What book publicity is
What are book publicity services?
Book publicity services are professional efforts to earn media coverage for an author and a book, such as interviews, reviews, features, and bylined articles. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds customized campaigns across print, radio, television, and internet media that position authors as newsworthy experts in their field, which helps build their brands and generate book sales.
What does a book publicist actually do all day?
A book publicist pitches story ideas to editors, producers, journalists, and bloggers, then follows up to turn interest into interviews and coverage. At C.S. Lewis & Co., that work includes creating a media kit, sending books and kits to key contacts, writing timely pitches tied to breaking news, and scheduling radio, television, print, and online appearances.
What is the difference between book publicity and book marketing?
Book publicity earns coverage you do not buy directly, such as interviews, reviews, and features, while book marketing usually covers paid and owned channels like ads, websites, and newsletters. C.S. Lewis & Co. focuses on publicity and also offers internet marketing help, such as developing content for websites, blogs, and social and business networking sites.
Is C.S. Lewis & Co. a book PR agency or a book marketing agency?
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists describes itself as a small book publicity firm serving authors and publishers. Its core work is earned media across print, radio, television, and internet outlets. It also offers internet marketing support and, through professionals it works with closely, speaker services, media coaching, and writing services.
Pricing and cost
How much does a book publicist cost?
Costs vary widely with scope and length. Reedsy reports a median of $1,370 for a one-month campaign through its freelancer marketplace, and a publishing newsletter by Kathleen Schmidt estimates a full campaign could cost $15,000 to $25,000, as reported by Everything PR. C.S. Lewis & Co. does not publish prices, so ask the firm for a quote based on your goals.
Does C.S. Lewis & Co. publish its prices?
No. The C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists website does not list prices. Because each campaign is customized to the author’s goals, media experience, travel plans, and the services selected, the clearest way to learn the cost is to contact the firm through its contact page and describe your book, launch date, and goals.
What makes a book publicity campaign cost more or less?
Generally, price follows scope: how long the campaign runs, how many media channels it covers, how much travel coordination is involved, and whether add-ons are included. At C.S. Lewis & Co., optional support services include speaker services, media coaching, and ghostwritten op-eds and bylined articles, which may affect the overall budget. Confirm specifics directly with the firm.
Is hiring a book publicist worth the money?
It can be when your goals reach beyond first-week sales. Bestseller Publishing notes that entrepreneurs who get the most from a book track inbound leads and speaking engagements for 12 months after release. C.S. Lewis & Co. frames publicity as a way to generate book sales and open future opportunities in publishing, new client acquisition, and speaking.
Can a publicist guarantee media coverage?
Earned media depends on editors and producers, so coverage generally cannot be guaranteed by anyone. What you can ask for is a clear plan and regular reporting. One C.S. Lewis & Co. client, author Mark Pastin, wrote that Cathy Lewis keeps authors up to date as opportunities emerge and provides a monthly summary of results.
How should I measure whether book publicity paid off?
Measure more than rankings. Bestseller Publishing recommends requesting dated milestones at 30, 60, and 90 days and tracking inbound leads and speaking engagements for 12 months after release. Count interviews, reviews, bylined articles, and appearances, then note the speaking, client, and publishing opportunities that followed them.
How a campaign works
How 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.
What is in a book media kit?
A media kit gives producers, journalists, editors, and bloggers background on the author and the book. C.S. Lewis & Co. creates kits that media can use for background material, reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and bylined articles. The firm has published past press kits, for authors such as Carol Roth and Al Siebert, as downloadable PDFs.
Which kinds of media does C.S. Lewis & Co. pitch?
C.S. Lewis & Co. pitches print, radio, television, and internet media, including newspapers, magazines, regional and national radio and television, podcasts, blogs, and online publications. Cathy Lewis has helped clients become regular bloggers at sites such as Huffington Post, Forbes.com, Inc.com, and PsychologyToday.com.
How do publicists tie a book to breaking news?
They watch the news cycle and pitch the author as an expert source as soon as a relevant story breaks. C.S. Lewis & Co. aligns pitches with breaking news as it happens, often the same day, because being the first publicist to respond to a hot-button event can secure an on-the-spot interview or appearance.
Does book publicity include podcasts?
Yes, podcasts are a regular part of modern campaigns. C.S. Lewis & Co. vice president David Lewis helps authors focus their messaging and build their brand through frequent interviews on podcasts, radio, and television. The firm’s blog also notes that podcast appearances introduce authors to hosts, other guests, and listeners well beyond the interview itself.
Can 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.
How will I know what my publicist is doing?
Ask for regular updates and a results summary. Client Mark Pastin wrote that Cathy Lewis “keeps you up to date as opportunities emerge and gives you a monthly summary of results.” Bestseller Publishing also suggests asking any firm for milestones with dates at 30, 60, and 90 days so you can hold it accountable.
Who it is for
Does C.S. Lewis & Co. work with publishers?
Yes. The firm serves publishers as well as authors, and it works closely with publishers’ and businesses’ publicity teams so its efforts complement theirs. Its client list includes books from houses such as Penguin Putnam, Harmony Books, St. Martin’s Press, Viking Penguin, Hay House, and Owl Books.
What book subjects does C.S. Lewis & Co. know best?
The firm lists an established track record in business, careers, work and life, parenting, health, diet and nutrition, food and cookbooks, self-help, human potential, and new age and spirituality. Its client list also includes current events, economics, and politics titles such as Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, 3rd Edition, by John Perkins.
Does C.S. Lewis & Co. promote fiction?
The firm’s published subject list centers on nonfiction areas such as business, health, parenting, self-help, and spirituality, and its about page describes nonfiction book publicist services. If you have a novel, contact the firm directly to ask whether your book is a fit before you plan a campaign around it.
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.
Can 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.
Compared to alternatives
Why hire a book publicist if my publisher has a publicity team?
An independent publicist works only for you. C.S. Lewis & Co. notes that large houses publish dozens of titles each season, so unless a book is on the top-tier list, authors may get little more than a mailing to book reviewers with little follow-up. A dedicated publicist can customize the campaign and pitch in real time.
Is a small press publicity team enough?
It may be for some books. Small press publicity teams tend to work hard with fewer titles, but they also have fewer resources. C.S. Lewis & Co. points out that small presses usually lack the budget and staff to design a strategic campaign for each author, or first-name relationships with hundreds of editors, reporters, columnists, and producers.
Should I hire a freelance publicist or a book publicity firm?
It depends on budget and scope. Reedsy reports a median of $1,370 for a one-month campaign through its freelancer marketplace, according to Everything PR. A firm such as C.S. Lewis & Co. offers a team: client Mark Pastin noted that Cathy Lewis “has a team of people who work with her so she can cover everything.”
Can I do my own book publicity?
You can, and many authors handle parts of it themselves, such as a website, newsletter, and social media. What is harder to replicate is daily pitching backed by existing media relationships. C.S. Lewis & Co. builds customized lists of top media contacts with whom it has established relationships and rapport.
How do I compare book publicity companies?
Compare them on the same criteria: subject expertise, media channels covered, how they report results, and recent placements. Bestseller Publishing suggests asking for the specific podcasts, trade publications, or broadcast segments a firm placed clients on in the last 12 months. C.S. Lewis & Co. links to real client media pages so you can review campaign results.
Where can I read book publicity services reviews for C.S. Lewis & Co.?
The firm publishes client references on its main website. For example, Mike Song, author of The Hamster Revolution, wrote that Cathy Lewis’s team helped him make over 100 media appearances, including CNN and Good Morning America. The references page also includes comments from authors such as Mark Pastin, Prasad Kaipa, and Jim Camp.
Practical details
Where is C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists located?
The firm lists two offices: 2 Oriole Drive, Woodstock, New York 12498, and 31-F Stratford Lane West, Boynton Beach, Florida 33436. According to the firm, its authors have been featured in prestigious publications and online venues across North America.
Does C.S. Lewis & Co. offer book publicity services in India?
The firm’s published materials do not mention India or other international markets. Its offices are in New York and Florida, and its record centers on North American media. Authors outside the United States, including in India, should contact the firm to ask whether a campaign aimed at their target media is possible.
How long has C.S. Lewis & Co. been in business?
Cathy Lewis launched C.S. Lewis & Company Publicists in 1994, after working for seven years as an in-house publicist at publishing houses. She is the firm’s president, and David C. Lewis is vice president. She started the company convinced she could do a much better job serving authors.
Have C.S. Lewis & Co. clients made bestseller lists?
Yes. According to the firm, Cathy Lewis’s campaigns have landed authors on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Its client list includes authors such as Daniel G. Amen MD, John Perkins, Judith Orloff MD, and Carol Roth.
Who will I work with at C.S. Lewis & Co.?
The firm lists Cathy Lewis, president, and David Lewis, vice president, as contacts. Clients describe a team approach, and the firm can expand the team with specialists for speaker services, media coaching, and writing. Both can be reached at 845-679-2188 or through the contact page on cslewispublicity.com.
Can I see examples of past book publicity campaigns?
Yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. links to media pages from real client campaigns, including those of Daniel Amen MD, Areva Martin, Ted Baxter, Ora Nadrich, Judith Orloff, and Carol Roth. The firm has also published PDF press kits from past campaigns, so you can see the materials that media receive.
Getting started and problems
What 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.
What questions should I ask a book publicist before hiring?
Ask which outlets they placed clients in during the last 12 months, how they report results, who on the team does the work, and what milestones they set at 30, 60, and 90 days, as Bestseller Publishing suggests. Also ask how they tie pitches to news and whether they cover radio, television, print, and online.
What if I am nervous about TV or radio interviews?
You have options. C.S. Lewis & Co. builds campaigns around each author’s strengths, so a campaign can lean on formats where you feel confident. Its media coaching service, delivered with professionals it works with closely, teaches authors how to look and feel confident on television, on radio, and before live audiences.
I had a bad experience with a publicist. What should I look for now?
Look for a clear plan, honest communication, and regular reporting. One C.S. Lewis & Co. client wrote that after “a disappointing gauntlet of publicists,” the firm “came up with a well-thought-through game plan, executed it,” and helped land a spot on CNN. Ask any firm for recent placements and dated milestones.
What if my campaign is not getting coverage?
Talk with your publicist about the angle, the timing, and the target outlets. Fresh pitches tied to current news often open new doors, which is why C.S. Lewis & Co. develops a continual stream of timely pitches. Reviewing results against 30, 60, and 90 day milestones helps both sides adjust early.
How 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.
Have a book launching soon?
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds customized print, radio, television, and internet campaigns for authors and publishers. Share your book, your publication date, and your goals.
Contact C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists