Case Study Category: Bestsellers

Building a New York Times Bestseller

When Andrew Maraniss debuted his nonfiction Strong Inside, the true story of Perry Wallace, the first African American basketball player in the SEC, he partnered with Books Forward to amplify the launch. Together, we worked to ensure the book’s powerful narrative received the widespread attention it deserved, ultimately landing it on the New York Times bestseller list.

A Strategic and Memorable Launch

The campaign began with a launch event at the iconic Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee — an especially meaningful location given the story’s roots. Andrew collaborated with Parnassus and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who moderated an engaging author Q&A for a sold-out crowd. From there, Andrew embarked on a national tour with stops at prestigious venues, including Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C., where The Washington Post featured the book.

Securing National Media Attention and Bestseller Status

To build momentum, our publicists targeted a mix of national and industry-specific media. The campaign resulted in high-profile coverage, such as being named a “Book of the Month” by Southern Living and national television interviews on Meet the Press and The Keith Olbermann Show. Additional features in outlets like Sports Illustrated, Shelf Awareness and Writer’s Digest helped establish Andrew as a respected voice in both literary and sports worlds.

The buzz generated by strategic media outreach, combined with Andrew’s grassroots efforts, catapulted Strong Inside to the New York Times bestseller list. This milestone reflected the impact of a well-coordinated campaign and the resonance of Perry Wallace’s story with readers nationwide.

Building a Lasting Partnership

Impressed with the results of the Strong Inside campaign, Andrew returned to Books Forward for his second book, Games of Deception, a YA nonfiction about the first U.S. Olympic basketball team. Once again, the campaign delivered: with placements in Book Riot, BookPage and Read Brightly, among others, we helped Andrew connect with a diverse audience of readers.

We also partnered on his next book, Inaugural Ballers, the true story of the first Olympic women’s basketball team, securing features in Garden and Gun, SLAM and Swish Appeal.

Andrew’s ongoing collaboration with our team showcases the value of a strong author-publicist relationship. We’re so proud to help authors achieve their goals, one bestselling slam dunk at a time.

Driving Sales and Visibility with Amazon and Facebook Ads

Julie McGue‘s debut memoir, Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging, tells the powerful story of her journey as an adoptee navigating closed adoption laws. To complement the initial book launch publicity campaign, we designed a robust digital marketing campaign that radically boosted Julie’s recognition, all resulting in her consistently receiving media and speaking requests (including from TEDx, Sirius XM programming and book clubs) more than two years after her book’s publication.

The Game-Changer: Amazon and Facebook Ads

Our targeted Amazon and Facebook advertising campaigns moved the needle for Julie’s book. These ads were strategically designed to reach adoptees, families interested in memoirs and readers drawn to personal growth and family dynamics. The results were remarkable:

  • Twice a Daughter sold over 10,000 copies across paperback and ebook.
  • The book reached #1 in Personal Growth on Amazon.
  • Over 1,000 Amazon reviews were generated, a significant milestone for any author.

Julie shared her satisfaction with the campaign:

“I have heard through many sources that all the buzz on social media that you are doing is creating true brand awareness for my book. I wanted you to know how pleased I am and that I am so glad that I extended my contract with Books Forward.”

Sustaining Interest Through Digital Marketing

In addition to online advertising, we supported Julie with ongoing digital marketing strategies. These included securing a BookBub deal and coordinating regular ebook price drop promotions, which maintained visibility and drove additional sales. Our audiobook marketing efforts, coordinated through NetGalley, audiobook bloggers and social media influencers, also generated interest from major outlets, including the BBC.

A Foundation for Continued Growth

Julie’s success with Twice a Daughter has paved the way for future collaborations. We partnered with her on her new memoir, Twice the Family: A Memoir About Love, Loss, and Sisterhood. Julie’s enthusiasm for continuing the partnership is a testament to the power of sustained, strategic digital marketing in driving book sales, increasing visibility and achieving long-term success.

In her own words:

“I’m looking forward to working with Books Forward again on ALL my books!”

Amplifying an Audiobook’s Success

Kevin Moore published his first horror/paranormal novel Book of Souls with our sister company Books Fluent, and we knew we had a secret weapon in his promotional arsenal: his audiobook, also produced by Books Fluent.

Building Early Buzz Through NetGalley

Our team uploaded the audiobook to NetGalley to attract pre-release excitement. We also coordinated a targeted advertising campaign, which resulted in:
  • 2,800 impressions
  • 150+ downloads
  • 50+ reviews (which were cross-posted on Amazon, Goodreads and other retail sites).
Our early efforts garnered significant exposure, and we strategized to keep the momentum going.

Driving Sales with an Audible Promotion

To further drive sales and visibility, we secured an Audible fantasy promotion. Within a single day we saw major results:
  • His audiobook jumped from #1,465 to #380 in Supernatural Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals).
We ensured that his Audible audiobook and his Kindle ebook were linked, so that as demand for his audiobook spiked, exposure and downloads would also increase for his ebook.
  • Sure enough, his Kindle ebook jumped from #882 to #497 in Ghost Thrillers.
  • Ultimately his novel was selected as an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Not only was his audiobook selling better than ever, the boost was directly increasing the sales and exposure for his other formats.

Engaging Influencers and Reviewers

To amplify buzz, we curated a custom influencer box tailored to Book of Souls. This creative initiative sparked engagement from key influencers and contributed to the audiobook’s impressive sales trajectory.
We coordinated an audiobook-specific blog tour and secured a variety of reviews for outlets like Chapter Break, Rozier Reads and Wine, Lady Bug Shirls and The Page Sage, with a combined reach of more than 50,000 followers. Through these efforts, Kevin garnered more than 100 pieces of coverage from reviewers, influencers and bloggers.

The Results

By producing an audiobook with Books Fluent and then promoting it with Books Forward, Kevin boosted sales and reviews for his audiobook, while also driving meaningful increases for the book’s print and ebook formats. Our efforts led to high industry acclaim like Amazon choosing Book of Souls as an “Editor’s Pick” for Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, all helping establish Kevin as a rising force in the horror/paranormal genre.

Maximizing TikTok Momentum to Land Major Publishing Deal

Thomas R. Weaver had already made waves in the U.K. with his indie-published sci-fi technothriller Artificial Wisdom before Books Forward came on board to help launch the book in the U.S. This tiered-launch approach created a solid foundation for our team to expand his audience further. It didn’t hurt that the book was absolutely stellar—shocking and terrifying in the best way!

Building Critical Acclaim and Reader Buzz

To ensure the book reached a wide audience, we started by securing critical acclaim from premiere trade publications to validate its credibility. Then we developed a strategic social media campaign to connect directly with readers and encourage reviews. Weaver understood the importance of building long-term readership, rather than focusing solely on a quick ROI.

A key element of our strategy was designing a custom PR box — eco-friendly and themed to the book  — for an extensive Bookstagram and BookTok campaign. We sent early review copies of the U.S. edition to influencers who loved sci-fi technothrillers, ensuring organic coverage. Additionally, we arranged sponsored influencer promotions to amplify high-impact exposure.

Viral TikTok Success, With Influencer Support

Our goal was to spark word-of-mouth buzz among avid readers — and that’s exactly what happened.

Two TikTok reviews in particular gained massive traction, with the videos about Weaver’s book receiving more than 230K views and 110K views, respectively. The influencers genuinely loved Artificial Wisdom and continued to post about it multiple times.

One influencer went a step further, selecting the book as their book club pick for over 12,000 members. This choice led to 700+ 4-star reviews on Fable’s book club app, along with a surge in reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. The book also gained traction within the Reddit community through a combination of our paid advertising campaign and organic posts from passionate readers.

From Indie Success to a Major Publishing Deal

Thanks to its viral success, Artificial Wisdom climbed the Amazon charts, reaching #1 in technothrillers and landing in the top 20 sci-fi books. Weaver leveraged this momentum to approach a prominent literary agent, who ultimately secured a six-figure, two-book publishing deal with Del Rey, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

This achievement was especially sweet for Weaver, who had once queried 35 literary agents without success before choosing to self-publish and establish his own indie press.

Throughout our campaign, Weaver proved to be an excellent publicity partner. He laid a strong foundation that we were able to build upon, and he in turn maximized the buzz we helped generate. Together, we formed an ideal collaboration and author/publicist partnership that transformed his indie-published book into a viral success — and ultimately landed him a major publishing deal.

Harnessing Niche Audiences for Book Launch Success

Anne Abel’s debut memoir, Mattie, Milo, and Me, tells a heartfelt story of healing thanks to the bond between humans and rescue dogs. To make this deeply personal and relatable book a success, our team focused on connecting Anne’s story with a variety of niche audiences. By avoiding a single-category approach, we were able to significantly expand the book’s reach and create lasting momentum.

Reaching Specific Audiences with Tailored Strategies

Anne was concerned about her memoir being pigeonholed into a single genre, and we made it a priority to address this challenge. By identifying multiple audiences who could connect with her story — including animal lovers, mental health advocates and fellow writers — we secured a variety of impactful coverage.

Highlights of the campaign include:

  • Modern Dog Magazine: Featured in both their Cool New Finds and Connie’s Book Club columns, reaching a combined audience of more than 450,000 followers — twice!
  • No Shame on U: A mental health-focused podcast that highlighted Anne’s advocacy for emotional well-being, connecting with an audience of 120,000+ followers.
  • Tufts Magazine: Leveraging Anne’s connection as an alumna, we secured a feature in their print and digital editions, reaching over 1 million readers annually.
  • Writer’s Digest: A guest article on overcoming writer’s block, resonating with the magazine’s more than 1 million combined followers.

Collaborating to Amplify Success

Our publicity campaign and related media coverage provided essential alignment with Anne’s online presence. We designed graphics for her Instagram that elevated the success she was achieving with the book — like becoming a Barnes & Noble besteller. And she brought the same level of personalization and vulnerability that she gifted readers in her book to her own Instagram and TikTok videos. She worked consistently and authentically to grow her platforms. Within less than a year, Anne’s Instagram following hit more than 113,000, and her posts actively drove book sales.

Sustaining Sales Momentum Post-Campaign

Thanks to these efforts, Anne’s memoir experienced ongoing sales momentum, leading to multiple reprints. Our strategy to connect Anne with readers through niche targeting was vital in turning media coverage into tangible results. Anne’s campaign is a great example of how hybrid published authors can successfully market their books to multiple audiences, resulting in long-lasting discoverability and sales.

Building an Indie Bestseller into a Traditional Book Deal

Since 2015, we’ve had the pleasure of working with historical thriller author Samuel Marquis, and our partnership has spanned 12 books and counting. For his debut novel, we helped Marquis make a splash by coordinating a comprehensive book publicity campaign and ensuring his anticipated strong launch event sales landed him at #1 on the Denver Post bestseller list — a pivotal achievement for his first book.

First, we created a robust publicity foundation for his early releases. We secured positive reviews from industry publications Kirkus Reviews, Foreword Reviews Magazine, Midwest Book Review and many other reviewers. We submitted each book for multiple awards, where they consistently won top honors.

We also leaned into Marquis’ commitment to factual history in his thriller novels, which eventually segued into his later nonfiction work. We placed guest articles with Writer’s Digest, Military.com and other publications. Marquis become a regularly consultant on American history for media outlets, including the History Channel and The Historians podcast. And he turned speaking opportunities into engaging historical presentations at book conferences, bookstores, book clubs, alumni and rotary club events, and other opportunities.

As his books garnered critical praise and recognition, we designed a savvy digital marketing campaign to keep traffic flowing to his sales pages. We coordinated BookBub features and ran other strategic promotions for his ebooks and backlist titles, timing these deals around new releases. As a result, he consistently topped Amazon bestseller charts, and his positive reviews continued to skyrocket. This approach not only kept his growing audience engaged but also expanded it, building excitement for each new title.

Since those early days, Marquis’s fanbase has grown exponentially. He says:

“Thanks to Books Forward, I now have over 20,000 book reviews on Amazon, Bookbub, Barnes and Nobles and Goodreads, with an average of 4.3/5…Great work by Books Forward.”

As a result of his literary success — particularly for his Blackbeard biography, which won a Kirkus Reviews Book of the Year Award and has been the top-selling book about Blackbeard on Amazon for over 5 years — in 2024 Marquis signed a traditional publishing deal with Diversion Books for his upcoming title, Captain Kidd: A Tale of Treasure and Betrayal. We are thrilled to continue partnering with him from indie success to this exciting new chapter!

Turning a Dynamic Publicity Partnership Into Collaborative Success

When Bridey Thelen-Heidel released her memoir, Bright Eyes, she approached her campaign with the determination of a true go-getter. Bridey’s campaign is an excellent example of what we tell our authors: that a dynamic publicity partnership yields better results!

Tandem Strategies for Maximum Impact

Bridey’s proactive approach was the cornerstone of this campaign. She scheduled nearly two dozen book events and appearances, reaching readers directly and building personal connections.

To complement her efforts, we secured local media coverage in her event cities, ensuring her story reached even broader audiences.

Notable placements included multiple features in the Tahoe Daily Tribune and South Tahoe NOW, with pending features in The Seattle Times, Alaska Public Media, Juneau Empire, Reno News & Review and Howie’s Morning Rush. We also organized in-depth, book-themed articles in Jenny Magazine and WE Magazine for Women. These outlets amplified Bridey’s visibility and created a groundswell of interest in her memoir.

Even when a full event wasn’t feasible, we coordinated stock signings for Bridey to ensure Bright Eyes was prominently displayed and available in key locations. This strategy supported her publisher’s distribution efforts, helping to pull additional copies through stores and maintain momentum.

Building Small Wins into Big Success

Our collaborative efforts led to a significant achievement: Bright Eyes sold out its initial print run!

While individual gains may have seemed modest at first, the cumulative impact was substantial, demonstrating the power of teamwork between a motivated author and a supportive publicity team.

This campaign underscores the importance of a dynamic partnership. Bridey’s drive to personally connect with readers, paired with our strategic media and distribution support, created a campaign that was greater than the sum of its parts. Together, we turned small, consistent wins into a big result, proving that the best campaigns thrive on collaboration.

Selling Out an Initial Print Run

Named a Best Indie Book of the Year in 2018, A Year of Living Kindly was an immediate darling of national media and reviewers, earning a coveted starred review by Kirkus Reviews. As the contentious 2018 midterm elections were setting fire to national headlines, author Donna Cameron’s warmth and authenticity became a sought-after perspective as she examined the transformative power of civility. 

Books Forward maximized Donna’s visibility by positioning her as a “kindness expert,” securing placement for her guest articles in The Washington Post and more, and our team helped grow media buzz around her brand.

Our partnership with Donna made a difference. She already built a wide fan base with a blog she began writing a year prior to publication, and the media attention we secured for her grew her readership and solidified her position as as an expert in the field of kindness.

And the buzz didn’t stop with publication–at the start of 2019, Donna’s expertise continued to make a splash across multiple media outlets, and she was even showcased in Weight Watchers Magazine. 

As a result, Donna’s publisher She Writes Press announced that the book sold out of its first printing in just a few months, and is now in its fourth printing. We’re thrilled that readers took notice of this remarkable book!

Creating an International Bestseller

The memoir market is crowded, but Barbara Donsky’s Veronica’s Grave stood out with its gripping true story of her mother’s mysterious disappearance. When Barbara partnered with Books Forward, we saw the potential to amplify her memoir into a major success — and the results exceeded expectations.

Strategic Pitching with a Local Focus

To maximize media interest, we carefully crafted press materials emphasizing the book’s emotional depth, unusual story and compelling narrative. We strategically aligned the campaign with Mother’s Day and targeted key local outlets in the Bronx and Manhattan — Barbara’s hometown and the setting for her memoir. By emphasizing the book’s strong local connections, we captured the attention of prominent New York media.

Media Frenzy and National Coverage

The approach paid off, and her memoir caused something of a media frenzy (with a little help from our team!) Veronica’s Grave was featured in The New York Post, New York Magazine and NY1 News. The story trended on The New York Post, becoming the outlet’s most-viewed article of the day and landing on its homepage. This momentum snowballed as the feature was shared by Bravo TV Online, Yahoo News, Gannett News and the Independent Journal Review.

The Books Forward campaign didn’t stop there. A national radio tour and features in Shelf Pleasure, Women Writers, Women’s Books and Book Pleasures further elevated the book’s visibility. The fusion of a unique story, strategic timing and targeted outreach built widespread buzz.

Achieving International Success

The media campaign’s success opened doors for Veronica’s Grave beyond its initial publication. The book’s international rights were purchased by a traditional publisher, giving this small press memoir a second life as a traditionally published book.

Our targeted, multifaceted campaign turned a deeply personal memoir into an international sensation. With a blend of local connections, national outreach and coordinated timing, Veronica’s Grave found its audience and earned the acclaim it deserved.

Hitting the Southern California Indie Bestseller List

When Kristen Kittscher launched her second middle-grade mystery, The Tiara on the Terrace, our team had terrific fun working on out-of-the-box promotions!

First, Books Forward organized a special mailing to booksellers and librarians nationwide. Our box included some usual goodies–a copy of the book and swag like bookmarks, stickers, etc.–but we wanted to go bigger. Kristen’s mystery relies on code-breaking tween sleuths, so we designed and produced an interactive scavenger hunt game, complete with a decoding activity to solve the final puzzle. Needless to say, it was a huge hit with libraries! 

Second, we coordinated her national book tour with over a dozen events at prestigious bookstores, including Warwicks, Chevaliers, RJ Julia and a massive NYC launch party at Mysterious Bookshop. We also organized school visits for Kristen, so she could connect with her favorite audience–her middle school readers! 

Last but not least, we organized great media coverage for her with School Library Journal’s Fuse #8, a Publisher’s Weekly Photo of the Day and a book trailer feature in Shelf Awareness. 

We’re pleased to say that The Tiara on the Terrace hit the SoCal Indie bestseller list. It was a royal win!