John Pitts

Consultant and advisor, helping storytellers find their audience

What I Do

“It is difficult to imagine publishing a book without John Pitts.  John was always “in the room”, always with fresh ideas, and new marketing strategies, and even editorial guidance on the sly.  I listened to John with every book.  He is an integral team player and a loyal friend.”   

John Grisham, #1 bestselling author

I guide authors along the path to the best publication possible without multinational corporate support. Editing, coaching, agent querying, positioning, branding, social media, marketing, advertising, timing, launch…the whole tamale! I bring a ton of experience and expertise to the game, and I am unique for having mastered both copy and visuals—a complete aesthetic toolkit! Since I’ve been hands-on for my entire career, I have first-hand knowledge and mastery of the most significant marketing tools: Amazon Ads, social media, viral video, word-of-mouth, NetGalley, Goodreads, podcasts, etc. I’m collaborative and transparent—and honest.

Publishing

Publishing

I love books, as one would expect. I also like creative people, authors included. I spent my 35-year career passionately consumed with helping authors reach their audience. While I started in publicity, most of my career was on the marketing side, which involves pretty much everything but reviews, interviews, media appearences, and bookstore events
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Marketing

Marketing

A publishing marketer is necessarily a jack-of-all-trades, a fox and a hedgehog. My experience includes all of the following: Consumer and trade marketing. Print, TV, radio & digital advertising and promotion. Street teams, gorilla and urban marketing. Word-of-mouth and viral marketing.

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“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”  –Gore Vidal

My Story

Books and publishing have been a lifelong passion of mine and I was very fortunate to make a career of it.  I have marketed titles across a broad range of genres: literary fiction, commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction, history, biography, memoir, science, religion, philosophy, psychology, cultural criticism, essays, sports, and others.  I’ve worked with authors ranging from Pat Conroy to Chuck Palahniuk, John Grisham, Gore Vidal, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Mia Farrow, Mickey Mantle, Ian McEwan, Walter Mosley, Bill Bryson, E Lynn Harris, Carl Bernstein and George Plimpton, to name a few.  So I know the players, I’m accustomed to high profile publications, and I have the poise, skills, and experience to bring it all together.

Me on beach
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