How Much Marketing Will Traditional Publishers Really Do?

It was supposed to be an exciting meeting. My ghostwriting client had landed a high six-figure book deal with a traditional publisher. They had worked for years to codify their intellectual property and build an impressive platform. When my client sat down to meet with their publisher’s marketing director, they were ready and willing to take on the next big hurdle: preparing to launch their book.

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Here’s a little snapshot of their exchange:

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Marketing Director: “You should start a blog.”

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My Client: “I have a blog. More than 100,000 people read it every week.”

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Marketing Director: “You do? That’s great. You should try to get on TV.”

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My Client: “I’m on TV at least once a month.”

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Marketing Director: “Have you been on The Today Show?”

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My Client: “No.”

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Marketing Director: “You should get on that show.”

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My Client: “Okay. How can you help me do that?”

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Marketing Director: “Oh, we don’t do that. You need to hire a publicist.”

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This meeting hit my client like a bucket of cold water. They decided right then and there that when it came to marketing their book, they were on their own. 

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Is traditional publishing worth it? 

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Experiences like the one I just described are a dime a dozen. Authors get a publishing deal and expect their publisher to have a marketing plan–or at the very least, to be familiar with the author’s platform and how to build on it. Authors end up disappointed and frustrated, wondering if traditional publishing is worth it. Why should they give such a large share of their profits to the publisher, who seems to be doing virtually nothing?

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Because so many authors have similar unfortunate experiences with traditional publishers, the prevailing wisdom is “publishers don’t market your books.” 

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On the other side of the spectrum, I’ve had many conversations with brand new authors who had decided to pursue traditional publishing because they “just want to write” and “don’t want to do any of the marketing.” They had assumed signing with a publisher meant they could just focus on writing and their publisher would ensure readers knew about their book.

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So what’s true? Can authors count on traditional publishers like the Big 5 (Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, McGraw Hill, Penguin-Random House, and Simon & Schuster) to market their books, or should authors assume they are on their own?

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The reality is most traditional publishers do market your book–you just won’t see it or hear about most of it. 

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What traditional publishers do (and don’t do). 

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Many traditional publishers (and some top-tier hybrid publishers) have trade distribution–think distribution that creates and fulfills demand versus distribution that simply fulfills demand. Their sales teams, whether in-house or at an outside trade distributor, work behind the scenes to position your book for success and get your book onto library and bookstore shelves. 

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They manage your book’s metadata, create sell sheets, submit your book for trade reviews, and promote your book in pitch meeting after pitch meeting. All of this is critical for getting your book into readers’ hands.

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The problem is, most publishers don’t tell you about their efforts. 

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What they do is shrouded in mystery, so much so that authors assume their publishers aren’t “doing anything” to help market their books. It’s not that publishers are highly secretive; they’re just not in the business of educating authors. It’s no wonder authors often feel frustrated and confused, unsure which publishing path to take and what they will need to do to promote their book.

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What most publishers typically don’t do is the consumer-facing or front-facing marketing that authors would see and hear about—such as advertising, social media campaigns, and book tours. 

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Of course, there are exceptions. Publishers will often spring for consumer-facing marketing for highly anticipated books by celebrities or other notable authors. Highly successful authors like James Patterson, who has sold more than 425 million books, can demand a TV commercial for the release of every new title. Have you ever noticed his ads? 

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And have you noticed that you rarely, if ever, see any other ads for books? If you have to be on Patterson’s level to get a commercial, what’s a first-time or mid-tier author supposed to do to get a little extra marketing support from their publisher?

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Getting additional marketing support

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Sometimes agents can get some marketing written into their authors’ contracts, such as support with publicity through the media. Whether additional marketing support is written into your contract or not, ask for what you want. If you can make a good case for it, you just might get it.

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Here are a few ideas:

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• As stated above, some publishers will assist you with getting publicity through the media, especially with articles and columns. Ask for a brainstorm session and come prepared with your pitch ideas.
• Industry trade review publications help libraries and booksellers make purchasing decisions. But just because a publisher submits a book for review does not mean they will get one, so sometimes publishers make a strategic decision to hold back one title in favor of another title getting the review. Don’t assume your publisher will automatically submit your book for trade review; ask them to do it.
• Book festivals and book industry events like the American Library Association’s annual and mid-winter conferences can be a great opportunity to meet book buyers and readers. Ask your publisher if they will include you in their marketing at these events by arranging in-booth book signings or panel discussions.
• Galleys or ARCs (advanced reader copies) are bound, typeset versions of your book used for marketing purposes. They are marked “not for sale” and often include marketing information on the back cover. Big publishers often have their own printing facilities, so giving you extra galleys may be an easy “yes” for them. You could use your extra galleys as a promotional tool.

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When you ask for what you want, give publishers a good reason to give it to you. Make your case for getting the support you need.