Ask a Literary Publicist Vol 2 First Steps and Social

Ask a Literary Publicist Vol 2 First Steps and Social Ask an Award-Winning Literary Publicist #2 First Steps and Social Media Sandra Goroff is a veteran award-winning literary publicist with Reedsy. Over her illustrious 30-year (and counting) career, she has worked in-house at Houghton Mifflin and represented authors the likes of Clive Cussler, Maurice Sendak, Chris Van Allsburg, Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, and former president Jimmy Carter.In her second guest post, Sandy will answer questions submitted by authors, shining some light on how to best approach publicity as an author.(Face)book publicityQ: â€Å"What does a publicist cover in today’s social media environment?†You are right that social media has changed the landscape of publicity. It has transformed much, but not all of it. It is only one (albeit an important one) of the many tools and venues we use to promote our work, and, in this instance, books and authors.The social networksThe benefit that professional publicists bring to the process is all about experience, access and contacts.   An experienced publicist brings years of strong working relationships to the table. They know how to develop story angles, use the news, find the journalists and writers, match you with appropriate media (print, broadcast and social), build upon your core audience, and maximize exposure. In addition, they understand timing, how to work (or not work) with bookstores, set up events, and, when needed, how to collaborate with an in-house team.This does not mean that a hard-working author - even a first time author - cannot do this by themselves, for themselves. It means that most of time, a good publicist can do it faster and more effectively, with all the right contacts and know-how already in place. The learning curve for first time writers (or all authors who are writers and not publicists) is steep. And while all things are possible, it depends on how hard you want to work and whether you are familiar with this often overwhelming world. Is there anything you’d like to ask Sandy about book publicity? Drop your question  at this link  and it might feature in our next column.