Comparison
An independent publicist works only on publicity and only for you, while a publisher's publicity department splits its time across every title on its list.
This comparison from C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists looks at three routes on the same six criteria: an independent firm, a large publisher's publicity department and a small press's. The firm is an independent publicist, so it describes its own option first and says so plainly.
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Published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. This page is written by the firm it describes and is not independent.
For most authors who want a campaign built around their expertise, an independent publicist adds the most: daily attention, news-driven pitching and intensive follow-up. If your book is on a large publisher's top tier list, its in-house team may already give you that. If your small press has capacity and media relationships in your subject, you may need less outside help. Often the best answer is both, working together.
| Criterion | C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists (independent firm) | Large publisher publicity department | Small press publicity department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it works for | The author or publisher who hires it | Every title on the publisher’s seasonal list | Every title on the press’s list, usually a shorter list |
| Campaign customization | Tailored to the author’s expertise, goals, region and travel schedule | Tailored campaigns are generally reserved for top tier titles | Hard working, but limited budget and staff for a campaign per author |
| Pitching into breaking news | Daily contact with the author; pitches often go out the same day | Cannot communicate daily with each author to pitch in real time | Fewer resources for real-time pitching |
| Follow-up with media | Intensive follow-up to secure interviews, features, reviews and op-eds | Often a book and press release mailed to reviewers, with little or no follow-up | Fewer resources for sustained follow-up |
| Media relationships | First-name relationships with hundreds of editors, reporters, columnists and producers | Varies by house | Less developed than a dedicated publicity firm, in the firm’s view |
| Best fit | Authors with a launch soon who want a custom campaign | Authors on the publisher’s top tier list | Authors whose press welcomes added outside help |
Works for the author or publisher who hires it, on publicity only. Campaigns are tailored to expertise, goals, region and travel, with timely pitches and intensive follow-up. Works alongside publisher teams. Fit: authors with a launch soon who want a custom campaign.
Publishes dozens of titles each season and must spread limited publicity resources across them. According to the firm, books outside the top tier often get a mailing to reviewers with little or no follow-up. Fit: authors on the publisher's top tier list.
Tends to work hard with fewer authors and books, but has fewer resources than big publishers and usually lacks budget or staff for a targeted campaign per author. Fit: authors whose press welcomes added outside help.
The six criteria are who the option works for, campaign customization, pitching into breaking news, follow-up with media, media relationships and best fit. Each option is described using the same kinds of facts, drawn from C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists' own published experience as a firm whose founder spent seven years as an in-house publicist at publishing houses. Where a fact was not available, the table says it varies rather than guessing. This comparison was written by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists, the business that publishes this site. It is not independent and is not based on an audit.
Published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. This page is written by the firm it describes and is not independent.
Because a publicist works only on publicity, and works for you. According to C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists, unless a book is on a large publisher's top tier list, such as titles by celebrities or bestselling authors, the most an author can usually expect is the book and a press release mailed to reviewers, with little or no follow-up.
Maybe. The firm notes that small, independent presses tend to work hard and have fewer books to focus on, but also fewer resources than big publishers, and usually lack the budget or staff for a targeted campaign for each author. An outside publicist can add media relationships and daily pitching on top of their work.
Customize. The firm can tailor a campaign to your expertise, goals, region and travel schedule, communicate with you daily to pitch news in real time, and promote a specific area of your work you want highlighted. Its FAQ says large publisher publicity departments generally lack the time, budget or staff to do that for every author.
Yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists works closely with publishers' and businesses' publicity teams so its efforts complement theirs rather than duplicate them. That matters if your publisher plans to mail review copies while you want a broader campaign built around your expertise and goals.
You can, and many authors start that way. The tradeoff is time and relationships: C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists spends every workday on publicity and reports first-name relationships with hundreds of editors, reporters, columnists and producers. Doing it yourself works best when your goals are modest and your schedule allows daily follow-up.
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists gives priority to authors and publishers with a launch on the calendar. Share your title, subject and launch date, and the firm will talk through a campaign built around your goals.
Contact the firm about your launchPublished by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists
