Bestseller or flop – The importance of an impactful PR campaign in the publishing industry

In the world of publishing, a good PR campaign can be the difference between a book that becomes a household name, and one that is entirely overlooked.  

There are around 2.2 million books published every year, which is a tad overwhelming if you’re an avid reader, like me. So many books, so little time, as they say.    With so many authors and publishers fighting to get their books on the shelves, publishers need to get inventive to make sure their new book stands out against the rest.     In 2024 these 6 books have taken the world by storm, and here’s how.  

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang 

Described as a ‘blistering satire about publishing’ by The New York Times, Yellowface has become one of the most popular titles of 2024. A partnership between Waterstones Picadilly and HarperCollins was a crucial part of the book’s launch campaign. In the London store, an installation intended to imitate the writing room of the main character, accompanied by a self-typing typewriter and a stack of green pandan pancakes, all pointing to the events of the book. If nothing else, they created an almost palatable sense of intrigue! 

For the launch event, a muralist even live-painted the cover of the book, a striking bold yellow background with two piercing eyes front and centre, onto a canvas as people arrived. The artwork was a statement in itself and was printed onto huge billboards placed at train stations, above motorways and on roadsides.  

PR lesson: Get your imagery right and don’t be afraid to get creative with your stunt activity.   

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus  

With its vibrant front cover featuring four bold blocks of colour, Lessons in Chemistry catches people’s attention on visuals alone. In the lead up to the book launch, videos were posted to Instagram counting down the days to publication in the style of an old-fashioned film.  

Instagram has seen a huge rise in ‘bookstagrammers’, those who dedicate their accounts to literary content. Capitalising on this trend, they invited follower-rich bookstagrammers to shared unboxing videos in collaboration with the publisher, Penguin Books - an easy way to reach hundreds of thousands of readers as long as you’re teaming up with the right people.  

  The book ended up winning Marketing Strategy of the Year and Publicity Campaign of the Year at the British Book Awards, showing that tactical collaborations and social teasers can go a long way to making a lasting impact.  

PR lesson: There’s nothing wrong with using other people’s following to promote your activity, and try to make a statement with promotional visuals.  

Good Material – Dolly Alderton  

Dolly Alderton has become a treasured author, screenwriter and podcaster in the UK and beyond, and has fans waiting on tenterhooks for each new release. Good Material, her story about the tribulations of growing older, was no different. 

  Putting to good use her following of 433,000 on Instagram, Dolly posted frequently on her channel about her upcoming release and teased the cover.    It is worth mentioning the speaker events Dolly included as part of her book tour. Speaking at six venues across the UK, she flexed her podcasting bone (that’s a thing, right?) at sold-out events where Dolly read sections from her new novel and answered questions about her writing experience. Anyone who has listened to The High Low, her weekly podcast with fellow writer Pandora Sykes, will know that she’s an entertainer as well as a bestselling author – the perfect combination of skills if you want to host a candid evening chatting to an audience of thousands of your fans.     

PR lesson: Having the right spokespeople for your brand is important. Ideally, this is someone who is likeable, a natural speaker and very knowledgeable about the brand.  

A House of Flame and Shadow - Sarah J Maas 

Romantasy was included as a genre for the first time in the Goodreads Choice Awards this year, which is testament to its surge in popularity over the past few years. Sarah J Maas has arguably become the poster girl of the genre, particularly for her Crescent City series, of which A House of Flame and Shadow is the third instalment.     TikTok has been a godsend for romantasy authors, acting as a platform where promotion is taken out of the publisher’s hands and into the hands of thousands of content creators. Using that to Bloomsbury’s advantage, the publisher teamed up with TikTok influencers to create a buzz about the book and review it once it had been released. In a Bloomsbury first, the book was featured in Netflix adverts for those with a basic account, quite literally putting Crescent City into the homes of millions before the latest book was even released.  

PR lesson: Follow the followers! Whichever platform your audience uses most is exactly where you want to be the most active.  

  Intermezzo – Sally Rooney 

  Is it too soon to call Normal People a modern classic? Sally Rooney’s bestselling second novel on love and heartbreak swept the nation, and every book she has released since has dominated the shelves of most major bookstores. Intermezzo has left a similar mark since its release in September, which Faber considered its ‘biggest trade campaign ever.’ The publisher teamed up with independent bookstores and Waterstones to activate the launch, which included having an artist on site to offer unique dust jacket illustrations to fans who queued early.  

Anyone engaged with the online book community will have heard of Jack Edwards, known for his YouTube channel JackInTheBooks, and for being a die-hard Sally Rooney fan, who teamed up with Faber to promote the book. He has more than 550k dedicated followers, so this partnership was a no-brainer that paid off well.    

PR lesson: The value of taking steps to creative warmth around your brand should not be underestimated. With brand warmth comes a loyal audience who can act as a tool to help promote your brand.   Epilogue:

While this is an article catered to books, these activation lessons are applicable to any campaign-related work you do for your clients. If you’ve got great imagery, effective partnerships or collaborations, a good spokesperson and a platform fit for purpose, you’re well on your way to delivering a campaign to be proud of. Want to find out how to make your campaign a bestseller? Contact us here.