When Lori Rader-Day joined our Books Forward family in 2014, we knew she was one of a kind. Her debut mystery novel The Black Hour won starred reviews in Booklist, Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and her writing has since been honored by the Edgar, Macavity, Thriller, Barry, and Mary Higgins Clark Awards. For the past five years, we have been honored to help her build her brand (including four subsequent releases!), and to come alongside her amazing efforts to ensure her books get the recognition they deserve.
During Lori’s first epic book tour around the Midwest, we helped confirm her status as a star on the rise by securing local media coverage around her events, building buzz at her various tour stops. Awards recognitions can also help grow a new author’s reputation in the industry, so we managed nominations for an Indie Next Pick, and celebrated with her when she won!
Now, we are continuing to help grow her author brand and expand her fanbase by targeting well-known literary events with established audiences. Lori’s made the long journey from first-time novelist to established author, and we are looking forward to seeing where her literary career takes her next!
A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.
Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.