Building a Storyteller’s Brand Beyond the Book

When Kyle Casey Chu partnered with Books Forward, the goal went far beyond promoting a single title. While Kyle was preparing to release her middle grade debut, The Queen Bees of Tybee County, she was also laying the groundwork for a much bigger creative future: one spanning publishing, film and adult storytelling. Our role was to help position Kyle not just as an author, but as a multidimensional storyteller with a long runway ahead.

A Brand-First Publicity Strategy

Rather than focusing only on Kyle’s novel debut, we built a unified press narrative centered on her storytelling itself. Her background as the founding queen of Drag Story Hour, her lived experience confronting far-right extremism and her expansion into filmmaking all reinforced a cohesive creative identity. We developed a press kit and pitching strategy that emphasized Kyle’s voice, vision and evolution — intentionally supporting her goal of moving beyond children’s media into books and film for adults.

Film + Literary Promotion Working in Tandem

As Kyle’s short film premiered at festivals across the U.S., we requested press lists directly from those festivals and coordinated outreach with media attendees before, during and after screenings. Leveraging festival momentum and accolades, we secured film-focused coverage in outlets including Mercury News, Mission Local, SFist, KRON4, Bitch Talk, Bay Times and Storied.

At the same time, we ensured Kyle’s literary credibility stayed front and center, landing brand-focused features in Publishers Weekly and The Rumpus. We also pursued targeted opportunities for her middle grade debut, securing reading lists and coverage with Bookish, Book Riot, Teach Magazine and YA Shelf, and pitching directly to queer bookstores nationwide.

Sustaining Momentum Across Creative Projects

Post-publication, we continued pitching Kyle around Pride and AAPI identity, including Queer Asian Social Club, Asia America Podcast and AsAm News. We also secured local and community-focused coverage with APEX Express, SF Standard, Live in the Bay, Bay Area Young Adult Librarians, Examiner, KQED, Litquake’s Kidquake, Nob Hill and Atlanta’s RoughDraft.

By centering Kyle’s work around storytelling — not format — this campaign helped establish her as a creative force across mediums, setting the stage for future books, films and audiences well beyond her novel debut.