You may have discovered that meeting awesome people and
making new friends are some of the joys we experience while on the road to
publication. I met Kellie Coates Gilbert
some years ago at an American Christian Fiction Writers conference. So, of
course I was thrilled for Kellie when her debut novel Mother of Pearl was released in September. She’s here today,
sharing reasons for hiring a publicist's assistance as she continues her own
publishing journey. ~ Dawn
Working
with an Outside Publicist
by
Kellie Coates Gilbert
Many of my fellow writers have recently asked about my
decision to hire an outside publicist. My answer often incorporates the belief
that writing novels is a business, and like any business, outside consultants
are often necessary. Especially when
time is limited, or the novelist simply does not have the expertise to complete
various tasks. Some writers hire personal assistants, for example. Independent
and self-pubbed folks typically pay to have their manuscripts properly edited
and covers designed.
My publishing house made the decision not to hire an outside
publicist to promote my debut novel, for very good business reasons for their
company structure. However, I knew media coverage and lots of exposure were
critical to launching my career. After much prayer, I decided to secure the
services of someone who could augment the help I was getting from my house.
Publicists wear many hats. Early bids I obtained included
pitches for what I call the “kitchen sink” promising major media and television
appearances and an extensive social media campaign, among other items. I entertained visions of working with Daniel
Steele’s publicist out of the LA area (and I spoke with her) but at $12,000 per
month for a minimum six months, the cost was simply out of reach. So, I
adjusted my expectations to meet my budget and talked with publicists I was
familiar with and people I thought would have the time to accommodate coming on
board quickly. (Consider starting early. I almost waited too late. Most
publicists want to get started six months prior to release date.) In my case,
I’d already hired a marketing consultant to establish my brand and how to
communicate that to my future audience. What I needed was to get my BOOK and ME
in front of the public. I needed to get
known.
At the end of my search, I hired Rebeca Seitz of Glassroad
Media. She was one of many capable
publicists I would love to have worked with, but we made an early personal
connection and she read and loved my book and seemed to share my vision. Before I agreed to work with Rebeca, I also
talked to several people I knew had been clients and got honest assessment of
her abilities.
After several extended telephone conversations, Rebeca and I
established exactly what she would do and the deadlines for completing each
action item. Over the course of our working relationship, we mutually agreed to
shift some of these items, but you MUST HAVE A WRITTEN AGREED UPON SCOPE OF
WORK.
Communication is also key. Early on, I gave Rebeca a copy of
my promotion calendar and provided regular updates. We held scheduled telephone conferences to
assess where we were and to evaluate the effectiveness of our efforts. I tend to micro-manage, but Rebeca earned my
trust quickly.
Rebeca also met with the marketing director at my house and
established open and effective communication to eliminate duplication of effort
and to make sure we were working in tandem. Because of the care Rebeca took to
create a cooperative environment, our efforts were never seen as contradictory
to the marketing plan established by my house.
We truly were a team, and worked together in a fashion that was not only
productive . . . but fun.
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| Click to reach Amazon. |
A former legal investigator and trial paralegal, Kellie Coates Gilbert writes with a
sympathetic, intimate knowledge of how people react under pressure. Her stories are about messy lives, and
eternal hope.
Kellie’s upcoming novel, MOTHER
OF PEARL, Abingdon Press Sept 2012,
tells the emotionally compelling story of a high school counselor who discovers
her own teenage daughter had an inappropriate relationship with the football
coach . . . and how she risks everything to bring him to justice.
For more information, go to www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com
