Out of the many undesirable traits I have, my ability to underestimate the sheer volume of any one task has to be my least favourite. Match with my confidence that “it’s all going to turn out great” and I get myself into a few too many pickles for my liking.

I have gotten better. But this year I discovered that my decision to self publish my book Be a Spider, Build a Web was a far bigger task than I had expected. Not only did I have to write the thing, but then I had to work out how to get it ready for publishing AND then work out how to market it.

And yes, I’m a marketing strategist, and I’ve had books published before. But marketing a book is working in a particular subset of marketing, and my last published book was (cough) 2008 and that was with Penguin, who did all the heavy lifting both on the publishing and on the publicity front.

After getting help with the publishing side, I felt I could manage the launch, until all too late I realised I was wrong (learn from me people!) So I sent a desperate email to Elizabeth Heritage, a freelance publicist who offers everything from a DIY package (that’s what I got) to a complete “done for you’ book publicity service. 

Thankfully she came to my rescue, and while there was a limit to what she could do, as I’d left it far too late, I immediately had a plan, and direction in where to go. I’m still implementing her plan, and I’d call the release of Be A Spider, Build A Web more of a “slow burn” but we’re getting there!

Elizabeth Heritage has worked in book publicity for nearly a decade, both in-house at publishing houses and freelance for small presses and self-published authors. For seven years she was the sales, marketing and publicity tutor on the Whitireia publishing course. She lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara with her whānau and pet rats.

In this episode we cover:

• How book publicity is different from other types of publicity
• How Elizabeth got into book publicity work
• Why it can help having someone else help you with publicity
• When you should think about engaging a publicist
• What authors can do to help their book be seen
• Why a publicist can get into doors you can’t 
• What your business can learn from a book publicist

Important Links

Check out The Elizabeth Heritage here

Buy your copy of Be a Spider, Build a Web

Download the free workbook

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Register interest for Rachel’s content coaching programme

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

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