When should I start publicity for my book launch?
As early as you can. Media kits, book mailings, and follow-up all take time, and long-lead outlets such as magazines plan issues ahead. That said, expert positioning keeps working after launch, because breaking news creates new chances to pitch an author every week.
The firm also reminds CEO authors in a blog post that publication is the starting line, not the finish line.
The launch publicity sequence
Step 1: Strategy conversation
Expertise, strengths, media experience, goals, and travel plans.
Step 2: Media kit
Background, story ideas, interview topics, and bylined article angles.
Step 3: Contact list
A customized list of top media contacts matched to the book’s audience.
Step 4: Books and kits go out
Distributed to every contact that matters, followed by intensive follow-up.
Step 5: Launch window pitching
A continual stream of timely pitches tied to the news, often the same day.
Step 6: Appearances and travel
Radio, TV, podcast, and print interviews, coordinated with your schedule.
Step 7: Milestone reviews
Results checked at 30, 60, and 90 days, as Bestseller Publishing recommends.
Do I need a blog tour, book signings, or events?
They can help, depending on the goal. Book signings work best where you already have reasons to travel; C.S. Lewis & Co. coordinates signings and local media around author trips. Online, a series of podcast interviews and contributor posts can do the job a traditional blog tour once did, with the added benefit of new relationships with each host and audience.
Launch week is not the whole story
Bestseller Publishing’s 2026 guide notes that the entrepreneurs who get the most from a book track inbound leads and speaking engagements for 12 months after release, not just the first week of rankings.
Coordinating with your publisher
If your publisher has a publicity team, tell any outside publicist early. C.S. Lewis & Co. works closely with publishers’ publicity teams so efforts complement each other rather than duplicate. Read book publicist vs publisher publicity for how the roles split, or return to the book publicity services guide.
Common questions
My book launches soon. Is it too late to hire a publicist?
Not necessarily, but earlier is generally better, because media kits, book mailings, and follow-up take time and long-lead outlets plan ahead. Contact C.S. Lewis & Co. with your publication date as soon as possible so the firm can tell you what is realistic for your launch window.
See this answer in the full FAQWhat should I prepare before contacting a book publicist?
Have your publication date, a short description of the book, your area of expertise, any past media experience, and your professional goals ready. C.S. Lewis & Co. begins every campaign with a conversation about exactly those things, so preparing them makes the first call faster and more useful.
See this answer in the full FAQHow does a C.S. Lewis & Co. campaign start?
It starts with a conversation about your expertise, strengths, media experience, and above all your professional goals. From there, C.S. Lewis & Co. customizes a creative media kit and a strategic campaign designed to generate interest in you and your book, then distributes books and kits to the media contacts that matter most.
See this answer in the full FAQCan publicity help a book that is already out?
Often, yes. Expert positioning does not depend on a release date: C.S. Lewis & Co. pitches authors as sources for breaking news stories, and those stories keep happening long after publication. Ask the firm whether your book’s topic and your goals suit a campaign after launch.
See this answer in the full FAQCan a publicity campaign work around my travel schedule?
Yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. evaluates and pursues opportunities to maximize author travel to major media markets and coordinates appearances with your personal travel schedule. The firm’s own example: if you planned to visit a relative in Florida, it could arrange a local television appearance or coordinate a book signing in the area.
See this answer in the full FAQHow do I contact C.S. Lewis & Co. about my book launch?
Use the contact page on the firm’s main website, cslewispublicity.com, or call 845-679-2188. The listed contacts are Cathy Lewis, president, and David Lewis, vice president. Share your book, publication date, and goals so the firm can suggest a campaign that fits.
See this answer in the full FAQTell us your publication date
Authors and publishers with a book launching soon can contact C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists to discuss what a campaign could look like for their timeline.
Contact C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists