Hi everyone,
Today I am very happy to be welcoming Emma Knight to The Honest Editor. Emma is a super-experienced book publicist and now the founder of Studio 49, a PR agency who work with some incredible authors - you can read more here.
Hi Emma, thank you for coming on the Honest Editor! To start with, please can you tell us a bit about what you do now, and your career path so far?
I’m a book publicist (and have been for over 25 years) working across fiction and non-fiction. Before that, I worked in TV drama publicity at the BBC. My most recent staff role was at Hodder & Stoughton where I worked with authors including David Nicholls, Graham Norton, Miranda Hart and - over 20-odd years! - many others. Then, eighteen months ago, I left to set up Studio 49, with a plan to offer a fuller and more bespoke publicity service to a small number of writers I really believe in. I set up alongside a sister company, Milk Publicity, who are leading specialists in TV and film publicity. We cross-pollinate our thinking to bring new depths to campaigns and to offer more specialised campaigns for authors of books which cross over into TV and film.
Since setting up Studio 49, I have taken on Maggie O’Farrell who, with Hamnet’s release, is the perfect example of just such an author.
I’ve also worked on books by Dr Jack Mosley, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley and a number of others.
What are the main differences in the type of PR an author might receive from an external PR versus an internal PR who works in a publishing house?
I set up Studio 49 because I saw that some authors need and deserve more time and energy spent on their campaigns. The difference – for me, now that I am working out of house – is that I can focus on a smaller number of projects that get my full attention.
How do you think the publishing PR landscape has changed in recent years?
There are a lot of changes. One obvious one is the shrinking space that traditional print and broadcast media give to books. At the same time, the number of books being pitched to journalists has crept up. So getting even one review or author interview is a feat.
The other obvious shift is the shrinking impact more generally of legacy media. New media – from podcasts (which I love, authors get proper time for discussion) to social – are front and centre in any campaign now, in a way they weren’t when I started (because they didn’t exist).
These new players in the attention economy aren’t just new publicity targets, of course, but our authors’ competitors, in that screens are swallowing time which might have spent with books. So we have to use every channel we can to promote our writers. But I also think we have to use those channels to promote reading itself.
The other big change is how publicists spend their time. Twenty years ago, I had a contacts book stuffed full of phone numbers and I spent almost the whole the day talking. But I think most publicists and journalists today spend much more time on email. I know this makes me sound ancient, but I think we were right first time. You can’t beat meeting people, talking to people, networking.
What are the most useful things writers can do to help drive their publicity?
Get to know your local booksellers. The majority of books are sold by word-of-mouth and booksellers make a really big difference. Don’t make your first visit the week of publication. Get to know bookshops in your region months or even years in advance. (Hopefully you are a regular customer anyway.) Take in early proofs, chat about your writing and share your own book recommendations. These people are your tribe!
Also, as an author, get familiar with media that you think should feature your book.
I love it when authors come with their own ideas; the best campaigns are highly collaborative.
Read papers, listen to podcasts, follow other authors and publishing people on social media so that you develop your own feel for what might work.
Are there any total no-no’s when it comes to writers publicizing themselves?
When you’ve poured your heart into writing a book - perhaps over many years - it’s maddening, naturally, if the world appears to shrug in reply. It’s entirely understandable if a writer struggles to take no for answer. But most writers will suffer the indignity of being ignored at least some of the time - and often much of it - by journalists, producers and reviewers.
You will probably have to knock on a lot of doors before one opens. So be realistic, resilient and - always - be nice.
That producer you keep emailing is probably firefighting an impossible inbox (under who knows what pressure).
How do you tend to work with authors on an individual level?
Most of my work is commissioned by publishers. But I do work directly with some authors. People might approach me for a number of reasons. Their publishers might not be putting as much resource into publicity as they expected. They might want extra help with a particular area of a book campaign. I can work on a specific title for a set period of time (ideally at least six months before publication and a month after). I can also work over a longer period to raise an author’s profile or help develop their media skills. I always want to know exactly what outcome a client wants to achieve, so that I can suggest an approach which will deliver it. My only rule, really, is that I want to feel passionate about my authors’ work and I want to be confident that I can make a demonstratable difference to their publicity. Paying for publicity is an investment and it has to be worth it.
And how do you choose which campaigns you take on from publishing houses?
Firstly - and most obviously - do I have the time to do it properly? I’ve been lucky over the first 18 months of Studio 49 to have been offered more work than I can handle, and I’m truly grateful for that. But, despite the temptation to shore up the bank balance, I’ve been really disciplined about not over-committing myself. That’s because, if I do, I’ll undermine the USP I am offering: care, time and my full attention.
Secondly, I only take on authors and books I truly believe in. I honestly think passion for what you are promoting is the core ingredient for any successful campaign (and, in a way, I think life’s too short to operate any other way).
And, thirdly, I need to believe I can make a demonstratable difference and deliver at least as much as the client hoped I would.
Are there any career highlights you could tell us about?
Yes, lots! Working as a book publicist is a joyous and brilliant job. I’ve worked on so many wonderful books, and with so many incredible authors; there have been countless “am I really getting paid to do this?” moments.
I should also be honest and say it hasn’t always been easy – of course – there have been challenges and sleepless nights. But the thrill of seeing a book I’ve championed bring joy to readers – or even change lives – is a great reward.
I will always feel lucky to have played a part of the success of Lynda Bellingham’s memoir There is Something I’m Dying to Tell You which published in 2014. Lynda was one of the most incredible women I have ever met. Working closely with her in her final weeks was inspiring, uplifting and unforgettable.
She wanted as many other people as possible living with terminal illness, or alongside someone in that position, to get hold of her book. And we did a pretty good job of it: 11 weeks at number one. Gyles Brandreth described the sales as the book world’s equivalent of “a standing ovation”. I’m so proud of that.
And how could I not mention David Nicholls, who I was lucky to work with for 20 years. I have a reputation for being enthusiastic – sometimes overly so – but as soon as I read an early draft of One Day I thought: “this is the one!”. I was quoted in the Sunday Times saying “if we can’t make One Day a success we might as well quit”. No-one needed to quit.
And any advice to those who might want to set up their own PR agencies or move into freelancing?
Find other people to work alongside, even if you are setting up on your own. Working in communications means it’s important to not be alone. Having other publicists you can meet or call to brainstorm or even vent is really important. There’s a wonderful and very supportive network of freelance publicists working in publishing. And I’m lucky to have desk space in an office with a team of brilliant TV and film publicists. I’m there because we collaborate on book/film projects. But I’ve also benefited hugely from their support and advice along the way.
What do you look for when thinking about how to grow a writer’s career or profile?
The story the author’s written probably isn’t the story we need to tell to amplify their career. We need to find the story which explains who they are, why they write what they write and why it matters. That might sound simple (and sometimes it is) but figuring out that narrative – which an author may never have stopped to think about before, at least not explicitly – is an important step in mapping the route to growing that author’s profile further (even if they are already well known).
Find Emma here:
@emmapublicity / @studio49agency (Insta)
@emmastudio49 (Substack, where she enjoys reading other people’s work!)
Thank you so much, Emma, for sharing your wisdom and advice with us.
As always, let me know what you thought of this interview in the comments section, and do get in touch if you think you’d like to be featured on this Substack or have anything you would like me to write about (related to publishing…!)
Phoebe x
That’s so interesting re “the story which explains who they are, why they write what they write and why it matters.” I’m going to think about that now for own socials/Substack etc. Thank you both very much!
Thanks for another super useful interview. AJ has it right in the comment below, I always think about the book and its characters first but perhaps the writer is more of the story from a publicity POV.
I met Emma once when she was accompanying David Nicholls on his book tour for Sweet Sixteen. I wanted to ask her about the decision behind the hardback cover and as David was signing, I asked him 'is Emma here? Could I speak to her?' and he looked at me in a very puzzled way. It dawned on me he suspected I was some sort of insane super fan who thought the actual Emma Morley attended book signings with him!
Anyway, I got to meet Emma who chatted usefully about publication, book covers and made a joke about goat yoga which was big at the time!