A bit of a different post for me today, as I’m going to be ditching my usual bookish focus to share how to approach publishing houses / PRs, whether you are looking for advanced copies or paid campaign work.
Just for those who don’t know, in my day job I work with Influencers on film / book campaigns, so I thought it might be useful to share the other side.
I know it can be a little nerve wracking to approach a publishing house or PR agency, but you are actually making that other person's job easier! We are always on the lookout for new people to work with with different niches and content focuses, and I would say the vast majority will at least have a database you can be added to.
How to find their contact details
So firstly - finding the right contacts. There are a few different ways
You can DM publishing houses directly on Insta introducing yourself and asking if they have a PR contact for receiving advanced copies / paid collaborations
Most publishing house Instagrams have a connected email you can contact too, although I found some bounced back as no longer in service
You can go on LinkedIn and find out who is the marketing manager for the imprints you are interested in and contact them directly to intro yourself. They might have in house team or a PR agency that will give you the details for
What should you say in the email?
I would suggest keeping it simple with your name, location (just general area is great in case they have local events etc. ), any relevant handles, your niche / types of books you like to read.
I would recommend mentioning some books you have read of theirs you enjoyed so they can get a vibe of what releases might be of interest and keep it on file.
You could also request a book if there is something you are really interested in. I will be writing up a mock email since a few requested this last week.
If you do accept something gifted or paid:
I would be upfront with any deliverables from the get go so you are both on the same page (for example you will do x amount of posts / stories in return for x)
Don’t be scared to clarify any information which isn’t clear
I would recommend sending what you are planning to post in advance of it going live (just means they can check any hashtags etc and know to look out for your content which they can hopefully repost if they have a big platform!)
Don’t be afraid to say no to something if it doesn’t feel like a good fit, or offer an alternative that would work more organically instead. They want the content to perform well so will likely be pretty open to ideas.
PS: Wednesday is when I post about all things Insta on my stories if you want to join / ask me anything please do!
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