Megan Beatie
MBC Communications
Megan Beatie is a veteran book publicist with almost 30 years of experience in publishing. As the president and CEO of Megan Beatie Communications (MBC), a book publicity and marketing agency based in Los Angeles, she has represented books by many bestselling authors, including Linda Ronstadt, Tess Gerritsen, Robert Dugoni, Lee Goldberg, Marcia Clark, Amina Akhtar, and Maureen Johnson. She’s a fifth generation native Californian from a Ventura County farming family.
The Writer’s Dossier 12/11/2024 – With Megan Beatie
Two Key must-dos for authors
DOSSIER: When it comes to promoting books, can you disclose one or two things that authors can do to get the best/right exposure?
BEATIE: There are so many things that authors can do to get the word out about their books, and there’s no one size fits all. A strategy that works well for an author of an international spy novel might not be effective for someone who’s written a cozy mystery. There’s a tendency for authors to want to be all things to all readers. Better to figure out who your target audiences are, and then determine what the best ways are to reach them through traditional media, social media and marketing.
A couple must-dos for authors: 1) Have an attractive, clear, up-to-date website. That’s your ground zero, and you have full control of the information you include in it. That’s where readers can go to find how to connect with you on social media, where you’re appearing, and how they can buy your book (make sure you have all the options, not just Amazon!). 2) Choose at least one social media platform to be active on. Instagram is great for books and Blue Sky is currently taking off with literary community. You don’t have to have your own account on TikTok just because The New York Times says it sells books. People are buying books they see featured on BookTok (the subcommunity that focuses on literature) because they’re seeing the readers talk them up.
Doing the right thing
DOSSIER: What things should authors avoid when trying to promote their book? Can you think of any particular gimmick that really bombed?
BEATIE: Social media has parted the veil between readers and authors, which is mostly a good thing. Readers can interact directly with authors on their social media platforms, sharing what they think of their books. This is all well and good if a reader loved the book, but what if they didn’t like it and post their beef publicly? I recommend that authors always take the high road, be gracious and appreciative with the praise and don’t react to anything negative. Follow the adage of “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It’ll only make you look bad to engage.
I’m wary of getting too gimmicky with book publicity. If you’ve written a good book, that should be the focus, not trying to use hype to get reader attention.
The deal with book reviews
DOSSIER: What’s the deal with covering book reviews? How important is that to sales?
BEATIE: I’ve been doing book PR for almost 30 years, and I’ve seen dramatic changes in publishing over that period of time. Professionally written book reviews are rare. Now, anyone with a blog or Instagram account can be considered a book reviewer if they have a following and have posted a critical analysis of a book. A book review only really matters if book buyers are reading it, trust the writer and are moved by what they say, and then feel compelled to buy the book as a result.
Be these three things
DOSSIER: Are there any social media dos or don’ts?
BEATIE: When it comes to social media, authors should be authentic, interesting, and generous. Be on social media with the intent to be part of the conversations, and give more than you get. Meaning, authors should cheer out their colleagues’ books when they publish, not just be “me, me, me, my book, my book.” There can be some touting of your own book, certainly, but if you’ve been supportive of others’ books, they’ll show up for you on your pub date. Lee Goldberg is an author who’s really good about sharing other authors’ reviews and good news. And he’s also not shy about talking up his books when the time comes. People show up for him because he has a lot to say about books and publishing, as well as film and TV, on his social media. Check out his take-downs of publishing scammers; they’re quite funny (and are important for new authors to know about).
Get a devoted following
DOSSIER: What about an example of something that worked exceptionally well?
BEATIE: This is A LOT of work, as you know yourself, since you run The Writer’s Dossier and your own podcast. I’ve seen a lot of good exposure come from writers developing their own media platforms, whether it be a podcast or a YouTube/Facebook Live interview show. Sara DiVello’s MYSTERY AND THRILLER MAVENS is a great example. She’s interviewed almost every New York Times bestselling mystery author there is for years, and when her book, Broadway Butterfly, came out, she had a list of amazing blurbs from authors who had been guests and wanted to support her. Hank Phillippi Ryan is tireless in her showcasing of other authors, with her A Mighty Blaze show, Crime Time, her weekly First Chapter Fun show, and her Back Room events. The result is those authors have devoted fan followings they can promote their future books to.
2025 will be crazy good
DOSSIER: Do you have any news or announcement about what you have going on at MBC that you’d like to disclose in your Dossier?
BEATIE: I’m so excited about the 2025 books we are representing; I think we have the best list ever. Historical, mystery, thriller, horror, romance, contemporary fiction. I know there are so many people out there looking for their next good book, and we’ve got some great options for them.
Discover more about Megan on Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | TikTok | and her Website