The Bookseller - Comment - Self-published authors can have standout publicity campaigns, too

I have been working as a book publicist for 20 years. Starting out at a small independent publisher, I then moved to Hachette, and for the past decade I've worked as a freelancer. In that time, books coverage in the media has changed irrevocably.

The big-name authors and celebrity writers, who top the bestseller lists throughout the year, must now contend with smaller review space and reduced books coverage generally. Paywalls block reader access to interviews and features across national newspapers and digital magazines. Editors crave sensationalist content and clickbait headlines. Meanwhile, authors are encouraged to perpetually create content to share across their social media platforms. Devising and executing a successful book publicity campaign has never been more challenging. But what about self-published authors? They must face all of these challenges, but without a dedicated in-house publicist offering their support, time, knowledge and expertise.