Book publicity for small and independent presses
Publicity for small publishers and the authors they launch
Last updated: November 2026
Publicity for small publishers means getting a press’s authors and books into print, radio, television, and online media, and C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds those campaigns one title at a time.
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists is a small book publicity firm founded in 1994 that creates collaborative, customized media campaigns for authors and publishers. Each campaign positions the author as a newsworthy expert, builds a brand and media platform, and works to generate book sales and future opportunities in publishing and speaking.
What does publicity for small publishers include?
It includes a media kit, books and kits sent to the right media contacts, steady follow-up, and timely pitches that put the author in front of journalists, producers, and editors. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists adds internet marketing support and, through professionals it works with closely, speaker services, media coaching, and writing services.
The firm works closely with publishers’ publicity teams so its efforts complement theirs. For a small press, that means a launch gets an extra set of hands focused only on publicity, without replacing the people who already know the list.
Definition
Book publicity, defined
Book publicity is the work of earning media coverage for an author and a book, as opposed to paying for advertising. As C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists practices it, publicity turns authors into newsmakers by getting them seen, heard, and read about in every type of media, and by placing them in current news stories as those stories unfold. The firm’s stated motto sums up the approach: it does not just follow the news; it turns its clients into news. The second goal is name recognition strong enough to lead to more book sales, later printings, and new publishing opportunities.
By the figures
C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists in numbers
- 1994: the year Cathy Lewis launched the firm.
- 7 years: her prior experience as an in-house publicist at publishing houses.
- 10 subject areas with an established track record, from business to spirituality.
- 4 media channels in every campaign mix: print, radio, television, and internet.
- Over 100 media appearances and over 125,000 copies sold in 11 languages: figures reported by client Mike Song for his book The Hamster Revolution.
Publisher publicity services
Publisher publicity services from C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists are a menu, not a package. The firm mixes and matches book and author publicity, internet marketing, and specialist support so each campaign fits the author’s needs, personality, and goals.
Core publicity covers the media kit, distribution, follow-up, news-tied pitching, and travel coordination. Internet marketing helps authors build content, grow their networks, and keep exposure going after the campaign ends. Read the full list of publisher publicity services.
When to hire a publicist for small press titles
A small press is a good candidate for an outside publicist when a title has an expert author, clear news hooks, and a launch date coming up soon. According to the firm’s FAQ, small press publicity departments work hard and focus on fewer books, but have fewer resources for a targeted campaign per author.
A publicist for small press books adds daily attention, media relationships, and same day news response. See how a publicist for small press titles works with your team.
How do small press publicity options compare?
An outside campaign adds tailoring and news response; an in-house department adds no separate fee. The table below, published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists, compares the three on the same criteria.
| Criterion | Small press publicity department | Large house publicity department | C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists campaign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workload | Fewer authors and books than a large house | Dozens of new titles each season | A small firm that does nothing but book publicity for its clients |
| Campaign tailored to each author | Limited by budget and staff, per the firm’s FAQ | Mainly for top tier titles, per the firm’s FAQ | Customized to expertise, goals, region, and travel |
| Pitching tied to breaking news | Depends on staff time | Rarely possible for each author, per the firm’s FAQ | Timely pitches aligned with news, often the same day |
| Relationship with your press | Is your press team | Is the publisher’s team | Coordinates with press teams so efforts complement |
| Cost to the author or press | Covered by the press | Covered by the publisher | Separate fee; prices are not published, quote on request |
How does a book publicity campaign run?
It starts with a conversation and moves into steady outreach. These six steps come from the firm’s published description of its book and author publicity service.
- Talk with the author about expertise, strengths, media experience, and professional goals.
- Create a media kit with reviews, story ideas, interview topics, and bylined article material.
- Send books and media kits to the media contacts that matter, then follow up intensively.
- Pitch the author as an expert on breaking news, often the same day a story unfolds.
- Offer story ideas to a customized list of top media contacts the firm already knows.
- Coordinate interviews and appearances with the author’s travel to major media markets.
Who comes first
Books launching soon get priority
Authors and publishers with a book launching soon are the highest priority clients for C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. The firm’s blog makes the point plainly: publication is the starting line, not the finish line. See what launch publicity covers.
Track record
Subjects the firm knows well
- Business
- Careers
- Work/Life
- Parenting
- Health
- Diet/Nutrition
- Food/Cookbooks
- Self-Help
- Human Potential
- New Age/Spirituality
Questions small presses ask first
See all 46 questions in the FAQ- What is publicity for small publishers?
- Publicity for small publishers is earned media work that gets a press’s authors and books into print, radio, television, and online coverage. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds customized campaigns that position each author as a newsworthy expert, support book sales, and open future opportunities such as speaking engagements and new publishing deals.
- Do you work with small and independent presses?
- Yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists serves publishers as well as authors and works closely with publishers’ publicity teams so its efforts complement theirs. Its client sampling includes titles from presses such as Addicus Books, Lifeline Press, Square One Publishers, Ash Tree Publishing, Station Hill Press, Windsor Peak Press, and Bard Press.
- How much does a book publicist cost?
- C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists does not publish its prices, so the honest answer is that cost depends on the campaign. Services are mixed and matched to each client, and the scope changes with the media you want, travel coordination, and any added speaker, coaching, or writing services. Contact the firm for a quote on your title.
- Why hire a publicist instead of letting my publisher handle publicity?
- Because an outside publicist does nothing but publicity for the clients it takes on. According to the C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists FAQ, publisher departments handle many titles each season and usually cannot tailor a campaign to each author’s expertise, region, and travel, or respond to breaking news in real time. Many authors use both together.
- Which authors and publishers are your highest priority clients?
- Authors and publishers with a book launching soon are the highest priority clients for C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. A title close to publication benefits from a campaign planned around the launch, with media kits, book distribution to media, and news-tied pitching ready as the book reaches readers.
- Where can I read reviews of C.S. Lewis & Co. book publicity services?
- The firm’s references page on its main website collects statements from clients, including Mark Pastin, Prasad Kaipa, Mike Song, and Jim Camp. These are client statements published by the firm, not an independent review site. The clients and subjects page on this site quotes several of them word for word.
Have a book coming out soon?
Tell C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists about the title, the author, and the publication date. You can also visit the firm’s main website at cslewispublicity.com.