Testimonials

What People Are Saying…

“It’s hard to imagine a publicist more knowledgeable, astute, cooperative, tireless, committed, and eager to enter the fray (but not unmindfully) than Caitlin Hamilton. I have an imagination and it simply comes up short. She has taken on two of my novels (House of the Deaf for Unbridled and Fractures for St. Martin’s Press), and the personal dedication with which she’s done it has made me an admirer for life. She doesn’t just promote a book’s cause; she takes it all deeply to heart. Sadly, one of a passing breed.” —Lamar Herrin, author of FRACTURES

“To work with Caitlin is to work with someone who feels like your friend and a top-notch PR professional all rolled into one glorious unit. She gives it heart and soul. There could be nothing better.”—Bren McClain, author of ONE GOOD MAMA BONE

“Caitlin is everything I could hope for in a publicist. She’s smart, sensitive, experienced, connected, diligent, creative, organized, thoroughly professional, and a wonderful team player. She loves literature and has tremendous respect for and from the people who write, edit, publish, and promote it. I’m grateful to Caitlin for tailoring a campaign that fit my budget and brought national attention to my debut novel. More than that, I’m grateful to her for teaching me how to effectively and gracefully usher a book into the world.”—Kim Church, author of BYRD

“Caitlin and Rick are illuminating guides who combine their extensive knowledge of the field of publicity with their root-level engagement with the author and the material to cultivate a finely tuned and far-reaching campaign. They asked me where I wanted to go and took me places I didn’t know I would see. Communicative, thoughtful, positive, and creative. I was given advice that I will forever appreciate, was reviewed in major publications nationwide, and had a tremendous experience all around. I can’t begin to express my gratitude.”—Jason Skipper, author of HUSTLE

“Caitlin is a dream publicist. I knew this from our first conversation when her wisdom, experience, warmth and understanding shone in her every remark. She translated my vaguely stated aspirations for my debut novel into a campaign that more than met my goals. She also provided me with guidance for what I, as a newly published author, needed to know and to do at the start, and as time goes on. My much-published friends told me that hiring a publicist was essential to the successful launch of my novel. These same authors also told me horror stories about publicists who didn’t “get” their book, failed to identify the right audience, offered cookie-cutter approaches, didn’t return emails or phone calls—you’ve heard the same stories. Not Caitlin. She’s the opposite: smart, caring, and responsive. I am deeply grateful for all that Caitlin did for me and for my novel.”—Lynn Sloan, author of PRINCIPLES OF NAVIGATION

“Caitlin Hamilton Summie worked tirelessly on behalf of my novel, If Anyone Asks, Say I Died from the Heartbreaking Blues. She arranged reviews and readings, offered technical advice for social media, located publishing outlets for articles I wrote, and found speaking opportunities for me and workshop assignments at local literary festivals. I recommend her highly.”—Philip Cioffari, author of IF ANYONE ASKS, SAY I DIED FROM THE HEARTBREAKING BLUES

“Caitlin is a complete pleasure to work with and she understands the business cold. She’s well liked and trusted in the publishing industry by the many people who know her. When she vouches for an author and presents his or her work, book stores, publications, conferences, and other venues respond with respect, which is all you can ask for as an author. She approaches p.r. thoughtfully and with vigor. I’ve loved working with her on my two novels. While she always responded quickly and respectfully to my suggestions, it was clear that she had a well-grounded overall plan for the success of each book. I felt I was in very good hands throughout the entire process. I can’t recommend Caitlin more highly.”—Virginia Pye, DREAMS OF THE RED PHOENIX and RIVER OF DUST

“The professional friendship with Caitlin and Rick is an added bonus to the enjoyment of publishing my first novel. They’re extremely effective at what they do, and I couldn’t begin to describe all the opportunities they opened up for me. But what I appreciated most was the enthusiasm they had for my book, which not only stoked their efforts but buoyed me significantly. I highly recommend them.” — Dan Stephenson, author of THE UNDERWATER WINDOW

“Caitlin Hamilton is an outstanding literary publicist.  She guided my novel into big reviews in major publications and her skills at handling a marketing campaign are matched by her enthusiasm and insider’s knowledge of the industry.  She structured her campaign for my novel to meet my budget and exceeded all of my expectations.  She’s calm, committed and brilliant and was a pleasure to work with.  I highly recommend her.” — Bonnie Ramthum, author of THE WHITE GATES and THE THIRTEENTH SKULL

“I have worked with Caitlin Hamilton Summie for fifteen years now, and I know what a powerful impact she has had on the success of our books. Her network of contacts is wide and strong. Her knowledge is clear. Her enthusiasm and energy are unflagging. And her heart’s always in the right place. I’ve long thought of her as a benevolent whirlwind and would recommend her to anyone with a book to sell.” — Frederick Ramey, publisher, Unbridled Books

“Caitlin and Rick were instrumental in helping us secure our largest client. They went above and beyond our expectations with their thorough and detailed communication and work. We would highly recommend them!”— Whitney Biggs, Treasured Passages

“Getting publicity for a book is a huge challenge – one that Caitlin takes on with grace, wisdom, and a kind of magic. The results have been astounding – she makes the seemingly impossible happen, through her insights into the industry and her years of experience and her deft touch. She’s one of my very favorite people to work with, and I’m completely in awe of her gifts as a publicist. She’s an avid reader and therefore has such great respect for the process—she knows exactly what it takes for an author to find an audience.” —Timothy Schaffert, author of THE COFFINS OF LITTLE HOPE

“I feel very fortunate to have Caitlin Hamilton Summie as the publicist for my first novel, “The Geometry of Love.” First, I should say that she is an excellent reader, and I felt from the beginning that her deep understanding of my book would make her an excellent advocate. She has done an excellent job garnering reviews, arranging blog visits, and setting up events. The events she set up have all gone smoothly and been most gratifying. Throughout she has been extremely supportive of my creative work and has demonstrated professionalism, commitment, and determination. The billing is detailed and transparent so that I always know exactly what she is doing for me and how I am being charged. I plan on working with her when my next novel is released.”—Jessica Levine, author of THE GEOMETRY OF LOVE

“It was my distinct pleasure to have Caitlin Hamilton and Rick Summie be my publicists for my first novel, Palm Beach Nasty. They were able to get me more blogs, interviews and speaking engagements than my publisher and worked tirelessly and energetically on my behalf. They were always available to answer my questions– even the ludicrous ones–and, occasionally, even played shrink when I needed it. Everything about my experience with Caitlin and Rick was positive– they helped get my book 5 stars from bloggers and readers, I give them 10 stars!”—Tom Turner, author of PALM BEACH NASTY

“I love working with Caitlin Hamilton Summie and Rick Summie. They championed my debut novel, The Vintner’s Daughter, with persistence, ingenuity and professionalism. Using their extensive industry contacts and fresh ideas, Caitlin and Rick organized a comprehensive, eight-month marketing campaign that increased my visibility and book sales–without exceeding my budget. They also e-mailed monthly invoices and detailed statements of their activities on my behalf, so I could track how every dollar was spent. I enthusiastically recommend Caitlin Hamilton Marketing and Publicity to both traditionally and alternatively published authors and I will be hiring Caitlin and Rick again!”—Kristen Harnisch, author of THE VINTNER’S DAUGHTER

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Caitlin Hamilton Summie has been my rock during the pre-release, release, and post-release stages of my novel, The Promise.  She’s a team player who works tirelessly – and I do mean tirelessly — to assist my in-house publicist and is willing to fill in the gaps whether it’s contacting national media, local radio programs, or blog book reviewers.  Caitlin knows the book publicity world inside out, and her contacts are nationwide.  She keeps my in-house publicist and me informed, and responds quickly to e-mails and phone calls.  Press releases are updated frequently, and she follows up on leads. To mention just a few of Caitlin accomplishments, she got The Promise into the hands of several national book club organizations which greatly enhanced reader awareness.  Due to her efforts, The Promise was reviewed in print media and online, I was invited to speak to large groups outside of my local area, was asked to be on two panels at the Southern Festival of Books, and was invited to speak at the Texas Library Association. Caitlin has a light touch which serves her well.  She knows when to push and when to step away.  She cares about me as a person and is committed to doing her best.  It was my lucky day when Caitlin agreed to be my publicist.  She’s changed my career.”—Ann Weisgarber, author of THE PROMISE

“Caitlin’s warm personality, sincere care for good books, and energetic commitment to getting them seen made marketing my novel a pleasure. She thoughtfully created and executed a plan with my needs in mind, and coached me so that I could continue to successfully put my novel forward beyond the first key months of its life.”—Jeannine Atkins, author of LITTLE WOMAN IN BLUE: A NOVEL OF MAY ALCOTT

“Caitlin is not only a terrific publicist, but she is also a guide, educator, and friend. Her knowledge about the independent book-publishing world and its sellers was invaluable in helping me navigate what sometimes felt like mysterious and rocky waters. She knew precisely which avenues were best matched for my story collection and worked tirelessly in getting it to those places. As a first-time author, I knew little about the ins and outs of the business and Caitlin was a patient and reassuring presence. Her direct, honest and diplomatic communication style, as well as her genuine passion for the books she promotes makes her, to my mind, a distinct voice in the business of book promotions. She was indispensible to me; I recommend her without any reservation whatsoever.”—Lenore Myka, author of KING OF THE GYPSIES

“When I first learned from my publisher, She Writes Press, that without a good publicist my novel would almost certainly remain one of the thousands that never got read by anyone other than friends and family, I was a touch skeptical. I worked hard, I had a few clues, couldn’t I do it all myself? I can only chuckle as I write this, nine months after I began my six month contract with Caitlin. From our first ‘interview’ I knew she was the one I wanted to work with, and fortunately she felt the same. She ‘got’ my book, and her flexibility over how we would work together —I lived in New Zealand and thus live events, book signings and the like weren’t part of my requirements—was key to my choice of Caitlin over other publicists I interviewed. Her genuine warmth and straight-forward but always positive and supportive communications never faltered.  And her teammate, Rick, was always available for a second opinion. Within a very short time I felt I had found a real friend. Every month I received a statement of the things she had put in place— queries, responses, successes—and that first long list blew me away. And every month there was another long list, even more exciting. Almost every day I would receive e-mails from Caitlin suggesting new publicity ideas, blog posts to write, top reviews to follow up with an article or carefully placed advert, and to every one of my numerous e-mails she responded within a day, often within an hour. She kept me motivated and excited about the whole process, without ever feeling pushy. Along the way I learned about publicity and marketing, and even got to like it!  My novel sold out of the first 1000 copies within two weeks of its publication date, a very satisfying milestone, and this was due primarily to Caitlin’s wise and creative hard work. I also learned the fabulous expression “Woo Hoo” from her, and now use it for every woo hoo moment.  If you want to feel excited every time you spy an e-mail in your inbox from a woman called Caitlin, subject line Woo Hoo, then take it from me, she is your perfect publicist! Thank you, Caitlin.”—Jenni Ogden, author of A DROP IN THE OCEAN

“Working with publicist Caitlin Hamilton Summie was a delight! Caitlin skillfully shepherded me through the marketing process for my debut novel, Eliza Waite. Caitlin’s vast knowledge and contacts put Eliza Waite in front of many reviewers and bloggers to whom I would never have had the exposure except through her marketing experience and expertise. Successes included a celebrity endorsement and numerous favorable reviews. With her terrier-like tenacity, Caitlin also secured multiple book events for me in tough markets. I am in debt to Caitlin for taking me on as a client and I was sorry to see our contract come to a close. I will definitely enlist Caitlin’s services for my next novel and heartily endorse Caitlin and her company to both debut and seasoned authors.”—Ashley Sweeney, author of ELIZA WAITE 

“Caitlin was the missing link I needed on my team to ensure a successful launch for my novel. She marries her deep experience with a creative mindset, always looking for fresh ideas that best meet the needs of the author. Her positive and responsive working style is empowering and no doubt appreciated by her wealth of industry contacts. Being a debut author is both exhilarating and terrifying and I was ever grateful to have Caitlin by my side through it all. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”—Katherine A. Sherbrooke, author of FILL THE SKY

“Caitlin Hamilton Summie is wise, experienced, connected, enthusiastic, dogged (yet kind), responsive and responsible, strategic, nimble, well-respected and a whole lot of fun. For the publication of my debut novel, she secured reviews, articles, interviews and appearances, none of which I could have gotten on my own, and she gave me oodles of great advice during the many months we worked together. She worked so diligently on my behalf and was in such continual contact that I always felt like her only client, even though I knew I wasn’t. I honestly can’t wait to work with her again. If you’re looking for a fantastic publicist, look no further.” —Joan Dempsey, author of THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS

“It was a lucky day when Caitlin Hamilton agreed to become my publicist. She commits herself fully to every book she takes on, whether it is issued by a major New York house or a university or small press. She knows the business and pursues every angle—the reviews, the appearances, the podcasts, the guest blogs, and contests. Her media consultant, who is part of the service she provides, led me through some of my cyber challenges in order to help me more successfully promote my work and reach book clubs. I am grateful for their expertise, but I am also grateful for their friendship, because Caitlin doesn’t just promote your book—she reads it, commits to it, and commits to you. She cares, and in the world of publishing these days that is in many ways the most precious gift of all.  Promoting your book is not just a job she does (and does well). Your book becomes something she cares about as much as you do.”—Lee Zacharias, author of Across the Great Lake

“As the publication of my novel approached, I was wary about hiring a publicist. Would it really be worth the investment? I listened to advice around me and finally decided to take the plunge. From day one Caitlin was professional, diligent, intelligent, knowledgeable, organized. She let nothing slip, all the while remaining kind, understanding and polite—a sheer joy to work with. I now count my lucky stars and can’t imagine having gone through this process without Caitlin’s sure hand guiding me. “—Mary Fleming, author of THE ART OF REGRET