed the price of admission. I’m a big fan of genre-specific
conferences and recommend them highly to both published authors and those
looking to be published.
6
What book(s) are you currently reading?
I am reading an
incredible November mystery, Fever Dream by Dennis Palumbo (Poisoned Pen
Press) which I’ll be representing. It is so good it is almost criminal that I
get to call this “work." I am trying—trying—to
convince myself to pick up The Art of Racing in the Rain but I’m not
quite there—yet. In time!
Thank you so much,
Heather; I appreciate the fun questions!
Maryglenn
