Tim Bete, the author of In the Beginning… There Were No Diapers, gets in this week’s final word on how authors can deal with the publicity cycle. Although he’s happy with the work his publisher, Sorin Books, has done to promote his collection of fatherhood humor, he says he was approached by several publicists offering their services. “The bottom line in every case was that the numbers didn’t work,” he recalls. “Based on my royalty rate, I didn’t think the publicity they could provide would generate enough sales for me to break even on their fees. While it might pay off in the long-term career of an author, most PR services aren’t going to pay for themselves through royalties.” One firm, however, convinced him to do a small campaign focused on the Internet; for $500, he reports, they got him more than 30 reviews on blogs and other web sites. Bete tells more about the making and the marketing of his book on his official website.