BOOK PUBLICIST

Get the full download on what’s ahead: what you'll learn, what’s expected, and how the final project ties it all together. You’ll meet your instructor, map out the journey, and start thinking like a publicist with a campaign in mind.

• Instructor intro
• Course structure 
• Assignments & final project overview

Get the inside scoop on what book publicists do beyond just “getting media coverage.” You'll break down the timeline, the tactics, and the tricky balance between hype and hustle, all while learning how real campaigns turn into real buzz.

• The role of a book publicist: Publicity as the final stage
• The beats of a publicity campaign
• Marketing vs. publicity
• Case study: Successful book publicity campaigns & book buzz (i.e. Empyrion SeriesbyRebecca Yarros)

Learn how to spot a book’s most irresistible angles, figure out who’ll love it and where they hang out, and map out the smartest media moves. By the end of this session, you'll be able to pitch with purpose.

• Finding the hook: What makes a book unique & newsworthy
• Target audience: Determining reader demographics and their media habits
• Media strategy: targeting the right media for the campaign
• Demo & Workshop: Brainstorming publicity angles, reader demographics, and media targets for different books 

Assignment #1: Reader Persona
Pick a book and create a reader persona for one target audience. Define their gender, age, interests, media habits, and what angle(s) would hook them.

Journey through print, podcasts, and more as you get the lowdown on the book coverage opportunities available across each type of media outlet. Plus, hear it straight from a media professional in the guest Q&A.

• Types of media outlets 
• Media coverage opportunities 
• Demo: Showcase of a Media Strategy and Media Summary 
• Guest speaker: Entertainment editor on what makes a book pitch stand out

Learn how to hunt down the right outlets and contacts that can get your book seen, no shouting into the void. Build a solid media list and spot real opportunities like reviews, excerpts, or podcast interviews.

• How to build a media list: outlets, contacts, opportunities
• Media tools: Podchaser, MuckRackm, Google, ChatGPT
• Demo: Live-research of contacts for a book
• Workshop: Identifying potential review outlets & contacts

Assignment #2: Media List
Build a list of 15 media contacts for a specific genre/book. Start with a short paragraph explaining your strategy, then list names, outlets, and one-line reasons with links showing why each person is a good fit.

Write press materials that actually get read. Learn how to shape sharp, media-friendly pitches that won’t get ignored.

• The art of the pitch: do’s & don’ts
• Demo: Live editing of press releases & pitches
• Workshop: Peer review of Assignment 3A 
• Discussion: Live editing of student pitches

Assignment #3B: Edit Your Press Release & Pitch
Revise your press release and pitch based on feedback & discussion: implement the do’s and don’ts mentioned.

Learn how to turn book tour chaos into crowd-pleasing wins. From dodged disasters to DIY promo tactics, you'll get the lowdown on what really makes live events work . . . and what to do when they very much don’t!

• Current events landscape
• Publicist as problem-solver
• Case study: Successful & unsuccessful events
• Exercise: E&E (“Events & Emergencies”), a D&D-style scenario-solving game where live events go wrong

Assignment #4: Events Strategy
Create an event plan on a $1500 budget. Include 3–5 events in a 3-month calendar with suggested timing, partners, and publicity tie-ins.

Learn how to be your author’s go-to person, part publicist, part therapist. From media prep to tough talks, you’ll explore how to support authors while juggling the bigger goals of the publisher.

• Publicist as author point person
• Relationship goals
• Navigating difficult conversations 
• Media training 
• Discussion: Balancing the needs of an author with the goals of a publisher
• Guest speaker

Learn how to build your author brand, pick the right platforms, and use social media and influencers to generate buzz and sell books. You’ll see what works and why, with a real-world case study and insider tips from Random House’s digital strategy lead.

• Building an author’s brand & platform
• Social media for book promotion
• Case study: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
• Guest speaker: A Digital Marketer on building book and author brands

Figure out what success looks like in publicity beyond book sales. Learn how to set smart goals, track what matters, and spot what’s working (or not!) in a shifting media and AI-driven landscape.

• Pros and cons of publicity
• Buzz > book sales 
• Challenges of a changing landscape: changing media affinities, AI, and more
• Balancing author and agent requests with publisher goals
• Group Discussion: Examples of media coverage, and their impact on buzz and sales

Get real-world tips on breaking into book publicity. Learn how to find the right internship and customize your resume for the greatest impact. Network smart, tailor your cover letter, and use AI without sounding like a robot.

• Career advice
• Experience requirements
• The benefit of networking 
• Resume & cover letter tips 
• Q&A

Course Project: Full Publicity Campaign
Plan and present a complete campaign (real or fictional book). Include:

• Book overview (summary, author bio & location)
• Full campaign timeline
• Expanded reader personas & tailored pitch angles
• Media list with 30+ targeted contacts across different categories
• 1 press release
• 1 personalized pitch
• Event strategy: at least 5 events with a $3000 budget