Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Why Do Big 5 Publishers Dominate The Best-Seller Lists?


Not a news flash, but when it comes to printed adult books, the Big 5 dominate the best-seller lists. The Publishers Weekly best-seller lists for 2024 essentially were filled by mostly books from them. And within the top publishers circle, Penguin Random House clearly dominates.

Nearly 86 percent of all best-seller list slots went to books published by the Big 5. Penguin Random House took the majority of all spots for the entire year. The rest went to Harper Collins, Macmillan, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster.

Paperback slots were also dominated by one publisher — Sourcebooks, owned by Penguin Random House.

Seeing a pattern here? 90 percent of all adult paperback best-seller list spots for all of 2024 went to the Big Five and the majority went to Penguin Random House.

Why is that?

Are Big 5 better at securing the best books? Do they do something better than others when it comes to pricing, distribution, and/or marketing? Do authors only trust in the Big 5 to publish their books? Do consumers really care who published a particular book?

Maybe how sales are calculated and accounted for is what needs to be scrutinized. Indie authors must sell hundreds of millions of copies of their books, both digitally and in print, but how are they recognized by a system that favors the Big 5?

PW’s numbers are based on Circana BookScan, but that only captures 75-80 percent of all book sales, according to them. What about the rest?

The Big 5 is a powerhouse collective of published books with lots of resources to generate sales, but it is impressive that few publishers or indie authors are able to show up on best-seller lists. Is there a monopoly issue at play here?

Publications like PW are part of the reason the Big 5 remains on top. Much of their journalistic ink seems to be given to the Big 5. From articles and reviews, PW highlights the publishers that feed them with expensive ads, and sponsorships, and subscriptions.
 

The Big 5 is in a financial position to take risks, publish unknown authors, and experiment with new types of marketing, though it does not do enough of any of that. The Big 5 is notorious for working hard to push its handful of A-list titles — and then to drain its hits with sequels, series, and spin-offs, just like Hollywood looks to milk its hits with sequels, spin-offs, and copy-cats. 

But once you get past the big best-sellers, the Big 5 has tens of thousands of books that were published with little fanfare. Most did not surpass 10,000 print units and a lot of their authors were not given a chance to have another book published with them.  

Don’t get me wrong, the Big 5 are very good at a lot of things and they are coveted for a reason: foreign rights, movie rights, international book sales, great editing/cover design/packaging, and decent distribution. But of all the many books that they publish, only a few hundred adult hardcover books and another few hundred adult paperbacks will fill the vast majority of the best-seller list spots.

Most books, even those of the Big 5, will flounder in mediocrity, even obscurity. 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, February 17, 2025

Authors: Just Put The Ball In Play!


 

Taking up a new sport like pickleball has reinvigorated me. Not only does it get me moving and socializing, it stirs my competitive spirit and above all, reminds me of the best strategy to employ for the game — and in life: Just put the ball in play!

Though it feels good to make a great shot, most points are won because someone made an unforced error. For instance, rather than just get the ball onto the court, I tried to sneak in an angling serve and instead it went out. In another case, upon returning someone’s serve, I tried to put a spin on it when all that I needed to do was hit it back. Keep it in play. In other words, don’t try to force a great shot; in most cases, you just need to keep it in play so the opponent can screw up.

Well, book marketing is the same way. You just need to put your book out there — consistently and persistently. You don’t need to necessarily focus on doing something great — but to merely do many things decently -- and often.

For instance, authors seeking perfect marketing get psyched out and delay their efforts. They are contemplating but not committing. Don’t wait for some ideal situation to miraculously appear — just get out there now. You cannot wait for the stars to align.

Play the percentages and go after low-hanging fruit, rather than looking for some big moment to put you on the map that may not happen. Again, put the ball in play.

In pickleball, one must lean on their teammate to keep the ball in play. You have a teammate, as an author, too— a hired publicist, a marketing consultant, and friends and family. who are willing and able to do you a favor.

It is ok to think big and at times go for something seemingly a long shot, but most of the time, simply execute on the basic things that need to get done and always keep the ball in play to give herself a chance to win.
 

 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Interview With Coming-of-Age Saga Author J Leonard Costner


  

1. What inspired you to write this book?  

The book came to me in a dream. I'm sure that's been said before, but in my case, it likely helped me heal. I was on bed rest for a while after having a major surgery. It was during this time that my identity had been abruptly stripped away from me and I was left to question everything I thought I had known. All I had worked and sacrificed for was tied to someone who no longer existed. Then, one night while I was sleeping, I had a vivid dream, and I continued to have the same dream every night for a month. I took the opportunity to write down this elaborate experience, it was as if I was remembering or viewing another life. I realized I had a completed manuscript when I finished writing everything I had witnessed.

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? 

Legacy is the coming-of-age saga of Luke Hart. A young man who discovers he is the modern reincarnation of Spartacus as he is thrust into a clandestine institution that has continued the gladiator spectacle since antiquity. The institution known only to those of privilege and wealth is called Legacy. A hub of secrets and influence, the quarterly events of Legacy are where money is exchanged and the world shaped. Luke's introduction is anything but welcoming as he finds out that he is the target of an ancient blood feud, and is hunted by the Roman descendant tasked with killing Luke's Origin. 

Legacy is written for everyone. There is a diverse range of readers who enjoy Legacy for many reasons. Perhaps it's my writing style or how the historical timeline seamlessly weaves into a believable saga. Maybe it's the protagonist's love story. I am usually surprised to hear the reception, as the tale is derived from my catharsis. Everyone who is gracious enough to read it is special to me. 


3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? 

I hope they can find a home in the universe or a character they identified with. Legacy is a celebration of world cultures, devoid of any reasonable scenario to question race, religion or sexuality. It's the only universe where the heroes are created in the reader's image, and the tangible superheroes are the descendants of ancient warriors just like we are.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

Luckily, the title had always been there since I began having the dream. The word Legacy itself has many different meanings for and in the story. On the other hand, the cover design took some time and several rebrands before I could produce an image that captured the emotion the story represented—each cover after has maintained a similar theme and unique identifier to the series.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

Just do it! No, I'm not trying to quote Nike that would be very cliche coming from me. The message though, is simple. If writing is within you, if there is a story that you feel you must tell, then please do it. There is someone who wants to read it.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?

It seems as if the book world is becoming more accessible to storytellers. Over a decade ago, when I began this journey, I was told and realized that the publishing industry was an exclusive club that only accepted its members through fame or knowing. Services created by companies like Amazon and social media make storytelling possible for people tired of being rejected in query letters. At this point, it seems the only thing truly preventing aspiring writers from forging their own path is the will to bet on themselves.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?

There were many. The surgery that I had mentioned earlier. I was raised in Europe; most of my childhood was spent in Italy and Greece. My writing style is unique and authentic to my natural ability as an artist. We often hear the adage "don't try to be anyone else, " but in practice it's true. I am not and can not write like some of the readers' favorite authors. I've tried, and their styles don't work for me. It took time and practice to find the rhythm of my style, and now that I have found it, I have been called a "favorite author".

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

I've been told and agree that my writing style is uniquely my own. As an artist, writing is a different medium for me to use. There are a few elements at play that are best described as untraditional. Like my first novel, when the idea comes to me to continue the story, I see it in a dream as a film, sometimes complete, other times sporadically, and then in my waking moments I am constantly recalling the experience of the dream. I write my stories exactly as I've experienced them and I don't plot anything out. As I write, I let the story come to me and often don't know what will happen next. Lastly, I see the words as colors and brush strokes on a canvas. As I'm writing, each word and sentence is a different component used to create a final piece that I'll step back from when I feel it's finished and gaze at hoping to feel relieved of the emotion I had been trying to purge.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

I had never written anything to the length of Legacy before I had completed the work. It was challenging, but approaching it from a familiar position made grasping the process easier. Mentally, it was difficult because at the time, the only thing that I was really cognizant of was the sport I played. I had achieved a level and was on a trajectory much greater, and to continue to excel meant my focus had to remain singularly on the end objective. I did other things, don't get me wrong, but outside of sport, it was like I existed in a dissociated form.

Writing lifted the veil and introduced another person to the world, while the other one faded further and further away. The challenge is being comfortable with having a voice that was silenced and now attracts ears. It's difficult to go from someone who was disconnected and silent, to the polar opposite. That was my reality for so long, and developing this new person, I'll welcome the day I can feel truly comfortable. And, if I don't, there will be plenty more art for me to create and share with the world.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

I invite people to read Legacy because it's a unique story, with many installments to dive into that are full of world building. There are no vampires, werewolves, dragons, or elves. I apologize if that is disappointing upfront. There are, however, the descendants of history's greatest warriors who battle for the honor and glory of their ancestry, and the banners of the Houses they fight for. And, if that's not enough to pique readers' interest. I enjoy connecting with people who have a genuine passion for the story. I'd love to connect and chat anytime if anyone wants to talk about the stories and talk theory or anything else. Time is valuable, and taking it to read Legacy won't disappoint.3

About The Author: J Leonard Costner is an artist by degree, and a former athlete. After pursuing a career in professional sport. J began a career in corporate America while expanding the universe created by his debut novel Legacy. Since its initial publication in 2012, J has completed four additional novels in the Legacy saga, is currently working on his sixth and seventh novels, and is in pre-production on a film adaptation of Legacy. For more information, please see: www.legacyuniverse.io

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

Interview With Erotic Romance Author Tani Ruiz Fuster


X in Provence is a novel about obsession, betrayal and survival set in a place that normally conjures up paradise. It is a novel that is based, in part, on the author’s true romance with a narcissist.  

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? I first wrote this book as a memoir, recounting the 18 months that I lived in Mazan, a village in the Provençal region of the Vaucluse. Those 18 months were some of the best and worst of my life. I wanted, or rather needed, to pour down on paper what I’d experienced from the fairy tale beginning right to the sordid end. It was a journey of self-therapy but also of discovering what it is to craft a book – expressing feelings is quite different from recording global news events. This book helped me to process intense experiences, sharing the beauty and the beastliness of this stand-out chapter of my past. Later, I fictionalized the book, although it still contains much that is true. And the messages remain the same. Read on!

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? X in Provence crafts a new take on a classic theme: the perils of falling in love with highly charismatic, highly narcissistic personalities. As well as a (destructive) love story, the book weaves together weighty themes, such as different cultural nuances, family dynamics and sexual mores, against a backdrop – Provence – that still lingers in our consciousness as paradise. The book starts with English journalist Rai leaving a flourishing career in Hong Kong to move in with her French lover, convinced their futures lie together. In Provence she discovers la dolce vita – as well as a darker demimonde that she is thrust into with mixed emotions. Alain, her charmer beau, proposes. After marriage, however, he turns chilling, eager to berid of the woman he wooed to Provence, now ruinously hooked on him. Pierre, Alain’searnest younger brother takes Rai’s side, leading to revelations and some tectonic existential shifts – reminders that today’s decisions often have utterly unchartered consequences for our tomorrows.

 

By a sheer – if jarring – coincidence, the village of Mazan, where my book is set, has leapt onto the world’s radar, sadly not in a salubrious way. X in Provence draws no parallels between the atrocities that happened to Gisèle Pelicot in Mazan – which she courageously chose to expose in a public trial – and my own story. Yet my novel is the first to give voice to

a whole new side of Provence – sex-sodden and treacherous. A strange kind of synchronicity?

 

In terms of the audience, my book is primarily aimed at women – of all ages. But I don’t wish to exclude men. Indeed, I see it as a solid man’s read, albeit from a female perspective

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope readers will find my book entertaining, gripping and enlightening – especially about the mechanisms of manipulation and emotional abuse wielded by narcissists; and, under their sway, how easy it is for the most confident of women to sink into submission and self-loathing. I hope readers gain an understanding that obsessive, possessive intoxication can happen to anyone regardless of intelligence, education, socio-economic status, or any other characteristic.

 

While my book may resonate most deeply with women who have been or are currently in a relationship with a “baddy”, it’s a clarion call to miss (and mister) everyone everywhere. Women (or men) who have never been in a destructive relationship may think

that such a situation could “never happen to me”. Yet this novel may help them to better understand how the “never” could end up being “oh my god, it happened to me”. On the bright side, the take-away is that release and recovery are possible. While we can fall down

and shatter into pieces, we can get up and reconstitute ourselves – there is gain after pain.

 

I’d like readers to walk away with a more prurient view of Provence. My book shows a whole new facet of life in this southern French region: a place where partner swapping and other sexual escapades are popular hobbies, as casual, almost, as nipping out for a café-au-

lait. For readers, this ‘other’ Provence may provide new insights into and a new understanding of certain aspects of French culture (especially given recent events in

Mazan).

 

This novel lunges into two sets of sibling dynamics – between three very different brothers –including a dead one in India – and three sisters. I’d like to think there will be some “aha” moments when reading about things like sibling envy, hurt, resentment and fissures as well as forgiveness and succour. Peeling away the layers of complexities around families other than our own can be comforting as well as fascinating.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? I came up with several titles before honing in on X in Provence – admittedly and serendipitously with the help of a good friend. The title is a play on words, referring to the city Aix en Provence and to X-rated content. The book cover design came about through trial and error. I could picture what I wanted but it took a while to get the visuals to match my idea for a cover that is mysterious, evocative and provocative, but not complicated.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? It can be very helpful to have another pair of eyes or two (or three!) to review your manuscript for guidance and grammatical precision. But a word of caution. Don’t let the

opinions of others take precedence over what you hold dear. Listen to your inner voice. Take what resonates from a critique and let go of the rest. Remember, every professional editor or literary critic has a different view and their own priorities and preferences in terms

of content and form. Hold your ground on what you want to convey and how. My book doesn’t follow the standard format in fiction and I’m fine with that. Part of being creative is to make your own mark in your own way.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  What I find encouraging is that people are still reading and buying paperback books, even with the ebook and audio book explosion. Not that I have anything against electronic or audiobooks. On the contrary. The more options you have to enjoy the written word, the better. However, I think that far from dying out, physical books will continue to enjoy a renaissance. For me, the feel and weight of a book in my hands is still a thrill.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?  I was passionate about writing X in Provence, but my discipline as a journalist did help in sitting down at the computer. I’m a voracious reader and have always loved crafting words. Writing as a professional activity runs in the family. Given that my book was originally written as a memoir, I had an existing reservoir of material to draw on as everything I depicted was based on personal experience.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I would describe my writing style as literary yet also accessible and down-to-earth. I love a clever turn of phrase and original metaphors and I like to think X in Provence is richly endowed with both.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? There were several challenges. The fact that I’d worked as a journalist had its downsides as well as upsides. Capturing details, emotions and realistic dialogue are definitely learned and acquired skills and at the beginning I really struggled with these elements. Writing news copy that omits unnecessary adjectives was my default setting and so I had to unlearn what came automatically in order to write a book. Fictionalizing my story was a huge challenge in

terms of harnessing my imagination and bringing to life in-depth, complex characters. It was so much easier to regurgitate memories and describe people I knew. Yet in a strange way delving into fiction was also liberating.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? You should buy my book if you want a page-turning, riveting, rollercoaster ride of a read. If you want to be surprised and shaken. If you want memorable characters, exotic destinations, erotic suspense and psychological intrigue. If you want a book that evokes the collective zeitgeist. In the context of societal shocks, the fact that my book is set in Mazan and reveals a murky underbelly to Provence adds to its timeliness and uniqueness.

 

About The Author: I grew up in London in a family of four children. Following undergraduate and Master’s degree studies in New York, I returned to London where I found my feet in journalism as an investigative reporter in the shipping industry. For more than a decade I worked for mainstream publications and news outlets in England, Hong Kong and Switzerland. Switching to a career in international development, I joined UNICEF and was based for over 14 years in Bangkok, where my children were born. I currently work as an independent editor, living in Spain. What drives me is curiosity and the quest to understand, layer by layer, enigmas that loom large in our lives, guided by father’s mantra: Never give up. For more information, please see: www.taniruiz.com

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum