Guiding an 80-Year-Old Debut Author to Bestseller Success
When Alfred Nichols published his debut historical novel Lost Love’s Return at 80 years old, he proved it’s never too late to make literary dreams come true. Books Forward and our publishing branch, Books Fluent, partnered with Alfred every step of the way, from editing and cover design, to audiobook production and publicity.
Building Momentum Across Formats
We ensured that every detail of Alfred’s novel — from the book’s interior layout to the audiobook performance — reflected his vision and the genre well.
Then we collaborated on a savvy publicity campaign to make his story stand out.
Part of that was landing a highly competitive Chirp feature, one of the most coveted placements for audiobook promotion. The listing quickly delivered results: more than 370 audiobook sales in just ten days!
Chirp sales were elevated by industry reviews we had preemptively secured for the audiobook, including praise from InD’Tale Magazine, which called narrator Eric Altheide’s work “stunning.”
A Partnership That Paid Off
Alfred himself was instrumental in the book’s success. His warm personality and personal outreach helped foster genuine relationships with readers through book clubs, social media groups and online discussions. His engagement inspired new reviews and conversations that sustained momentum long after publication.
In fact, when readers began asking about the fate of certain characters, Alfred decided to reward their curiosity. He worked with our Books Fluent team to update the book post-publication with a heartfelt new epilogue.
“I’ve been blessed to be associated with some classy folks in my 80 years, but none more so than my Books Fluent and Books Forward team,” Alfred said. “I especially loved seeing the power, influence and talent of my wonderful Books Forward team! Never made a better investment. People love playing on a winning team—I definitely found one!”
