Giuseppe Castellano talks to Tracy van Straaten, Founder and President of TvS Media Group, about the difference between marketing and publicity in children’s publishing; what illustrators and writers should realistically expect from marketing and publicity departments; why the pre-order window is important when it comes to the life or death of a book; and more.
My guest is publicist Tracy van Straaten, who will pull the curtain back and reveal everything you've always wanted to know about Book Publicity but were afraid to ask! (Well, maybe not everything. But a LOT OF STUFF!) Including how to best work with your in-house publicist, when hiring an outside publicist might be the right move, and much more.
Tracy van Straaten, Scholastic’s longtime head of publicity—her official title is v-p, communications, publicity and educational marketing for Scholastic Trade Division—is leaving the company on July 12 after 13 years. After 27 years away, most of that time in New York City, Van Straaten is moving back to her hometown, Chicago, and officially launching on September 3 a boutique public relations and consulting agency: TvS Media Group. Van Straaten is both sole proprietor and sole employee.