PR for authors and books
Book PR: publicity for authors and new books
Book PR connects authors with reviewers, features editors, podcasts and radio around publication. Long-lead outlets need advance copies months ahead. Most coverage comes from the author's expertise: a novel set somewhere newsworthy, or non-fiction on a topic the news keeps returning to.
Story angles that work for authors and books
Journalists do not cover companies, they cover stories. These are the angles that most often earn authors and books coverage:
- The author as an expert on a topic in the news
- Advance review copies for long-lead reviewers
- Local author stories for hometown press
- Podcast and radio interviews built on the book's big idea
How to run authors and books PR yourself
- Pick one story. Choose the strongest angle above and write it in one sentence. If you cannot, the story is not ready.
- Build a short list. Find the 20 to 50 reporters who have covered authors and books recently. A short list that fits beats a long list that does not.
- Write a personal pitch. Three short paragraphs: the news, why it matters to their readers, and what you can offer such as data, interviews or images.
- Follow up once. Three to five working days later, add something new rather than "just checking in".
- Track what lands. Note who replied and what they wrote about, so your next pitch is warmer.
What reporters on this beat want
- Send a link to watch or listen privately, never a large attachment.
- Pitch around release calendars: features are planned weeks ahead, reviews days ahead.
- Lifestyle desks plan gift guides and seasonal features months ahead. Pitch early.
- Include price, stockists and high-resolution images in the first email.
Mistakes to avoid
- Starting outreach in publication week.
- Pitching the book rather than the story or idea behind it.
Who covers authors and books
InsightFuse lists 7,460 journalists, editors and producers whose role or outlet points to authors and books coverage, across 109 countries. Here is where they work and what they do.
Where they work: top outlets and employers
- Author
- Omics Publishing Group
- Scientific Publishing Services PVT Ltd
- Nature Publishing Group
- Fasttrack Books
- Tampa Bay Times - Times Publishing Co
- Writer, Author
- TNQ Books and Journals PVT Ltd
- Omniscriptum Publishing Group
- Packt Publishing
- Hachette Book Group
- Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. USA
| Country | Journalists |
|---|---|
| United States | 3,835 |
| United Kingdom | 866 |
| India | 437 |
| Canada | 286 |
| Australia | 194 |
| Philippines | 116 |
| South Africa | 84 |
| China | 80 |
| Role | Journalists |
|---|---|
| Editors | 3,392 |
| Writers | 2,157 |
| Journalists | 379 |
| Section and senior editors | 325 |
| Managing editors | 314 |
| Producers | 294 |
Counts come from the InsightFuse database and include only people with editorial job titles. Names and contact details are available inside the app.
Browse journalists on these beats
- Entertainment journalists62,526 worldwide
- Entertainment journalists in the United States28,080 journalists
- Entertainment journalists in the United Kingdom5,051 journalists
- Entertainment journalists in India3,957 journalists
- Lifestyle journalists9,266 worldwide
- Lifestyle journalists in the United States3,720 journalists
- Lifestyle journalists in the United Kingdom942 journalists
- Lifestyle journalists in India437 journalists
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
When should book publicity start?
Send advance copies to long-lead outlets four to six months before publication, and pitch features, podcasts and local press from two months out.
What does a literary publicist do?
A literary publicist secures reviews, interviews, features and events for authors, usually around a book's launch window.
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