BOOK PR IN A SOCIAL-DISTANCING WORLD

Marketing books is never easy. But now that COVID-19 has changed the world in so many ways, the literary landscape has altered accordingly. Face-to-face book signings are out. So, too, are live readings and other in-person activities that authors depended on to drum up interest in new titles.

Given that, what’s a PR-seeking author to do?

I ran into this dilemma earlier this year. I had a picture book come out this summer from a regional press, and the first PR-related thing I did when COVID-19 hit? Confirm my website and social media were current and had clear, easy-to-use ways to contact me.

Thankfully, Mike Onorato, vice president of publicity at Smith Publicity, advises doing exactly that. “Be ready to be active. There’s still the need for books and authors, and you’ll need to be ready to work. Media is asking for quicker and tighter turnaround times on interviews and byline article requests. We’ve seen some media prefer