Securing and Maximizing a National Television Feature

When Reginald L Reed Jr. approached Books Forward about his true crime memoir The Day My Mother Never Came Home, we knew his extraordinary story deserved national attention.

To promote his book and amplify Reggie’s message of resilience and healing, we implemented a media strategy that helped secure a variety of national coverage, including one of the biggest true crime platforms in the country: a full-length episode of 48 Hours dedicated entirely to Reggie’s story, boosted on CBS Mornings.

An Epic Campaign, and Just the Beginning 

Before we secured 48 Hours, Books Forward had already confirmed strong national and local media for Reggie, including features in Newsweek, A&E True Crime, Rolling Out, Texas Standard, San Antonio Report and Watch Daytime, along with appearances on topic-relevant podcasts like True Crime Garage and A Trauma Survivor Thriver’s Podcast.

In addition to the interviews and feature stories on Reggie and his memoir with a variety of print and broadcast platforms, bookish media like Shepherd, Crime Reads and Publishers Weekly also championed The Day My Mother Never Came Home.

Amplifying a Major Media Win

The 48 Hours feature — titled after his memoir — was a high-impact opportunity. So ahead of the air date, our team revamped the book’s retail pages and Reggie’s author website, double-checked his book’s distribution platforms to be sure everything was still set up and functioning properly to handle book sales (especially important as an indie author), and prepared a targeted media list so we could move quickly when CBS confirmed the episode’s air date.

With the air date announced, we launched a coordinated campaign to leverage the national attention. We reached out to bookstores about new stocking and signing opportunities, coordinated renewed media interest and promoted the 48 Hours coverage across our social media channels, engaging and sharing CBS’ posts to boost visibility.

A Story That Resonates

Media interest surged again, with new features from AOL News, The Advocate, San Antonio Express News, LADbible and more. The episode received high visibility on Paramount+ and CBS, and was promoted to CBS’ millions of social media followers on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, with more than a dozen posts.

Thanks to a mix of thoughtful pre-launch preparation, nimble media strategy and Reggie’s authentic voice, we were able to help Reggie’s story reach viewers and readers nationwide. From TV interviews to book club discussions to store signings, his message about grief, healing and reclaiming one’s narrative continues to resonate. We’re proud to have helped amplify his voice — and honored to have played a part in bringing his powerful story to readers across the country.