Study: Who is online, and what are they doing?

The Austin-Based New Media Lab gave us some food for thought yesterday. As book publicists, we are always trying to figure out who is online and who isn't, and we were surprised at some of the findings. For example: less than 20% of my fellow Gen Xers are blogging? What? Maybe it was it all that Nirvana and directionless youth stuff we grew up with?

More from the report:

Myth #1: The Internet is for Teeny Boppers

False! Extrapolating from the data:

- 5% of people over age 62 create web content (blogs, podcasts, etc). That means that in a room of 20 people aged 62 or over, at least ONE posts content to the internet.

- In a room of 17 senior citizens, at least one has joined a social network.

- One of every nine seniors you know actually comment on blogs and post critiques and ratings. Which actually makes sense, if you think about it: Who's more opinionated than Grandpa? You try adjusting the thermostat.

Myth #2: Tech savvy behavior is totally mainstream

False again!

- Only 30% of GenY and 19% of GenX create content.

- No age group uses RSS readers at a rate over 18%. (Odds are YOU reading this don't quite understand RSS readers either.)

- 19% more GenYers than Young Teens join social networks. This implies that the highest rate of social networkers is in the college category. This one will be a demo to watch closely, it WILL change over the next three years, according to NML.

So what can we learn from this, book publicists?

-Don't assume senior citizens are anti-internet. "Interwebs, is that The Google or something? You kids and your crazy machines!!" Dismiss that stereotype, and accept your grandmother's Facebook invite.

-Do pay attention to Millenials (i.e. Gen Y). Only 30% of them are creating web content, but that number will probably grow. Pitch accordingly.

-Do learn how to use an RSS reader (like your humble blogger did a few years weeks ago).

To read the rest of NML's interesting report, click here.

"Micro persuasion" is the new black

I don't know if it's the adorable graphics on Twitter, or the fact that words like 'tweet,' 'twittering,' and 'tweet-up' make us feel like we're communicating in cartoon-language, but many authors and book industry individuals can't help but smirk - still - when we extol the very real virtues of Twitter.

"But you can interact with consumers in a way you normally wouldn't!" we cry. "Even media tweets! Oprah has started tweeting!!"

"Yeah yeah, 'Twitter.' I get it. Real cute. Have you called the New York Times yet?"

Phrases like "old media" and "new media" are fraught with connotations ("stodgy" and "over-hyped" come to mind), so let's not even go there. Instead, Dear Reader, I'd like to turn your attention to an article that released this week from The New York Observer about publishers' changing attitudes towards social media. Here's a chunk:

"The central insight driving much of the outreach that publishers have undertaken online is that, if used with finesse and attention, social media platforms like Twitter can be used deliberately to generate that invaluable, heretofore elusive phenomenon known as word of mouth...publishing houses have sought to integrate themselves and their authors into various online communities of readers, and to interact—meaningfully!—with the individuals who participate in them. While they make no attempt to conceal their affiliations, the publicists and marketing people who man their companies’ accounts on Facebook and Twitter aim to be seen not as corporate promoters, but as friends taking part in a conversation."

Most people now understand what the point of social media is. If the book-buying public is a classroom, and Oprah, The Today Show, and The New York Times our teachers, Facebook and Twitter are the notes we pass in class. It feels fun, almost conspiratorial, and if you're already on-board with social media then I don't need to preach to you anymore. Except to say:

Our "teachers" have taken up the notes. And they want in on the party.

I've been hearing a lot about "the open web" lately, and the gist is basically this: EVERYTHING, all media, is going social. "Well, duh, that's what the comments section is for," you say. But by "social" we don't just mean "interactive" - the open web will reverse the top-down way media currently works (saw a book on the The Today Show, blogged about it, my readers bought the book), and instead, foster a network of online channels where the biggest stars interact the most places. From MicroPersuasion.com:

"Tomorrow, as everything becomes social, you will be able to shop Amazon directly from within your iGoogle page without ever having to visit the site. What's more, Amazon will show you what your Gmail address book friends have publicly said about a product and/or its category in any one of thousands of online communities. Finally, to help you further Amazon will offer an aggregated view of your friends' friends opinions in a way that protects their identity....

Marketers need to really embrace the fact that it's peers and their data, rather than brand, that will become the primary way we make decisions. The greatest rewards will go to those who embrace and participate in as many communities as they possibly can in credible ways."

For the sake of argument, let's switch out "marketers" for "publicists" and "brand" for "big media" - Oprah, Today Show, etc. If micro persuasion pans out, we'll pay a LOT more attention to those little notes our friends are passing us, rather than the algebra lesson our teacher is writing on the blackboard. (Especially if your friend is @johncmayer, in which case you might have to deflect his 10,000,000 daily notes with a sturdy Trapper Keeper).

Now, book publicists have always placed a high premium on relationships, but that's about to go into overdrive as we look down the road to 2010 and beyond, as consumers become the media. In five years, we may very well be saying, "Oprah likes Eckhart Tolle's new book? Who cares? My ex-boyfriend, my second cousin, that girl I met at a party last weekend and my accountant all like the new Martha Beck book, so I'm going with that."

What a difference a year makes

I'm in Boston getting ready for the start of "Publishing Books, Memoirs and Other Creative Non-Fiction" conference, which is put on by the Harvard Medical School's Department of Continuing Education.

It's a sweet gig--the conference is at the Fairmont Copley Square and Boston is always fun. This is my fourth year and it is one of my favorite trips each year. I'm due to give a media training workshop at 2:30 PM each of the next two days and then a speech on the broader publicity process Saturday at 11:30 AM.

As I prepped today on the flight up to Boston it was pretty eye-opening to think about how much I've had to revise last year's presentation. Each year I go through the normal updates but this year was almost a total rewrite. It is amazing how much the publicity process has changed in just one year...

Social networking?

Last year: "If you have time, I suggest a MySpace page for your book."

This year: "A commitment to social networking is no longer an option, it's a requirement. By the end of the weekend you should start building your presence on Facebook and Twitter and thinking about viral strategies for your book."

Newspaper coverage?

Last year: "Although slowing down, daily newspaper coverage - in print form - remains one of the most realistic and sought after targets for authors and publicists."

This year: "Thanks to mobile extensions, Twitter applications and clicks per day, online extensions of traditional print outlets like the New York Times are more visible bookings for authors and publicists."

Mommy bloggers?

Last year: "It's a cute trend we're starting to see--moms reviewing books, commenting on pop culture and generating conversations with each other in their spare time. It must keep them busy."

This year: "Mommy bloggers have become one of the most influential target markets for books online. Any book targeting women 25-55 has to resonate with this segment of the market. Oh, and they're making a fortune off of ad revenue. The more popular mommy bloggers have opened the door for the dudes they married to leave their jobs and stay home and count money."

Blog tours?

Last year: "Apparently, New York Times thinks we should send our authors on "appearances" around the internet."

This year: "Blog tours, online book giveaways, author guest posts, etc. are crucial to every book publicity campaign. Try giving your bloggers a time range - a 3-4 day window, for example - to post their reviews, giveaway, etc. in order to spike Amazon rankings and increase the book's search engine optimization."

How much will change between 2009 and 2010? Any thoughts?

Based on the novel

I just want to take this opportunity to briefly speak to anyone out there who has ever said, “I really think my book should be made into a film.”

Okay, stop right there. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer here, but after hearing this phrase for the 1 billionth time, we at P&P thought something should be said on the subject.

First off, if your goal is to one day have a film on the big screen based on a story you wrote, perhaps you should look into screenwriting. Cut out the middle man. I’m just sayin’....

Second, let’s look at the facts: I recently came across a great article on the Boston Globe’s site about just how many movies are actually made from books these days (fiction, specifically).

One publisher and literary agent interviewed notes that, in the 25 years she’s been in the business, most novels she’s worked with have been optioned for a film—but none made.

However, this isn’t the case for all. Some book rights are snapped up and made in no time. In fact, we’ve had some recent success with books making it into production, including Entering Hades, a true crime book about a serial killer.

Of course, here are also examples like recent Oscar buzz-worthy flick Revolutionary Road, a book that was written in 1961 and just made into a movie in 2008 (after much campaigning from star Kate Winslet and her husband, director Sam Mendes).

Another instance is novelist Elinor Lipman, who sold an option to her book Then She Found Me 19 years ago, only to have it made into a movie that went into limited release in April 2008.

And if the recent Watchmen fiasco is any indication, sometimes it may just be better not to have your book optioned at all.

In the end, it’s important to remember why you’re an author in the first place—hopefully because you feel a calling to share your story with readers and you’re passionate about what you do. The goal of your publicity campaign shouldn’t necessarily be to get your book made into a movie, but to establish your presence as an author.

And if you write that awesome book and Hollywood does come a knockin’...well, that’s just icing on the cake.

Book publicist resolutions

It's 2009, book publicists. And while the rest of the world may resolve to quit smoking, visit the gym every day, or finally start recycling, we've got a whole other set of priorities. So what should our resolutions be?

Over at The Book Publicity Blog, Yen Cheong has given us some great ideas. Here's a sampling:

PUBLICITY

"Make sure an author’s web presence is established early, as in, by the time galleys are sent to the media (typically four-six months before a book goes on sale). Depending on the author, “web presence” could mean any or all of the following: website, blog, social networking profile, discussion group, wiki, etc. Whatever it is, get it up there ASAP because while you’re dithering over fonts and flash, readers and journalists are out there Googling the book. In this day and age when basic sites can be created in a few minutes for free, there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to find accurate information about something."

EMAIL

"Use Reply All — when appropriate. We’ve been conditioned to not use Reply All (with good reason). But sometimes, when I email a producer / writer and copy an author (or vice versa) and the contact only responds to me, I’m left simply forwarding the message. Not only is that a waste of my time, but when time is of the essence, it could lead to a missed opportunity."

For more of Yen's spot-on book publicity ideas, read the full post here.

So fellow book publicists, do you have any resolutions to share?

Two Publicists for the Price of One

Today's post is brought to you by Wendy Kays, author of Game Widow. Wendy recently appeared on the Dr. Phil Show to discuss video game addiction. For more information on Wendy or her book, visit gamewidow.org.

Your publicity campaign is about to start, and you’re feeling a sense of relief. Finally, you’ll be handing all the effort of promoting your book to someone else! Finally, you’ll be on Oprah! Hold on, there, my friend. Before you settle too deeply into your couch of self-content, consider this. What if you could have two publicists for the price of one?

You can maximize your investment in book promotion by being a valuable assistant to your publicist. You don’t need a degree in public relations or marketing to help move your campaign to a higher level. There are five basic things you can do to make the time your publicist spends on your campaign more productive and pleasant for you both.

1. First, gather local press contact information for your publicist. After all, you know your home media best. So make a list of all the newspapers, magazines, and television shows published and broadcast near you, especially ones that cover books or topics in your general category. Then, get online and start visiting the web pages of those media. Look under the “Contact Us” or “To Report Breaking News” links for a phone and/or fax number, or email address your publicist could use. Make note of every contact method you find. If there are editor or reporter names, make a note of both the name, title, and personal contact information of the people most likely to be interested in you or your book. Using a spreadsheet to keep this information neat and easily sorted is best, but what really matters is getting it all down so your publicist doesn’t have to spend hours looking all this up when he/she could be sending out pitches and talking with people who might be interested in your book. Send this list to your publicist, and you’ve just jump-started promotion on a new local author!

2. Next, if you haven’t already done this, create alliances with other people who speak on your topic. Start with the list of celebrity endorsers you approached to praise your book publicly. If your book compliments the work they are doing, you can make an agreement to not only link to each other’s websites, but also to quote, recommend, and mention each other to customers, colleagues, and the press. This doesn’t mean talking about their book or website instead of your own. What this means is using these people as further resources for people who have come to you and are still wanting more. This is how my book, Game Widow, started capturing attention only days after publication. I’m covering a wide and sometimes controversial subject that isn’t well understood, and by working together instead of alone, my allies and I can get more press for our cause: educating and empowering non-gamers in a video game world.

3. Third, create events for your publicist to promote. Book signings are good, but also consider getting online and looking for organizations that would be interested in hearing you speak. Find calls for presenters, and submit your paperwork for groups not based in your local area, and find a contact for local groups to query. Every time you get the chance to appear formally in public as an author, let your publicist know as soon as you do. Make sure you send the name of the event, an address, a contact name and phone number, and relevant details. These details would include whether or not your appearance is to a select audience or the general public, whether it’s a speech only, or if you’ll be taking questions, etc. Even if you’re going to be sitting in a booth at a large fair, let your publicist know in case that information can be parlayed into press space.

4. Fourth, try to do everything your publicist recommends. Create a website, blog, write articles in your area of expertise for newsletters, etc. Don’t think of publicist suggestions as nice ideas, make them priorities on your list of important things to get done right now. If you don’t know how to put up a website or blog, take a class, recruit a friend, or hire someone to help. This may seem like a waste of time and money. But covering all the angles brought me national media attention before my publicity campaign had officially started, and a booking with Dr. Phil three days after publication. Don’t assume this stuff can happen down the road. My website was up, my blogging kept it at the top of the search engine listings, and other experts I linked to also recommended and linked to me. Assume that your publicist knows better than you do, reject advice rarely, and then, only go your own was for solid business reasons. You may know more about your book topic, but even I, with a PR degree, listen to my publicist as the expert before I make any promotional decision.

5. Fifth and finally, put the onus for your success on yourself…not your publicist. As someone once said, when it comes to breakfast, the chicken was involved, but the pig was committed. You’re not just contributing a book to this effort and then walking away, job done. You. Are. The. Product. Be available for questions, get your assignments and e-interviews finished early so you can get to extra credit promo work, and if the media doesn’t flock to your book, think of what more YOU can do. The publicist did everything possible, but may need more to work with. Or simply a little patience as the slow wheels of the media turn toward your offering, hidden among hundreds and thousands of other options. After all, your publicist is not the only one calling Oprah, and books are never breaking news. And some forms of media plan three months or more in advance. Much of the work done now can’t pay off until long after the campaign ends.

No matter how you fare with the media during the life of your book, when you actively contribute to the media campaign process, you put yourself in a better position to keep up the promotion momentum when the campaign comes to an end. You may not be calling or pitching the media now, but you will someday. Helping your publicist in small ways not only builds incredible good will, it also protects you from feeling like an ignoramus three months from now when you learn firsthand how hard it is to push into the news & entertainment cycle…and how good at it your publicist really was. You’ll feel a lot better about yourself, then, if you work hard and treat your publicist with respect now.

--Wendy Kays

EDITOR'S NOTE: To watch a clip of Wendy on The Dr. Phil Show, click here.

Wisdom from the Chicago Tribune: Get personal with journalists

Book publicists - heck, all publicists for that matter - walk a hard line. On the one hand, we want to be friends with key media contacts. On the other hand, we don't want to annoy our key media contacts. Why? The more friendly, and simultaneously less annoying we are, the more chance we have of landing solid media coverage for our authors and books. So no better way to start that friendly-but-not-annoying-friendly relationship on the right foot than a cheerful, non-invasive email, right?

WRONG. Let's hear it for the Chicago Tribune (and the Bulldog Reporter, who ran this piece earlier this summer) who eloquently dispels this line of thinking. Publicists: be ye not afraid of the telephone. We're talkers. Let's reach out and touch the media via some phone calls and meetings, shall we? Here's more:

"An email followed by a telephone call really is not the best way to go if you want to get our attention," says Michael A. Lev, business editor at the Chicago Tribune (circ. 957,212). "Instead, I think the way to stand out is to make a call and leave a message first—and then to follow up with your email. I have the same counterintuitive advice for sending materials," he adds. "A press kit followed with a call will be remembered. But an email is just too easy to skip over or delete."

His larger point: "Email or anything on its own isn't strategy—it's a gamble. But tying a phone call to it makes it more than a shot in the dark. A call just makes it more personal"––especially in light of today's spray–and–pray email campaigns. That said, "Journalists want their relationships with PR people to be as concise and focused as possible," Lev stresses. "If you get us on the phone or leave a message, keep it very brief. If you don't hear back, assume it wasn't relevant. We'll get back to you if we're interested." His additional tips:

• Afternoon deadlines are dead—pitch breaking news around the clock. "We are all doing much more with less. We have gone through buyouts—and staffs aren't as big as they used to be. On top of that, we all break news on the web now—at least, we're teaching our reporters to do that. Everybody is trying to develop that new muscle memory—breaking news around the clock," Lev says. "We'll post an alert and it'll just be three graphs on the web. Then we'll follow up with a more in–depth story on the second day." His advice: "Recognize we're on deadline all day—not just in the afternoon anymore. Also, recognize what gets play online and in print—and pitch accordingly. For example, don't pitch the breaking news item for the next day's paper."

To read more tips, including the power of the in-person lunch as well as the power of exclusivity, see the full story.

Fatal Flaw #3: Not playing your part

Making the most out of the author-publicist relationship

It is important for authors to understand that even though their publicity campaign is being led by (hopefully) a great publicist, there are still a number of things that can be done to assist that effort. Your work is not finished when the campaign starts. In fact, the best author-publicist relationships are centered around teamwork and the ability to work together effectively to get as much media attention as possible for your book.

So, how can authors stay involved and effectively work with their publicist?

- Follow breaking news related to your topic

While your publicist is responsible for staying up to date on current trends, breaking stories and other news related to your book, do you part and keep an eye on what the media is covering and how it might lead back to your book.

Don’t send an email that says “I saw a Washington Post article today on a new study regarding health care for boomers…why wasn’t I included?

Do send an email that says “Here’s a great article on a new study about health care for boomers—this may be a great lead for us.”

No one knows your topic better than you do, so keep an eye on stories that relate to your book and send your perspective on the story to your publicist (w/ formal quotes).

- Study up before each interview

Unprepared guests = poor interviews. While you can't do anything about an unprepared host, you can make sure that you are ready to give a good interview. Here are some things to pay attention to:

*Know the market where the interview is running and have specifics from that area ready to discuss (read the local newspaper online the morning of the interview).

*Know the focus of the interview going in and prepare accordingly (have three examples ready that relate to that topic).

*Research the format of the program and understand the market they are trying to reach (tailor your examples accordingly).

- Turn one media interview into three

Every interview an author does is an audition for more opportunities, so keep that in mind during your publicity campaign. Send a thank you note to the host and offer your expertise when they need a source on that topic in the future. Remember that media breeds media and your publicist is not the only one that can benefit from solid media relationships.

Fatal Flaw #2: Saturating contacts

Making the most of the author-publicist relationship

In our continuing series on Fatal Flaws, we want to examine a commonly-held misbelief today: saturating contacts. What exactly do I mean by that?

Some authors think that if their publicist simply got his or her name out to the media, every single day, then surely the media would respond! I mean, how could CNN, The Today Show or Oprah ignore daily email reminders that you are THE definitive source on the economy/presidential elections/peregrine falcons?

Easy: those emails will never see the light of day. Why? Our media contacts will stop reading our emails, or answering our phone calls for that matter, if we're grating on their last nerve.

Asking your publicist to contact the same media contacts over and over again with breathless pitches about your expertise does two very bad things:

1. It threatens your publicist's relationship with her media contacts.
The reason why you, the author, have hired a publicist is because of her ability to create relationships with the media. She wants to help these people do their job - report the news - as much as she wants to help you get exposure. So don't ask her to contact the national top morning shows every day, or even every week, with new spins on your credentials. This hurts, rather than helps the cause. What the media wants from us are key sources at key times, and it's timing, rather than spamming, that will ultimately garner you media bookings.

2. It closes off other really cool publicity opportunities.
If you ask your publicist to constantly call/email the same type of media contacts - let's say, lifestyle editors at the top ten news dailies - then that's time she could have spent contacting other media outlets and journalists who don't know your name yet. Case in point: a parenting expert we worked with here at P&P wrote us a contributed article on airplane travel with kids. Sure, we could have pitched that to family editors, who likely get similar pitches all the time. Instead, we tried travel editors - and got that story placed in the New York Daily News. The lesson here? Trust your publicist to know where your main media potential is - she'll keep following up with those contacts, don't you worry - but always help her think of new and different shows, publications, editors, etc. that might want to hear your message too.

Part One: Fatal flaws of authors

Making the most of the author-publicist relationship

Good stories and fatal flaws are synonymous. Just as long as the fatal flaw isn't yours and doesn't rear its head during the media campaign, right?

At the core of an effective book publicity campaign is a good working relationship between author and publicist, a partnership. To help you get the most out of yours - ensuring your publicist is in your court, is a champion for your cause and has a good rapport with you and your camp - we'll post a five-part series this week unveiling the most common "fatal flaws" of authors.

Fatal flaw #1: Overcommunicating.
Some clients need a little extra hand-holding and that's ok. (Don't we all sometimes?) The author should be in the know and it is our job as professional communicators to communicate plans, progress and feedback from media. So communication is key, but overcommunicating can be fatal.

Your publicist is likely serving multiple clients so 30 minute chats here and there can add up. Over-the-top client communication can, when compounded, detract from pitching time. So how do you strike a balance between keeping the lines open and over-the-top?

Here are some starters:

1. Don't bog your publicist down with voicemails liek "This is Jane Doe, please call." Leave details on the voicemail so your publicist is clear on the nature of your need.
2. Rather than shooting off several short emails from your Blackberry, compile your thoughts for the day into one email, in bullet form so you can be sure all your questions are addressed.
3. Set up a regular weekly call with your publicist to discuss plans and set goals.
4. Make sure your publicist has a dependable method for reporting on a regular basis.
5. Don't worry about calling to see if the producers from the national morning shows called back to book, we'll call you.

Stop by tomorrow for fatal flaw #2, saturating media contacts.

Sweetly put

Over at Editorial Ass (assistant), another indispensible tip in the vein of ‘How Important Is Your Book, or, Top Ten Ways to Blow a Book Deal #4’:

“Publishing is a funny industry, since there is so much (fairly artificial) prestige attached to so many facets of the business. Meanwhile, it's also a creative industry, in which everyone involved, from author to agent to editor to cover designer to marketer, has invested energy and intellectual capital. Everything is subjective and not easily quantified with dollar signs, which means we measure our successes on softer, less tangible indexes. Pride and egos, therefore, are at stake in a way they are not elsewhere. We all should tread with a light step.”

More on this later.

Talking Shop: Q&A with your favorite insiders

Jessa Crispin, Bookslut.com founder
and editor-in-chief

Jessa Crispin is the founder and editor-in-chief of arguably the most popular literary blog out there: Bookslut. We wanted to discuss how book publicists and authors can more effectively work with bloggers - so naturally, we turned to Miss Crispin. Read on for Jessa's thoughts on the online literary community, her favorite books, and how she once threatened to kill a writer.

Tell us a little bit about you, and a little bit about your blog.
Probably all you need to know about me is that I am a giant dork. I get really excited trying to figure out how things work, and "things" can be anything. Physics, baking, neurochemistry, history, farming, religion, whatever. I also like figuring out how one thing connects to another, so sitting around following trains of thought with the help of the Internet is a great little job to have. The blog is whatever I dig up while drinking my morning tea plus the first thing that comes into my head while reading it. I know I should pretend like it's really hard work, and that I spend hours agonizing over my commentary, but that would be lying. I think Bookslut's usually referred to as a book news blog, but that's sort of misleading -- that gives the impression that I'm blogging about what Sloane Crosley is having for breakfast. It's more like book news filtered through my very specific interests. I could probably have a bigger audience if I blogged about the books everyone else is talking about.

How did your blog get started?
The blog started when I was 23, living in Austin and working at Planned Parenthood. It started as a diversion from a job that took me approximately two hours to complete, and I had to fill the other six hours somehow. Why not troll the web looking for the latest interviews with Neil Gaiman or whomever? Now it's six years later, and Bookslut has grown to about half of my day job -- the other half being freelance writing.

What is a "typical day" like as a book blogger? (Knowing there are likely very few "typical days"...)
It's mostly a lot of reading. Between Bookslut and my books column at the Smart Set, I have to read an awful lot. I try to get all the actual blogging done by 10 am or so, so that I have the day to run errands, proofread/format/edit the new issue, read, and sit and wonder if I can bother my editor into letting me change one more thing about my column before it goes up without him just firing me. There's also a lot of obsessive e-mail checking.

How has the internet changed the way we view literary communities?
I think it's closed the gap between author and audience. Or shortened it. Now that everyone can see each other, it's a little awkward. No one knows what to do with each other. It's still early to tell how it'll change writing and publishing, but it'll be interesting.

Why do you think some books take off, and others crash and burn - even if those crashing, burning books are outstanding?
I think there are a billion reasons. The publicist not hitting the right notes, the author not knowing how to find his or her potential audience, the publisher just not making an effort and dumping the book, the press isn't able to find an angle to write about the book, another blockbuster comes out at a similar time and eclipses it... Star alignment at the release date might have something to do with it, because sometimes even savviness can't overcome bad luck.

What are you reading right now?
That's always a complicated question. I'm reading Bonk by Mary Roach, We Are Now Beginning Our Descent by James Meek, an old issue of London Review Books that had fallen behind a bookcase and I just found, and the Kitchen Sink by Albert Goldbarth. I also keep meaning to finish up Roanoke by Lee Miller -- I forgot to pack it for my trip to London, so I have about 60 pages left.

Rank your top three books of all time?
Just so you know, this will change tomorrow:
Dubliners by James Joyce
Varieties of Religious Experience by William James
Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson

Who is an author we should keep an eye on?
Last year, there were three women writers who just eclipsed everything else I read: Scarlett Thomas, Joanna Kavenna, and Mia Gallagher. The Gallagher ("Hellfire") was not released in the States I don't think; I picked it up in Dublin. But with Thomas and Kavenna, they wrote quirky books that didn't find the massive audiences they deserved, but I have faith they will. All three of them are too good to be ignored for long.

What would surprise Bookslut readers about Jessa Crispin?
Probably a lot. I don't talk about my personal life too much on the blog. I'm almost pathologically reluctant to share any personal details at all. I don't know why that is. But I think I actually threatened to kill a writer I was dating about a year ago if he ever blogged about me. (We broke up over the blog.) It might be a bit surprising that I was a cheerleader back in school in Kansas. I told someone that recently, and he was flummoxed. So yes, I was a cheerleader, but I was a cheerleader who read Thomas Hardy books on the bus on the way to games and painted her fingernails white and magenta in honor of Molly from Neuromancer.

Craziest email you have ever gotten from an:
a) Book publicist, and/or
b) Author?
The e-mails I get from publicists that I don't understand are the ones talking about how attractive the author is. "She's beautiful! He's handsome!" I always wonder what I'm supposed to do with this information. I want to write back, "Is he coming over to my house? If not, what the hell do I care who attractive the author is?" As far as authors go, I get the occasional 3 am e-mail from an author who is obviously drunk and self-Googling -- "Who the hell do you think you are?" etc. -- but I never make them public, because I also have a drunk e-mail habit. I need to keep the good karma so that the universe will not retaliate with an ex suddenly putting my drunk e-mails online.

Retire the catalog mailout.

HarperCollins just announced an eco-friendly industry move - online catalogs! According to the AP, Penguin (USA) and Random House are moving in a similar direction. Mike Merschel over at the Dallas Morning News just blogged his thoughts on the possible industry shift, confirming a little inkling I had.

Formerly a publicist at a division of Random House, I logged many hours (and subsequent papercuts) stuffing the shiny new catalogs into envelopes addressed to our list of coveted media contacts and over the years. I wondered how many trash cans they might have graced. I was in the literary pr biz at the crux of a ditigal turning point, yet the old school catalogs kept coming. As it turns out, things like blindly-mailed catalogs only tend to multiply in said contacts' mailboxes and then migrate to the garbage bin.

Recent initiatives in green publishing are also good news for book publicists. Online galleys + digital catalogs = more time for targeted pitching.

How long is long enough on radio?

I must confess that I have always scoffed at authors who suggest that a 30 minute radio interview just isn't enough time. It might fly by if you are taking five minutes to answer each question, I reasoned—get to the point and enjoy both segments you’ve been given; after all, you only get three minutes on TV.

However, after doing two radio interviews over the past two weeks I am starting to think that my clients may have been right all along. Not only did I leave the interviews wishing we had covered more ground…but I had an hour. That’s right, four complete segments.

How wrong I was.

The program I was on, KOOP-FM’s Writing on the Air, is Austin’s leading literary radio program—the result of a gifted group of hosts, including Lee Davis, Dillon McKinsey, Dora Robinson, Nelin Hudani & Khotan Shahbazi-Harmon and a very eccentric, artsy environment in which to broadcast. Any publicists that have authors touring through Austin should keep the show on their radar.

Senior publicist Tolly Moseley joined me in the interview and the two of us spent the hour discussing topics ranging from the changing state of book publicity to where Austin currently sits on the proverbial publishing map.

As publicists, we specialize in packaging information in bite size nuggets—fit for consumption by on-the-go media members looking for a reason not to read the pitch. We encourage our authors to communicate on the air in the same manner by focusing on sound bytes and answering each question succinctly. Tolly and I did that both times we were on the program but still seemed to run short of time.

As a publicist, I'm not excited about admiting that I couldn't cover all the ground I wanted to cover in an hour. So, what happened?

It's clear that the topic of book publicity is one that can’t be covered in an hour—or that’s what most publicists would claim. That belief sounds oddly familiar to the feedback I get from authors who insist that getting completely through any topic on the air is difficult.

Point taken.

There are certainly ways to make time work to your advantage. Our best clients make more out of 15 minutes of airtime than normal guests do in an hour. They do this by getting to the point quickly when they can. On the other hand, when an answer simply requires more time, they point listeners back to their web site where additional resources are available free. In doing so, they free up airtime for the host’s next question and drive traffic to their site.

Pitching a publicity firm: A guide for authors

Many authors don’t realize that pitching your book to a top publicity firm is a lot like pitching it to a prospective agent or publisher. Good firms are going to interview you as much as you interview them and will only take on authors that they feel are a) a good fit for their firm and b) have a message that the media is going to be interested in.

Why?

Like agents, publicists have two sets of clients. On one side publicists have the authors and publishers they represent and on the other they have the media contacts that they have built relationships with through the years. If a firm starts taking on bad books from poorly qualified authors, those media relationships get damaged and the brand takes a swift nose dive.

What key factors play into a publicity firm’s decision to take on a new author?

• Credentials of the author
• Timeliness of the message
• Quality of the book
• Realistic expectations (i.e. does not utter “I HAVE to be on Oprah”)
• An author who is passionate about their message (i.e. willing to get up early for interviews)

All of the factors listed above play into a judgment on how much national media potential the book has and whether or not that publicist is confident they can be successful with the book. If not, there is no sense attaching the brand to an author.

So, for those of you that are out looking for a publicist to help promote your book, remember the following:

1. Do your research. There are hundreds of book publicity options out there: freelancers, boutique firms, large conglomerates and the list continues. Before you start sending your book to any of the numerous publicity firms you’ll find on the internet, it’s a good idea to take a little time to decide what’s important to you. Do you want to have one person that can throw 100 percent of their attention to you and your book? Or, is it important to you to have a team-based approach to promoting your book? Is brand recognition important? How far do you want to take your book? Thoroughly review a company’s web site and take careful consideration to how the firm (or freelancer) is presenting themselves. If you are not impressed with the way the represent themselves to you, you’ll not likely be comfortable with the way they represent your book to the media.

2. Follow the submission guidelines. If a firm says they absolutely don’t review poetry (or short stories, mysteries, or whatever genre,) don’t send them your poetry book. If a publicity firm asks you to provide a synopsis and author bio in addition to a review copy of your book (as P&P does,) do it. The reason they are asking for so much information is to get a good impression of how much potential your project has.

3. Provide any additional examples of media experience! We have a clause on our submission guidelines asking authors to provide “any other information you feel is important, such as your website address, endorsements, newspaper clippings, examples of past media experience, etc.” Now, if you haven’t received any press yet, don’t panic! It usually won’t make or break whether or not a publicity firm decides to take on a book. We like to have those interviews or press clippings as samples of any previous media coverage an author has gotten and to give us an idea of how they’ll perform on air. Go ahead and send ‘em.

4. Please provide your contact information. Believe it or not, I have received a couple of random packages from authors that contained their book and nothing else. Not even a return address on the envelope. No cover letter, no synopsis of the content, and NO CONTACT INFORMATION. I speak the truth. When you submit your book for review, make sure that you provide a good e-mail address or the phone number where you can be reached the majority of the time. And if you don’t provide contact information, please don’t call me angrily asking why you haven’t heard from anyone yet.

5. Help me help you. One of the best cover letters I’ve ever received from a prospective client contained an entire section titled, “Why is this book a good fit for Phenix & Phenix?” The author then gave several articulate, well-reasoned answers to this question. This was so nice because it gave us a good idea of where the author wanted to take his book. It also showed that the author had researched our firm and had an understanding of the characteristics we look for in books. I think this is applicable to querying agents or submitting manuscripts to publishers for consideration. Think of ways to make their lives easier. Why is it going to be advantageous for them to take a chance on you? And remember: be patient. Because of the nature of the media, publicity firms usually have a timely turnaround. Agents and publishers take longer, but think about how many manuscripts they have to go through each month!

Finding a good publicity firm is very important, but when you’ve worked so hard on your book, isn’t it worth it to be choosy? Keep these tips in mind when you start looking and remember to follow the rules when you start submitting.