After decades of book marketing and brand-building campaigns for authors all over the world, Books Forward catches up with some of our author family members to see where their literary journeys have taken them since our early days of working together.
Kimberly Hess worked with Books Forward in 2021 on A Lesser Mortal: The Unexpected Life of Sarah B. Cochran, a biography showcasing the philanthropist, college trustee and coal industry executive in the early 1900s.
Was there anything in particular you learned during our Books Forward campaign that you’ve carried into future releases? Or a favorite part of working together?
I really appreciated the support from Jackie Karneth and all of the work that the team did to launch the book. There are so many moving parts to book publicity, and Books Forward made everything move forward smoothly.
What have you been up to since?
I’ve continued to do interviews, presentations, articles and book talks, and I’ve created a website and Instagram account for the book because Sarah Cochran’s story just grows.
The most exciting and unexpected development is that the Metropolitan Museum of Art discovered my book and incorporated it into the installation of “Garden Landscape,” the monumental Tiffany window that Sarah Cochran commissioned. The Met purchased it in 2023, and I was invited to its unveiling in 2024. It was the subject of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin in February 2026. I was also named as Cochran’s biographer in the Acknowledgements.
The curator of American decorative arts invited me to lunch to discuss Sarah and Linden Hall while she was doing research for the installation. I shared some of my research materials and contacts with the museum.
I just gave a book talk to the Cairnwood Literary Guild & Book Club in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. Cairnwood is the historic estate of John and Gertrude Pitcairn. John was a co-founder of Pittsburgh Plate Glass and was also involved in Pennsylvania coal and coke, like the Cochrans. In April, I’m speaking via Zoom for the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh.
About Kimberly Hess
Growing up with Sarah B. Cochran’s story helped author Kimberly Hess see a relationship between capitalism, feminism and philanthropy. And it gave her a role model for how a businesswoman could contribute to the greater good. Hess has written about or discussed her book for various organizations including Pittsburgh’s NPR affiliate WESA 90.5FM, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Women’s History Museum, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Smithsonian-affiliated Senator John Heinz History Center. She has shared research materials with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, donated artifacts to various museums and archives, and even gotten Cochran included in the board game “Votes for Women.” She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter. There she continues the genealogical research she’s been doing since 1984.
Stay up to date with our author family and more from Books Forward by checking out our Lit Happens blog!
Jennifer Vance is a 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.
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