Publicity also has a few different roles ranging from Publicity Assistants to Junior and Senior Publicity Executives, Directors and Managers. 

The Publicity department is the department that arranges for events such as book/ author tours, book signing events, book readings etc. Publicists will often reach out to newspapers, magazines, radio stations, websites, bloggers etc. in order to promote their books too. Often, publications will notify the Publicity departments of companies before certain best-seller lists with their respective books are published, so that the publicity departments can generate buzz or create events in order to further promote their books. Essentially, the Publicity department takes what the editorial and marketing departments provide them and uses those to conduct promotional outreach and generate publicity/hype around products. 

Marketing vs. Publicity

Reflect & Consider

1. How does publicity differ from marketing, and why are both neccesary in a book’s promotional plan?
2. How does timing play a role in publicity efforts, especially when it comes to best-seller announcements or media coordination?
3. How might relationships with media outlets and influencer shape the success of a publicity campaign?
4. Why might in-person events like book tours and reading be more impactful for certain audiences or genres?
5. Can you think of a time when you heard about a book through an interview, an article, or an event? How did that affect your interest in the book?