How much does hiring a book publicist cost?

Answer 1

That depends on exactly what you expect that publicist to do for you. Some of their services include

Book marketing plans
Book platforms
Press releases optimized for search engines
Pre-pub reviews from custom cover letters with review copies
Endorsement advice and acquisition
Post-pub reviews
Radio & online interviews
TV talk shows
Book award nominations
Booklist nominations
Title adoption by book clubs
Print & online feature queries
Blog seeding
Industry & genre conference selection & booking
Book & author fair selection & booking
Booktalk & signing location selection & booking
Coordinating media & invitations for book launch events
School presentation booking
Speaking engagements
Sales pitches to indie bookstores, museum shops, university bookstores, visitor centers, & libraries
Uploading reviews & descriptions & correcting listings on BN & Amazon
Referrals to trusted web designers, editors, publishers, review services, distributors and more

To get a figure, you would really have to contact one and ask them for a quote, but expect to spend 15,000 - 20,000 or so for a complete publicist package. Many first time authors end up dumping their entire advance into a publicist.

Here is a list you can look through.

http://www.bookmarket.com/101pr.htm

----
They're, Their, There - Three Different Words.

Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.

Pax - C