OA Recommends - PR by the Book!

Every month [more or less] we introduce you to a different writer-oriented website. These are sites with which one or more of our team members has had positive experiences. We hope you'll check them out and let us know what you think!

This month on OA Recommends, let's learn more about PR by the Book!

1- How long have you been in business?  Has your focus or range of services changed during that time?

This year is our 20th anniversary! Our focus of getting our author/expert clients and their books the best targeted media exposure has stayed consistent over the last 20 years. However, the range of services has evolved with the changing media landscape, including the pandemic. When we first started, there were so many more print media opportunities, but in the last 5-10 years, media platforms have become more virtual, including social media and podcasts. One very cool thing that has resulted from this digital/virtual shift is that authors are no longer limited by their local geographical boundaries. Zoom, Skype, Zencasterer, Facebook/IG Live, TikTok, and several other communication options have opened up a whole new world for author interviews!


2- Do you offer different services/packages?  How do you determine which services or packages a specific author needs or would work best for them?

Yes, we have various tiers of services and the reason we offer a free 30-minute discovery call is to drill down on what works best for each author. Here's a snapshot:

1. Our full scale publicity campaign for a book launch runs $3500/mo x a min of 4 months. We like to launch a campaign a minimum of 2-3 months before pub date.

2. The Author to Influencer Accelerator, www.AuthorToInfluencer.com, is where you have access to 60+ workshops and get into our private Facebook group where we share resources and tips daily. A member benefit of that is that you can purchase blocks of time with us in increments of 5 hours at our hourly rate, $150/hr, to get help with certain pieces of your publicity plan.

3. Our social media campaign is also an option at $1200/mo. There’s also a 1-platform option that’s less expensive. This can be ala carte or run alongside a publicity campaign.


3- How much money should an author expect to spend on publicity for a book?  Does it change depending on whether the book is a debut?

See above; and yes, it varies for each project.  


4- Does a new author need to be active on social media?  Which social media platforms are best, or does it depend on the genre?

It is very important for an author to be active on social media! In our virtual and immediate gratification world, our audiences read/listen and even live life through soundbites, and social media is an easy way for people to get the information they need about their next book or show to watch. Also it's important for authors to engage with their fans/followers and to network with other authors and book publishing contacts.


5- Describe your biggest author success story.

There are several (20) mentioned here: 

https://prbythebook.com/20-years-of-booking-media-for-books/


6- Is there one specific type of publicity/marketing that is more successful than others for most authors?

Not necessarily and usually it depends on several factors, including: topic, branding of author, goals of author, how good the author is in front of a camera, etc.


7- What one tip would you advise a new author to increase their chances of "breaking out" and being successful?

There's 22 suggestions here: 

https://prbythebook.com/22-ways-to-promote-your-book-or-brand-in-2022/


8- Is there something that seems like a good idea to most authors but really isn't?

I talked to Forbes about this here: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/wendyaltschuler/2022/02/14/should-you-write-a-book-experts-in-the-travel-space-offer-tips/?sh=434ed9e93589


9- With all the types of marketing out there, why should someone consider retaining the services of PR by the Book?

We've been around for 2 decades and put a high priority on client communication, delivering media results and maintaining a great relationship with our clients.  


10- Would you please list the links and ways people can find PR by the Book: website, blog, social media.

FOLLOW PRBTB: Twitter l Facebook l Instagram l Blog
DIY offering: Author to Influencer!

PR by the Book - From the website:

Our Passion
Is Your Success
We use every tool at our disposal to connect your message and digital platform, to your audience. The result is a compelling personal brand that is built to last.

What We Do

At PR by the Book, we help authors elevate their relevancy and create buzz.  We do that through The Road to Influence, our suite of services that go well beyond traditional PR. Whether you’re sitting on a bestseller or your first literary endeavor, we have a solution that fits your needs.