Choosing a Publicist: Ruling Out and Ruling In

Nowadays, galore writers elite to prosecute their ain publicists. That’s particularly existent for those who people pinch small, independent, aliases nontraditional presses, since that whitethorn beryllium nan only measurement for them to unafraid media attention. It’s besides true, however, for writers who return nan accepted route. Unless you’re a awesome name, your patient will person constricted clip and resources to give to your book. If you want much exposure, you’ll person to make it hap yourself.

Getting a book connected nan radar of imaginable readers is simply a complex, multi-faceted process. An writer tin do a batch of nan networking herself, but it’s uncommon for her to person nan knowledge, contacts, and clout that a master tin offer—and, without which, nan radius of her outreach will stay limited. Thus, a business pinch an knowledgeable publicist tin beryllium invaluable.

However, location are a batch of publicists retired there. How tin you prime nan correct one?

The author-publicist narration is simply a particular, time- and task-specific partnership. While publicists do move down group who want to activity pinch them, successful wide nan prime is nan author’s. It’s a captious decision, intuitive arsenic good arsenic analytic, requiring consciousness of oneself on pinch information of nan publicist’s skills and strengths. That is, it’s a look successful 2 directions.

Other essays connected this tract person described what a bully publicist does (and doesn’t) do aliases fixed proposal connected how to hole for a productive relationship. Posts elsewhere propose questions to inquire a imaginable publicist—e.g., tin you show maine astir sample campaigns you’ve overseen, person you ever worked pinch a book akin to mine, really overmuch do you complaint and what is included successful nan price?

These questions are necessary, but they’re not sufficient. They don’t get astatine nan bosom of nan matter, which is nan fit. Without nan fit, nan narration won’t work, sloppy of nan publicist’s stellar credentials.

As Socrates said: Know thyself. The corollary to that is: Know what you’re looking for. You can’t embark connected an intelligent hunt for a publicist until you’ve examined your ain needs, expectations, and transactional style. There are, successful fact, 2 aspects to nan search: uncovering nan correct expertise, and uncovering nan correct relationship. Conflating nan two, aliases focusing only connected nan first, tin lead to an unproductive, unhappy experience. You entrust your book to someone, and past consciousness let-down erstwhile things don’t move retired nan measurement you expected.

The bully news is that this benignant of disappointment tin beryllium avoided by asking nan correct questions—and past adjusting (right-sizing) if needed—before you prosecute someone. 

Step One: Ruling Out

The first measurement is to place publicists who are reputable and affordable. You request to destruct those you would not want to activity with—e.g., group pinch nary references aliases nary acquisition representing books akin to yours, group who are not transparent astir costs aliases whose fees are beyond your means.

An first screening should see ethics, competence, and clarity astir nan quality of nan agreement, should you determine to prosecute nan firm. This should beryllium intelligibly stated connected nan person’s website aliases successful her written material. What are you paying for: hours, tasks, aliases results? If you’re buying master time, nan publicist’s connection should authorities really galore hours are included and/or what nan hourly complaint is. If you’re buying nan accomplishment of definite tasks, sloppy of really agelong they take, those tasks should beryllium listed connected nan proposal. If you’re buying results—be careful. No publicist tin guarantee results. Whether a transportation leads to a placement, aliases a placement leads to sales, is extracurricular nan publicist’s control. There are conscionable excessively galore different factors. All a publicist tin guarantee is what she will do, not really nan world will respond.

It’s during nan ruling-out shape that talking to different authors tin beryllium useful. Their acquisition will thief you destruct immoderate publicist who’s unresponsive, has hidden fees, has misrepresented her experience, aliases has ne'er represented anyone pinch a book for illustration yours.

Assuming you’ve covered nan questions above, you now person a database of bully publicists. The adjacent task is to determine who, among these candidates, is bully for you.

In different words, nan fit.

Step Two: Ruling In

During nan ruling-in stage, erstwhile you’re looking for nan personification who’s correct for you, talking to different group whitethorn not beryllium helpful. It mightiness beryllium conscionable nan opposite, since you’ll ever find personification who loved Publicist Mary and personification other who hated her. Too overmuch subjective information, without a measurement to benignant and rank that information, tin beryllium confusing alternatively than useful.

How tin you decide, then? People will show you, “Follow your instinct.” But what is “instinct?” What are nan components of nan highly individual soul sensitivity that tin service arsenic a guide?

In my experience—as a therapist and teacher, agelong earlier I became a novelist—there are 3 superior areas to see erstwhile seeking nan correct fit: expectations, temperament, and connection style.

Expectations

From my conversations pinch authors and publicists, I’ve learned that nan biggest root of discord and disappointment is simply a mismatch successful expectations. You request to beryllium clear astir what you want, what you tin realistically expect to get, and what nan publicist tin realistically deliver. Mutual knowing is critical; without it, problems are inevitable.

To get to that mutuality, you whitethorn request to right-size your expectations, particularly if they don’t representation good onto nan benignant of book you’ve written, your writer platform, and nan magnitude of clip and money you’re consenting to invest. The publicist who tells you really overmuch she adores your book aliases offers a laundry database of promotional activities—with nary priorities, options, aliases ways to tailor efforts to a book for illustration yours—may beryllium inflating your expectations successful a measurement that will backfire later. In contrast, nan publicist who delivers a dose of “tough love,” correct astatine nan outset, whitethorn person your champion liking astatine heart.

It’s important to separate betwixt trading and publicity truthful you’ll understand what you’re asking for—and what you’ll beryllium getting. People whitethorn place themselves arsenic publicists when, successful fact, they’re offering trading services aliases conscionable trading advice. What’s nan difference? Other articles person addressed this question. Simply put, trading refers to nan things you salary for, successful bid to go known (like advertisement placements), while publicity refers to attraction from nan media (like interviews and reviews) that you do not salary for. You salary for them indirectly, of course, by paying for nan clip (that is, nan connections and clout) of a master publicist.

There’s thing incorrect pinch paying personification to thief you pinch marketing. Just deliberation done your priorities and look for personification who does nan kinds of things you want to attraction on. After all, location are countless ways to beforehand a book.

Questions to inquire a publicist successful bid to place your expectations:

• For my peculiar book, wherever do you expect to attraction your energy? (What useful for 1 book won’t activity for each books, authors, aliases publicists.)
• What are you really bully at?
• Which parts of this process do you bask least? (Will you request to find personification other to grip these aspects, are they things you could do yourself, aliases are you good pinch shifting power elsewhere?)
• How will I cognize if nan run has been successful?

Temperament

Temperament has to do pinch nan benignant of personification you are—whether you flare up quickly aliases person a slow burn, move gears readily aliases request clip to adapt, person aggravated feelings aliases return things successful stride. People are different, truthful it’s earthy that they will person different responses to nan aforesaid situation—or nan aforesaid publicist.

Think astir your erstwhile experiences and relationships. Do you for illustration to scheme and cognize you tin trust connected that plan, aliases do you bask spontaneity and surprise? Do you gravitate and get on champion pinch group who lucifer your tempo and style, aliases pinch group who supply balance?

Think back, too, astir different professionals you’ve hired. Do you request to beryllium intimately involved, aliases do you for illustration to measurement backmost erstwhile you cognize you’re successful nan hands of personification you trust? Do you request a consciousness of quality connection, aliases is it capable if nan personification knows his aliases her job?

With this self-knowledge, see nan author-publicist narration and inquire yourself: are you looking for a partner (a collaborative relationship) aliases an master (someone who will activity connected your behalf)? Do you request personification who’s passionate astir your peculiar book, aliases is it capable to cognize that she’s bully astatine publicizing books, successful general? Will you consciousness disappointed aliases de-personalized by personification who’s very businesslike?

Questions to inquire a publicist successful bid to place your temperament:

• Will you publication my book? What if you don’t for illustration it?
• Have you ever signed a client, only to observe that nan statement isn’t working? How did you woody pinch it?
• What is it astir my book that excites aliases intrigues you? Why would you want me, specifically, for a client?
• Can you show if a customer is going to beryllium a bully fresh aliases a mediocre fresh for you? If so, how?

Communication style

Do you want to beryllium included successful immoderate aliases astir of nan decisions, aliases would you alternatively person a study of what’s been done, aft it’s been done? Some group want to beryllium intimately progressive and kept successful nan loop astatine each times. They request predominant connection and a chance to sound their views. Other group want to prosecute personification they spot and past measurement back; predominant connection feels for illustration a burden.

Each interactional style has its pros and cons. The highly progressive customer has to beryllium observant not to request changeless reassurance, gaffe into trying to micromanagement, of details, aliases show nan professionals really to do their job—after all, that’s what you’re paying them for. On nan different hand, nan uninvolved customer risks emotion disappointed and unhappy, later, erstwhile nan publicist didn’t publication her mind aliases things didn’t move retired arsenic she’d imagined.

Questions to inquire a publicist successful bid to place your interactional style:

• What benignant of reporting aliases accounting do you nonstop me? How often will I perceive from you?
• Which tasks mightiness I beryllium capable to grip myself? Which would beryllium better for maine to grip myself, successful bid for you to usage your (paid) clip strategically?
• Describe nan customer from hell.
• Tell maine astir a clip erstwhile you had a misunderstanding aliases trouble pinch a client. Why do you deliberation it happened, and really did you resoluteness it?

Parting advice

The 12 bulleted items supra are questions that nan publicist will beryllium answering. However, your consequence to her answers tin besides supply important information. If immoderate of her answers make your bosom soar (or sink), that’s accusation you request to salary attraction to. Can you unrecorded pinch what she’s told you? As pinch each relationships, you can’t embark connected a business pinch nan dream that nan personification will beryllium different erstwhile you get to cognize each other.

At nan aforesaid time, there’s nary cleanable fit, truthful you will request to prioritize. Which of nan elements supra are “must have,” which are “nice to have,” and which are deal-breakers?

This is simply a important decision, truthful it needs to beryllium approached pinch care. After all, nan intent of a book is to beryllium read. Your publicist plays a pivotal domiciled successful helping to make that happen.