I’m excited to share that I’m working with Layne Mandros from the Book Publicity Team at Books Forward!
In this post, I wanted to talk about why I decided to work with a publicist—because hiring one turned out to be a very important step in this whole self-publishing journey.
My Biggest Challenge
From the start, I knew visibility would be my biggest challenge. My old food blog gave me a platform, sure, but I knew foodies and middle grade readers didn't exactly overlap. Suddenly, it felt like I was starting all over again.
And though I’ve seen authors who are amazing at self-promotion (posting all the time, collaborating, building excitement, etc.), I’ve always found that side of things a bit awkward and draining, not to mention time-consuming.
But I couldn’t just “publish and hope for the best.” With so many books released every single day, I knew I needed a plan to give Caput Mundi a real chance to be seen. If only there was someone who could help me get the book to the right readers! And that’s when I learned about publicists.
What a Publicist Does That I Can’t
So far, I’ve learned that one of the biggest advantages of having a publicist is access. Because they already work with authors, bookstores, influencers, and other people in the book world, they have connections with reviewers, journalists, and even podcast hosts who can actually help your book get noticed.
After reading Caput Mundi, they also helped me figure out how to pitch it, specifically, what angle to highlight, and how to talk about it in a way that resonates. They know what kinds of stories are trending and when key dates or events are coming up that we could tie the book to. For a self-published author, that kind of guidance really makes a difference.
It really lifts a huge weight off my shoulders to realize I don’t have to do everything alone. Self-publishing already means juggling writing, editing, and design, and that’s before you even get to marketing.
I once heard that to grow in business, “you should ONLY do what only YOU can do” and outsource the rest (Google tells me that quote’s from Paul Sloane), and it really stuck with me. Of course, that’s not always financially possible for everyone—definitely not for me when I first started—but knowing I didn’t have to learn everything, that there were ways to get help with the areas I struggled with, like outreach, promotion, and publicity, gave me hope that maybe this book could actually reach the right readers. And if that was the only thing holding me back from self-publishing, I started to think, then maybe it wasn’t such a big obstacle after all.
That said, I don’t want to discourage anyone from self-publishing just because they don’t have a publicist. I know it’s absolutely possible to market your own book—many self-published authors do it brilliantly. Between social media, newsletters, and online book communities, there are so many ways to connect with readers and build visibility on your own.
Conclusion
For me, it really came down to being honest about my strengths/weaknesses. I love the creative side of publishing, but marketing has never been my forte. Working with a publicist felt like the right choice for where I am right now. It’s what gives me support in the area that challenges me most.
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