Author's PR Playbook: How to Get Media Coverage Without a Publicist episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 24, 2026 · 55 MIN

Author's PR Playbook: How to Get Media Coverage Without a Publicist

from Novel Marketing · host Thomas Umstattd Jr.

Is hiring a publicist a waste of money or not?A typical book publicist charges between $3,000 and $10,000 per month, and they often require a three-month minimum. At $3 of profit per book, you'd need to sell 5,000 copies just to break even. Most PR campaigns don't come close to selling 5,000 copies.But the publicist gets paid either way, while the author takes all the risk.Here's what most authors don't know: the access publicists used to sell is now free.There are tens of thousands of podcasts looking for guests, and you don't need a gatekeeper to get in. You just need to know how to pitch a podcast.In this week's episode, Podcast Hall of Famer Dave Jackson shares exactly how to do that. You’ll learnWhat makes a host delete your pitch after reading one sentenceHow to identify podcasts that will yield the best results for sales and growing your readership.How to nail the interview and get invited back (hint: you’ll need the right microphone and the right content)Which tools can save you time and headacheIf you want to spread the word about your book but don’t want to spend the money hiring a public relations professional, listen in or read the blog version to discover how you can.Blog Link: https://www.authormedia.com/authors-pr-playbook-how-to-get-media-coverage-without-a-publicist/Guest: Dave Jackson (School of Podcasting, Podcast Hall of Fame) Topic: Earned media for authors, with podcast guesting as the core strategyYT Link: https://youtu.be/r14ixF0WLJUSupport the show

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Is hiring a publicist a waste of money or not? A typical book publicist charges between $3,000 and $10,000 per month, and they often require a three-month minimum. At $3 of profit per book, you'd need to sell 5,000 copies just to break even. Most PR campaigns don't come close to selling 5,000 copies. But the publicist gets paid either way, while the author takes all the risk. Here's what most authors don't know: the access publicists used to sell is now free. There are tens of thousands of po...

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Author's PR Playbook: How to Get Media Coverage Without a Publicist

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