Book publicist for indie authors and publishers

A book publicist that turns indie authors into the experts the media calls

C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists is a book publicist that gets indie authors and their books into print, radio, television, podcast and online news.

C.S. Lewis & Co. is a small book publicity firm, founded by Cathy Lewis in 1994, that builds collaborative, customized media campaigns. Each campaign positions the author as a newsworthy expert, builds a brand and media platform, and helps generate book sales, new clients and speaking opportunities.

Last updated: May 2026

Contact C.S. Lewis & Co.See book publicity services

What does a book publicist do for an indie author?

A book publicist does the daily work of getting you covered: building your media kit, getting your book to the editors, producers and journalists who matter, following up until interviews and reviews are booked, and pitching you into breaking stories while they are still news.

For an indie author, that work usually has no one else to do it. There is no publisher’s publicity department behind you, and every hour you spend on outreach is an hour away from writing or running your business. C.S. Lewis & Co. does nothing but book publicity. Every working moment goes into high-value exposure for its authors, from scheduling radio interviews and following up on mailed press materials to sending a fresh pitch within minutes of a news event.

The firm’s guiding line says it plainly: we don’t just follow the news; we turn our clients into news. Read the full guide to what a book publicist does, step by step, or see why indie authors in particular hire a book publicist.

“Cathy Lewis helped me launch my bestselling book, The Hamster Revolution: Manage Your Email Before It Manages You. Her team helped me make over 100 media appearances, including appearing on CNN and Good Morning America. We sold over 125,000 copies in 11 languages. Cathy and her team were a big part of that success.”

Mike Song, Author of the bestseller The Hamster Revolution

C.S. Lewis & Co. at a glance

What is C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists?

C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists is a small book publicity firm that develops personal, highly collaborative relationships with authors and publishers. It customizes strategic media campaigns that position authors as newsworthy experts in their field through frequent print, radio, television and internet exposure.

Its campaigns bridge classic and new media to reach the widest possible audience, build a compelling brand and a solid media platform, and open doors in publishing, new client acquisition and high-value speaking engagements. The firm lists offices in Woodstock, New York, and Boynton Beach, Florida.

The record in numbers

Since 1994: more than three decades of book publicity, after president Cathy Lewis spent seven years as an in-house publicist at publishing houses.
Two bestseller lists: campaigns have landed authors on the Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller lists.
100+ media appearances for one client, Mike Song, including CNN and Good Morning America, in his own account of his campaign.
10 subject areas with an established track record, from business to spirituality.

How does C.S. Lewis & Co. compare with other ways to get publicity?

Most authors weigh three options against a dedicated publicist: the publicity department at a large house, the smaller team at an independent press, or doing it themselves. Here is how they differ on the things that decide whether a book gets covered.

C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists compared with common alternatives for book publicity.
Dimension	C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists	Large publisher publicity department	Small press publicity department	Doing it yourself
Who they work for	You, with your interests at heart	The publisher’s whole seasonal list	The press’s full list, with fewer titles	You, in the time you have left
Focus	Book publicity only, every working hour	Dozens of new titles each season	Fewer books, fewer resources	Split with writing, production and sales
Campaign tailoring	Customized to your expertise, goals, region and travel	Usually reserved for top-tier titles	Rarely the budget or staff for each author	Built from scratch
Breaking-news pitching	Daily contact, pitches often the same day	Not set up to talk with each author daily	Limited by staff time	Only if you are watching the news
Follow-up on review copies	Intensive follow-up by phone and email	Often a mailing with little or no follow-up	Varies with capacity	Your own outreach
Media relationships	First-name relationships with hundreds of editors, reporters, columnists and producers	Strong, but spread across the list	Less developed	Starting from zero

The full breakdown is on the page about hiring a book publicist versus relying on your publisher.

How a C.S. Lewis & Co. campaign works

Every campaign is customized, but the shape is consistent. It begins with your goals and ends with relationships that outlast the launch.

1Start with your goalsA conversation about your expertise, your strengths, your media experience and, above all, your professional goals.
2Build the media kitA creative kit producers, journalists, editors and bloggers can use for background, reviews, story ideas, interview topics and bylined articles.
3Distribute and follow upBooks and kits go to every media contact that matters, followed by an intensive follow-up process to secure interviews, features, reviews and op-eds.
4Pitch into the newsA continual stream of timely, original pitches aligned with breaking stories, often the same day, so you reach the public eye first.
5Build lasting relationshipsAppearances coordinated with your travel, and long-term ties with editors, producers and journalists who now see you as an expert.

Book publicity services

C.S. Lewis & Co. book publicity services are mixed and matched to suit each author. The core is book and author publicity: an exciting media kit, distribution of books and kits to every media contact that matters, intensive follow-up to secure interviews, features, reviews, op-eds and bylined articles, and a continual stream of timely pitches aligned with breaking news.

Around that core the firm offers internet marketing support for your website, blog and networks, and, through specialists it works with closely, speaker services, media coaching and writing services. Explore every book publicity service.

Author PR services that make you the expert

The reason most authors come to C.S. Lewis & Co. is not one review. It is to be seen as the expert in their field. Author PR services build that reputation: pitches that cast you as a source on the issues your book covers, contributor roles at outlets such as Forbes.com, Psychology Today, Inc.com and Thrive Global, and lasting relationships with editors, producers and journalists who come back to you.

See how author PR services position you as an expert.

“Cathy worked diligently and brought great ideas to promote our book From Smart to Wise, and has been able to generate a good amount of buzz in both radio and online publishing media. She is hard working, connects well with people, and comes up with creative ideas to produce results. For thought leaders, Cathy is a great person to work with.”

Prasad Kaipa, Author of From Smart to Wise: Acting and Leading with Wisdom

Subjects with an established track record

C.S. Lewis & Co. has publicized books and authors in these subject areas:

Business
Careers
Work/Life
Parenting
Health
Diet/Nutrition
Food/Cookbooks
Self-Help
Human Potential
New Age/Spirituality

Past clients include Daniel G. Amen, MD, John Perkins, Areva Martin, Judith Orloff, MD, and Carol Roth. See the client list and reviews.

Guides for authors choosing a book publicist

Common questions

What does a book publicist do?

A book publicist gets an author and their book into the news. At C.S. Lewis & Co., that means building a media kit, sending books and kits to the media contacts that matter, following up to secure interviews, reviews, features and bylined articles, and pitching timely story ideas tied to breaking news, often the same day it happens.

Do you work with indie and self-published authors?

Yes. Independent authors are a priority for C.S. Lewis & Co. Without a publisher’s publicity department, an indie author needs someone whose whole workday is spent getting them into the news, and that is exactly what the firm does. Each campaign is customized to your expertise, goals, region and travel schedule.

How much does a book publicist cost?

C.S. Lewis & Co. does not publish fixed prices, because each campaign is customized and cost depends on scope. For market context, Reedsy reports a median of $1,370 for a one-month campaign through its freelancer marketplace, and a publishing newsletter by Kathleen Schmidt estimates a full campaign can cost $15,000 to $25,000, both as cited by Everything PR.

Why hire a book publicist instead of relying on my publisher?

Because a dedicated publicist does nothing but publicity for you. Large publishers release dozens of titles each season, so unless your book is on their top-tier list, you may get little more than a press release mailed to reviewers with little follow-up. C.S. Lewis & Co. works for you, with your interests at heart.

How does a publicist position an author as an expert?

By pitching the author as a source on the issues their book covers, not just as someone with a book to sell. C.S. Lewis & Co. develops original, timely pitches that connect the author’s expertise to stories in the news, so editors and producers come to regard the author as a go-to expert in their field.

What kinds of books does C.S. Lewis & Co. publicize?

The firm has an established track record in business, careers, work/life, parenting, health, diet and nutrition, food and cookbooks, self-help, human potential, and new age and spirituality. Its client list also includes current events, economics and politics titles, such as books by John Perkins, Richard Vague and Areva Martin.

Read all 44 answers in the book publicist FAQ

Ready to put your book in the news?

Tell C.S. Lewis & Co. about your book, your expertise and your goals. The team will shape a campaign around them.

Go to the contact page