Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love.
Today, we’re getting to know Esther Fung (she/her), Director of Marketing at PangoBooks and book content creator. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.
A note from Esther:
I work for PangoBooks, which is the only marketplace dedicated to books in the United States! Our mission is to make it easy for readers to shop each other’s shelves on a budget and to open their own bookstore from home. My job involves a lot of different responsibilities, from email marketing and blog creation to social media and influencer campaigns. As a result, my day-to-day involves juggling a lot of different projects
Monday, June 2
8:30 a.m.
One of my favorite things about working remotely is being able to work from cafes. I usually spend a few hours working from a cafe every week. Today, I took my dog, Tofu, out on a walk, then drove to Compass Coffee in Fairfax, VA, ordered a London fog, and got ready for work.
9
The first thing I do every morning when I log into work is review the to-do list I made for myself at the end of the previous work day. To help myself prioritize, I star three must-do items. Today, it was send out our Pride Month email newsletter, analyze performance across channels in May, and prepare documents for a meeting on Wednesday. After I finished, I touched base with our designer on ongoing projects and began working on my top to-do items.
Noon
At noon, I posted on my personal bookstagram account. To celebrate Taylor Swift buying back her masters, I created a carousel of all the literary references in her entire discography. After I posted, I went home, had leftover fried rice for lunch, and took my dog out on another walk.
1 p.m.
In the afternoon, I checked back in on my to-do list to see what I accomplished in the morning and what was realistic for me to finish in the afternoon. Because I was already ahead of schedule, I worked through some of the other items on my to-do list that weren’t top priority. I also sold a book on Pango. So, I popped over to the post office to ship my book to its new home.
4
I hop in a virtual meeting with my coworker, Renee, who is our Director of Operations. We have a meeting every Monday afternoon. It’s a great way to articulate our goals for the week, get feedback on projects, and brainstorm together. Today, our call was focused on the documents I prepared for our Wednesday meeting. Then, I posted on our social accounts, proofed some assignments our designer worked on, and made my to-do list for the next day.
6:30
My brother and sister-in-law happened to be in town, so we all went out for dinner. I hadn’t seen my niece since Thanksgiving, and was shocked at how much she has grown since then. She’s eight months now, is always smiling, and can sit up on her own. We had some really delicious Thai food, and had a great time catching up.
8:30
Like every Monday night, my husband and I headed out to play volleyball with our church group and friends. After volleyball, we usually head to a boba shop for late night drinks and chat for another hour. But with the cafe this morning and dinner, my husband and I decided to skip it this week.
After we got home, took our dog out for a final walk, and got ready for bed, I picked out my outfit for the next day. I read Must I Go by Yiyun Li for about half an hour and then it was lights out.
Esther is a lifelong reader passionate about making books more accessible. As the Director of Marketing at PangoBooks, she feels fortunate to be part of a company that is making book buying more affordable and sustainable. She loves that she gets to gush about Jane Austen and R.F. Kuang for a living. She also shares book recommendations, especially works by authors of color, on Instagram at @estherfungreads. Currently, she lives in northern Virginia with her husband and their spoiled dog, Tofu.
Ellen Whitfield is senior publicist at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers.
Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.
