How Much Money Does a Book Publicist Earn?
When an author has a new book hit the shelves, it is the publicist's job to get the public's eyeballs on it. A publicist arranges media interviews for authors, plans speaking tours and looks for opportunities to support a book's marketing plan. It can be grueling work, but for some it is a dream job. Publicists in the book industry, many of whom are aspiring authors, get to interact with some of the country's top literary minds.
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Salary
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies book publicists as public relations specialists. Public relations specialists in the publishing industries have an average hourly wage of $29.42 per hour. In the newspaper, periodical and book publishing industries, they earned an average annual wage of $28 per hour in May 2010. That translates to a median annual salary of $55,430 and $53,670.
What It's Like
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It can be a grueling job. There are a lot of books out there, and there simply aren't enough book reviewers, radio hosts and bloggers to talk about all of them. Consequently, the hours can be long, and publicists will hit many dead ends. A publicist will pitch book reviews to prominent magazines and newspapers like the New York Times, only some of which will be successful. And the hours can be long. After the normal day job has ended, the publicist may have to hold the author's hand at a book signing that lasts well into the evening.
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Outlook
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Because of the prestige associated with working with some publishers, competition for jobs at publishing houses can be fierce. The public relations field is expected to grow much faster than the rest of the industry. Many publicists may resort to working on a freelance basis or may start their own firms to focus on niche authors. In addition, publicists may have to compete with the authors themselves, who may choose to "go it alone" and market a book without the help of a publicist.
Breaking In
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Publicists will need a college degree, likely in journalism, marketing, English or a related field. Publicists who work for technical publishers — like those that target the medical or finance industries — may also need a degree, certification or experience in that field. Many of these jobs are located in New York City, which houses the nation's publishing industries. Living in the Big Apple or going to college there may help with the job search, or make it easier to interview or gain internships.
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References
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