Tayari's Blog: What to Ask A Publicist before You Hire Her

The first thing you should do is decide what YOU want from the publicist. Are you concerned only with moving units? Or maybe you are more concerned about raising your literary profile.

Second, you should make a more specific list about what you want. Are there certain conferences you'd like to get invited to? Reading series? Magazines in particular that you would like to cover your work? Make a dream list. Be optimistic, be grand, be uncensored.

Third, ask your friends (if you have any in the biz) who they would recommend. Ask your agent, if you have one. Contact that person and inquire generally about rates. (The cost probably starts at $5,000 and can soar upwards to $20,000 or more! It's tax-deductable, but damn!)

Procede only if you can afford it. (Don't take out a second mortgage or start selling crack.) If it's out of your league, just accept it and move on. You don't want to go into massive debt. There is an element of chance in chasing publicity. You don't know what it will yield, so don't put yourself into crazy debt or push yourself to the brink of financial ruin. Most importantly, don't waste your time trying to come up with the money. The clock is ticking. You need a publicist in place six months before pub date.

Once you have compiled a list of about three people to interview, find out as much as you can about her background. What clients has she worked with in the past? How much publicity did those clients bring to the table? (In other words, you want to figure out how much the publicist DID for the client. If the client was already famous, then you will regard it differently.)

Tell her what you want in a general way. (Your specific wish list comes later.) As her what ideas she has toward helping a client reach those goals. If it is a good fit, she will have some ideas you haven't yet considered, but seem like a good idea. (My indie, Lauren, knocked my socks off with all of her insider knowledge of the blogger scene.)

Show her your dream list. If she is a good publicist, she will let you know that some of your dreams are sort of out of the question. (This is really important. Most publicists are pretty optimistic by nature. You need a person who will tell you the truth.) Lauren let me know right off that we weren't going to get a two page spread in the NYT. I would NOT be on the cover of Essence.

Then, let her know what resources YOU are bringing to the table. Maybe you are a member of a sorority that has major loyalty. Is the alumni association at your collge a bit fanatical? Maybe you have a cousin who works at People. If you know your publisher's plan for your book, share it with her. Maybe she can supplement what the publisher has in mind. Maybe she has connections in the cities that you will hit on your tour. Tell her everything you can think of.

Finally, tell her how much money you have to spend and she can tell you what she thinks she can acheive for this price.

While you wait for her to get back with you, it's time to listen to your gut. Your publicist will work very closely with you. She will be all up in your business. She will hear you when you are feeling grumpy and discouraged. She may very well be sitting beside you at major events when you may be very nervous and insecure. So ask yourself based on the interview: do you think you can trust her? so you think she understands your goals? is she level-headed? is she smart? and finally, do you LIKE her? You HAVE to like her.

Remember you can't switch publicists mid-stream. One you start, you are married until the publicity push is over.