book publicity Consulting Services

What We Offer:
It’s never too early or too late to begin thinking about how the book you’ve put your heart and soul into will find its readers. Whether you’ve got an agent and traditional publisher, or you’ve decided to self- or hybrid publish, you’ll need to participate in—and likely drive—your book’s marketing plan. NOWW works with writers one-on-one to help demystify the world of book publicity and provides practical advice for developing a successful marketing strategy.

New Orleans writer Elisa M. Speranza has thirty-plus years of experience in marketing, public affairs, and strategic communications for organizations ranging from small non-profits to large government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. Elisa has been a teacher, facilitator, consultant, and mentor, specializing in crafting meaningful messages and building strategies to reach target audiences.

In 2022, Elisa published her debut historical novel The Italian Prisoner, a finalist in the Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. As a writer, she knows what it’s like on both the creative and business sides of the publishing industry. Elisa has been a featured author at the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, the Louisiana Book Festival, the Salem (MA) LitFest, and Islanders Write on Martha’s Vineyard. She is a co-founder the Washashores Writers Collective on Martha’s Vineyard, and serves on the New Orleans Writers Workshop board.

NOWW offers an introductory publicity consultation package for a $425 flat rate that includes:

• A read-through of at least the first section of your manuscript to understand the fundamentals of the work—premise, tone, voice, pacing, setting, characters, plot, theme, subject matter, and context necessary for crafting a publicity plan.  
• A review and evaluation of your current writing, publishing, and marketing efforts. Together we’ll gather information about you and your work, your aspirations, and the level of time, effort, and money you want to invest in your marketing plan.
• A one-on-one strategy session (two hours, in person or virtual). We’ll roll up our sleeves to work through the various phases of a publicity plan for your book, customized to fit your specific goals.
• Follow-up call (one hour). After you do a little more work to build on the strategy session, we’ll review and finalize your plan and discuss implementation.

For those seeking further help, NOWW offers additional consultation at the rate of $60/hour.

“As the publication of my first novel approached, I found myself daunted by the idea of publicity. Like a lot of writers, marketing felt out of my league, even downright uncomfortable. Elisa’s keen vision and actionable plan for promoting my book proved indispensable in connecting my story to a larger audience in ways that felt authentic and deeply rewarding.”—Allison Alsup, NOWW co-founder and Creative Director, author of Foreign Seed.

“Elisa does a great job of simplifying and demystifying the task the authors often find intimidating: marketing their own books. She helps eliminate the natural resistance most authors feel and breaks it all down into do-able tasks.”  —Jan Brogan, author of The Combat Zone: Murder, Race and Boston’s Struggle for Justice, Final Copy, and the Hallie Ahern mystery series.