Traditionally Self-Published with Mica Merrill Rice
Traditionally Self-Published is the podcast tailored for indie authors who want to learn how to self-publish using the strategies, tips, and tricks like traditionally published authors. Hosted by author Mica Merrill Rice, each episode features real talk with industry professionals (editors, cover artists, narrators, etc.) and actual indie authors who are flipping the script and publishing on their own terms. Whether you are plotting your first or publishing your fifth, here you will learn how to write smart, publish like a pro, and keep your readers turning those pages.
Traditionally Self-Published with Mica Merrill Rice
PR Isn’t Marketing: How Authors Actually Get Seen with Allison Preston
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Most authors think visibility means posting more content.
But what if that’s not the real strategy?
In this episode, PR specialist Allison Preston breaks down what public relations actually is, and why it’s one of the most overlooked tools for authors who want to get seen beyond social media.
We dive into the difference between PR and marketing, how “earned media” works, and practical ways authors can start building visibility—even without a large following.
If you’ve been posting consistently but not seeing results, this episode will shift how you think about audience growth and book promotion.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- What PR really is (and what it isn’t)
- The key difference between PR and marketing
- What “earned media” means for authors
- Why social media alone isn’t enough for visibility
- How to tap into existing audiences instead of building from scratch
- Beginner-friendly PR strategies you can start right now
- Where authors should be showing up beyond social platforms
- Common PR mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- And then we end with Allison's Five Best Tips for authors and the Ink Starter Lightning round
About Allison:
Allison Preston has more than a decade of experience in journalism, public relations, and strategic communications. Her work has been in front of the camera as a news anchor and reporter, and behind the scenes, pitching stories and overseeing communications for international nonprofits. She has ghostwritten opinion pieces for nonprofit and biotech leaders, hosted two podcasts, and secured media hits in major outlets including CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, NPR, and more. She is also a Young Adult Fantasy writer of power girl princesses and warrior women.
You can find her at:
or on her Author Socials:
- IG @authoralicesheffield
- TikTok @authoralicesheffield
- Substack @authoralicesheffield
Have a publishing question? Email me at mica@micamerrillrice.com
Newsletter: The Underground
Website: micamerrillrice.com
Instagram: @micamriceauthor
Facebook: @micamriceauthor
TikTok: @micamriceauthor
"Traditionally Self-Published" theme music is written by Landon Bailey and performed and produced by LNDÖ