FAQ
Published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. Last updated November 2026.
Here are 45common questions indie and self-published authors ask before hiring a book publicist, answered by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists. Topics cover cost, how campaigns work, timing, and how a publicist compares with DIY and other options.
Not every indie author needs one, but a publicist helps when you want national media coverage and lack the time or contacts to get it. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists works best for authors with a clear expertise and a book launching soon. Read the guide to book publicists for indie authors.
A book publicist earns media coverage for an author and a book. At C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists that means building a media kit, sending books and kits to the right contacts, following up to secure interviews, reviews, features, op-eds and bylined articles, and pitching you into breaking news stories, often the same day they happen.
Not quite. Publicity earns coverage you do not buy directly: interviews, reviews, features and articles. Marketing usually covers paid ads, promotions and sales tactics. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists focuses on publicity across print, radio, television and online media, and also helps clients with internet marketing such as website, blog and social content.
Indie author publicity is media outreach for books that are self-published or released by small independent presses. The goal is the same as for any book: interviews, reviews and features that build the author’s name. The difference is that indie authors usually hire and direct the publicist themselves instead of relying on a publisher’s in-house team.
Campaigns cover print, radio, television and internet media, including podcasts. The firm pitches television and radio producers, journalists, print and online magazine and newspaper editors, and bloggers. Its about page notes that its authors have been featured in national newspapers, business publications, women’s magazines and online venues across North America.
Yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists works to place op-eds and bylined articles, and through trusted partners can add writing services, including ghostwritten op-ed pieces based on your book and expertise. Cathy and David Lewis have helped clients become contributors at sites such as Forbes.com, PsychologyToday.com, Thrive Global and Chief Executive.
It means positioning you as an expert reporters want to quote, not just announcing that a book exists. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists writes a continual stream of timely pitches and aligns them with breaking news, often the same day, so you are among the first experts a producer or editor hears from.
Costs vary widely by scope and length. Reedsy reports a median of $1,370 for a one-month campaign through its freelancer marketplace, and a publishing newsletter by Kathleen Schmidt estimates a full campaign could cost $15,000 to $25,000, both as cited by Everything PR. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists does not publish prices and quotes each campaign after a conversation.
No. The firm builds each campaign around your book, goals, schedule and the services you choose, so it quotes after learning about your project. The fastest way to get a number is to contact the firm through its contact page and describe your book, your launch date and what you hope the campaign achieves.
Length and scope drive cost most. A campaign that runs longer, targets national television and print, coordinates travel to media markets, or adds media coaching, speaker services or ghostwritten articles involves more work than a short, focused push. Ask any publicist to explain exactly what is included before you compare quotes side by side.
Troubador, a UK publisher, writes that entry-level campaigns may start at £250 to £1,000, while full-service packages can range from £3,000 to over £10,000, depending on the company and scope. Those are UK market figures from Troubador’s own article, not C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists pricing, which is quoted per campaign.
It can be when you have a clear goal, such as building a speaking career, attracting clients or reaching media you cannot reach alone. Client Mike Song credits Cathy Lewis’s team with helping him make over 100 media appearances. No publicist can guarantee sales, so weigh the cost against your own goals, budget and timeline.
No. Earned media is not purchased, so honest publicists do not sell guaranteed placements. You pay for expertise, relationships and the daily work of pitching and following up. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists keeps clients up to date as opportunities emerge, and one client testimonial mentions a monthly summary of results.
It starts with a conversation about your expertise, strengths, media experience and, above all, your professional goals. From there the firm customizes a creative media kit and a strategic campaign designed to generate interest in you and your book, then distributes books and kits and begins pitching and following up.
A media kit gives producers, journalists, editors and bloggers what they need to cover you: background material, reviews, story ideas, interview topics and bylined article options. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists creates one for each client, and its main website hosts downloadable press kit examples for books such as The Entrepreneur Equation by Carol Roth.
They pitch you as an expert voice on a story while it is still unfolding. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists aligns pitches with breaking news as it happens, often the same day, because being the first publicist to respond to a hot-button event is often what lands an on-the-spot interview or appearance.
Yes. The firm evaluates and pursues opportunities to maximize author travel to major media markets and coordinates appearances with your personal travel schedule. Its FAQ gives a simple example: if you plan to visit family in Florida, it could arrange a local television appearance or coordinate a book signing in the area.
Ask about reporting before you sign. Author Mark Pastin wrote that Cathy Lewis “keeps you up to date as opportunities emerge and gives you a monthly summary of results.” Steady communication like that lets you prepare for interviews, respond quickly to timely requests and see how the campaign is moving.
You can shape the campaign around your comfort level. The firm’s FAQ notes that if radio and television give you the jitters, it can steer toward other outlets. Media coaching is also available through trusted partners to help you look and feel confident on television, on radio and before live audiences.
Yes. David C. Lewis, vice president of C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists, helps authors focus their messaging and build their brand through frequent interviews on podcasts, radio and television. The firm has also written about getting more from every podcast appearance, including the new hosts, guests and listeners a single interview introduces.
Yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists works closely with publishers’ and businesses’ publicity teams so that its efforts complement theirs. This suits authors at small presses or larger houses who want more personal attention than an in-house department, juggling many titles each season, can usually give.
Many do, and C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds direct, collaborative relationships with authors as well as publishers. Its campaigns center on the author: their expertise, goals and message. Self-published authors who write in the subjects the firm knows best and want national media exposure for a book launching soon are a natural fit.
The firm lists an established track record in business, careers, work and life, parenting, health, diet and nutrition, food and cookbooks, self-help, human potential, and new age and spirituality. Its client list also includes current events, economics and politics titles, such as John Perkins’s Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, 3rd Edition.
Usually not as a first choice. The subject areas C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists lists are nonfiction, where authors can be positioned as experts on news stories. Novelists often get better value from a publicist who specializes in fiction, reviews and reader communities. Contact the firm if your book blends a story with a strong nonfiction theme.
It can be a strong platform. The firm’s blog argues that many CEO authors treat publication as the finish line when it is really the starting line. Its campaigns aim to open doors to publishing deals, new clients and high-value speaking engagements, and speaker services are available through trusted partners.
Yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists serves both authors and publishers and builds personal, collaborative relationships with each. A publisher with a title launching soon can bring the firm in to run or extend a campaign, coordinated with the in-house team so that both sets of efforts complement each other.
It depends on your goals and budget. A Written Word Media survey summary reports that authors with one to three books overwhelmingly earn under $100 a month, so publicity usually pays off best when the book supports a larger aim, such as a business, practice or speaking career, where expert positioning matters.
Do it yourself if your budget is tight and you have time to build media lists and pitch daily. Hire a publicist when you want established relationships with editors and producers, someone pitching every working day, and a strategy tied to the news. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists does nothing but book publicity.
Publisher departments juggle dozens of new titles each season. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists’ FAQ explains that unless a book is on a publisher’s top-tier list, authors can often expect a book mailing and press release to reviewers with little follow-up. An outside publicist works for you and tailors the campaign to your goals.
A small firm suits authors who want direct access to senior people. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists describes itself as a small firm built on personal, highly collaborative relationships, led by president Cathy Lewis. A larger agency may suit authors who need a big team running many simultaneous projects across several markets.
A freelancer found through a marketplace can be a lower-cost entry point: Reedsy reports a median of $1,370 for a one-month campaign, as cited by Everything PR. A firm like C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists brings a team, media relationships built since 1994, and partner services such as media coaching and writing.
They do different jobs. Ads buy visibility on a retailer: Manuscript Report cites average Amazon Ads costs of $0.30 to $0.60 per click with a 2 to 5% conversion rate. Publicity earns interviews and articles that build your name and authority. Many authors use ads for direct sales and publicity for credibility and new opportunities.
Ask for real media hits, client references and a clear plan. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists publishes client testimonials and links to media pages from client campaigns, such as those of Daniel Amen MD and Carol Roth. Also ask how often you will get updates and who handles the daily pitching.
Earlier is generally better, because a media kit, review copies and pitches take time, and some print outlets plan issues well ahead. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists focuses on authors and publishers with a book launching soon, so contact the firm as soon as you have a publication date and ask what timeline fits.
Not necessarily. Because C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists ties pitches to breaking news, a book can stay relevant long after release when its topic is in the headlines. A strong expert angle matters more than the release date, though the launch window remains the most natural moment to win reviews.
Have your publication date, a short description of the book, your expertise, any past media experience, upcoming travel, and your goals, such as sales, clients or speaking. These are the topics C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists covers in its first conversation, so arriving prepared speeds up a custom plan.
Usually, yes. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists distributes books along with media kits to the contacts that matter, then follows up to secure interviews, reviews and features. Plan with your printer, distributor or publisher so that copies are ready before outreach begins, and ask the firm how many it expects to send.
The aim is to concentrate interviews, reviews and features around release, then keep going. The firm keeps pitching timely angles and following up so coverage does not stop after the first week. Its blog makes the point directly: publication is the starting line of an author’s platform, not the finish line.
Use the contact page at cslewispublicity.com/contact-us. It lists offices in Woodstock, New York and Boynton Beach, Florida, the phone number 845-679-2188, and email contacts for Cathy Lewis and David Lewis. Share your book, launch date and goals so the firm can respond with relevant ideas.
No location requirement is stated. The firm has offices in Woodstock, New York and Boynton Beach, Florida, and its campaigns pitch national print, radio, television, podcast and online media. Ask about regional outlets if local coverage in your own city matters to you, especially around a launch event or signing.
Cathy Lewis is president. She worked as an in-house publicist at publishing houses for seven years before founding the firm in 1994. David C. Lewis is vice president and helps authors focus their messaging and build their brand through podcast, radio and television interviews and contributor roles.
According to the firm, Cathy Lewis’s campaigns have landed authors on the Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller lists. Client Mike Song wrote that her team helped him make over 100 media appearances, including CNN and Good Morning America, and that he sold over 125,000 copies in 11 languages.
Look for clear communication, a real plan and honest expectations. Author Mark Pastin wrote that he “heard all the bad things about publicists” but was “completely satisfied” with Cathy Lewis, who takes time to know the book inside out. Ask any firm for references and examples of recent media hits.
Coverage is never guaranteed, so set expectations early. Ask how your publicist adjusts when pitches fall flat, for example with new angles tied to current news, different outlet types or bylined articles. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists builds a continual stream of fresh pitches rather than relying on a single press release.
Often, yes, if it connects to something audiences care about. A publicist’s job is to find the newsworthy angle: a trend, a breaking story or a common problem your book solves. C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists customizes media lists so each contact gets story ideas matched to their audience and content preferences.
Expect to make time for interviews, preparation and occasional writing. Campaigns are collaborative: the firm develops pitches in real time with you as news unfolds, so quick replies help you land timely bookings. Your total time depends on how much media you want and how many outlets respond.
Tell C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists about your book, your publication date and what you want the campaign to achieve. The firm will build a plan around your goals.
Published by C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists
