Ideally, a publicist will start planning the publicity campaign for a book three to six months before the publication date. Some books, however, do not get into the hands of a literary publicist until later in the process, possibly even after publication and distribution. Trade magazines and other glossy periodicals sometimes have lead times of up to six months to place a book review or author interview. The publicist understands timings and media lifecycles and will work with these the gain exposure for the author and his book.
A publicist creates publicity campaigns for books. When a publicist receives a new book, she will develop a publicity plan that targets particular media outlets. She will write press releases. She contacts the magazines and journals with the longest lead times first. Outlets with shorter lead times include daily periodicals, television and radio. Online media is typically left last as it has the shortest lead time. Good publicists will have relationships with journalists and know who to contact for certain kinds of books. They should maintain contact throughout the process and ensure the book does not get overlooked by the media outlet.
A publicist may also plan and co-ordinate book tours and other events. He may help an author with media training. He may schedule appearances and help the author with travel arrangements between venues. Some may even co-ordinate the development of marketing materials. These are distinct from press releases and may include giveaways and in-store book stand displays. These are non-core activities for a literary publicist.
Literary publicists may work in a publishing house or may have an independent business. Some publishing houses have done away with in-house publicity departments and now solely rely on independent literary publicists to provide publicity for their books. They may contract with them on an ongoing or book-by-book basis. Often, publicists work in tandem with an in-house publicity team to provide a specialist service or to lend a hand when an in-house team has too many titles to handle at a certain time. This provides publishing houses with flexibility and ensures books get the attention they deserve.