Product Description

For first-time authors or the seasoned pro, this is the absolutely essential how-to for getting publicity—totally updated and expanded.

This indispensable guide from a book publicity insider offers everything authors must know to assist their publishers in publicizing, marketing, and promoting their books, including:

• Effective networking
• Defining a target readership
• Creating pitches for talk shows
• Getting media coverage
• Utilizing the Internet and other outlets
• Preparing for interviews and tours
• Hiring an independent publicist

With totally revised and updated information, advice, and resources, the insiders all agree: “Read this book!”( Ellen Levine, editorial director, Hearst Magazines)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57053 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780399534317
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Everyone in the publishing industry, and many not, have heard the stories-of authors who spend a year or more writing a book only to see it sink into oblivion when the publisher releases it with no fanfare; of authors left out in the cold when their editors are gone before pub date. Then there are the flip stories: of authors, sometimes self-published, who manage their own publicity campaigns or supplement their publishing house's and sell thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of copies. To avoid the former and promote the latter, Deval (Reckless Appetites), publisher of Hearst Books and former director of publicity for William Morrow, Doubleday, Villard and Book-of-the-Month Club, has written this book, easily the most incisive and expert guide to book publicity ever. Deval covers every conceivable aspect of generating and participating in book publicity, from creating press materials to engaging in a publicity tour, from getting on Oprah to marketing on the Internet, from conducting media interviews to hiring a freelance publicist and much more. And she gives advice that's applicable to both veterans and novices, authors with publishing houses backing them and those who are self-published. Her approach is direct and no-nonsense yet congenial, with the hard information enlivened by scores upon scores of anecdotes (including a most tantalizing section on so-called authors from hell). With all this information, plus an extensive resource section, this is the book for authors who want to expand publicity for their books, and there's not a publishing professional who won't learn something new and useful from it as well.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
“Easily the most incisive and expert guide to book publishing ever.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Everything your publisher, editor, and publicist will never tell you but you need to know.”
—M. J. Rose, co-author of Buzz Your Book

“No-nonsense, take-charge advice.”
—Nancy Lindemeyer, founding editor, Victoria magazine

“Essential.”
—Ellen Levine, editorial director, Hearst Magazines

“For authors planning to go on the road, I recommend this book highly.”
—Sharon Kelly Roth, director, public relations, Books & Co., Dayton

“Valuable advice here for both the first-time author and the seasoned pro.”
—Douglas Clegg, author of The Hour Before Dark and Buzz Your Book (coauthored with M. J. Rose)

“A treasure house of essential wisdom for any author seeking to publicize their work.”
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience and Lovingkindness, the Revolutionary Art of Happiness

About the Author
Jacqueline Deval is the publisher of Hearst Books. She served as director of publicity for numerous publishing houses including William Morrow, Villard, and Doubleday, as well as Book-of-the-Month Club.

Customer Reviews

Absolutely the BEST book on the subject.
Having just had the best book of my career--The Joy of Digital Photography--published and wanting it to do well, I spent a lot of time researching the subject of book promotion. The way I feel, any book that offers even a single useful tip is probably worth the cover price and if that is true, then Deval's book is worth a fortune: it is literally dripping with interesting and practical information. The 30 or so pages on "Resources" (which cover great web sites for finding newspapers, radio stations, book fairs, etc.) will save you dozens of hours of often frustrating online or library research.

Jacqueline Deval's description of the in-house promotion process is invaluable--you simply won't find a better description anywhere (and incidentally, I don't know the author and never heard of her before buying this book). Almost every detail of what she describes is something I've encountered with the in-house promotion for my latest book. In fact, it's a bit unsettling just how accurate her descriptions are.

One of the things I like best about this book, in fact, is that it is written to promote books that are being published through normal mainstream publishers. Many promotion books are written for self publishers--and those publisher/authors will certainly find this book more than useful--but there are fewer books written for traditionally published books. This book takes you inside the promotion departments of the biggest publishers and there is not a single page that is not overflowing with great information.

The chapters on "Internet Marketing" (she should probably change the name to "Online Marketing" which sounds more modern) and how to "Set up Your Own Publicity" are terrific.

Listen, publishers will promise you the world when it comes to book promotion and they will deliver what they can--but you cannot sit back and wait for your book to hit the bestsellers list: you must work the promotion game for yourself. And the more you know about which promises they are able to keep and which ones are going to fall through the cracks, the better off you are. This book is the best education you'll get (other than going through the process itself!).

Let me put it this way: if you are having a book published,currently writing a book or self-publishing a book, spending $15.95 on Deval's book will save you hundreds and hundreds of hours of work and no doubt help you make thousands of additional book sales.

The one thing I wish she had included more of are actual anecdotal examples--good case histories. She includes a few, but I would like to see more--many more.

My new book is The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Books) and it's a wonderful and fun book on taking digital photos--but if no one knows about it, they won't buy it. Promotion is what it is all about. Market, market, market.

And incidentally, no matter who your publisher is, begin asking questions about promotion before you sign a contract and get as much as you can in writing. This is YOUR book and YOUR life and YOU have a right and an obligation to ask these questions.

Jeff Wignall, author, The Joy of Digital Photography.

Get the word out about this book.
Book writers tend to come in three categories: (1) the unpublished who lament about how difficult it is to get published, (2) the newly published (and midlist authors) who lament about how little publishers do to promote their books, and (3) the wildly successful who lament about their taxes. This book is just the ticket for writers who are in or about to enter Category 2. It explains the realities of how publishers allocate their publicity resources and how to make the most of what they give you. It also gives you realistic guidance on how to get publicity for your own book ranging from hiring a publicist, arranging for events personally, and media training. It covers everything from the little leagues such as getting a story into the local weekly (easy) to the big leagues such as getting on Oprah (really hard). This is a genuinely solid book written by an industry professional who achieved miracles when she was promoting her own book. With a little luck, and a lot of work and planning, you just might become one of those authors who disgusts everyone else at writers' conferences by complaining about their taxes.

Comprehensive while NOT Exhaustive
Originally reviewed on May 29, 2003

I put off starting Jaqueline Deval's "Publicize Your Book" as long as I could, and much to my surprise, this is the first instructional/How-to book I have read cover to cover.

The style is straightforward and easy to read. Not too long and not too short, with just the right amount of asides for me to understand the details and apply them to my genre. I am a first time author of a gift book, and found Deval's guide covered book publicity as well as the parts of publishing relevant to publicity. Just what I needed.

After many months of trying to understand both the industry in general and my publisher in particular, I wish this book came out a year ago.

Michael Duranko, Bootism: a shoe religion
www.bootism.com