So you’ve written a book. That’s no small thing. Whether it took years or months, whether it came easily or fought every step of the way, completing a manuscript is a genuine achievement. But there is a question many authors don’t spend enough time on early enough:

How are you planning to market it?
Not the publisher. You. The author.

One of the most common misconceptions among authors — across fiction and non-fiction, debut and experienced — is the belief that once a publisher is involved, marketing becomes someone else’s responsibility. That hasn’t been the reality of publishing for a long time.

Publishers absolutely invest in books. They commit editorial time, production resources, sales representation, distribution, and marketing support. But they also invest selectively. Part of that decision-making process involves assessing the author.

What publishers are really looking at
Before a contract is signed, publishers are already thinking ahead. They are considering:

• How visible is this author?
• How connected are they to readers and the industry?
• Will they actively support the book once it is published?
• Are they building something longer term, or is this a one-off project?

This does not mean authors need to be well known or have large followings. What it does mean is that publishers are looking for intent, professionalism, and a willingness to participate in the life of the book. These are the same questions that underpin effective author coaching and marketing planning.

The questions authors should be able to answer:

• Who already knows you — and who could come to know you? This extends beyond friends and family. Readers, writers, librarians, booksellers, educators, book clubs and festival audiences all matter. Publishers are interested in where an author already has visibility and where it could realistically be developed.
• How will you connect with potential readers and the publishing industry? Connection might be online, in person, or both. Events, talks, festivals, school visits, writing communities and professional networks all play a role. Visibility is built through participation, not by accident.
• What does your platform look like right now — and how will you build it? “Platform” is publishing shorthand and often misunderstood. It is not about scale at the beginning. It is about presence and direction. A simple website, active social media accounts that make sense for the author, and plans for a mailing list all indicate readiness and intent.
• How will people engage with you over time? This is not about follower numbers or reach at this stage. Publishers are looking for consistency, willingness, and an understanding that engagement develops gradually through showing up and contributing.
• Are you ready to support the book once it is published? That includes interviews, events, promotion and ongoing visibility. Marketing does not end at publication — it's only realling getting started! 

Being taken seriously in the Australian context
In Australia, one practical indicator of professional engagement is membership of the Australian Society of Authors. Membership signals commitment to the craft and the industry, as well as access to professional support, advice and advocacy.

Publishers also notice whether authors are connected to other writing organisations, centres, festivals and communities.  Writers support writers, and the Australian writing community plays a significant role in word of mouth, events and long-term visibility.

Preparation, not pressure
None of this is about instant success or becoming a bestseller in a chosen genre. It is about preparation, realism and professionalism.

Publishers want to work with authors who understand that publishing is collaborative and that a book’s success is built through visibility, engagement and sustained effort over time. Authors who understand this early are better placed to navigate traditional, hybrid and independent publishing pathways.

Author coaching and marketing support

RM Marketing Services specialises in outsourced sales, marketing and publicity services for publishers and book distributors. Through this work, we engage with authors every day across a wide range of publishing programs and markets.

Authors can also draw directly on the experience and knowledge of Director Rachael McDiarmid, who brings more than 35 years of senior industry experience across trade, academic and professional publishing. Rachael offers author coaching in book marketing and sales, grounded in real-world publishing practice.

Marketing plays a central role in the success of any book. Understanding how book marketing works — and how publishers approach it — allows authors to actively support their books and make informed decisions about promotion. Done well, marketing not only helps a single title reach readers; it builds visibility over time and strengthens an author’s profile and brand across retail, libraries, media and events.

The focus is not on turning authors into full-time book marketers. It is on helping them understand the publishing landscape, take an active role in marketing their books, and make informed decisions about promotion at each stage of the publishing process.

Our author consultations mirror the questions publishers ask and translate them into practical, achievable promotional plans suited to the author, the book and the Australian market. You can get in contact with us here to find out more.

At the end of the day the bottom line is simple:

Publishers invest in books.
Authors who invest in themselves are better prepared for what comes next.

The publishing world is busy. Whether you're running a university press, small trade house, specialist imprint, or juggling multiple roles across departments with limited capacity—it’s easy for things to pile up.

​You’re not alone—and you’re not failing. You just need someone who can step in and get the work done.
That’s where we come in.

RM Marketing Services provides experienced, flexible support for publishing businesses—without the overheads of a full-time or part-time hire.

Led by Rachael McDiarmid, RM Marketing Services brings 35+ years of senior-level experience across trade, academic, scholarly, and professional publishing. Her background spans product development, sales, marketing, library supply, distribution, metadata, and content acquisition. If you’re in the publishing industry, she’s probably worked in your world—or closely alongside it.

Since 2014, the business has supported publishers, distributors, authors, and book-adjacent organisations both locally and internationally. Whether you need extra capacity, specialist skills, or help clearing the backlog, we work inside your systems and alongside your team to get results—quickly, professionally, and with minimal fuss.

What outsourcing looks like
Outsourcing with RM Marketing Services means engaging us for a set number of hours each week to deliver clearly defined tasks or projects. Some clients need 4–5 hours on a regular basis; others require 10. Special projects can extend to 15–20 hours per week when the business can accommodate it (and we do our best to say yes when we can!).

We’re not staff, but we operate like part of your team. In fact, we’re often included in team meetings or invited to attend events and planning sessions. We represent your organisation professionally, work with minimal supervision, and quickly adapt to your systems and workflows.

To keep everything on track, we use Clockify for time tracking, Asana for task management, and Less Annoying CRM for project pipelines and contacts. We’re familiar with most platforms used in the publishing industry and are fast learners—whether it’s legacy systems or the latest digital tools. We’ll work with what you’ve got, plug into your processes, and keep momentum going.

We’re also used to working under contractor agreements and NDAs for multinationals, or with just a clear brief via email for smaller presses. Once we’re set up and connected to the right contact, we’re good to go—no time wasted.

What we actually do
Our core services cover all aspects of sales, marketing, publicity, and book distribution. This includes:

• Campaign management – strategy, implementation, and tracking
• Author communications and care – consistent, professional engagement
• Publicity and promotions – pitching, follow-ups, and documenting campaigns
• Social media & EDMs – content creation, scheduling, and delivery
• Website & catalogue updates – keeping information current and aligned
• Special projects – typically focused on distribution (print and ebook), platform/vendor research, ERP support, Australian market strategy, or content acquisition

💡 Need ideas or examples? We’ve pulled together a list of practical suggestions based on real-world projects we’ve delivered—everything from campaign management and distribution support to author mentoring and special sales.
👉 Explore ideas for publishers here

Not a publisher—but published a book?
If you’re not in publishing full time but you’ve released a book as part of your business—think executive coaches, mediators, policy consultants—we’ve got you covered too. We offer tailored services to manage your book’s social media, email marketing, website presence or design needs. While we typically work in 4+ hour weekly blocks, we’re happy to consider 2-hour packages for select clients, subject to availability. A corporate rate applies for businesses outside the traditional book industry.

Why publishers and organisations trust us
We’re not an agency. We’re not a generic admin service. And we’re not here to take on your leftovers.

RM Marketing Services focuses on the work that matters—supporting your campaigns, communications, strategy and sales.

If something’s been sitting untouched in your inbox or keeps slipping down the list, we’ll help shift it into the “done and dusted” column.

Clients value our ability to:

• Deliver results with minimal supervision
• Work seamlessly with existing teams and systems
• Handle confidential or strategic work with professionalism
• Offer flexible, no-fuss arrangements tailored to your business

What you get

✅ 35+ years’ senior publishing experience
✅ No on-costs (no leave, super, payroll tax, or tech setups)
✅ Fast onboarding and flexible availability
✅ Clear communication and defined deliverables
✅ A strong industry reputation (just check Rachael’s LinkedIn)

If you're at capacity, stuck on something important, or just need experienced support to keep things moving—we’d love to help.

📩 Get in contact and let’s talk about what outsourcing could look like for your business.

Mark Rosenberg is an executive coach, mediator and faciliator who empowers leaders and their teams to achieve their potential. Mark started his career as a lawyer, then worked in senior management roles in the private and public sector, before branching out as a mediator and creating Balanced Curve, based in Gladesville Sydney. The company are experts in conflict management, executive and team coaching, mediation and facilitation.

​You can read more about them at balancedcurve.com.

As a lawyer, Mark was dealing with hardcore disputes that were expensive and involved a lot of management time. As a mediator, however, he realised his strength was dealing with conflict. Over the years he has helped thousands of leaders become better at having hard conversations.

With this wealth of knowledge and firsthand experience, Mark wanted to share what he's learned with others so they have the opportunity to be better communicators and handle conflict better - afterall, it's something that many of us struggle with! He did this utilising the experience of the team at Publish Central (who also told him about RM Marketing Services!) and published a book called Mastering Hard Conversations: Turning Conflict into Collaboration. 

The key message of the book is simply: conflict in the workplace is inevitable. That means that as a leader - whether that's the CEO or senior management team, or a leader within your own team, or a thought leader within an organisation - being skilled in dealing with conflict and having uncomfortable conversations has enormous benefits. Mastering Hard Conversations provides a proven, practical, structured approach to help you become a better leader by improving your communication and conflict skills.

Mark came to us to talk about marketing and publicity support - as well as support and advice while he navigated the world of publishing and bookselling. Like many independently published authors, navigating the metadata minefield was the first challenge - ensuring that accurate, enhanced information on the book was sent out in data feeds to online booksellers was tricky for someone who hasn't experienced it before. For many indie authors, online booksellers are THE main sales channel due to the nature of publishing and distributing a book using the Ingram Spark platform (print to order and ebook distribution) so getting this information right was a priority.

We then discussed ways of disseminating information about the book to core booksellers and library suppliers. We also mapped out plans for content and social media posts, particularly using LinkedIn for engagement where Mark had a loyal, supportive following. We also worked with some online sites and Mark spoke to his peers who have podcasts about teams and teamwork. Our good friends at Books+Publishing included him on their #booksareessential campaign which has 10,000 followers on Instagram. We liaised with reviewers and we provided promotional and marketing support as the weeks progressed.

As icing on the cake, Mark was able to turn a profile about his house into an article about the house, his dogs Peggy Sue and Honey, and his book! The article is below however the online article had a different heading - Lockdown at home proved perfect for Mark Rosenberg to write about conflict management - which was pretty perfect! You can read it here on The Australian website.

Since we've been working with Mark on his book, we've seen Mastering Hard Conversations in and out of the Top 50 books in mediation and conflict resolution on Amazon, and even in the Top 3! It's a book that resonates with readers because it's practical, well-written and helps them develop their knowledge and skills in conflict resolution and communication within teams.

You won't be surprised to hear, we're big fans of the book, particularly Chapter 8 - Dealing with Certifiable Assholes! 
​
​Listen to Mark speak about that chapter here. 

When RM Marketing Services launched in 2014 it didn't take long to see what the publishing industry lacked - someone with decades of senior product, marketing and management experience who could be called upon to help get jobs and projects done quickly, efficiently and without supervision for publishers and distributors who needed support. As marketing departments were reduced and budgets slashed, publishers and distributors were quick to take advantage of our honed skills and extensive industry knowledge - special projects and consulting gigs happened in quick succession. Over time the business morphed into two streams - outsourcing solutions and consulting services. Outsourcing sales and marketing solutions covers sales, marketing, digital marketing, website and social media management as well as publicity, author care, special channel promotions, corporate communications and just about anything our clients required! If you are considering outsourcing, read more about the benefits of using RM Marketing Services below...

Outsourcing is simply contracting work out to an outside supplier. For RM Marketing Services outsourcing involves taking on a specific role or set of tasks for a defined number of hours a week. We've provided outsourcing for as little as 4 hours a week to a maximum of 21 hours. A company email address is established (as, unlike consulting requests, we represent the publisher or distributor), goals and tasks are discussed, and we work with a nominated representative or team to manage the workload being outsourced and the deadlines. We encourage regular catch-up meetings, phone calls, strategy or team meetings - we are part of the organisation but don't have the downtime that other employees have for internal facing activities, professional training or other distractions - i.e. we can actually focus on getting the work done! Depending on the work required, system access is granted and training takes place. The publisher or distributor often requests for documents to be signed - their own contractor agreement and/or a Non-Disclosure Agreement for a multinational however for smaller presses we work to an email summary and occasionally a phone call depending on the existing relationship between our two organisations. Payment is via direct deposit, 14 day payment terms. It's not complicated to set-up outsourcing and the quicker the above is organised, the quicker we can get to the work.

Benefits to outsourcing. Oncosts of each employee is estimated at being 25-30% - these oncosts include superannuation, insurance/workers compensation, leave (sick leave, annual leave, long service leave), payroll taxes and other add-ons that eat into your business and profits. Of course, these are irrelevant when you opt for an outsourced solution! Check with your accountant as well as what you can claim on your own tax returns when using a consultant, as there may be additional benefits. Many organisations are also able to bring in contractors when there are staff freezes or restrictions. Rather than restructuring teams around staff who are leaving, and bringing added stresses to already heavy workloads within your organisation, why not consider outsourcing a handful of tasks to someone you can trust and your staff will thank you for it! It could be for as little as 4 hours a week...

Benefits to outsourcing with RM Marketing Services. Director Rachael McDiarmid has 30 years sales, marketing, product, and management experience in the publishing industry with a broad skill set particularly in all aspects of marketing and promotion. She has been privileged to travel the world to meet with publishers, distributors and library vendors; heavily involved in ebooks and digital platforms; played a pivotal role in bibliographic data collection; and has decades experience with publishing, book distribution and supply chain management in Australia and New Zealand. This has all been on top of a wonderful career, mainly in academic and professional publishing. (You can view her profile on LinkedIn) 

She also has an extensive network of experienced industry professionals to bring into the mix, particularly for consulting projects but often for administrative and research tasks as part of an outsourced arrangement. With the knowledge, experience and determination she brings to your organisation, you can be assured you are in safe hands. And for everyone that knows Rachael personally, you know she's professional, has a great industry reputation, and gets on with the task at hand with no fuss. 

Let RM Marketing Services help you get through your to-do list and ask us about outsourcing services today.  

Well, it's what many of you are thinking so I thought I would just say it. Why not start my new blog with the bleeding obvious!

After nearly 11 years working for a key account for local and international publishers, with responsibilities that covered everything from retail (wholesale) distribution to library supply (academic and public), print products to digital (online reference and ebooks), marketing communications that included website, social media, enewsletters, print promotions and more - I've got more than enough experience to help others with the Australasian marketplace.  

During my time at James Bennett/Inbooks I was always asked - and respected - for my advice on the publishing industry. From international wholesalers to small publishers, my role as Publisher Relations and Marketing Communications Manager was utilised by many - for free! *

And let's not ignore my 13 years in publishing prior to that - product, sales, marketing, key account management, business development....my career has been extremely varied and wonderfully rewarding.  It's covered trade, professional and vocational education publications and all facets of marketing. And it's seen an awful lot of change - remember ordering everything via ocean freight (and adding two months to publication dates) or faxing through price and availability enquiries to overseas suppliers (no internet or email)?  Ah, the good old days...

At the end of the day, the publishing industry is in my blood. I can't help it. Warts and all, it's a fascinating - and changing - industry. And the one thing that I've noticed the most - particularly for the larger organisations - is that they are now run by accountants. The nature of publishing has changed. Everything is counted, every cost reviewed, every cost saving initiative is introduced.  No one seems to have enough resources - or time - to do even the most basic of jobs. There isn't the same flexibility, there isn't the same money available, and sadly there is also not the same level of experience in the book trade that there used to be. Too many people come and go because they have "digital" skills but they don't GET the industry, they don't take the time to learn it, and many lack basic customer service skills.  

Isn't it the first rule of business? No one exists without the customer.  It's about giving them what they need in order to sell or consume your product.  I fear publishers have lost sight of that and I'm here to help.

In starting this enterprise of mine it took me all of two seconds to come up with my mission: helping publishers do what they do best.**  Contact me today for any marketing service you require help with.

Disclaimers:
* OK there was the odd bottle of wine presented as a thank you gift
** And if you don't know what that is, you will definitely need my help!