Authors Take the Lead on Their Own Books

Leslie: Seems to me that by showing cake lovers how to have their cake and eat it, too (without consuming an entire cake intended for, say, ten people-it's been known to happen) you're doing your part to help minimize the growing problem of obesity in this country. Is that wishful thinking on my part?

Stacey: I'm with you, Leslie. Deprivation is the surest way to binge, eventually, and blow your diet. I have the good fortune to favor veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and that's all good over junk food. But just try to tell me that I can't have a slice of cake, and that's it—I'm eating every frozen crumb of that Sara Lee cheesecake in two or three sittings! So, for me, the way to maintain my weight is to indulge, in moderation, when the mood strikes me. The concept of freshly baking a single-serving snack that wouldn't produce leftovers was, and is, so appealing to me, because it's precisely the way I want to eat, and exactly how I want to indulge myself.

Leslie: It also seems like more and more authors, whether they're self-published or published traditionally, are taking the lead on their own PR. In the past, that was often looked down upon, but more and more people are stepping up and promoting their own titles. Why has this happened?

Stacey: The publishing industry has shifted so much recently, as you've seen. Sarah Palin is getting how big of an advance for her book? It hurts me to even think about the figure. Real people aren't getting those advances. They're not even getting publishing deals unless their books are seen as potential blockbusters, so people are turning to self -publishing, and the self-publishing opportunities are growing by the minute. Two of the most rewarding book promotion projects I've ever been involved with were self-published books. I took the first on at a time when there was still a stigma attached to self-publishing, and I took the second on at a time when there wasn't—but both books exceeded, both in the media and in terms of book sales—my clients' wildest expectations. With self-publishing comes a choice. I have no in-house PR person to promote my book, so am I going to hire a publicist? Or am I going to promote my own work? I've always said that anyone can promote his or her own book given the time, energy, and resources to build relationships with the media (and, of course, with members of online social networks). In these tough times, many authors have more time and talent than they do cash. That means they're promoting their own titles, and often, they're doing a very good job of it. I've seen examples of authors who are doing it themselves but need some guidance and, when I'm asked, I try to help out on a friendly basis as much as possible. My Web site is full of how-to articles, and I update my blog on a regular basis. I've also self-published a book through CreateSpace (which means it's only available from Amazon) about how to promote, sell, and market your own book, and I'm seeing a surge in sales of that title. You're right: authors do want to promote their own books. But publicists still do okay, because we bring our reputations, our contacts, and our strategies into the mix. There's no learning curve for us, so we can get instant results.

Next time: part four