In honor of Read-A-Romance Month and Romance Awareness Month, this August we’ll be sharing insights from members of the romance bookish community! For this month’s issue, we took a look at this community and what makes it so special in this article, and interviewed internationally best-selling romance author TL Swan to learn more about her writing approach and widespread impact in this article. Here, you can read the full interview with Wordsmith Publicity owner and publicist Autumn Sexton about her experiences as a reader, fan, and publicist in the indie romance genre. For her website and social media, see below!
How and why did you start this company? In other words, tell me your origin story. Have your past experiences as a reader and fan influenced the development of Wordsmith Publicity?
In 2011, I discovered the online book community through a local author. As an avid reader since early childhood, I felt like I had finally found my people. The Autumn Review was created, and I was quickly embraced by the author community as well as the blogging community. My audience grew, as did my relationships with Indie Authors in particular. I was fortunate to meet authors early in their careers, like Abbi Glines, Colleen Hoover, Katja Millay, K.A. Tucker, and so many more. With my previous career experience in business management, sales, and finance, I was able to incorporate many of those skills into my interest in the book world and the relationships I was developing. While there were other PR companies catering to Indie Authors at the time, I wanted to take a different approach. My goal was to create a relationship with the author that was designed specifically for their business needs. The boom of new Indie Authors at that time was overwhelming, and I wanted to help them find their way into the business. Along with this goal in mind, as well as some personal goals, Wordsmith Publicity was created at the end of 2013.
How has Wordsmith Publicity grown and evolved over time? Additionally, how has the industry changed in this time frame? What sort of advancements and changes have you noticed and how have you had to adapt to them?
Wordsmith has grown significantly over the last ten years. I have a full staff now, our client list is extensive, and we have many close relationships with bloggers and influencers. While I have seen growth in the business, it’s always been important to me to make my authors feel important, no matter their level of success. Quality over quantity has always been my focus.
This industry is constantly changing. From a marketing perspective, there are still some tried-and-true methods. But I would say one of the biggest changes to our industry has been the evolution of TikTok and a broader social media reach in general. Additionally, ad management now, versus in 2014, has become much more necessary to keep a place in our ever-growing industry. Social media reach is one of the biggest changes and advancements. TikTok and Instagram, in particular, have created a whole new stream of visibility for authors who may not have been discovered otherwise. We have definitely had to adapt to this change, stay on top of new trends in this ever-changing marketplace, develop relationships, and identify influencers who will have a positive impact on our authors.
How do authors discover you? Do you scout any authors out?
The majority of my business comes from referrals from existing clients. Because of the relationships I develop with my clients and the work that I do for them, I tend to keep a smaller client base. It’s very important to me to have good chemistry with an author for so many reasons, but primarily because the work we do together is intimate in the sense that the author is allowing me into a piece of their heart and soul. So it’s very rare for me to reach out to authors; if I do, it’s because I’m a fan of their writing, and I see positive potential for them in working together.
Does geography play a factor in determining the authors that you work with? What sort of impact does a difference in time zones, etc. have on your business?
Geography doesn’t impact my relationships with my clients. I have several authors in the UK, Netherlands, Japan, and Canada. Do we have to get creative with timing? Yes, which means a lot of early morning or evening calls for me.
What services does your company provide? How do you help your authors? How would you describe Wordsmith’s role in these authors’ careers and successes?
It’s hard to define exactly what I do for my clients because I develop a relationship with them based on their individual needs and long-term goals. My relationships are more comprehensive than just offering PR services. I act more as an overall business manager than just a publicist. Marketing and PR are definitely just a piece of the puzzle, but creating and managing their long-term plans is my focus. I also believe it’s important to be available for and have good communication with my authors. Whether it’s helping fix issues on Amazon, etc., or simply being a sounding board for them. It’s important to me to listen, whether the issue or situation is good or bad, and make them feel valued.
As far as successes and growth in their careers, I would like to think I’ve contributed significantly to their careers and success. I have been very fortunate to retain several long-term clients, so watching them grow as writers and seeing their success has been the most rewarding.
How many people work with you to help support these authors?
We have an amazing team of seven that help run this Wordsmith train, including two other publicists with their own client base.
How do you juggle many authors and their various needs?
Very carefully. My planner is my best friend, but I’m trying to embrace other management systems like Asana, Trello, and AirTable. Having the ability to multitask in this career is necessary, but I think I have a general good sense of where we are and what needs to be done because of my close relationships with my authors. And again, my planner. 😉
What is your favorite thing about helping authors?
I love plotting, story development, and obviously reading their work. Watching their stories come to life is incredible to me, as is watching them grow and succeed.
How do you feel about the indie author industry as it is today? What are some of the benefits as well as the challenges?
The Indie Author industry is very different from what it was when I discovered this community. The years 2011-2012 are what I like to call the rise of the Indie Author. Authors like those I mentioned above were pioneers in introducing more indie books into publishing. Their successes gave aspiring authors hope and confidence to publish.
The benefits still outweigh the challenges overall, but authors have to work harder to be seen and remain relevant simply because there are so many authors in the market.
How do you view the romance niche specifically in comparison to other book genres? Is there a certain approach to promoting this genre that you think is especially effective?
Romance readers are a whole different breed! Our amazing community of readers feels very passionate about the books they read and the authors they love. Romance is the top-selling genre in publishing, so I think that speaks volumes about the differences in readers. I think romance readers are looking for a connection, emotion, and an escape.
In my opinion, identifying what readers want, i.e., what tropes make them want to pick up a book, accessibility, and communication with the author and/or the author’s team also play a factor.
Is there any new trend on the horizon or a currently popular approach that you think is particularly useful when promoting authors and their work?
Marketing the tropes and what to expect in the book has been a trend for some time now. Readers want to know what they’re getting into, which helps them determine what books they want to read.
How do you coordinate with readers and influencers? Do these efforts differ depending on if you’re reaching out to readers or influencers?
We have a newsletter, website and post on social media for all of our open events, releases, sales, etc. Influencers can follow and sign up with us to receive our latest events. However, I personally reach out to influencers if I think a book would fit into their interests. I believe that developing relationships with our bloggers and influencers is essential to our business. Because of my experience in blogging, I know how much work is involved in creating content and writing reviews, so I want all of our influencers to feel appreciated, no matter how large their following is.
How do you navigate and balance your role as a reader/fan and what you know to be helpful for your authors and the business?
I can honestly say that I am a fan of all of the authors I’m working with. I would read their books even if they weren’t my clients. That said, it’s also my responsibility to provide honest and developmental feedback. Occasionally, it’s not what they want to hear, but it’s my job to help them create a novel that they are not only proud of, but also marketable.
Is there anything else you’d like to share that hasn’t been covered in the questions?
Books feed my brain and creativity and have offered solace and a safe place. I’m incredibly fortunate that I have managed to design a career from my passion. The book community has given me so many gifts. I met my best friends here and have friendships that have fulfilled my life in so many ways. It is a fast-paced industry and not for the faint of heart, but the gifts are so worth it.
Website: wordsmithpublicity.com
Facebook: facebook.com/wordsmithpublicity
Instagram: instagram.com/wordsmithpublicity
TikTok: tiktok.com/@wordsmithpublicity
Email: wordsmithpublicity@gmail.com