FAQs

Many do-it-yourself publicity programs are designed with one goal in mind: to sell you flashy products that overpromise and underdeliver. We’re not here to sell products. We’re here to provide effective tools, time-tested expertise and educational resources that the publicists at our sister company Books Forward use every day to deliver results for our clients. After 20+ years of excellence in literary PR, we are more passionate than ever about empowering authors to achieve their promotional goals, while also equipping them with practical skills to make future books successful and boost careers longterm. We understand that a full service publicity campaign comes with a hefty price tag that is out of reach for some authors. We believe that great publicity should be accessible to everyone, so we created Books DIY+ to deliver the same excellent publicity expertise we provide for our clients at Books Forward at an affordable price.

The services and resources we provide through Books DIY+ are designed for self-motivated authors. Unlike a full-service, customized publicity campaign through Books Forward (in which a dedicated publicist would be pitching and following up with media outlets for you, setting up events, running your digital marketing initiatives, handling your advertising, etc.), Books DIY+ is designed to equip you, the author, to run your own promotion. In short, Books DIY+ services are less expensive because they are self-driven, and not managed by an experienced publicist. Not to worry though–our publicity and digital marketing teams offer written instructions for how to use their essential tools effectively, as well as personalized recommendations tailored for you. We also organize one-on-one consultations to get you the specific help you need. You can be your own publicist, and our publicity team will teach you how!

We guarantee that you will receive professional publicity tools, workable resources and personalized recommendations, precisely as outlined on our Packages page.

Any PR company promising specific media coverage, favorable reviews or a certain number of sales is not being honest. Reputable publicity is about working to gain exposure for your brand, and even the best exposure does not come with guarantees of a specific outcome. We are committed to transparency on every level, so we will never promise sales or a particular type or level of coverage. We do guarantee that you will receive promotional tools and personalized support from publicists who have built a trusted reputation in the book industry for more than 20 years.

Our services are designed for self-motivated authors who are willing to put work into their book’s promotion and use the tools we provide as instructed. Just because you have the directions to build a cabinet doesn’t mean that it will be built correctly–unless you follow the directions and are committed to doing the best job you can. Success for each project depends on using the tools we provide as recommended, setting realistic goals and being consistent, savvy and dedicated in your promotional efforts.

Nothing is impossible–but it’s unlikely. The truth is that no one can know for sure what serendipity makes one book take off among the rest. But with more than 4,000 books launching daily, hitting the New York Times bestseller list is not a realistic goal for the overwhelming majority of authors.

We find that authors experience the deepest satisfaction–not to mention legitimate longterm success–when they set realistic and attainable goals. We invite you to think of the resources we provide through Books DIY+ as the next step in your publishing journey as an author. Whether you’re a debut writer who is seeking to launch your first book, or an experienced career author looking for an extra boost, our services will get you closer to achieving your promotional goals–one step at a time.

If you put zero effort into promoting your book, there’s a high probability that it will attract zero readers. And why go to the trouble of publishing a book if you don’t want anyone to read it? Even minimal promotional effort increases your chances of attracting readers beyond putting in no effort at all.

It’s true that with 4,000 books published in the U.S. daily, it’s hard to grab attention for your work. However, it’s impossible if you don’t work at it.

The best way to be successful is to think carefully and realistically about what you want to accomplish. Are you passionate about getting your story and message to readers who will benefit from it the most? Is it about building your brand as an expert in a certain field? Our tools will help you see what’s possible, and when used correctly, can help you achieve your goals.