Case Study Category: Branding

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!

Building a New York Times-bestselling author brand

When we were first introduced to J. Elle, we knew we had someone really, really special on our hands. Our communications began when she was beginning to build her author platform, and she eventually sparked a firestorm of interest when she participated in #DVPit, a Twitter book pitching event for historically marginalized voices. Her tweet landed her a six-figure contract with Simon & Schuster for her debut WINGS OF EBONY duology. Six months after her first contract, Elle sold a second fantasy duology at auction to Bloomsbury Publishing. She was beginning her publishing journey with a bang!

But building a lasting brand is a marathon and not a sprint, which is why we were thrilled to partner with Elle to help position her as a powerhouse author who is here to stay.

For her debut novel WINGS OF EBONY, we introduced Elle to TikTok, as we recognized early on that the book community on the app (which was rapidly expanding due to lockdowns in 2020) could be a powerful promotional audience for an up-and-coming YA author like Elle. We helped guide her in how to make the most of the app’s features, and we celebrated with her when she experienced her first viral video! We also made the most of the hyper-targeted, personalized pitching Books Forward is known for, garnering media interest not just from traditional book outlets, but national coverage in Essence, The Root and Ms. Magazine, as well as local features in the Houston Chronicle, Houston Public Radio and Houston Life.

We were elated when WINGS OF EBONY became an instant New York Times bestseller — and when we partnered with Elle for Book 2!

For her next book ASHES OF GOLD, we doubled down on savvy, targeted media pitching that capitalized on the success of Elle’s debut. The media responded with enthusiasm, as we secured coverage in major outlets including The Mary Sue, Belletrist, Yahoo, Tor, Mother, The Young Folks, Bustle, Frolic and more. And booksellers championed her work as well. We helped coordinate a nationwide multi-indie bookstore event where stores from every part of the country – including Oblong Books in New York, King’s English Bookshop in Utah, Jackson Hole Trader in Wyoming, Wonders of the World in Mississippi and more – hosted a poignant discussion with Elle and other powerhouse authors on Black love being a cornerstone in Black history.

We also provided weekly customized TikTok guidance for Elle to grow her brand and connect with a dedicated audience, with advice about the latest trends and recommendations for video ideas she could use.

Once again, we were thrilled to celebrate every success with Elle — including when she was named a 2022 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Fiction for Teens!

There’s so much ahead for this incredible author. Her star is only rising, and we can’t wait to see more and more readers fall in love with Elle and her books!

Organizing the World’s Longest Book Tour

A book tour can be a great way to make a splash, and when you’re working with an author as great as Jenny Milchman — it’s an opportunity to create a tsunami! 

Books Forward helped Jenny launch her highly anticipated thriller, Cover of Snow (Ballantine Books), at the venerable Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan. Next, we arranged for her to speak to hundreds of bookstore owners and booksellers at the Southern Independent Booksellers Association trade show. Jenny and her novel made a lasting impression; more than a dozen bookstores requested her for events! Although Cover of Snow takes place in upstate New York, the SIBA booksellers fell in love and hand-sold the thriller so that it hit the SIBA bestseller list right out of the gate. 

And that was just the beginning; Jenny is an all-star networker, and she ultimately received 300 bookstore event invitations thanks to her extensive list of contacts that she cultivated in the book industry. She partnered with us on what Shelf Awareness dubbed the “World’s Longest Book Tour,” as she and her family hit the road for an epic cross-country tour over nine months. Our team worked tirelessly alongside Jenny to garner local media attention in every city and town she visited.

After her first epic trip, we teamed up again for the launch of her second book and a brand new tour opportunity: “100 Events in 100 Days.” We assisted with event organization, coordinating private book parties and dinners for her in multiple cities. We also secured reviews and media coverage for Jenny’s amazing efforts. Not only did she get to make new connections and meet tons of her reader fans, but it was like a homecoming when she returned to the independent bookstores who supported her from the start. 

Today Jenny is a USA Today-bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author. We’re thrilled to report that her current publisher has recognized the value of her book-touring skills and sponsored an extensive national tour for her latest novel! 

These days, writing an incredible book is only the first step; authors must also be willing to throw as much energy into promoting a book as writing it in order to be successful. When you make the effort to personally connect with readers and booksellers, and grow your network, the results can be amazing!