You’ve just written a book that you would like to publish. Now what should you do? You know you need to find someone in the publishing industry, but who?

Depending on the stage you’re at and the market for your book, you may need a literary agent to help you reach the right publisher. Literary agents represent the business interests of authors vis-à-vis publishing companies. They will have connections with executives in the publishing world and have a good sense of the most appropriate publishers for your book. Since they want to present the best quality manuscripts, they may have input on editing, content, and structure before they turn to the publishing companies. Once the manuscript is polished, they will then prepare the submission material and, will hopefully, get an offer for publication. 

Agents then negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract on behalf of the author. The contract discusses advance payments, rights, royalties, services provided, and timeframe. It may also include permissions, foreign rights, and in some cases, film rights.

It is vital to have a good, trusting relationship with the agent, as they serve as a consultant of sorts, guide authors along the way with the publisher.

However, not all aspiring authors actually need an agent. Writers who choose to self-publish do not need an agent, for they are their own publishers. Likewise,  writers in a niche market where there are limited options for publishers. Authors in small markets can usually approach these niche publishers directly with their proposal. When authors choose this route, they should make sure their proposal and submission kit are well-prepared, organized, edited, and polished. Singer Publicity would be happy to help guide you through this process.

Publicists, on the other hand, come into the picture 3-5 months prior to publication. This means that authors already have a publisher or have decided to self-publish, and have had the book professionally edited and typeset. The book should be in its final stages of production when publicists begin their work.

Publicists work in close collaboration with their authors. They listen to their authors and craft a PR plan that best suits the authors’ target audiences. The right publicists understand your market and know which media outlets to pitch to. They know which book reviewers and influencers to notify, what information to include, and have a clear sense about how to spread the word about the book to the most relevant audiences. They also give creative ideas about developing authors’ media presence so that they gain followers, develop their reputation, and garner potential readers.

Depending on the agreement, publicists also arrange book launch events, speaking engagements, and offer valuable advice regarding cover design, cover copy, blurbs, talking points, and more.

With all this being said, it’s clear that literary agents and publicists can be of vital importance to authors at various stages of their publishing process.

We are happy to work with self-published authors, and those who are working with traditional and hybrid publishers and wish to supplement their publisher’s PR efforts.

If you are about to publish a book and would like to discuss our publicity services, please contact us.