A Day in the Life of the Director of Marketing at PangoBooks

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. 

A Day in the life of a literary agent

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 Eric Smith, an author and literary agent in Philadelphia. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Eric:

Most Mondays for me are the same, and I’ve got a routine that doesn’t change that dramatically unless there is a book emergency (these are rare) or I’m digging into things with a pretty tight deadline (a client’s option novel) or expected turnaround (such as a contract!). This is also me assuming I don’t have any meetings that day. I try to avoid meetings on Mondays. 

As the founder of my agency, I’m also lucky enough to work at home and make my own hours in a way that prioritizes my family. Publishing ain’t gonna love you back, friends. If you can, please find a healthy balance. 

Come on, let’s go.

6 a.m.

Wake up and get to it. It takes me a minute to get ready for the day, and then I spend time packing my kiddo’s lunch and grinding coffee beans to make my wife’s to-go tumbler of coffee. I also take some time to catch up on any chores around the house, because if things are a mess when the workday starts, that’s just an excuse to procrastinate. 

6:45

I slowly walk up the steps to my office, careful not to wake anyone up. I get caught up on my personal and work emails and dig into query letters. I try really hard to stay on top of those every single morning, but especially on Mondays, when the weekend has been full of folks sending pitches my way. 

8:00

Get kiddo ready for school and head to drop off. Make small talk with other parents who are way cooler than I am. Stress over whether anyone will notice the hip band t-shirt I’ve got on and maybe ask me about it. Literary agents, they’re just like you!

8:45

Mondays I volunteer at my kid’s school library! Sort books and clean bookshelves for an hour, take returns from little kids, and read graphic novels and Middle Grade books when things are quiet. I’m currently making my way through every Raina Telgemeier novel.

10:00

And I’m back home. Generally, I call upon my inner Hobbit and allow myself a second breakfast (and coffee). I’ll catch up on my query letters if I haven’t finished, and then I check on submissions.

Checking on submissions is something I do every day, seeing where current client books are, how long it’s been since I’ve heard from an editor regarding a pitch, or something they’re reading. I see if there are places I should be pitching them, places I’ve missed. Is there someone I need to follow-up with?  I go through my spreadsheets, fire off a bundle of emails.

11:30

Since we’re operating on a perfect Monday without any meetings or book emergencies or things that need to be negotiated, I’m reading. I start with whatever client project I’ve got next in my queue. I try to make it a point to get back to my clients on their books within four to six weeks, but sometimes life can get in the way and it can take a lil’ longer. 

Reading client work every single day is a must, to make sure no one feels they are being overlooked. 

1:00 p.m.

Lunchtime! Generally, I will spend my lunch taking a walk while listening to publishing podcasts. I highly recommend Print Run, the Manuscript Academy’s podcast, and The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing (and hey, if you’re new to listening to publishing industry podcasts, check out back episodes of Pub Crawl, Deadline City, and Shipping & Handling).

And as my friends in my neighborhood will tell you, this walk is generally to bookstores or the books section of the local thrift shop, to clear my head, see what’s new (and old!) on the shelves, and keep myself excited about work.

Nothing quite does it like seeing those books out there, friends.

2:00

Crunch time. Pick up is at 3:30PM, so the last hour and a half of my day is usually spent a few ways. Reading. Writing emails. Sending pitches. Chatting with clients. I also teach one class a semester at Drexel University (Business of Publishing!) so the end of my day is sometimes spent checking in on students, looking over campus emails, and making sure they’re feeling caught up.

3:30

Pick up my kiddo from school, get him a snack on the way home from the deli.

4:00

My kid is home, the computer is off. The day is over. What else matters? Although if he does decide to play Minecraft on his iPad, that means I can read some client (or recently requested!) manuscripts on my Kindle in my favorite papasan chair.

And that tends to be the typical Monday in the day of this Philadelphia literary agent.

Does it change day to day? Absolutely. A brand-new publishing contract can take over an entire day. A client with a new manuscript on deadline who needs a fresh set of eyes, when the book is due next week? Sure, I’m dropping everything and reading the whole of the book before they fire it off to their editor. 

Sometimes I have to do accounting stuff, keep tabs on quarterly taxes and bookkeeping. Some days I have back-to-back Zoom meetings with editors and clients. It’s not all sitting in the sun with a manuscript and discovering the next great novel… 

Although some of it is. 

And those moments are pretty great. 

Eric Smith is an award-winning Young Adult author and literary agent living in Philadelphia. He is also the founder of Neighborhood Literary, a boutique agency. He’s worked with New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed authors across genres and categories. In his author life, his latest book, With or Without You, published with HarperCollins/Inkyard Press in November 2023, and was a Junior Library Guild selection. His other books include You Can Go Your Own Way (Inkyard Press), Don’t Read the Comments (YALSA 2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults selection), the contemporary fantasy novel The Girl and the Grove (Flux), and the IndieBound bestseller The Geek’s Guide to Dating (Quirk).

A fan of collaborating, he’s also worked on two acclaimed Candlewick anthologies with award-winning author Lauren Gibaldi, Battle of the Bands (a Bank Street Best Book and Read Across America selection) and First-Year Orientation. His collaboration with Alanis Morissette, Academy award-winner Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard, Jagged Little Pill: The Novel (Abrams) is an adaptation of the Grammy and Tony award winning musical.

He has short stories and essays in the anthologies Color Outside the Lines by Sangu Mandanna (Soho Teen), Body Talk by Kelly Jensen (Algonquin), Allies by Dana Alison Levy and Shakirah Bourne (DK), All Signs Point to Yes by Candice Montgomery, cara davis-araux, and Adrianne Russell (Inkyard), Boundless by Ismée Williams and Rebecca Balcárcel (Inkyard),  When We Become Ours by Nicole Chung and Shannon Gibney (Harper), and RELIT by Sandra Proudman (Inkyard). His writing is represented by Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary.

Our favorite books featuring characters on a road trip

I love a good road trip story, whether it’s with enemies shoved into a car together and destined to fall in love, or a bickering family learning what’s really important as they undertake a journey together. To celebrate National Road Trip day on May 23, we’ve put together a list of our favorite books featuring characters on a road trip – voyages that will change their life.

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Four years ago, Dylan and Addie fell in love under the Provence sun, but their relationship ended two years later and they haven’t spoken since. Today, Dylan’s and Addie’s lives collide again as they crash their cars at the start of their journey to their friend’s wedding. Forced to share a car with three other people, Dylan and Addie are forced to confront the choices they made that tore them apart—and ask themselves whether that final decision was the right one after all.

Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward

When the thirteen year old Jojo’s father is released from prison, his mom packs her kids and a friend into her car and drives north to the heart of Mississippi and Parchman Farm, the State Penitentiary. At Parchman, there is another thirteen-year-old boy, the ghost of a dead inmate who carries all of the ugly history of the South with him in his wandering. He too has something to teach Jojo about fathers and sons, about legacies, about violence, about love.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest

When Chloe Pierce’s mom forbids her to apply for a spot at the dance conservatory of her dreams, she devises a secret plan to drive two hundred miles to the nearest audition. But Chloe hits her first speed bump when her annoying neighbor Eli insists upon hitching a ride, threatening to tell Chloe’s mom if she leaves him and his smelly dog, Geezer, behind. So now Chloe’s chasing her ballet dreams down the east coast—two unwanted (but kinda cute) passengers in her car, butterflies in her stomach, and a really dope playlist on repeat.

Oye by Melissa Mogollon

Structured as a series of one-sided phone calls from our spunky, sarcastic narrator, Luciana, to her older sister, Mari, this wildly inventive debut chronicles the events of her senior year after her grandmother receives a shocking medical diagnosis. When Abue moves into Luciana’s bedroom, she is forced to step into the role of caretaker, translator, and keeper of the devastating family secrets that Abue begins to share. Luciana suddenly finds herself center stage, facing down adulthood—and rising to the occasion.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru’s longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe… With his crooked tail—a sign of good fortune—and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. But when PJ reads the obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes and he is joined by his daughter, his estranged brother’s grandchildren, and a former therapy cat. This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a fresh shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? 

Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela

When Salma, Moni, and Iman–friends and active members of their local Muslim Women’s group–decide to take a road trip together to the Scottish Highlands, they leave behind lives often dominated by obligation, frustrated desire, and dull predictability. Each wants something more out of life, but fears the cost of taking it. When the women are visited by the Hoopoe, a sacred bird from Muslim and Celtic literature, they are compelled to question their relationships to faith and femininity, love, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Curated by award-winning travel and lifestyle photographer Finn Beales, Let’s Get Lost offers pure visual escapism, with over 200 spectacular shots of remote and beautiful places. Chapters capturing off-grid coastal views, rugged mountain landscapes, majestic forests and expansive wildernesses are all featured. From the Pacific Northwest to Southeast Asia, New Zealand to Scandinavia, for the armchair traveller, this book represents a breathtaking visual compendium of how beautiful the world can be, with truly awe-inspiring full-page reproductions of some of Instagram’s most talented landscape photographers.

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

The Fall kids’ lives are tipped over when an enigmatic rainbow-haired girl shows up and is vital to each of them. But before anyone can figure out who she is, catastrophe strikes, leaving the Falls more broken than ever. With road trips, rivalries, family curses, love stories within love stories within love stories, and sorrows and joys passed from generation to generation, this is the intricate, luminous tale of a family’s complicated past and present. And only in telling their stories can they hope to rewrite their futures.

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev’s band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she’s abandoning their plans – and Colby – to start college in the fall. But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev’s already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what’s next?

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler

When Millicent Watts-Cohen promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with eight years ago, she never imagined that it would mean travelling from DC to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack, especially with Hollis Hollenbeck, an acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

The British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina—were never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. But on her deathbed, their mother voices one last wish: that her daughters will make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar to carry out her final rites. Arriving in India, these sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives—and learn the real story behind the trip Rajni took with their Mother long ago—a momentous journey that resulted in Mum never being able to return to India again.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Coyote and her dad have lived on the road in an old school bus since her mom and two sisters died five years ago. When she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished—the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box—she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days…without him realizing it. Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all…but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.”

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends, but now they’re in their thirties and trying hard to avoid each other. But when their beloved former English teacher and lifelong mentor tells them he has only a few months to live, they’re forced together once and for all to fulfill his last wish: a cross-country road trip. Stuffed into the gayest van west of the Mississippi, the three embark on a life-changing summer trip—from Washington state to the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf Coast to coastal Maine—that will chart a new future and perhaps lead them back to one another.

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang

Charles Wang, a brash, lovable businessman who built a cosmetics empire and made a fortune, has just lost everything in the financial crisis. So he rounds up two of his children from schools that he can no longer afford and packs them into the only car that wasn’t repossessed. Together with their wealth-addicted stepmother, Barbra, they head on a cross-country journey from their foreclosed Bel-Air home to the Upstate New York retreat of the eldest Wang daughter, Saina. 

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren 

A witty and deeply romantic modern reimagining of Disney’s Tangled follows Ren and Fitz as they’re thrown together on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they’ve both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

Off the Map by Trish Doller

On the road to love, you don’t need a GPS. Fate throws Carla and Eamon together when she arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and he is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love – if only they choose it.

Off the Books by Soma Mei Sheng Frazier

Recent Dartmouth dropout Mei drives a limo to make ends meet, but her interest is soon piqued by handsome and reserved Henry. Toting an enormous black suitcase with him everywhere he goes, he’s more concerned with taking frequent breaks than making good time on the road. When Mei discovers Henry’s secret, she does away with her usual close-lipped demeanor and decides she has no choice but to confront him. What Henry reveals rocks her to her core and shifts this once casual, transactional road trip to one of moral stakes and dangerous consequences.

An Indie Author Who Means Business

Writing this article has turned out to be a reflective time for me, as I don’t think I’ve thought of myself as someone who means business. Rather, I see myself as someone who simply enjoys a challenge. Each time I achieve a goal, I then get to set another one. The next one is always more challenging than anything I’ve done before, and I love it.

When I began my career in publishing, I worked in corporate America, specifically in the tech industry, and enjoyed solving the various puzzles of streamlining processes. While I worked to understand the business deeper and deeper, I not only dreamed of owning my own company but also dreamed of being an author. For me, these were originally two very separate goals. My writing friends were the ones who opened my eyes to the idea that the two could be combined. Now I had a new challenge: building a publishing company.

It was 2019 when I started Creativity Untamed, and I was lucky to get started in a time where so much solid advice was available from people who had figured out the path to self-publishing and who wanted to share that knowledge. Sure, I had to do the hard work, the research, and make sure I didn’t miss any steps. But that so many people made themselves available to answer questions, share documents, and more, made my path so much easier than it would have been. It made me fall in love with our little branch of the publishing industry because there were so many people uplifting one another.

I immediately published a fun short story of horror I named Paramortal. I published it first because it was edited and ready to go. Plus, I needed to figure out not only what I knew, but what I didn’t know, and the way for me to find out was to jump in. Once I had one publication under my belt, I started working on my novella series, The Habitual Humanity series and my novel, The Sinister Strand.

At this point in my new career, it was time to set a new goal. I haven’t stopped writing, but I also started helping other authors to publish, therefore expanding Creativity Untamed into an exclusive hybrid publisher. My dream here was clear: to build the business of my dreams with a team of people who want to help others and want room for their talents to shine. With my team of amazing creatives around me, I began helping other authors to achieve their goals of publication.

And I love it. I love helping other authors find the courage and path to make their dream a reality. I enjoyed it so much I took the vision even further. In 2021, I founded The Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference, a local Georgia conference focused on helping self-published and aspiring to be self-published writers. When I hear from people I’ve helped through that conference, I feel an immense sense of accomplishment. And I’ve also gotten to work with incredibly intelligent people within our industry. Truly, working on the conference has been the most rewarding experience of my professional career.

As I sit back and think about the journey I’ve taken to this point, I’m still in amazement to those who helped to lift complete strangers and teach them how to build their own brand new careers. I’m inspired by their selflessness and their own focus on success.

This gratitude I feel has led to my next endeavor: creating a new type of platform to help people build or improve their independent publishing businesses. I’ve started The Speakeasy Authors Community, which is an online community for independent authors to learn directly from multiple professionals, have monthly webinars to build their skills or connect with professionals they can trust and hire, and network with one another. And The Speakeasy Authors Community will offer an online conference that welcomes everyone and provides affordable access to good information about our industry.

So maybe I do mean business. Or maybe, I just really love the written word and helping people. Stories truly are magic and so is uplifting one another. I can’t think of a better endeavor than to spread magic.

A Day in the life of a Contributing Editor for Book Riot

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 Kendra Winchester, a Contributing Editor for Book Riot. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Kendra:

I work freelance in book media, so I’m constantly juggling different projects. And as a chronically ill girlie whose energy varies drastically from day to day, I don’t stick to a set routine. But here is life for me on an excellent spring day.

9 a.m.

My one constant is that I start every day with a cup of coffee and a little self assessment. How do I feel today? It happens to be a good day. So I start my day by turning on an audiobook—today it’s Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney performed by the author—and by checking my email to make sure nothing is on fire in my inbox. Next, I check my planner (I adore my Hobonichi Techo Cousin) and sketch out my day.

10 a.m.

Winchester Ave is my newsletter where I write about being a disabled book lover, and I have a post due soon. I finish up a draft of the newsletter, and double check that everything is set for me to record the voiceover later that day.

10:30 a.m.

While I may not have a set routine, Dylan and Gwen—my two Corgis—certainly do. It’s time for a mid-morning walk break!

11 a.m.

I settle in and work through more emails. Right now, I’m scheduling interviews for my podcast, Read Appalachia. A lot of people in Appalachia live in areas where they can’t go to book events, so one of my goals with the show is to bring (virtual) events to listeners wherever they happen to be. Read Appalachia is now in its 3rd season, and I’m thrilled with the upcoming line up of authors.

11:30 a.m.

After working through a few audio files, I grab a pair of headphones and start editing my latest episode of Read Appalachia. It’s with Raye Hendrix, a poet whose debut collection What Good Is Heaven still haunts me in the best possible way.

12:15 p.m.

Lunch break! On the menu today is an omelette with habanero sauce. I’m sitting down to eat when I realize that I was supposed to finalize my book picks for next week’s recording of Read or Dead, Book Riot’s mystery and thriller podcast. We’re pretty chill planners, so I send my co-host a quick text with my picks. She gives me the thumbs up.

1 p.m.

Today is an author interview day. Yesterday, I made detailed notes about the author’s book, the highlights I want to hit in the interview, and what those questions might look like. I also review details from the book like character names. Next, I set up my recording space and do a quick sound check. Before you know it, it’s showtime!

2 p.m.

Wes Browne is a fantastic interview. His book They All Fall the Same is a Southern Noir set in Eastern Kentucky. Browne has all sorts of great stories to tell about what inspired the book and even shares a little behind-the-scenes info about what it was like casting the audiobook’s narrator.

3:15 p.m.

Once again, the Corgis remind me it’s time for their afternoon walk.

3:30 p.m.

Before my next podcast recording, I have just enough time to head over to the local cafe and get a cup of herbal tea. I bring my copy of Bibliophobia by Sarah Chihaya. It’s my favorite memoir of the year so far, and I’ve been annotating my copy a little bit at a time. I sip my tea as I watch the rain begin to sprinkle outside the windowpane. On the way home, I spot my first magnolia bloom of the season.

 

5:30 p.m.

Every month or so, I appear as a contributor for AudioFile Magazine’s podcast, Behind the Mic. I choose a handful of audiobooks to share with listeners, highlighting the incredible work by the narrators. To prepare for Behind the Mic, I review all my notes about each of the audiobooks, go over any pronunciation guides, and perform my sound check. We record four short episodes in a session, so I really need to know exactly what I want to say about each of the audiobooks.

6:30 p.m.

While my sound equipment is still set up, I record the voiceover for my latest newsletter for Winchester Ave (the one I finished up in the morning) and the introduction for my episode with Raye Hendrix for Read Appalachia.

7 p.m.

Snack Break! Right now, I’m really into toasted pistachios.The Corgis, of course, get whole carrots.

8 p.m.

I watch a friend of mine present her thesis about the Brontes! I love how the internet makes it possible for me to attend virtually.

9 p.m.

With my disability, I know that every good day is probably going to be followed by a bad day. So I take inventory of all of the things I might want to get done before the next day. I pick up around the house, throw the laundry in the dryer, and grab the heating pad. Finally, it’s time to clock out.

Kendra Winchester writes about audiobooks and disability literature for Book Riot. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram @kdwinchester. Find out more on her website https://www.kdwinchester.com or BlueSky.

A Day in the Life of founder and CEO of The StoryGraph

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 Nadia Odunayo, founder and CEO of The StoryGraph. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

6 a.m.

Wake up, do 10 mins of meditation and my daily Duolingo (French and music) practice, before calling my dad. Start getting ready for my morning activity while doing a 30-minute Pimsleur (French) immersive speaking lesson.

6:30 a.m.

Quickly check for any messages from my co-founder of The StoryGraph Rob to make sure that nothing has gone amiss overnight. The coast is clear!

7 a.m.

Leave the house to go and play tennis with a friend. I workout most days, including lifting weights three times a week, running at least once a week, and an assortment of classes at my gym. I listen to podcasts — How I Built This is my fave — and read — currently reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins for the first time — during my commute.

8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Tennis! It’s so great to get moving so early and I feel accomplished at 9 a.m. already, even though I’ve done no tangible work yet!

9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Travel home via the supermarket — Tesco in this case — to get some bits and bobs for lunch.

10 a.m. to noon

My proper StoryGraph morning check (normally done at about 7:30 a.m./8 a.m). This includes looking through emails, various analytics dashboards, and our Play Store and App Store reviews. I also catch up on personal messages and plan the rest of my day. This is normally done the night before, but I had a dinner the night before and wanted to get to bed ASAP when I got home. Finally, I catch up on StoryGraph social media platforms — Twitter, Threads, and Instagram — before starting on my coding for the day.

Noon to 1 p.m.

Lunch and reading. I tend to eat the same thing most days now that I have an air fryer: a steak salad! Helpful for my protein targets!

1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

StoryGraph coding. I’m currently working on some tooling for our volunteer librarians and the redesign of our profile page.

2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Reading with a coffee and some chocolate! Easter is coming up so I got some mini egg varieties!

3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Coding. It’s a very good day when I can get a three-hour coding block in!

6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Catch up personal messages and emails.

6:30 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.

Walk to a branch of my gym, listening to a podcast. I’m currently listening to an old How I Built This episode on the story of Groupon.

7:10 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.

Take a reformer pilates class. This year, I’m trying to make pilates and yoga a part of my routine, so I can work on my flexibility and mobility more!

8 p.m. to 8:20 p.m.

Walk home.

8:20 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Check in with my co-founder, Rob, who lives in California. Then squeeze in some more coding.

9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Do another round of social media checks, write down a highlight of the day (something I started this year! Today it was my morning tennis), and plan tomorrow.

10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

A quick flat tidy, including washing the dishes from earlier, shower, brush my teeth, and get into bed, all while listening to a fun dating podcast, U Up?

Nadia Odunayo is the founder and CEO of The StoryGraph, the app that helps you track your reading and choose which book to read next. She previously worked at Pivotal Labs as a software engineer and originally learned to code at Makers Academy in London. In her spare time she loves to take dance class and, naturally, read! Find her on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

If Bon Iver songs were a book

New Bon Iver album!! I’m excited, but I also need to be in the right mood to listen to him. Feeling nostalgic and wistful, contemplative and a little sad. One of these books is sure to get me in the spirits. They’re brooding with a touch of melancholy, and go perfectly with Bon Iver’s vulnerability.

Becoming Carly Klein by Elizabeth Harlan

Neglected by self-absorbed parents and lost after her best friend moves away, Carly has to find ways to entertain herself. It doesn’t take her long to locate the perfect subject: her therapist mother’s patients. Carly soon becomes obsessed with one patient in particular — Daniel, a blind junior at Columbia College — and, desperate to become part of his life and knowing he’ll never go for a high school girl, gets close to him by pretending to be a student at neighboring Barnard College.

The Secret Song of Shelby Ray by Rayne Lacko 

Eighteen-year-old Shelby Rey can hear people’s deepest emotions and truths, in song form, just by touching them. But her gift feels more like a curse. Life has been hard since she lost her dad, but it reaches a new low when her drug-addicted mom kicks her out. But when Shelby meets Zac Wyatt, a chart-topping rock star with a hidden side, she forms an electrifying connection. But darkness lurks beneath the spotlight, much like in my favorite Bon Iver songs.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro 

Stevens, at the end of three decades of being a butler at Darlington Hall, embarks on a journey through the past in an effort to reassure himself that he has served humanity by serving the “great gentleman,” Lord Darlington. But lurking in his memory are doubts about the true nature of Lord Darlington’s “greatness,” and much graver doubts about the nature of his own life.

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

David is a young American expatriate who has just proposed marriage to his girlfriend, Hella. While she is away on a trip, David meets a bartender named Giovanni to whom he is drawn in spite of himself. Soon the two are spending the night in Giovanni’s curtainless room, which he keeps dark to protect their privacy. But Hella’s return to Paris brings the affair to a crisis, one that rapidly spirals into tragedy.

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Ellis and Michael are twelve-year-old boys when they first become friends, and for a long time it is just the two of them, cycling the streets of Oxford, teaching themselves how to swim, discovering poetry, and dodging the fists of overbearing fathers. And then one day this closest of friendships grows into something more. But a decade or so later, Ellis is married to Annie, and Michael is nowhere in sight. Which leads to the question: What happened in the years between?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Lockwood new to the bleak Yorkshire moors, has to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before – the tale of the intense love between the gypsy foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. Catherine, forced to choose between passionate, tortured Heathcliff and gentle, well-bred Edgar Linton, surrendered to the expectations of her class. As Heathcliff’s bitterness and vengeance at his betrayal is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past.

Good Girl by Aria Aber

Born in Germany to Afghan parents, drawn to philosophy, photography, and sex, Nila has spent her adolescence disappointing her family while searching for her voice as a young woman and artist. Then in the haze of Berlin’s legendary nightlife, Nila meets Marlowe, an American writer whose fading literary celebrity opens her eyes to a life of personal and artistic freedom. But as Nila finds herself pulled further into Marlowe’s controlling orbit, ugly, barely submerged racial tensions begin to roil Germany — and Nila’s family and community.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever — and will forever be forgotten by everyone she meets. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name. A Bon Iver song should be playing in the background while you read this.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

In the depths of a 19th-century winter, a little girl is alone on the streets of Victorian London. Shortly after her eighteenth birthday, she travels with a group of artists to a beautiful house on a bend of the Upper Thames. Tensions simmer and one hot afternoon a gunshot rings out. A woman dies, another disappears, and the truth of what happened slips through the cracks of time. It is not until over a century later that its secrets are finally revealed.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any 13-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

The 7-year-old twins Estha and Rahel see their world shaken irrevocably by the arrival of their beautiful young cousin, Sophie. It is an event that will lead to an illicit liaison and tragedies accidental and intentional, exposing “big things [that] lurk unsaid” in a country drifting dangerously toward unrest.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater understanding of her own place in the world.

Real Life by Brandon Taylor

Almost everything about Wallace is at odds with the Midwestern university town where he is working uneasily toward a biochem degree. An introverted young man from Alabama, black and queer, he has left behind his family without escaping the long shadows of his childhood. Wallace has enforced a wary distance even within his own circle of friends. But a series of confrontations with colleagues, and an unexpected encounter with an ostensibly straight, white classmate, conspire to fracture his defenses while exposing long-hidden currents of hostility and desire within their community. 

Are you listening to the new Bon Iver album? Want to discover more books to read while listening to your next fav album release? Check out our Lit Happens blog for more lists!

Day In the Life of campaigns project manager

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 Angela Januzzi, campaign projects manager at Bookshop.org. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A Usual Friday

First, a little bit about Bookshop.org, for those who don’t know! The company’s mission is to help local bookstores thrive in the age of ecommerce. Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores. As a certified B Corp, Bookshop.org gives over 80% of its profit margin to independent bookstores. Our platform aims to give bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities.
So now, onward to a Friday managing ads campaigns for a bookselling digital retail platform!

Before the Workday:

Currently this job is a remote one. However, unlike most “desk jobs” and especially in virtual work, Fridays in my role are the most deadline-essential day of the week. So before the workday, as of spring 2025, I try to have coffee (no one is surprised); do morning meditation/ prayer (usually related to coffee); and depending on season refill my outside bird feeders or birdbaths for backyard feathered friends (who do not know I exist, yet I pretend they love me).
In agile project work such as my role’s, plus since I happen to be a person with mild neurodivergence, these small grounding morning rituals have become key for helping meet both the day’s work goals and also some daily personal ones, too. That said, I also always check Slack and my own client emails by 8:30-9am for any time-sensitive questions. Yes, as I feed small woodland creatures eating from my hand while I sing to them, yes, of course.

First Half of Morning:

My position’s current main responsibilities are booking and pitching paid ads campaigns for promotions to run across Bookshop.org’s channels, identifying continuous improvement of next similar campaigns, as well as helping monitor more complex questions and execution for paid campaigns (internally, inter-departmentally, and externally with clients of more intricate rollouts).
As such “at the end of the funnel,” Friday morning as a pivotal weekly block: It’s the time to both look back at the last week and weeks, as well as ahead to the coming week’s priorities; by late morning sort and alert stakeholders (either internal or external, or both) involved for any outstanding dependencies or approvals before the week is over.

Late Morning:

As many contributors of this blog have noted, another priority at this time of morning: Refilling the coffee. Cool. Glad we’ve covered that.
Next, after that, before lunch it’s critical to check if teammates have any basic questions for deliverables, as well as any larger last-minute outstanding contingency plan needs before the weekend through the early next coming week; or if anyone needs a stand-up call, if easier.

Midday:

Usually this time involves a forced lunchbreak, in which I remind myself to call my Grandma every Friday afternoon. (At the time of this writing she’s 95 years old!) I also try to enter weekends with some friends and loved-ones checked-on, near or far.
Then at midpoint of the day my Ads/Sales team is fully completing the final versions of asset deploys for the next several days into the coming week, as well as confirming there is no other particular resource planning needed for any specific campaigns before the weekend. While finalizing those processes, it’s time for me to check back on my own client emails or questions, sorting and completing my own remaining campaign bookings if they still need added or adjusted before the week ends!

Early Afternoon:

During this time, I try to update any future pitches to my clients to schedule for early in the coming week. Most dear to me, by the end of day Friday, I want to ensure any correspondence, needed reporting, or booking with my own clients is either completed or given next steps (so they can enjoy the weekend, too)!

Later Afternoon/ Early Evening:

Ideally, by end of business Friday at latest, all production deliverables are approved and confirmed for the coming weekend/ into the early next week. By this time I review all wrap reporting for my own clients if needed for completed campaigns, and/ or prepare reporting to send early the next coming week. Additionally, the end of Friday is a time I try to take to re-review my own sales goals in our dashboards, and note any striking KPIs (internal or external) from that week for possible discussion with team members once back Monday.
And finally, even though we have several project-tracking systems, my to-do list is still my most-beloved resource (haha, but it’s true). Before the end of every day, but especially Friday, I make sure any critical timelines or salient meeting agenda items are noted in my own personal to-do list as well for both the team and myself for the coming day, week, month, and quarter. (Then, come Monday, we do it all over again!)
But to help keep local bookstore businesses thriving, especially in the 21st century, and maybe even beyond that? You can bet we won’t stop doin’ so, as long as we can.


Angela Januzzi hails from an Ohio steeltown on Lake Erie, made her way to grad school on the East Coast, and eventually stayed, for now, in New York. She’s worked in comms/ PR & marketing/ events/ project management across book publishing, non-profit development, and education sectors. She’s from a lineage of bridge and rail builders, steel workers, ingenious matriarchs, and shoemakers of a 100-year-old local, family footwear store. As a kid her favorite books were about esoterica, nature, and community mobilization: maybe proof (?) we keep the core of who we are as children. After over 15 years in The Big Apple, these days she allegedly lives somewhere between NYC and the Shawangunk Mountains.

A Day in the Life of a Senior Marketing Manager

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 Zakiya N. Jamal (she/her), a senior marketing manager at Atria Books. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Zakiya:

Hello! As a senior marketing manager at Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, we work on a hybrid schedule, so I go into the office twice a week. Today, I went into the office because I was doing a panel, had to send out a mailing, and went to an author event.

9 a.m.

I arrive at our office, which is at Rockefeller Center. One thing I love about going into the office is my train goes directly into the Rockefeller Concourse, so I don’t have to go outside to get to my office. Before I went upstairs, I stopped at Café Grumpy and grabbed an iced vanilla latte, as my treat for going into the office.

11 a.m.

Every Tuesday we have our Ed Board meeting where editorial shares the books they have in on submission. It’s our chance as marketers (and the publicity team) to share our thoughts/excitement for the titles that are being discussed for acquisition. Even though I was in the office, I attended the meeting via Zoom as there’s usually not enough space in the conference room for everyone who’s in the office, and the most important people in attendance are on our editorial team.

 

12 p.m.

My co-workers and I went back to the concourse to grab lunch. I had tacos! I also used my lunch break to post about my events for my debut novel, If We Were a Movie, on Instagram and Threads.

1:15 p.m.

My boss, Morgan, the head of our corporate marketing team, Brandon, and I attended a panel where we discussed discoverability with self-published authors.

3:00 p.m.

Back at the office, we had our weekly marketing team meeting. Our marketing assistant, Heaven, talked to us about our influencer program and how we can improve.

3:30 p.m.

I spent the rest of the day putting together an influencer mailing for one of my titles, Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine. Everyone in the office was really excited about the stickers we made for it. Victoria also created her own fanart!

5 p.m.

Heat of the Everflame, one of the titles my co-worker Dayna worked on, hit the New York Times list so we all celebrated!

7 p.m.

Megan, a publicity manager, and I went to The Ripped Bodice to attend our author’s event for the publication of her novel Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder

And that wraps up the day! Typically, my days aren’t this packed, but it was a busy day and I had so much fun spending time with my team and authors.

 

Zakiya N. Jamal is a senior marketing manager at Atria Books where she works on a number of nonfiction and fiction titles by authors like Hannah Grace, Kate Fagan, TJ Alexander, Alison Cochrun, Christine Pride, and more! She’s also the author of the forthcoming novels If We Were a Movie and Sparks Fly. You can find her on all social platforms @zakiyanjamal.

 

Books Forward celebrates 25 years of rewriting the rules of book publicity

.Book marketing agency offers free author webinars, book promotion consultations

NEW ORLEANS — Book promotion, digital marketing and publicity leader Books Forward is organizing innovative celebrations throughout 2025 to mark a quarter-century of elevating authors and breaking barriers. Among other initiatives, Books Forward is empowering authors with 25 free publicity consultations and three live webinars filled with influential insider expertise.

Since 2000, the agency has represented more than 1,000 authors, from debut writers to New York Times bestsellers, achieving milestones like:

As a team of former journalists, publishing insiders and influencers who value ethics and transparency, Books Forward helps authors navigate the ever-evolving publishing landscape. And as award-winning publicists, the agency specializes in bold, one-of-a-kind campaigns that break the mold and help authors accomplish their goals.

“We have always aimed to be a reliable and straightforward voice of integrity, which has become increasingly important to us in a growing age of AI and publishing scams,” said company President Marissa DeCuir. “Our team of driven publicists approach promotion with the mindset of not ‘Can we?’ but ‘How can we?’ because we think of our authors as part of our Books Forward Family.”

In 2025, the company invites authors to three free webinars: 

“Ask a Publicist”

Get answers to all your publicity, publishing and digital marketing questions. Led by trusted experts and professionals who have been leading voices in book promotion for 25 years.

“How to Avoid Falling for Publishing Scams”

Learn to spot and avoid pitfalls like AI scams, fake agencies and predatory publishers. Led by a team committed to transparency in the publishing and book marketing industries.

“Being Your Publisher’s Best Partner”

Maximize opportunities and collaboration with your publisher’s in-house marketing teams. Learn from an agency of record for major publishing houses, university presses, hybrid publishers and small-press operations.

Authors interested in the chance to win a free publicity strategy consultation or participate in the webinars can sign up to the company’s newsletter to stay up to date on registration deadlines.

Books Forward is part of the JKS Communications brand, recognized as a top expert in book promotion and offering a full spectrum of author support.

The company has earned a reputation for innovative book marketing, transparent communication and proven results. And the agency has been leading industry trends for decades by:

  • Becoming the first literary publicity agency to launch audiobook-focused publicity campaigns
  • Introducing an innovative system that enables authors to monitor their campaign progress in real time 
  • Championing bloggers and influencers by pioneering ARC distribution before it became an industry standard
  • Using video ads to promote books in cinemas, before the advent of social media
  • Coordinating taxi advertisements for books, before the creation of Uber and Lyft
  • Garnering attention from media and industry insiders for hand-crafted interactive, book-themed mailers before influencer promo boxes became trendy
  • Developing press kits following journalists’ style — and breaking traditional PR rules — which has been consistently praised by the media
  • Being among the first book marketing firms to champion indie authors. This includes launching an independent publishing division via Books Fluent. Books Fluent helps authors independently design and publish eye-catching, award-winning fiction and nonfiction while implementing traditional publishing standards.

“We are so proud of the quality of authors Books Forward and Books Fluent represent,” company founder Julie Schoerke said. “Their books have accumulated over 500 industry awards worldwide. And hundreds of our authors have achieved bestseller status regionally, nationally and across the globe. But more than their accolades, what impresses us the most is their dedication to telling their stories and influencing the lives of readers everywhere.”