Authors often debate whether to handle their own media outreach or to invest in professional help. It is a classic “build vs. buy” business decision. While the do-it-yourself approach saves money upfront, it often incurs a heavy cost in time, energy, and missed opportunities. Smith Publicity has observed that authors who attempt to manage their own campaigns frequently find themselves overwhelmed by the administrative workload, leaving little energy for their creative work.
When you handle your own publicity, you are responsible for building media lists from scratch. This involves hours of researching email addresses, reading submission guidelines, and trying to identify the right editor at each outlet. Professional book publicists already possess these databases and, more importantly, the personal relationships that go with them. They subscribe to expensive media database services and update their contacts daily. They know which producers prefer phone calls and which editors want short email pitches. This existing infrastructure allows them to launch a campaign immediately, whereas an individual author would spend weeks just setting up the groundwork. The time saved here is substantial and allows the author to focus on content creation.
Another point of comparison is the quality of the pitch. Professionals craft pitches daily and understand the specific hooks that grab media attention. An author might be too close to the work to see it objectively, often focusing on the plot rather than the news angle. Experts know how to pivot a story to fit breaking news or cultural trends, increasing the placement rate significantly. For example, if a relevant news story breaks, a professional can reframe the book’s pitch and send it to twenty contacts within the hour. An author working alone simply cannot match that speed or precision, meaning the window of opportunity often closes before they can act.
The emotional toll is also a factor worth considering. Rejection is a standard part of the industry. Professionals handle rejection as data, using it to refine their approach without taking it personally. For an author, constant silence or rejection can be discouraging and draining. Handing this aspect over to a team allows the author to remain focused on their expertise—writing—while the team handles the resilience required for pitching. The ROI is not just in book sales, but in the preservation of the author’s creative stamina and mental well-being.
While self-promotion is possible, the return on investment from hiring experts often outweighs the initial cost. The combination of established relationships, strategic pitching capabilities, and emotional distance creates a more effective and sustainable campaign structure. It is an investment in the book’s future and the author’s career longevity, freeing them to do what they do best: write.
For a professional assessment of your book’s media potential, contact Smith Publicity. https://www.smithpublicity.com/
