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Phenix & Phenix and New First Lady Put Focus on Austin & Literacy

Austin-based P.R. Firm Shares Love of Books with Mrs. Bush; Use Media Relations and Media Training to Make Bestselling Books and Authors

As the First Lady of Texas, Laura Bush's main mission was promoting literacy and the recognition of authors' works. As the honorary chairwoman of the Texas Book Festival for many years, Mrs. Bush has, with her unique style and quiet enthusiasm, encouraged many to turn their gaze towards the significance of writers and the role they play in bettering society. Mrs. Bush hosted an Authors Celebration as part of the recent inauguration festivities. As we watch George W. Bush begin his presidency, the literary world will keep a close eye on the First Lady to see what she has in store for Americans and their reading habits.

There is a literary publicity firm, based in the Bush's most recent home city of Austin, Texas, that shares Mrs. Bush's passion for books and authors and is one of the book world's biggest kept secrets. Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicity, Inc. was founded by Leann Phenix seven years ago on the basis of her love of books. One book, in particular, was the genesis of the now powerhouse publicity firm. Bestseller True Women, by Texas author Janice Woods Windle, was Phenix's first publicity project, which exposed Phenix & Phenix as a top publicity firm and the first-time author as an acclaimed novelist.

The P&P Staff: front row (left to right): Leann Phenix, CEO; Elisa Harvey, Accounting Manager; Marika Flatt, National Media Director; Kelli Kirkland, Tour Coordinator; Nikki Hopkins, Publicist; Janine Schaffer, Office Manager; Elaine Froelich, Publicist
back row (left to right): Mike Odom, VP of Operations; Andy Morales, Publicist; Andrew Berzanskis, Publicist; Gus Gonzales, Executive Administrator.

Phenix & Phenix has created numerous bestsellers out of unknown authors, including Kiss of God by 13-year old Marshall Stewart Ball, The Wizard of Ads by Roy Williams, Faith on Trial by Pamela Binnings Ewen, and several others along the way. Phenix & Phenix is now the largest literary publicity firm in Texas, working with approximately 20 authors and publishers per month and reaching annual revenues of nearly $1 million.

The experienced and skilled 11-member team provides media relations and other much-needed amenities to authors and publishers, such as scheduling and promoting booksignings nationwide and offering comprehensive media training.

"We believe that books change lives. That is why we pour our hearts into each and every book we work with--because we know that there are people out there that need to get their hands on that book--and we're that conduit. We get the message to the consumers and our clients sell books because of it," explains Leann Phenix, CEO.

With the nation's eyes on Austin, Phenix & Phenix leads the charge in promoting literacy, which, along with education, is one of Bush's top priorities for his presidency. "For many, reading is a lost art. Through our efforts, we hope to re-instill this form of entertainment in our high-tech world," says Phenix. I visited with company Media Director Marika Flatt and asked her to describe the Phenix & Phenix style, and to share some thoughts about changes in the book industry and how publicists are dealing with them.

"Phenix & Phenix is a unique publicity firm in that we only work within the literary field, primarily with authors and publishers. Therefore, we know our niche extremely well. We try not to spread ourselves too thin in the business. We began as a boutique-style firm, offering high quality service to a select group of first-time authors. Now, we have expanded our staff and focus, but still offer the same impeccable service to authors and publishers, turning many into bestsellers."

"We individualize each campaign. We know that not every client needs the same type of publicity efforts. We spend the first month of each campaign developing a top-notch strategy plan that we remain loyal to throughout the entire campaign. We also develop press materials in the first month, which are written to immediately capture the media's attention. We often respond to breaking news with press releases, and have historically been very successful with that."

"Our style is hard-hitting media relations with a personal touch. We are professionals and deliver specialized service."

"After being with P&P for four years, I still get extremely excited when I've made a match with national media and my client is just what they are looking for (or I convince them that he is). I love working with inspiring books--books that challenge your thought processes or take you to another world. I love building strong professional relationships with our media contacts. We are here to help feed their media machines!"

"The book industry is becoming more and more competitive, with more books on the market now than ever before. There are also more ways to buy books (online stores) and more ways to hear about books (new media). We strive to stay up-to-date in all that we do, including forming contacts with new media and keeping abreast of the trends in the publishing business."

"Because of the rise in available books, it is now more important than ever to publicize your book. It is competing with the millions of other books out there for consumers' attention. Our job is to inform consumers and help our authors sell books. We, as a business, change with the times. We restructure our practices when the industry demands it; we hire new staff when needed; and we put forth effort to always educate ourselves on the tumultuous industry of publishing. Nothing in this business stands still, and neither do we."

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Leann Phenix and Marika Flatt, National Media Director, are available for interviews, including tours of their new facilities. Please contact Marika Flatt for more information.