Publicity 101 For Writers

A virtual seminar/interview with publicist extraordinaire Lauren Cerand, the afternoon of Saturday, October 8th.

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Recently, two months after publishing my debut memoir with a small indie publisher, I hit a wall. I’d gotten some nice press in small, mostly web-based publications and radio shows, but if I wanted to sell more copies, get stocked in more bookstores, and keep my book’s buzz going, I’d need to capture the attention of bigger publications. 

In a minor panic, I reached out to veteran publicist Lauren Cerand to ask whether she offers one-off consultations. Luckily for me, she does.

In the space of an hour-long Zoom, Lauren diagnosed some key issues with my online presence, and offered a list of actionable solutions toward presenting myself and my work in a more focused, professional—yet still authentic—way. She also helped me overcome my aversion to being a squeaky wheel about my book and my other work. 

By the end of the session I felt empowered and optimistic in a way I hadn’t before. It was as if I’d been to both a career counselor and a therapist. I was so excited about the experience, I wanted to share it with more writers.

To that end, through Kingston Writers’ Studio, I’m going to hold a virtual seminar/interview with Lauren Cerand on Saturday, October 8th at 2pm EDT in which she’ll cover all of this, and share her philosophy on book publicity.

Left, photo of Lauren Cerand from Girls and Their Cats; Right, photo of Sari Botton by Sylvie Rosokoff

The first 60 minutes, I’ll interview Lauren about some straight-forward ways writers can get out of their own way, improve their online image, and get the message out about their books and their other work. The final 30 minutes, Lauren will respond to some questions in the Zoom chat.

The price for the 90-minute session is $25. There are only 100 spots and they are likely to quickly go, so act fast.

If you’re looking to improve at publicizing your book or any of your other work, or to get over your discomfort with self-promotion, I think you’ll get a lot out of this seminar.