Publishers promotional efforts

Desert Author

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Are any of the large publishers spending money to promote books by new writers? I realize they're still shelling out marketing money for established writers or celebrity authors, but how does the new writer fare in this age of belt tightening and red ink?
 

Old Hack

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The issue isn't whether publishers promote new authors or not, it's to do with investment.

The more a publisher invests in a book, the more they are going to do to push it regardless of who wrote it.

Established, successful authors tend to be paid bigger advances and get bigger promotional budgets, while new authors tend to be paid smaller advances with matching marketing efforts.

Generally speaking, any authors who are paid small advances will find those matched by smaller marketing spends; any authors who are paid huge advances will get matching huge marketing efforts.

It really helps if you have a good agent here, as they'll work to get a marketing commitment added to your contract, and will then ensure your publisher adheres to that contract.
 

GeekTells

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Thanks for that terrific answer, Old Hack. It helped put things in perspective.
 

Cathy C

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It's also important to remember that what an author considers "promotional" isn't what a publisher considers promotional. The thing is that the customer of a publisher isn't the end reader. It's the bookstores and other outlets where the book is stocked. So while the frontlist of their line might get some promo dollars to the reader, most midlist books have their limited promo dollars used to give the book higher visibility in the bookstore or website. Special cover effects, end caps and front table placement, "recommended" lists---they're all bought and paid for by the publisher. While it's not ads or commercials, they DO have a beneficial impact on the book. But it's usually up to the author to reach the readers. Not every author does, though. I do, but I know a lot who do nothing above what the publisher does. Both ways sell books. :)