Creating an author brand can be tricky — it’s supposed to be you, but which parts of you? An author brand is all about how you present yourself to the world. Your brand identity encompasses your personality and expertise. In other words, how you make people feel and what you make them think about. Think […]
Lit Happens
Snatched from her family at 4 years old, childhood abuse and adult cult survivor shares story
Mill Valley, California – Penny’s life was like a fairy tale–the terrible kind. Penny Lane was four years old when she was snatched from her home. The strange man’s foreign accent was as rough as his kisses; her beloved Aunt Charlotte introduced him as Penny’s father. As the girl and her suitcase were bundled into […]
Wish Shakespeare a happy birthday with one of these retellings
Happy birthday, Shakespeare! Maybe. If a bunch of old records are correct. Who’s to say? We’ll never know. Well, we’re celebrating either way by picking up one of these retellings of some of his greatest hits! Romeo and Juliet These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong The year is 1926, and a blood feud between two […]
Award-winning authors team up on middle-grade mystery
Best friend duo works to solve baking competition puzzle in charming story The Great British Bake Off meets a tween-friendly Knives Out in this fun and propulsive middle grade novel following two best friends who must solve the mystery behind a baking competition gone awry. This sweet treat early readers are calling “completely sublime” comes […]
Dealing with Negative Reviews: A Guide for Authors
The dreaded negative review is an unfortunate if realistic part of putting a book out into the world. Every book gets them, so try not to feel too disheartened! One author I worked with said she didn’t feel like a “real writer” until she got her first negative review — “at least someone read my […]
Comedian Claire Berger’s Newest Book Promises Laughter and Self-Reflection on the Quest for ‘Enough’
BROOKLYN, New York – In her new book releasing on June 4, 2024, acclaimed writer and comedian Claire Berger is asking out loud the question you’ve been silently pondering for years, “How Much Is Enough?” Claire wrote this book to start a long overdue conversation. Her innovative mashup of memoir and self-help genres invites readers […]
Wounded soul encroaches in upbringing of best friend’s child
Complex intergenerational mother-daughter relationship in contemporary debut KIRKWOOD, MO – Prepare to be swept away on an emotionally charged odyssey through the heartland of America in debut author Anne Shaw Heinrich’s captivating novel, God Bless the Child (Speaking Volumes, Jun 7, 2024). Heinrich delves deep into the intricate relationship between Mary Kline, her compromised best […]
Booked & Busy: Books Forward March 2024 Newsletter
Check out the latest newsletter featuring our award-winning authors and industry news. This issue features upcoming book releases, recent media coverage and much more! Read the April 2024 newsletter here!
An interview with Magdalena Ball, managing editor of Compulsive Readers
For our 2024 blog series, we’re highlighting industry professionals to find out more about their time in the book world. Follow along for insight on what catches a reviewer’s interest, things to avoid when pitching a media outlet, what librarians are searching for and more. Today, we’re chatting with Magdalena Ball, a novelist, poet, reviewer, […]
Books Forward Authors in the Media: April 2024
What can we say, Books Forward authors are always going, going, going! We’re excited to feature some of our authors and their recent media wins. Courtney Deane was featured in this article for the San Diego Union-Tribune about her new book, When Happily Ever After Fails. This reviewer for Readers’ Favorite called Don Silver’s Scorched […]