Books Forward | Publicity & Digital Marketing

Books Forward hit New York City last week, and we had an absolute blast! Such a big thank you to the publishers, influencers, booksellers, and industry professionals that we got to meet in person! We truly value every single partnership that we get to make with bookish folks across the industry, and it was so fun to put faces to names. We also loved getting to spend in-person time with our team! Our hearts (and book totes) are so full, and we cannot wait to hit the Big Apple again in the future!

With the rise of generative AI usage, we understand it can be tempting for authors to lean on AI to help write or market their book. But here's the bottom line: Generative AI usage is not good for your author brand, and here’s why. For video length purposes, we haven’t delved into the environmental impacts of generative AI, which is detrimental to electric grids, power usage, and water consumption. However, it is important to acknowledge that generative AI’s impact on the environment is overwhelmingly negative. There is much more we could say about AI’s usage in the publishing industry, and if you’d like our two cents about anything specific, please feel free to leave us a comment! -- [ID: A video of Jenn sitting down and talking directly to the camera about the negative effects of an author using AI]

Allison, our newest publicist on the Books Forward staff, jumped in feet first on our NYC trip with a day in the life! Join her as she travels from DC to NYC, travels to some industry meetings with Jenn and Corrine, heads to the rooftop for our influencer event, and much more! We absolutely LOVED meeting Allison in person during this trip, and we cannot wait for you all to have a chance to e-meet her as she starts working on campaigns!

WE 💖 OUR INFLUENCER FRIENDS! One of the absolute highlights of our trip was our first-ever influencer event! Some of our bookish NYC-based friends came to our hotel rooftop in Times Square to bedazzle some of our authors' books or one of their favorite reads that needed a bit of extra sparkle! ✨ Thank you so much to the folks who trekked to Times Square (lol, we know!) to hang out with us! This was such an exciting first influencer event, and hopefully will not be our last!

🎆 NEW GIVEAWAY ALERT! 🎆 We’re partnering with Books Forward author Celeste Dador to give away an exclusive swag box featuring goodies that tie into her debut YA romance, STARS, STRIPES AND SUMMER NIGHTS! A swoony, patriotic romance with Gilmore Girls charm—follow First Daughter Abby as she dives into a summer of surprises, small-town magic, and sparks with the boy who shakes up her world. Here’s how to enter: 💙Follow @booksforwardpr and @celestedador 💙Like and save this post 💙Tag a friend in the comments with your favorite kind of holiday romance 💙Receive an extra entry by sharing this post to your stories and tagging @booksforwardpr and @celestedador The fine print: ❤️ Giveaway is for US-based residents only ❤️ Giveaway is open from 5/13/26 - 5/20/26 ❤️ Winner will be announced on 5/21/26 via our IG stories Thanks for entering, and GOOD LUCK!

While we were in New York last week, we made it a priority to check out some of the city’s bookstores! We spend so much time emailing with booksellers that we wanted to shake hands in person, give them a little goodie bag (We’re Southern, what can we say! We never come empty-handed!), and check out our author’s books in the wild! Swipe through for the books we spotted and the stores we found them in! All The Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tan in Yu & Me Books The Bayrose Files by Diane Wald in Kinokuniya Books SPIT by Jonnie Park in Kinokuniya Books Strike the Zither by Joan He in Books of Wonder A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid in Greenlight Books On Submission by Michael J. Seidlinger in McNally Jackson Books Punk Rock Queen of the Jews by Rossi in McNally Jackson Books Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan in McNally Jackson Books Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver in McNally Jackson Books Keep this off the Record by Arden Joy in The Strand Wings of Ebony and Ashes of Gold by J. Elle in The Strand Yumi and Monster by Kam Redlawsk in The Strand

🎉 HAPPY PUB DAY 🎉 Today we’re celebrating THREE Books Forward authors who are launching incredible books into the world. Swipe through to see the titles that are publishing today and snag your copies wherever you buy books! Amplify! My Fight for Asian America by Dion Lim Amplify! My Fight for Asian America offers a meaningful look at the real stories behind the headlines, providing Asian Americans and allies of all backgrounds a vital resource to broaden their perspective on anti-Asian hate and contribute to positive social transformation. Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights by Celeste Dador A swoony, patriotic romance with Gilmore Girls charm—follow First Daughter Abby as she dives into a summer of surprises, small-town magic, and sparks with the boy who shakes up her world. The Taverna At The Edge of Night by H.Y. Hanna A Greek island vacation. A deadly village secret. A best friend you can no longer trust. The White Lotus meets Daphne du Maurier and Mary Stewart in this twisty, atmospheric psychological suspense - perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

Join our Books Forward social media manager and publicst Layne Mandros, as she takes us along for a day in the life of our team meeting in New York! The Books Forward team traveled to NYC last week to celebrate a belated 25th anniversary and to connect with some publishing industry professionals as well as local NYC book influencers. We had such a blast! More New York content coming your way very soon! -- @mcnallyjackson @unionsqandco Union Square & Co. @macmillanusa Macmillan Publishers Alcove Press @alcovepress

Today's #StaffSunday is from our newest addition to the Books Forward staff, Allison! "I absolutely LOVED T Kira Madden's debut novel, Whidbey, which she was inspired to write after a man on the Whidbey Island ferry asked her if she wanted him to kill her abuser. Madden said no, but the novel follows a character who says yes. It is haunting, psychological, and examines trauma through exploring three women whose lives are connected by one man. It had a murder mystery element that made me unable to put it down, and characters that have stayed with me long after I finished." -- [ID: A copy of WHIDBEY sitting on a wooden table next to a cup of coffee]

Welcome back to another WHAT’S IN THE WAREHOUSE! As always, please find the corresponding publicist’s emails for the books featured below: Heir of Prophecy by Analeigh Sbrana: [email protected] From the Depths by Emily Renk Hawthorne: [email protected] Aloha Wanderwell Takes the Wheel: [email protected] The Song of Belonging: [email protected] -- @emilyrenkhawthorne @analeighsbrana @laurelcoronaauthor

Thank you so much to my publicist @booksforwardpr for the surprise cookies from @lawrencedeans in the mail for my book launch! The last 24 hours has been amazing, celebration this neat accomplishment. I have always wanted to write for kids and this is just the beginning! Link in bio for “Cece’s Sour and Sweet Journey to Medical School”, now available on Amazon and Bookbaby! #author #books #childrensbookstagram #fun #reading ✨🤗🎉📚☕️🍪

🎉 HAPPY PUB DAY 🎉 Today, we’re wishing a very happy publication day to Candicee Childs, author of Cece’s Sour and Sweet Journey to Medical School! Join Cece on a heartfelt journey full of curiosity, courage, and big dreams in Cece's Sour and Sweet Journey to Medical School. From a young age, Cece had her heart set on learning new things, and discovering how she could make a positive impact on the world. As she grows up, her passion for helping others intensifies and she sets her sights on a big dream–attending medical school to become a doctor. But Cece's path to her goal is filled with both sweet victories and sour setbacks. As the saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Congratulations, Candicee! Be sure you grab a copy of this heartwarming book today wherever you shop for books!