How we can serve you?
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
If you’re like most publishers and authors, you’re looking for a way to get your book to stand out from the hundreds of thousands published each year. You want to get your book into the hands of the media but you don’t have the time, don’t know where or how to begin, or don’t know the best way to approach the media.
Strong media relations campaigns that position an author in the minds of both the national and local media are helping books to get noticed.
We Can Help
If you’re like most publishers and authors, you’re looking for a way to get your book to stand out from the hundreds of thousands published each year. You want to get your book into the hands of the media but you don’t have the time, don’t know where or how to begin, or don’t know the best way to approach the media.
Strong media relations campaigns that position an author in the minds of both the national and local media are helping books to get noticed.
Services
Side Door Communications serves publishing houses and authors of faith-based books. While the subject matter may differ—from parenting to Christian living to devotional—all are grounded in biblical principles and created to help minister to the spiritual needs of people.
We offer a variety of services to help get your book or resource in front of the right media. We customize our services based on your needs, your budget, and the timeframe of your campaign.
Tap icons to learn more.
Media Relations Campaigns
Media Relations Campaigns
Whether you’re interested in a full-blown campaign to multiple media channels or just a small outreach to selected media, we can help secure interviews, obtain blog reviews, article placements, and more. We work with both faith-based and mainstream media outlets, nationally and locally, depending on the nature of the material and the author’s platform.
Please contact us to discuss if your book might be a fit.
Press Kit Development
Press Kit Development
If you’re looking for a series of corporate press releases, a press release about a new line of books or a single book, or an entire press kit, we have years of experience writing copy and can turn around your project quickly.
Consulting
Consulting
Whether you need counsel on a specific project, want to discuss the media in general, or have questions about the publishing industry, we’re interested in talking with you. Consulting is typically done via phone or online.
Publicity Plan Development
Publicity Plan Development
If you are a publisher without a dedicated publicity department, find yourself without a publicist for any length of time, or just need an extra pair of hands to get you through a challenging time, we can step in. We’ll serve as your in-house publicity department, responding to media requests, pitching media, writing press releases, and handling the myriad of issues that come about every day. This is a fully customized service—please contact us directly for details.
In-House Publicity Department
In-House Publicity Department
Often times, authors have lots of publicity ideas but when it comes to execution, are unsure how to put them in motion. This is where we can help. After reviewing your book, materials, and Web site, we’ll schedule an in-depth conference call to discuss marketing and publicity ideas. Following the call, we will put together a customized, 6-month publicity plan. The plan will include detailed initiatives, specific to your project, as well as steps to execute the plan. We have received raving reviews for this service and find it to be a good option for those who may not have the budget available for a full campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Publicity, like anything, is an investment. We scope every project individually as there are many factors that go into determining a cost. Please contact us via the contact link above.
The length of a project is determined by numerous factors, particularly the type of media being approached. Most projects require a 3-month minimum, with projects running as long as 9 months to one year.
We primarily work on traditionally published titles but will consider selected self-published titles. We look for well-written, well-edited books on topics that we believe will be of interest to the media. We also consider the author’s credentials on the subject, as this is a critical part of securing media. Most importantly, we look for books that we are genuinely interested in and can get behind and where we feel a connection with the author.
We expect that the book has been professionally edited (or will be), the cover has been professionally designed, and that the final product has the look and feel (i.e. quality) of a traditionally published book.
Please note, at this time, we are not accepting any self-published novels and are accepting very few self-published nonfiction titles.
No. While we specialize in Christian media, we also regularly work with mainstream media. Some books work well for both markets, others work specifically for the Christian market.
We spend our time on media relations because that’s what we feel we do best. There are many other providers who can help you with the above!
About Our Founder
Debbie Lykins fell in love with books as a child. She spent hours with the likes of Ramona Quimby, SuperFudge, Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Happy Hollisters, and many others. While her choice of books has changed over the years (although she secretly still likes to read Ramona), her passion for books and the written word has remained.
Prior to launching Side Door, she worked as a print media publicist and a senior publicist for Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest Christian publishers in the world. While at Tyndale, she worked on campaigns in multiple genres including adult fiction and nonfiction, inspirational romance, children’s books, and books for young adults.
Having grown up in an entrepreneurial family, Debbie opened the doors of Side Door Communications in January 2004. Over the past several years, she has been honored to work with communicators like Randy Alcorn, Gary Chapman, Randy Singer, Pat Williams, Ira Wagler, Chip Ingram, Dannah Gresh, Heather Holleman, Tyler Sexton, and more. She has also assisted companies with corporate publicity, written numerous press kits, and booked thousands of interviews.
Debbie graduated from Wheaton College with a bachelor’s degree in communications (media) and a master’s degree in communications (journalism and writing). Before joining the publishing industry, she worked as a marketing manager for a subsidiary of a Fortune 100 company and in marketing, corporate communications, and public relations for an accounting and technology firm in the metro Chicago area.
A Chicago area native (and always loyal Cubs fan), Debbie, her husband, Joel, and three kids now live in the western suburbs of Milwaukee. She spends her free time watching her son play baseball and her daughters play rugby, basketball, and cross-country.
Core Values
Here’s what drives our business:
Keeping God at the Head
We accept projects that only bring glory to Him and are grounded in solid, biblical truth.
Placing the Interests of Clients First
We work to make our clients look good to others and to seek their highest good, rather than our own.
Integrity
We strive to set realistic expectations of clients, fulfill commitments, offer our services for a fair price, and select only those projects we can truly get behind.
Excellence
We work to do everything possible to truly delight our clients.
Creativity
We like to try new ideas, take the “side door” approach when the front door closes, and continuously seek out innovative ways to approach communications and publicity.
People
We commit to treating others with respect and dignity, offering words of encouragement rather than discouragement, sharing knowledge with others, and building genuine relationships.
Profitability
We focus on profitability by making sound business decisions, carefully controlling expenses, and seeking the highest return on time invested.
