That'll be the day

Here's a nice big, very pedestrian article about book publicity in Poets and Writers. Specifically, it's about how publicity is done at major publishing houses.

Reading this article gave me a nose-to-the-window feeling, like yeah, I know this is sort of how it happens but I somehow can't see all that publicity machinery happening to me. I felt like a 14-year-old reading an article about race car drivers -- I might get to drive a car some day, but I ain't never gonna drive an Indy car 200 mph.

This Poets and Writers article basically assumes you're the author of a nonfiction book that's about to be released by a major publisher who is probably going to get you some decent press -- maybe not the Today Show, but you've got a good chance of a review in the NYT Book Review, several major daily newspapers, and some NPR stations, if not Fresh Air. You probably live on the east coast already, you have friends in the media who will help out... yeah, whatever.

When I see how people on my level -- well, really, the level above me -- actually bust their asses to get a little press for their books -- talented people like Katia and Martha -- an article like this is like reading science fiction. All these publicists supposedly coordinating mailings and tours -- yeah, I'm sure that happens to somebody.

Previously: New techniques in book marketing and publicity
Mystery author pretends to shun publicity
'Publish and Perish' piece distresses some

book publicity, publishing