By Stacey J. Miller, Book Publicist
S. J. Miller Communications
[email protected]
How much should you expect to pay for your book publicity campaign? There are several variables involved, so it’s tough to predict exactly how much you’ll have to spend to promote your book. The cost will vary from one author to another, and it will depend on the specifics of your book publicity campaign. But here are the costs to consider when you’re planning your author publicity budget:
• Hiring a Book Publicist. If you’ve hired a book publicist, then your book publicist’s fee is part of the cost of promoting your book. But the cost of a book publicist’s services vary and depend upon the size and scope of your book publicity campaign. You’re not “stuck” with a single cost. Shop around, and find a book publicist who can conduct the author publicity campaign you want to happen … and, once you’ve done a chemistry check (you have to like your book publicist!) and established her credentials (by checking references and asking about her track record), be sure you’re staying within your author publicity campaign budget. Hiring a book publicist is only one of the costs of promoting your book.
• Travel. These days, an author publicity campaign seldom includes a multi-city book tour. Technology has come too far, and budgets tend to be tight. Fortunately, there are other ways to promote your book in various major metro areas including pitching phone and Skype interviews, and conducting a virtual blog tour (most book publicists routinely set up virtual blog tours for authors — and, if you’re considering a book publicist who doesn’t know what a virtual blog tour is, then run in the opposite direction as quickly as possible!). But there’s still the possibility that a major media outlet in another city will invite you to be an in-studio guest, and you’ll probably want to accept the offer if the opportunity sounds right for you. That will most likely mean paying your own way, and paying all of the costs associated with your trip (food, lodging, taxis, and the like). That said, travel costs are a nice expense to have. It means you’ve been invited to appear as a guest on a major media outlet. Who doesn’t want that?
• Book Web Site. You could have your neighbor’s 11-year-old design your book web site, or you could have your middle school-aged nephew do it, or you do it yourself at one of those web site building sites … but resist the temptation. Your web site often is your first opportunity to be seen by your potential readers and the media. Use that opportunity wisely by investing in a professionally-designed web site by a firm that specializes in creating book web sites.
• Free Books. You know those books you’re giving away to the media, bloggers, and readers for free as part of your book publicity campaign? Well, those books are free for the recipients, but they won’t be free for you. You’ll have to purchase them. So factor the cost of those “free” books into the price of your author publicity campaign. And then add extra books just in case your book publicity campaign takes off, and you get far more book requests that you expected. As a side note, you might be able to talk some media decision makers into accepting a copy of your eBook instead of a hard copy of your book. And the day may come when it’s not such a tough sell. But, for now, count on most producers, hosts, editors, and reporters wanting you to send them a copy of what they still consider to be the “real” book. Don’t screen too carefully. The most expensive books are the ones you don’t send because you’re counting pennies too closely, and you turn away a book request from someone who would have given your book a plug.
• Postage. And, speaking of sending the media decision makers your book, you have to pay for that, too. Postage costs can vary, too, but make sure to use a mailing vendor and method that provides tracking. You can’t guarantee that the producer, host, editor, or reporter will actually open your package, but you can ensure that he or she received it if you send it via one of the major delivery services. The best idea, as far as this book publicist is concerned, is to use the United States Postal Service’s Priority service. Use the USPS’s Priority packaging, which is free and looks impressive. And not only will you get free tracking with that, but you’ll be able to predict that the book will arrive at its destination in no more than three business days. What a deal!
Does size (of your author publicity budget) really matter? It is, in the sense that you want to spend enough to promote your book effectively and professionally. Certainly you don’t want to conduct a book publicity campaign on such a thin shoestring that your sneakers fall off you’re feet while you’re walking. On the other hand, author publicity isn’t an exact science. You can’t say, with any certainly, that you invest X in your book promotion campaign, you’ll earn Y in return. Book promotion always contains an element of uncertainty. You don’t know what you’ll receive for your investment of money, effort, and time. Will you land a guest spot on a national television show? Will you get a book review in a major daily newspaper? Will you get a chance to join a panel discussion on NPR? No one knows, and because book promotion involves gambling, it’s a good idea to stay within your comfort zone when you plan your book publicity campaign.
Spend thoughtfully, but do spend. Only you can decide how much your book publicity campaign will cost you. Don’t invest more than you can afford, but remember that the most expensive book publicity campaign is the one you don’t conduct at all. The lost potential book sales just can’t be worth the money you may have saved.