An outside or freelance publicist is an investment in your career and your visibility as an author. Publicists tend to have connections that your UP marketing department may not cultivate. These tend to be bigger swings, like TV appearances, national print interviews, or major book clubs. Getting your book placed in such venues requires no small amount of time and connections (and luck!), and an outside publicist can invest more time into such opportunities that have a naturally lower success rate.
Most university presses do have publicity departments, but what they do for each book might vary from press to press. Outside publicists have smaller client lists than presses, and they work specifically for you in a detailed fashion. They are invested in the author brand and may help you with social media presence, a personal website, and other matters your publisher may not have the resources to invest in. A good outside publicist is expensive, and you can expect to pay thousands or tens of dollars depending on your goals, expectations, and the terms of your contract with them. It will be up to you to be clear with your publicist about your goals, whether you are hoping their services can help you drive up sales, build your brand, set up author events and appearances, or help you reach other milestones. Before you engage a publicist, make a list of your goals and make sure to discuss them—and the payment scheme—before signing on with anyone. The cost of their services will vary depending on the time frame and tasks you agree upon.
Whether to hire an outside publicist to promote a specific book is worth discussing with your publisher to determine what that publicist can add to your publisher’s own publicity plans. The downside of hiring an outside publicist has mostly to do with the cost, which you cannot expect to be offset by the money your book earns you. Be mindful of the commercial potential of your genre and calculate prudently. If you are trying to balance the cost of a good publicist with the publication of a single book, you are taking a risk. However, a good publicist will set you up for future publication success. A review in the New York Times, a column in the Washington Post, an interview on NPR—this kind of publicity can help you become a more attractive author for your next book as much as this one. Even academics have hired publicists to help maximize the impact of their research, as splashy coverage can be useful on the job market.
As for where to find good and reputable publicists, you can start by asking your press if they have a shortlist of freelancers or companies they have worked with in the past, or you can reach out to friends and colleagues for their recommendations. Magazines like Poets & Writers and publishing experts like Jane Friedman offer advice and tips on their websites for finding a publicist, and freelancers advertise on Reedsy and Fiverr. Just remember to vet any company or freelancer you’re considering hiring prior to signing a working agreement. Good publicists tend to know major media markets and have run successful campaigns in the past; they will have ready examples of prior campaigns and can also give you referrals if you ask. If you do decide to hire an outside publicist, good communication and coordination between the publisher’s publicist and your outside publicist is essential both to encourage collaboration and to avoid the duplication of efforts.
—Texas Tech University Press, December 2024
Also of interest: What can authors do to help promote their books?