Company celebrates 20-year anniversary with staff expansion & new services
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – Literary publicity company Books Forward (part of the veteran JKS Communications brand) has hired three new staff members for its growing team.
Rhodes Murphy has joined the Books Forward team as a publicist. He holds both undergraduate and Master’s degrees in English Literature, from Loyola University and Tulane University respectively. He has written for both national and local publications, including Slate and Document Journal, with a particular focus on covering the LGBTQ community. Like his Books Forward colleagues, Murphy is driven by a passion to help marginalized voices be heard.
Erica Martin has joined Books Forward as office administrator. Martin brings a wealth of energy and creativity to the team in her role, where she coordinates special projects and oversees creative book mailings to media and industry influencers. Her background managing teams and leading client and customer communications in property management and political campaigns, coupled with her love of literature, have proven essential to supporting the Books Forward team and brand.
Rachel Hutchings has joined Books Forward as a digital marketing strategist after two semesters of interning with the company. Hutchings graduated from Belmont University with a major in Publishing and a minor in Psych. She previously worked on the Belmont Story Review, and interned with independent publishing company American Blackguard Inc. Hutchings now helps Books Forward clients cultivate and establish their digital voice, working hand-in-hand with authors to ensure authenticity in their online presence. She is constantly finding innovative ways to promote author brands and their books.
Books Forward celebrates 20 years of innovative literary promotion in 2020 with a new name, new team members with publishing and media expertise, and new expanded services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the forward-thinking publicity team launched a Virtual Learning Author Program to provide free at-home education, as well as the #BooksForwardHelpline to help readers support indie bookstores and libraries, troubleshoot e-readers, and connect with great new book recommendations.
About Books Forward: Books Forward is an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, the company helps authors find success and connect with readers. Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out the Books Forward author services, submit a query form with your individual author brand goals, and get a customized publicity campaign.
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.
