Spence media

Spence Launches Book Publicity Unit

Calvin Reid -- 3/24/2006

After years of dissatisfaction with conventional book publicity firms, Spence Publishing, a Dallas house specializing in books on conservative politics and philosophy, is launching a media division. Mitch Muncy, executive v-p of Spence, which publishes such authors as David Horowitz and Phyllis Schlafly, says Spence Media will offer its clients the same media service it gives its own authors. Spence Media does not require a retainer fee and charges clients for "performance, not for best efforts," according to Muncy.

Each Spence Media client, said Muncy,—whether it's Random House or an author supplementing a publisher's campaign—pays the same flat $80 fee for each media placement. "Everyone pays the same," according to Muncy, and therefore all get the same amount and quality of attention. The house is not limiting its services to conservative publishers, and Muncy emphasizes that Spence Media is looking for clients no matter their political philosophy.

Muncy said that the cost of some publicity campaigns, which he claimed can run $8,000 to $10,000 a month, can kill the profitability of even a successful book campaign. The house decided to launch a media publicity division after years of frustrating experiences with publicity firms. "There was a lack of imagination, the back and forth over press releases we didn't like and the whole thing was too expensive," said Muncy. After a statistical survey of past media placement, Muncy said "we decided we could do it in-house and make publicity more efficient."

The service offers a range of radio and TV outlets, Muncy explained, and does not emphasize just the big media. Muncy says Spence authors gave a median (not an average) of 156 radio and television interviews, 20% to 25% of which were national. Muncy say half of his author’s interviews take place either on a national show or in a top 25 Arbitron radio market. Muncy cautions potential clients that Spence Media may not be for everyone. The service is aimed at serious midlist nonfiction and requires an equally serious commitment of time by authors, who may have to do scores of interviews each day for months. "We have an efficient process, but it's a demanding schedule that we won't vary. Authors have to be willing to commit."

Muncy also notes that Spence Media uses BookScan to track the effect of media placement on book sales. "We see book promotion from the point of view of the book publisher," said Muncy.

This article originally appeared in the March 24, 2006 issue of PW Daily.