I’m not sure who exactly this is going to be useful for, but it strikes me as too valuable a resource to ignore. The Publishers Publicity Circle is a UK group – and directory and website/online community – that, according to the site, “for over fifty years … has enabled all book publicists from publishing houses and freelance PR agencies to gather and share information on a regular basis.” As well as monthly meetings, and monthly and annual awards, the Circle also offers a searchable directory, downloadable as a full PDF copy of its 2015 Directory of UK Book Publishing Publicists, which provides complete and comprehensive contact information for “the essential publicity contacts in over 100 UK publishing houses as well as PR Consultants.”
Who exactly could use this? Well, if you’re an eager UK published author anxious to bug the crap out of your publisher’s publicity department, or even do something practical like tip them off to your latest reading, it’s clearly helpful. If you’re a staffer at a US or other non-UK publisher needing to touch base with your opposite number/s in Blighty, again, it’s obviously useful. If you’re a UK book trade PR pro looking for new business, or a publisher needing a new consultant, it’s a powerful resource. And if you’re a hungry reviewer (like Yours Truly) trying to sleuth down the latest juicy review prospect, or arrange an author interview, it’s going to come in handy.
Furthermore, and even more cheekily, if you’re any of the above trying to track down a UK literary or books editor for the major British print dailies, magazines, and some blogs/websites, you can try Googling its URL alongside the publication or person you want to target. Sometimes, the search result will throw up their email, as the PPC often carries details of its regular meetings with prominent editors and journalists, including contact info, and gives you a highly qualified window into the UK literary journalism community.
So there you are. For writers, reviewers, journalists, and publishers, it’s a gold mine. A rather small one. And UK gold only. But a rich (but narrow) seam all the same.
