What Questions Should You Ask Your Publisher
The dirty little secret of publishing, which most of you know, of course, is that not all books are adequately or equitably marketed and publicized because publishers sign more books than they can sufficiently support with their existing staff, plus they’re likely to throw their weight behind a handful of titles each season. It is important to know where your book falls and what you can expect.
Companies like Coriolis provide supplemental publicity, book marketing, social media management, and other services that your publisher cannot take care of because of the number of authors and books they support. The first step is to figure out what services you need. The questions below will help you do that. Consider asking these when you meet/talk on the phone with your editor.
Who will my editor be? Is it you/the same person who bought my book, or someone else in-house, or a freelancer?
Who will be on my promotional team? Is there a publicist and marketing person? When can I meet/talk to them?
What formats will my book be released in? Ebook, audiobook, hardcover, paperback? Those options affect your royalties.
What is the planned release date for my book? Does that work for you? If not, you do have some say in it.
Will your book be sold by a distributor, or does your publisher have a sales team?
Will you produce ARCs?
Will you issue a press release about my book? Where will that be distributed?
Will you take my book to any trade shows?
Will you advertise my book in any trade publications?
Will you send me on a book tour?
Will you book speaking engagements for me?
Will you submit me as a panelist to conferences and other events?
Will you submit my book to awards?
Will there be a preorder campaign?
Will you do an ARC giveaway?
Will you contact bookstagrammers?
Will you focus on book clubs?
Will you promote my book through your social media?
After getting an answer to those questions, you can make your own plan for your participation in the campaign. Should you find that you need additional help from an outside company, you now know in what areas you need help. And once you know, contact us to discuss how we can help.
We hope these quick tips help.
