Q&A With Jennifer Richards 

I’m so delighted to be doing this Q&A with Jennifer Richards! Jennifer is a publicist who has represented famous authors! Some of whom are Elle Marr & Mia Sheridan! What’s amazing is she works with Rachel Tarlow Gul who is also a publicist I have interviewed, and both work together at Over The River Public Relations! 

Q: Welcome to Book Notions Jennifer! I’m really happy to have you here! Where did your love of reading and publicity come from? How does a normal workday begin for you? 

A: Oh, thank you so much for having me, Bianca! When I was growing up, my Aunt Glowie worked at Dell Publishing as an editorial reader, and I thought she was terribly glamorous. She’d come home for the holidays weighed down with all these manuscripts, and she’d stay up all night reading and taking notes. She thrived under the pressure, and I was enthralled by it all. 

In addition to her big bag of manuscripts, Glowie always arrived with a stash of new books for our family. She spoiled me with paperback editions of Little House on the Prairie, A Cricket in Times Square, Charlotte’s Web, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and a signed collection of Judy Blume bestselling books (I still have them)! So, yeah, I was hooked pretty early on.

Q: How long have you been a publicist for? What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a publicist and why?

A: I got my first job in publishing when I was 21. After I graduated from college, I moved home to Pittsburgh for two weeks and wrote letters to the human resources departments at the major publishing houses (there were a lot more of them back then). Penguin and Random House both invited me to come in for interviews, so I moved to New York and landed a job in the publicity department at Ballantine Books in 1988. I was not a fast typist, so that precluded me from working in editorial, and that was a good thing because publicity suited me perfectly. 

I love working one-on-one with authors and nurturing their careers. Publicity is such a multi-faceted job, and it gives you so many opportunities to be creative – whether that’s writing press releases and pitches, researching specialized media contacts, engaging with fascinating people every day, designing graphics, or organizing book tours. Every book is a new challenge, and so even though I’ve been in business for over 35 years now, I still get excited about every new book campaign. 

Q: Did you go to college to be a publicist, or did you apply for an internship after you graduated high school? I enjoy asking publicists, agents and anyone in the industry this question because I love knowing about everyone’s individual journeys as to how they become what they are. 

A: When I went to college, I planned to be an actress, but the curriculum didn’t feel like “real” school. I missed all the reading and writing, so I switched to English and graduated with a BA in English Literature.

Every summer while I was in college, I worked at Yellow Umbrella Bookstore in Chatham, MA, which was the ideal way to discover the business of publishing. I learned all about handselling, placing book orders, displaying books, and hosting author events – my favorite part of the job. I think working in a bookstore is the ideal internship for publishing.

Q: What are important skills you feel someone needs to know before becoming a publicist? My friend Emi Battaglia, who’s also a publicist, says communication, writing skills, & curiosity about the book world are important. Our mutual friend Rachel Tarlow Gul added that being detail oriented and well organized is also a must! 

A: I’m on the same page with Rachel here. It is essential to be detail oriented. At any given time, Rachel and I are usually working on multiple campaigns at various stages. We keep copious notes regarding our pitching to the media; we confirm and double confirm dates and interview times for authors’ book tours; we keep track of authors’ writing assignments for various media outlets; and much more.

Curiosity and creativity are also key. We spend a lot of time thinking about who our authors’ readers are, how they learn about books, and whom they trust for book recommendations. And we’re always keeping a close eye on current trends and the news of the day and how they may relate to our current projects. You can’t plan for the news of the day; you have to be ready to act on it. So, flexibility is also a must!

Q: Some of the authors you represent are Elle Marr & Mia Sheridan! What’s it like working with both of them and can you name other debut and big-name authors you are currently working with? What are some books you’ve read that you are looking forward to all of us reading once they are released? 

A: Oh, Elle and Mia are fabulous! I am terribly fortunate, and I promise I do not take that for granted. In addition to Mia Sheridan’s chilling romantic suspense novel THE FIX (Nov. 1, 2025) and Elle Marr’s gripping psychological thriller THE LIE SHE WEARS (Nov 18, 2025), I’m also working on THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER (Dec. 1, 2025) by debut author Brionni Nwosu, which is a breathtaking Black time travel novel. And I’m teaming up again with Yasmin Angoe on behalf of her new compelling domestic thriller, BEHIND THESE FOUR WALLS (Jan. 1, 2026). I’m also excited to work with Sonali Dev on behalf of her new novel which is sure to be a book club favorite, HOW SIMI GOT HER GROOM BACK (March 3, 2026).

Q: I know from another publicist I’ve interviewed that you need to have a finished book and a literary agent before having a publicist. Rachel also told me the two of you are very careful about the projects you choose. So, after reading a book before its published, is it right then and there that you know you and an author are a great fit for each other? 

A: Well, it’s a must that we read the book to see if we think we’d be able to garner them the publicity they are seeking. Then we meet with the author either in person or via Zoom to discuss their goals and talk about how we run our campaigns to make sure we’re on the same page. There is also timing to consider. Because we are a two-person PR firm, we typically book up 6-12 months in advance. Unfortunately, sometimes even when we’re in love with the book, if the publication date shifts and we are fully booked for that month, we must decline.  

Q: What’s it like working with Rachel? From my Q&A with Rachel it seems like you two have such a great time! 

A: Oh, Rachel is a gem! I can still remember when we first broached the subject of working together. We were working at Ballantine Books. We both lived in New Jersey – right over the George Washington Bridge (hence the name, Over the River PR). I had a baby, and Rachel was pregnant. We loved our jobs, & hated the commute, and wished we could have a bit more control over our book projects. Six months later (March 2000), Over the River Public Relations was born, and 25 years later we’re still going strong!

We do have a lot of fun, and our skill sets, reading tastes, and personalities complement each so well.  Best of all, I can always count on Rachel for a good book or recipe recommendation!

Q: If you were to become an author, would you write a fiction book or would you write a nonfiction book? Would you represent yourself as a publicist or would you have Rachel represent you as your publicist?

A: I haven’t received divine inspiration for a book yet, but I have written notes for a TV series about a publishing house in the 1990s. It was such a wild, juicy, hilarious time. There were so many colorful characters, so much gossip, so many mishaps. When I finish my treatment and sell it to Netflix, Rachel is going to have to cross over into TV publicity because she is my ride or die!