If you’re a reader (or alive and breathing on planet Earth) then you’ll be familiar with the three most powerful celebs in terms of book recommendations – Reese Witherspoon, Jenna Bush-Hager, and Oprah Winfrey. You’ve probably observed the overnight celebrity effect that any of these women can have on debut novelists to seasoned authors. Their book club blessings can skyrocket a novel’s success and oftentimes launch it onto bestseller lists. It’s no wonder that these celebrity endorsements are attractive to many if not all, writers.
So, how do these book clubs work?
A lot of folks assume that these book clubs are brand extensions of the celebrity and to a degree, that’s true. After all, Reese Witherspoon has famously turned her book club into a movie/ TV show pipeline with her picks Little Fires Everywhere, Daisy Jones and the Six, The Last Thing He Told Me, and Tiny Beautiful Things having been adapted (or are in the stages of being adapted) to movies/TV shows.
However, these women chose to run book clubs – not hair product lines like Blake Brown Beauty from Blake Lively or shapewear like Skims from Kim Kardashian – so one can assume that they genuinely love being connected to readers and chatting about books. Oprah has even stated, publicly and frequently, that she reads every single book that she picks. For a recent selection, The Covenant of Water, she said “You know, for this most recent book I knew three pages in.”
But how likely are they to pick my book?
The short answer is, not likely! I’m not going to sugarcoat that for you. As expert book publicists, we want to ensure that you use your resources wisely and effectively. There are plenty of fantastic opportunities to reach your audience and build your readership. In most cases, it would not be a fruitful use of your time and resources to directly pitch these clubs.
Why won’t they pick my book as their book club pick?
Reese, Oprah, and Jenna read voraciously – which is why they started book clubs. There has been discourse among the bookish community that they don’t actually read the books, but this Esquire article that does a deep dive into the inner workings of the clubs would beg to differ.
So first and foremost, you would have to get the book in their hands. And that is no easy feat because they historically don’t like to receive pitches for their book club picks. Reese, allegedly, has her own “book scout” that directly coordinates with the big five publishers.
And here’s a real-life example of what happens when you cold mail out your book to Reese’s club for consideration:
So, what are the criteria for selecting books?
- Almost 100% of the books they pick are traditionally published by major houses. This is probably the biggest hurdle for most authors. We get it, and find it frustrating, too. Thousands of incredible indie, hybrid, and self-published books out there deserve more attention. But historically, these celebrity book club hosts aren’t straying from the big five publishers.
- Most of the books they pick for their main book clubs are adult fiction. There are no hard and fast rules here, and they don’t have “specific criteria” for their book selections. But, if you look at their previous picks, they are catering to adult readers and most of the time, adult women. However, the three do occasionally highlight young adult readers. Jenna has a Read with Jenna Jr club, Reese has a YA club, and Oprah has previously selected some YA books.
- Certain selection trends would infer that celeb book club hosts are keeping a close eye on Publishers Marketplace. According to this blog post from author Kasia Manolas, about 70% of Reese’s Book Club picks are selected before the book is even released. It is rare, but not unheard of, that book clubs select backlist titles. For example, A Secret History by Donna Tart was selected as Jenna’s Book Club pick for December 2022, despite the novel first going to print in September 1992.
I know it might be a shot in the dark, but can you still send them a pitch?
At the end of the day, that’s a conversation you can have with your publicist. Prepare for them to be frank about the likelihood of anything coming to fruition! We want your book to have the best shot at success. This is why it is essential that we save one of your most valuable resources (books!) for media outlets that are more likely to cover your work.
Our team strives to champion your story and advocate for appropriate media and influencer coverage. We will absolutely take big swings at higher-level outlets that are open to receiving pitches that make sense for their beat. Reese, Oprah, and Jenna, however, have their own method of selecting and promoting books for their book clubs.
We value authors who are an active participant in their publicity campaigns. We’re always open to hearing any ideas or suggestions they have regarding coverage for their books. Authors know their stories and messaging better than anyone else! Don’t lose sight of the fact that there are other great – and attainable – opportunities, media outlets, influencers, and reader book clubs for your book’s promotion.
Looking for a publicist to represent your work and find the best ways to reach your audience? Drop us a line here!
A literary omnivore and influential Bookstagrammer, Layne applies her vivid creativity for every title we promote by deftly coordinating news coverage and events for authors, writing and editing diverse content for social media, and assisting with Books Forward’s social media engagement initiatives.
As a former special education teacher, Layne firmly believes in the importance of literature and accessibility. This unique point of view is an asset in her publicity efforts as she works to reach readers across various platforms and demographics.
Layne received her Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing and Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and her Masters of Art in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. She lives in New Orleans with her loyal, but sadly illiterate cat, Macaroni.
