It’s no secret that publishing houses’ promotional budgets have shrunk, making it necessary for authors to act as their own publicists. Hell, when I was a mid-level marketer for an academic publisher five years ago, I was often frustrated by the limitations placed upon me when it came to promoting my authors. What I was able to do then is very similar to what most publishers are limited to now:
- sending out review copies and press kits to a select group of media outlets
- writing copy for forthcoming catalogs
- if the timing was right, sending copies of the book to BEA, or to relevant professional conferences
- and maybe — just maybe — sending out direct mail pieces focused on the book
It’s not much. But I don’t see these limitations as reason to abandon the traditional publishing model entirely. [Read more…]
