PR by the Book
PR by the Book is a privately held, founder-owned book publicity agency founded in 2002 that delivers retainer-based traditional publicity, digital marketing, and platform-development campaigns to authors and publishers across North America, with tiered packages starting at ~$3,700 per month.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersRound Rock, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PR by the Book does
PR by the Book, founded in 2002 by Marika Flatt, is a privately held, founder-owned book publicity agency headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. The firm delivers publicity, digital, and platform-development services to authors and publishers, organized around a proprietary methodology called 'The Road to Influence' that bundles traditional media outreach, digital relevancy, and author platform building. Its core offering is a tiered campaign product (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Podcast-Only, Digital PR Hybrid) sold on multi-month retainer engagements starting at approximately $3,700 per month, supplemented by an a la carte menu that includes Amazon advertising management ($1,500-$2,000), book trailer production ($3,100-$4,300), video production ($4,500-$8,500+), podcast launch packages ($7,250), influencer outreach ($2,000/month), NetGalley/Goodreads services, and expert consulting at $200 per hour.
The technology stack is human-driven rather than platform-driven: there is no proprietary software product, API, or SDK, and competitive advantage is built on senior team credentials (150+ years combined publishing-house experience), media relationships (first PR firm on NetGalley), and a 500+-influencer Book Lovers Newsletter. Distribution is primarily direct sales via a website contact form, discovery call, and customized proposal workflow, with a secondary publisher referral channel feeding enterprise-sourced leads. The company serves primarily North American clients but accepts international English-language book campaigns.
Across its operating history PR by the Book has worked with 2,400+ authors, 120+ publishers, and claims 30,000+ media placements across outlets including USA Today, CNN, NPR, WSJ, HuffPost, and Publishers Weekly. Strategic 2025 partnerships with 3rd + Lamar (exclusive video production) and MagicBlox (children's book streaming) signal incremental vertical and channel expansion, while the 2020 launch of the Author to Influencer Accelerator membership community extends the firm into a self-serve, publisher-licensable product layer.
PR by the Book firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PR by the Book
- Legal name
- PR by the Book, LLC
- Website
- https://prbythebook.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PR by the Book is a privately held, founder-owned book publicity agency founded in 2002 that delivers retainer-based traditional publicity, digital marketing, and platform-development campaigns to authors and publishers across North America, with tiered packages starting at ~$3,700 per month.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PR by the Book industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publicity Services
- NAICS
- Public Relations Agencies (541820), Advertising Agencies (541810)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer & Lifestyle PR (MPAAADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM), Reputation Management & Online PR (BPAFADAN), Product & Brand PR (Consumer & B2B) (BPAFADAH)
Keywords
Where PR by the Book is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Round Rock
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PR by the Book business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Book Publicity Campaign Services: Month-to-month or multi-month campaign retainers providing traditional book publicity, digital marketing, and platform development services. Pricing starts at approximately $3,700 per month with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and specialized campaign packages. Minimum commitment of 3-4 months for standard campaigns.
- Expert Consulting: Hourly consulting services at $200/hour with a 5-hour minimum for authors not ready to commit to full campaigns. Provides personalized advice on social media strategy, author branding, publishing guidance, cover design feedback, target audience identification, and author platform building.
- Additional Marketing Services: A la carte services including Amazon advertising packages ($1,500-$2,000), book trailers ($3,100-$4,300), video production ($4,500-$8,500), podcast launch packages ($7,250), influencer outreach ($2,000/month minimum 3 months), and NetGalley/Goodreads services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Bronze, Silver, Gold, and specialized campaign packages (Podcast-only, Digital PR Hybrid) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Amazon Advertising Package 1 for independently published authors |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Amazon Advertising Package 2 for traditionally published authors |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Book Trailer Silver Package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Book Trailer Gold Package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Video Production Remote Package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Video Production In-Person Package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Podcast Launch Package |
| Subscription | Monthly | Influencer Outreach Standalone |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Expert Consulting |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
PR by the Book product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PR by the Book is a book publicity agency that sells multi-month publicity campaign retainers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Podcast-Only, and Digital PR Hybrid tiers, starting at approximately $3,700 per month) built around its proprietary "Road to Influence" methodology. These campaigns integrate traditional media outreach, digital relevancy/content marketing, influencer outreach, NetGalley placements, and author platform development. The agency also sells standalone a la carte services including Amazon Advertising packages, book trailer and video production, podcast launch packages, and hourly expert consulting.
Product overview
PR by the Book is a service-based book publicity agency offering a portfolio of campaign packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Podcast-Only, Digital PR Hybrid) centered around its proprietary methodology called 'The Road to Influence.' The core offering is supplemented by add-on services including Content Creation & Social Media Management, Influencer Outreach, NetGalley/Goodreads Services, Amazon Advertising, Book Trailer Production, Video Production (Sizzle Reel), Podcast Launch Package, and Expert Consulting. The company's services are organized into three main pillars: Traditional Book Publicity, Digital Relevancy, and Platform Development. Additionally, the company offers a DIY platform called Author to Influencer Accelerator for self-directed authors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bronze Campaign Package Entry-level multi-month book publicity campaign retainer providing traditional book publicity, podcast placements, or hybrid PR with digital marketing approaches for authors.
- Silver Campaign Package Mid-tier multi-month book publicity campaign retainer combining traditional book publicity, podcast placements, or hybrid PR with digital marketing approaches for authors.
- Gold Campaign Package Premium multi-month book publicity campaign retainer offering comprehensive traditional book publicity, podcast placements, or hybrid PR with digital marketing approaches for authors.
- Podcast-Only Campaign Specialized multi-month campaign focused exclusively on securing podcast interview placements for authors.
- Digital PR Hybrid Campaign Campaign combining traditional PR services with digital marketing for comprehensive author promotion and platform development.
- Expert Consulting Hourly consulting at $200/hour (5-hour minimum) covering social media strategy, author branding, publishing guidance, cover design feedback, target audience identification, and author platform building for authors not ready to commit to full campaigns.
- Amazon Advertising & Optimization Two standalone Amazon Advertising packages for book visibility and sales: Package 1 ($2,000) for independently published authors includes keyword and category research, rewritten product description, six custom ad campaigns, A/B ad copy testing, and three months of ad management; Package 2 ($1,500) for traditionally published authors focuses on ad setup, testing, and management.
- Book Trailer Production Professional book trailer video production in Silver ($3,100, 60-second 1080p HD) and Gold ($4,300, 90-second 4K) tiers, with voiceover, music, custom motion graphics, and social media motion assets for authors.
- Video Production Services (Sizzle Reel) Professional video production for author sizzle reels, available as Remote ($4,500) with pre-production, author prep, interview, one full-length video (2-3 minutes) and up to four short cutdowns, or In-Person ($8,500 plus hourly post-production) with full production crew and on-site b-roll capture.
- Podcast Launch Package Six-week comprehensive program ($7,250) for authors launching a podcast, including strategic support, weekly coaching, custom show concept, title, description, cover art, trailer production, landing page copy, and full production of first five episodes with branded assets.
- Author to Influencer Accelerator Online DIY membership community for self-directed book promotion and author platform building, offering tools and resources for authors, with publishers able to purchase memberships for their authors.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30,000+ media placements across traditional and emerging media
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PR by the Book
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PR by the Book technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
PR by the Book partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 3rd + Lamarcore3rd + Lamar is PR by the Book's exclusive production partner, helping authors tell their stories through high-quality video content including book trailers and sizzle reels.
- MagicBloxminorMagicBlox is a digital children's book streaming company (similar to Epic!) that PR by the Book partnered with to offer opportunities for children's authors to have their titles featured on the platform.
- NetGalleycorePR by the Book was the first PR firm to sign on to NetGalley and has built solid reputation with avid reviewers who know their brand and trust their recommendations. They leverage NetGalley's network of readers, bloggers, librarians, and media professionals for early reviews and buzz generation.
- Author to Influencer AcceleratorcoreAn online membership community launched by PR by the Book founder Doug Flatt in January 2020, providing DIY book promotion resources and platform building tools for authors. Publishers can refer authors or purchase memberships for their authors.
- Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)minorPR by the Book founder Marika Flatt has served as an expert for the Independent Book Publishers Association.
- Texas Book FestivalminorMarika Flatt served on the 'kids committee' for the Texas Book Festival.
- San Diego Writers FestivalminorMarika Flatt served on the board of San Diego Writers Festival.
- Women Communicators of AustinminorMarika Flatt served as president of Women Communicators of Austin.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PR by the Book competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Smith Publicity: One of the largest dedicated book publicity agencies in the US, offering traditional media campaigns, author branding, and book marketing services targeting the same author and small-publisher customer base as PR by the Book.
- JKS Communications: A book-focused PR agency serving authors and publishers with media outreach, review acquisition, and author platform services — directly comparable service portfolio and customer profile to PR by the Book.
- Meryl Moss Media: Specialized book publicity firm offering media relations, author tours, and digital marketing services to publishers and authors across traditional and emerging media channels.
- Books Forward: Book marketing and publicity agency providing PR campaigns, review outreach, and digital marketing to indie and traditionally published authors — close functional overlap with PR by the Book's campaign packages.
- Publishers Partners: A boutique publicity firm focused on books and authors, providing media outreach and book launch campaigns with a comparable service menu and SMB/author target customer.
- Frieze Media Group: Book publicity and marketing agency providing traditional and digital PR campaigns for authors and publishers — comparable specialized focus on book publicity clients.
Broad incumbents
- Inkhouse: Larger PR agency that has a dedicated author/publishing practice alongside broader tech, healthcare, and consumer communications clients — broader scope but overlapping book publicity capability.
- Edelman: Global communications firm with a substantial book and publishing practice; serves bestselling authors and major publishers but operates as a generalist incumbent rather than a book-only specialist.
Others
- BookBub: Adjacent book marketing platform running featured deal campaigns and ads for authors — does not provide publicity services but competes for the same indie author marketing budget.
- NetGalley: Digital review-copy and reader-discovery platform that PR by the Book leverages as a core channel; functions as an ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor but defines part of the book marketing workflow.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PR by the Book social profiles
Digital presencePR by the Book financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PR by the Book leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
PR by the Book funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PR by the Book M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PR by the Book
What does PR by the Book do?
PR by the Book is a book publicity agency that sells multi-month publicity campaign retainers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Podcast-Only, and Digital PR Hybrid tiers, starting at approximately $3,700 per month) built around its proprietary "Road to Influence" methodology. These campaigns integrate traditional media outreach, digital relevancy/content marketing, influencer outreach, NetGalley placements, and author platform development. The agency also sells standalone a la carte services including Amazon Advertising packages, book trailer and video production, podcast launch packages, and hourly expert consulting.
Is PR by the Book a public or private company?
PR by the Book is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PR by the Book founded?
PR by the Book was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PR by the Book based?
PR by the Book is headquartered in Round Rock, United States, in the North America region.
How does PR by the Book make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Publicity Campaign Services are the primary driver. The others are expert Consulting and additional Marketing Services.
Who are PR by the Book's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Smith Publicity, JKS Communications, Meryl Moss Media, Books Forward, Publishers Partners and Frieze Media Group. Broad incumbents are Inkhouse and Edelman. Others are BookBub and NetGalley.
Does PR by the Book have an API?
No public API is recorded for PR by the Book.
What industry is PR by the Book in?
PR by the Book's product category is Book Publicity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAADAB, Consumer & Lifestyle PR, with a secondary code of BPAFADAM, Social Media & Community Management (PR-led). Its NAICS code is 541820 and its SIC code is 7311.