While tending shop at work recently, in the last hour of the day an unexpected proposition came by the phone. Last April my boss sold a non-fiction project for a six-figure advance to a major publisher, and it’s shipping in March. Now is the time to think about promotion, because one thing I learned from Editor person, after release a book has three weeks to grow legs and walk away or the publisher loses interest and yanks publicity–if there was ever a publicity plan in the first place. The corollary to that: the fate of a marketing effort is determined 90 days before a title ships. In other words, the battle is won or lost before the first sword is drawn. Very Sun Tzu, these publishers.

Anyway, the conversation went something like…

“We’re looking for someone to grow the online awareness of the book, and get it blogged about. Know anyone that can do this?”

To which I answered, “Let me sleep on that and get back to you.”

And right now, I’m about to sleep on it and make a decision.