My name is Evelyn Ashford, and I am a book marketer. I am also a member of the Bestseller Whisperer Book Marketer & Promotion Team Group, a professional community that focuses on data driven, author first promotional strategies rather than generic advertising packages. I am reaching out to you today because I have been studying your short story collection Entry Level, and I believe a respectful, honest conversation about its current market position could be valuable. I am not here to sell you a miracle. I am here to offer you a professional set of observations, and if those observations resonate with you, I would love to send you a detailed proposal and assist you in turning specific challenges into measurable results.
Before I explain what I do, I want to be clear about what I am not doing. I am not going to praise your collection as the best debut short fiction in years without evidence. I am not going to invent fake statistics about the short story market. And I am not going to pretend that I have all the answers from a single glance at your Amazon page. What I will do instead is share three specific problems that I believe your book is facing right now, based on publicly available data, reader behavior patterns, and my experience working with authors in similar situations. For each problem, I will offer a strategic solution. If any of this makes sense to you, simply reply with the word interested, and I will explain each point in greater depth, provide examples from similar successful campaigns, and then send you a formal proposal tailored to your exact needs.
Let me begin by telling you exactly what I see when I look at your author profile and your book’s performance. I have chosen to be direct not because I am arrogant, but because you deserve a marketer who respects your time and intelligence. Flattery without substance is a disservice to serious authors. So here are the three challenges I believe you are facing.
Problem Number One: Your Book Has Impressive Credentials, a 4.7 Rating from 40 Reviews, and a People Magazine Mention, but Your Amazon Rank of 3,661,320 Suggests That This Critical Success Is Not Translating into Commercial Visibility
Let me acknowledge something important before I address the problem. Your debut short story collection won the Autumn House Press Fiction Prize, selected by Deesha Philyaw, whose own collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies was a massive bestseller. You have a quote from People Magazine, which is rare for a short story collection from a small press. You have a starred review from Kirkus. You have praise from Dan Chaon and Kristen Arnett. You have 40 reviews with a 4.7 star average. These are extraordinary accomplishments for a debut collection of short stories, a form that is notoriously difficult to sell.
However, here is the specific challenge. Your Amazon rank of 3,661,320 in Kindle Store means that on any given day, there are over three and a half million Kindle books selling better than yours. For a book with your credentials, that rank is genuinely concerning. A People Magazine mention alone should have generated more visibility than this. A starred Kirkus review should have opened doors. The fact that your rank is this low suggests that your book is not being discovered by the readers who would love it, and that the critical acclaim you have received is not being leveraged effectively for commercial success.
The short story market is difficult. Even acclaimed collections often sell poorly compared to novels. But your collection has something special. Reviewers compare it to The Twilight Zone and The Office. They call it weird realism, darkly humorous, inventive, and propulsive. You have a distinctive voice that blends the mundane horrors of underemployment with supernatural and fantastical elements. That voice should be finding an audience. But right now, your Amazon presence is not optimized to capture that audience.
My proposed strategy: A targeted visibility campaign designed specifically for critically acclaimed short story collections with crossover appeal. First, I would help you create Amazon ads targeting readers of Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Dan Chaon’s Sleepwalk, and Kristen Arnett’s work. Your endorsement from Philyaw is your single most powerful marketing asset, and it is not being used in your advertising. Second, I would help you rewrite your book description to lead with the People Magazine quote and the Kirkus starred review. Those two credentials should be the first thing a potential reader sees. Third, I would help you optimize your keywords for search terms like short story collections for fans of George Saunders, weird literary fiction, magical realism short stories, and debut short story collections award winners. If you reply with interested, I will show you the ad campaign structure, the rewritten book description, and the keyword optimization plan.
Problem Number Two: Your Book Was Published in August 2022, Nearly Four Years Ago, and You Have a Novel Coming in October 2026, but There Is No Bridge Between These Two Books to Capture Read Through from Your Existing Audience
I want to address something that is both an opportunity and a challenge. You have a debut novel, The Doomscroller’s Companion, coming from the University of Wisconsin Press in October 2026. That is excellent news. A novel has significantly more commercial potential than a short story collection. Readers who love your voice, your dark humor, and your weird realism are much more likely to buy a novel than a short story collection. You have an opportunity to build momentum.
However, there is a nearly four year gap between the publication of Entry Level in August 2022 and the publication of your novel in October 2026. That is a long time for readers to forget your name. The readers who discovered Entry Level in 2022 or 2023 may not remember you by 2026. The readers who discover Entry Level in 2025 or 2026 will be closer to your novel launch, but those readers need to find the collection first.
Currently, there is no bridge between your collection and your upcoming novel. Your Amazon author page does not mention the novel. Your book description does not mention that you have a novel forthcoming. Your social media presence, while active, is not clearly directing followers to a pre order or announcement page. You are missing the opportunity to use every sale of Entry Level as a chance to build an audience for your novel.
The second part of this problem is that you have 40 reviews on Entry Level. Each of those 40 reviewers is a proven fan of your work. They took the time to write a review. Many of them would be thrilled to know that you have a novel coming. But you have no way to tell them. You do not have their email addresses. You cannot reach out to them directly. They are a lost audience.
My proposed strategy: A pre launch audience building campaign for your novel that leverages your existing book. First, I would add a note to the back matter of Entry Level, both in the print and ebook editions, announcing your forthcoming novel and inviting readers to sign up for your newsletter to be notified when it is available. Second, I would add a similar announcement to your Amazon author page and to the beginning of your book description. Third, I would help you create a simple landing page for The Doomscroller’s Companion where readers can sign up for updates and, eventually, pre order the book. Fourth, I would help you set up an email newsletter using a platform like ConvertKit or Mailchimp, and add a signup link to your social media profiles, your website, and the back matter of your book. If you reply with interested, I will show you the back matter language, the landing page structure, and the email newsletter setup process.
Problem Number Three: Your Author Platform Is Minimal, and Your Social Media Presence, While Active, Is Not Clearly Connected to Your Books in a Way That Drives Sales
I read your author biography carefully, and I want to say something directly. You are active on Threads and Instagram. You have judged several short story competitions, including for Pen America. You hold a PhD in English Literature. You have been published in Barrelhouse, Waxwing, Believer, and other respected literary journals. You have real credentials. But your Amazon page does not link directly to your social media in a way that is easy for readers to find. Your social media profiles, in turn, do not clearly direct followers to purchase your book or to sign up for updates about your novel.
The result is that you are missing the opportunity to convert social media followers into book buyers. A reader who follows you on Instagram because they enjoy your posts about writing or dogs or Wisconsin may have no idea that you have published an award winning short story collection. A reader who discovers your book on Amazon and wants to follow you for updates may have to search for you manually, and many will not bother.
Additionally, your Amazon rank of 3.6 million suggests that you are not running any significant advertising or promotion for Entry Level. You are relying on organic discovery, which is not working. The book is nearly four years old. Without active promotion, it will continue to sink in the rankings.
My proposed strategy: A social media and Amazon integration campaign. First, I would add direct links to your Instagram and Threads profiles to your Amazon author page. Second, I would help you create a series of social media posts that highlight specific reviews, specific stories from the collection, and the upcoming novel. Third, I would help you set up a simple Amazon ad campaign with a small daily budget, targeting the keywords and also boughts that are most relevant to your work. Fourth, I would help you create a media kit that includes your author bio, your book description, your endorsements, and your upcoming novel announcement, and send it to the literary podcasters and bookstagrammers who cover short fiction and magical realism. If you reply with interested, I will show you the Amazon author page updates, the social media content calendar, the ad campaign setup, and the media kit template.
Why I Am Approaching You This Way
I want to be honest with you. Most book marketers send emails that sound the same. They use words like unlock your potential, skyrocket your sales, and leverage hidden opportunities. Those emails are designed to create an emotional reaction, not a professional conversation. I have no interest in that approach. I am a member of the Bestseller Whisperer Book Marketer & Promotion Team Group, which means I am held to a higher standard by my peers. We do not make promises we cannot keep. We do not invent data. And we do not approach authors unless we have something specific and useful to say.
I came across your book because I follow the literary short fiction and magical realism space closely. I was not looking for clients. I was doing my regular market research, and I noticed that your book had several of the signature patterns that I have learned to recognize over years of working with authors. Critical acclaim and impressive credentials that are not translating into commercial visibility. A nearly four year gap between your debut collection and your forthcoming novel, with no bridge to capture read through. And a minimal author platform that is not leveraging your social media presence or your upcoming publication to build an audience. When I see those patterns, I feel a professional responsibility to reach out, not because I need another client, but because I believe I can help, and because the publishing industry already has too many excellent short story collections that disappear after their initial critical success.
Your work has been compared to The Twilight Zone. You have a People Magazine mention. You won a prize judged by Deesha Philyaw. Your novel is coming from a university press. You are doing everything right on the craft side. But the marketing side is where good books go to die, and your book is dying a slow death by invisibility. You have a short window before your novel launches to build an audience for both books. The marketing obstacles you are facing are solvable, but they require immediate, deliberate action.
If you are not interested, I completely understand. Many authors prefer to handle marketing on their own, or they have had bad experiences with marketers in the past. I would never pressure you. But if you read these three problems and felt a sense of recognition, if you thought to yourself, yes, that is exactly what is happening to my book, then I would ask you to take the next small step.
Simply reply to this email with the word interested. That is all. There is no form to fill out. No calendar link to click. No automatic sales sequence. Just a human response from you, and then I will write back with a longer explanation of each problem as it applies specifically to Entry Level and to your upcoming novel The Doomscroller’s Companion, complete with screenshots of your current category rankings and examples from other short story authors I have helped bridge the gap between debut and sophomore publications. After that, if you still want to move forward, I will send you a formal proposal that includes timelines, pricing, and a clear statement of what results you can reasonably expect.
I look forward to your reply, only if you feel this conversation is worth continuing. Either way, I respect the work you have put into your writing, and I wish you nothing but the best with Entry Level and with The Doomscroller’s Companion when it arrives in October.
Warmly,
Evelyn Ashford
Book Marketer
Member, Bestseller Whisperer Book Marketer & Promotion Team Group
My name is Gwean, and I create professionally illustrated comics based on original stories and novels.
After coming across your work, I felt it had strong potential for adaptation. If you’re open to exploring the idea, I’d be happy to share how I would approach the project.
My name is Elijah King, Literary Assistant at P. English Literature (PEL), a global literary media and arts organisation established in 2020, based in Leeds, United Kingdom.
We spotlight authors whose works deserve wider visibility, and your writing stood out to us.
To date, PEL has:
* Interviewed over 1000+ authors globally
* Featured over 1500+ literature and artworks
* Hosted conversations across fiction, theatre arts, nonfiction, music, poetry, and academic literature
* Distributed interviews via YouTube, and organised book club meetings and festivals.
Our founder and host, Peter Okonkwo, is an internationally recognised writer and journalist interviewer whose work has been recognised and endorsed by the Arts Council England (ACE) and Bristol’s Black South West Network.
We would love to invite you to appear on our September/October Author Interview Series, where you’ll discuss:
* Your book(s)
* Your writing journey
* Themes, inspiration, and impact.
What you get:
* A professionally hosted Zoom interview (in person if you are based in England)
Please note: This is a promotional interview, and there is a $59 appearance fee, which covers production, and editing costs. There is absolutely no obligation to participate.
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, simply reply “Interested”, and we’ll send you the official invitation and scheduling form.
If not, feel free to reply Not Interested, or Cancellation if you have received this invitation before, and we’ll respect your decision.
Thank you for your time and for contributing meaningfully to the literary world.
Warm regards,
Elijah King
Literary Assistant | P. English Literature
Tel: +447514761519
Subject: Three observations on Entry Level
Dear Wendy Wimmer,
My name is Evelyn Ashford, and I am a book marketer. I am also a member of the Bestseller Whisperer Book Marketer & Promotion Team Group, a professional community that focuses on data driven, author first promotional strategies rather than generic advertising packages. I am reaching out to you today because I have been studying your short story collection Entry Level, and I believe a respectful, honest conversation about its current market position could be valuable. I am not here to sell you a miracle. I am here to offer you a professional set of observations, and if those observations resonate with you, I would love to send you a detailed proposal and assist you in turning specific challenges into measurable results.
Before I explain what I do, I want to be clear about what I am not doing. I am not going to praise your collection as the best debut short fiction in years without evidence. I am not going to invent fake statistics about the short story market. And I am not going to pretend that I have all the answers from a single glance at your Amazon page. What I will do instead is share three specific problems that I believe your book is facing right now, based on publicly available data, reader behavior patterns, and my experience working with authors in similar situations. For each problem, I will offer a strategic solution. If any of this makes sense to you, simply reply with the word interested, and I will explain each point in greater depth, provide examples from similar successful campaigns, and then send you a formal proposal tailored to your exact needs.
Let me begin by telling you exactly what I see when I look at your author profile and your book’s performance. I have chosen to be direct not because I am arrogant, but because you deserve a marketer who respects your time and intelligence. Flattery without substance is a disservice to serious authors. So here are the three challenges I believe you are facing.
Problem Number One: Your Book Has Impressive Credentials, a 4.7 Rating from 40 Reviews, and a People Magazine Mention, but Your Amazon Rank of 3,661,320 Suggests That This Critical Success Is Not Translating into Commercial Visibility
Let me acknowledge something important before I address the problem. Your debut short story collection won the Autumn House Press Fiction Prize, selected by Deesha Philyaw, whose own collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies was a massive bestseller. You have a quote from People Magazine, which is rare for a short story collection from a small press. You have a starred review from Kirkus. You have praise from Dan Chaon and Kristen Arnett. You have 40 reviews with a 4.7 star average. These are extraordinary accomplishments for a debut collection of short stories, a form that is notoriously difficult to sell.
However, here is the specific challenge. Your Amazon rank of 3,661,320 in Kindle Store means that on any given day, there are over three and a half million Kindle books selling better than yours. For a book with your credentials, that rank is genuinely concerning. A People Magazine mention alone should have generated more visibility than this. A starred Kirkus review should have opened doors. The fact that your rank is this low suggests that your book is not being discovered by the readers who would love it, and that the critical acclaim you have received is not being leveraged effectively for commercial success.
The short story market is difficult. Even acclaimed collections often sell poorly compared to novels. But your collection has something special. Reviewers compare it to The Twilight Zone and The Office. They call it weird realism, darkly humorous, inventive, and propulsive. You have a distinctive voice that blends the mundane horrors of underemployment with supernatural and fantastical elements. That voice should be finding an audience. But right now, your Amazon presence is not optimized to capture that audience.
My proposed strategy: A targeted visibility campaign designed specifically for critically acclaimed short story collections with crossover appeal. First, I would help you create Amazon ads targeting readers of Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Dan Chaon’s Sleepwalk, and Kristen Arnett’s work. Your endorsement from Philyaw is your single most powerful marketing asset, and it is not being used in your advertising. Second, I would help you rewrite your book description to lead with the People Magazine quote and the Kirkus starred review. Those two credentials should be the first thing a potential reader sees. Third, I would help you optimize your keywords for search terms like short story collections for fans of George Saunders, weird literary fiction, magical realism short stories, and debut short story collections award winners. If you reply with interested, I will show you the ad campaign structure, the rewritten book description, and the keyword optimization plan.
Problem Number Two: Your Book Was Published in August 2022, Nearly Four Years Ago, and You Have a Novel Coming in October 2026, but There Is No Bridge Between These Two Books to Capture Read Through from Your Existing Audience
I want to address something that is both an opportunity and a challenge. You have a debut novel, The Doomscroller’s Companion, coming from the University of Wisconsin Press in October 2026. That is excellent news. A novel has significantly more commercial potential than a short story collection. Readers who love your voice, your dark humor, and your weird realism are much more likely to buy a novel than a short story collection. You have an opportunity to build momentum.
However, there is a nearly four year gap between the publication of Entry Level in August 2022 and the publication of your novel in October 2026. That is a long time for readers to forget your name. The readers who discovered Entry Level in 2022 or 2023 may not remember you by 2026. The readers who discover Entry Level in 2025 or 2026 will be closer to your novel launch, but those readers need to find the collection first.
Currently, there is no bridge between your collection and your upcoming novel. Your Amazon author page does not mention the novel. Your book description does not mention that you have a novel forthcoming. Your social media presence, while active, is not clearly directing followers to a pre order or announcement page. You are missing the opportunity to use every sale of Entry Level as a chance to build an audience for your novel.
The second part of this problem is that you have 40 reviews on Entry Level. Each of those 40 reviewers is a proven fan of your work. They took the time to write a review. Many of them would be thrilled to know that you have a novel coming. But you have no way to tell them. You do not have their email addresses. You cannot reach out to them directly. They are a lost audience.
My proposed strategy: A pre launch audience building campaign for your novel that leverages your existing book. First, I would add a note to the back matter of Entry Level, both in the print and ebook editions, announcing your forthcoming novel and inviting readers to sign up for your newsletter to be notified when it is available. Second, I would add a similar announcement to your Amazon author page and to the beginning of your book description. Third, I would help you create a simple landing page for The Doomscroller’s Companion where readers can sign up for updates and, eventually, pre order the book. Fourth, I would help you set up an email newsletter using a platform like ConvertKit or Mailchimp, and add a signup link to your social media profiles, your website, and the back matter of your book. If you reply with interested, I will show you the back matter language, the landing page structure, and the email newsletter setup process.
Problem Number Three: Your Author Platform Is Minimal, and Your Social Media Presence, While Active, Is Not Clearly Connected to Your Books in a Way That Drives Sales
I read your author biography carefully, and I want to say something directly. You are active on Threads and Instagram. You have judged several short story competitions, including for Pen America. You hold a PhD in English Literature. You have been published in Barrelhouse, Waxwing, Believer, and other respected literary journals. You have real credentials. But your Amazon page does not link directly to your social media in a way that is easy for readers to find. Your social media profiles, in turn, do not clearly direct followers to purchase your book or to sign up for updates about your novel.
The result is that you are missing the opportunity to convert social media followers into book buyers. A reader who follows you on Instagram because they enjoy your posts about writing or dogs or Wisconsin may have no idea that you have published an award winning short story collection. A reader who discovers your book on Amazon and wants to follow you for updates may have to search for you manually, and many will not bother.
Additionally, your Amazon rank of 3.6 million suggests that you are not running any significant advertising or promotion for Entry Level. You are relying on organic discovery, which is not working. The book is nearly four years old. Without active promotion, it will continue to sink in the rankings.
My proposed strategy: A social media and Amazon integration campaign. First, I would add direct links to your Instagram and Threads profiles to your Amazon author page. Second, I would help you create a series of social media posts that highlight specific reviews, specific stories from the collection, and the upcoming novel. Third, I would help you set up a simple Amazon ad campaign with a small daily budget, targeting the keywords and also boughts that are most relevant to your work. Fourth, I would help you create a media kit that includes your author bio, your book description, your endorsements, and your upcoming novel announcement, and send it to the literary podcasters and bookstagrammers who cover short fiction and magical realism. If you reply with interested, I will show you the Amazon author page updates, the social media content calendar, the ad campaign setup, and the media kit template.
Why I Am Approaching You This Way
I want to be honest with you. Most book marketers send emails that sound the same. They use words like unlock your potential, skyrocket your sales, and leverage hidden opportunities. Those emails are designed to create an emotional reaction, not a professional conversation. I have no interest in that approach. I am a member of the Bestseller Whisperer Book Marketer & Promotion Team Group, which means I am held to a higher standard by my peers. We do not make promises we cannot keep. We do not invent data. And we do not approach authors unless we have something specific and useful to say.
I came across your book because I follow the literary short fiction and magical realism space closely. I was not looking for clients. I was doing my regular market research, and I noticed that your book had several of the signature patterns that I have learned to recognize over years of working with authors. Critical acclaim and impressive credentials that are not translating into commercial visibility. A nearly four year gap between your debut collection and your forthcoming novel, with no bridge to capture read through. And a minimal author platform that is not leveraging your social media presence or your upcoming publication to build an audience. When I see those patterns, I feel a professional responsibility to reach out, not because I need another client, but because I believe I can help, and because the publishing industry already has too many excellent short story collections that disappear after their initial critical success.
Your work has been compared to The Twilight Zone. You have a People Magazine mention. You won a prize judged by Deesha Philyaw. Your novel is coming from a university press. You are doing everything right on the craft side. But the marketing side is where good books go to die, and your book is dying a slow death by invisibility. You have a short window before your novel launches to build an audience for both books. The marketing obstacles you are facing are solvable, but they require immediate, deliberate action.
If you are not interested, I completely understand. Many authors prefer to handle marketing on their own, or they have had bad experiences with marketers in the past. I would never pressure you. But if you read these three problems and felt a sense of recognition, if you thought to yourself, yes, that is exactly what is happening to my book, then I would ask you to take the next small step.
Simply reply to this email with the word interested. That is all. There is no form to fill out. No calendar link to click. No automatic sales sequence. Just a human response from you, and then I will write back with a longer explanation of each problem as it applies specifically to Entry Level and to your upcoming novel The Doomscroller’s Companion, complete with screenshots of your current category rankings and examples from other short story authors I have helped bridge the gap between debut and sophomore publications. After that, if you still want to move forward, I will send you a formal proposal that includes timelines, pricing, and a clear statement of what results you can reasonably expect.
I look forward to your reply, only if you feel this conversation is worth continuing. Either way, I respect the work you have put into your writing, and I wish you nothing but the best with Entry Level and with The Doomscroller’s Companion when it arrives in October.
Warmly,
Evelyn Ashford
Book Marketer
Member, Bestseller Whisperer Book Marketer & Promotion Team Group
Hi there,
My name is Gwean, and I create professionally illustrated comics based on original stories and novels.
After coming across your work, I felt it had strong potential for adaptation. If you’re open to exploring the idea, I’d be happy to share how I would approach the project.
For more info, add me on discord: gweanlara2
Warm wishes,
Gwean
Hi, Wendy Wimmer
I hope this message finds you well.
My name is Elijah King, Literary Assistant at P. English Literature (PEL), a global literary media and arts organisation established in 2020, based in Leeds, United Kingdom.
We spotlight authors whose works deserve wider visibility, and your writing stood out to us.
To date, PEL has:
* Interviewed over 1000+ authors globally
* Featured over 1500+ literature and artworks
* Hosted conversations across fiction, theatre arts, nonfiction, music, poetry, and academic literature
* Distributed interviews via YouTube, and organised book club meetings and festivals.
Our founder and host, Peter Okonkwo, is an internationally recognised writer and journalist interviewer whose work has been recognised and endorsed by the Arts Council England (ACE) and Bristol’s Black South West Network.
We would love to invite you to appear on our September/October Author Interview Series, where you’ll discuss:
* Your book(s)
* Your writing journey
* Themes, inspiration, and impact.
What you get:
* A professionally hosted Zoom interview (in person if you are based in England)
* Multi-platform audio & video distribution
* SEO optimised promotion to reach new readers
* Long-term discoverability (not a one-time post). You can access our previous interviews via this link: https://youtube.com/@p.englishliterature
Please note: This is a promotional interview, and there is a $59 appearance fee, which covers production, and editing costs. There is absolutely no obligation to participate.
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, simply reply “Interested”, and we’ll send you the official invitation and scheduling form.
If not, feel free to reply Not Interested, or Cancellation if you have received this invitation before, and we’ll respect your decision.
Thank you for your time and for contributing meaningfully to the literary world.
Warm regards,
Elijah King
Literary Assistant | P. English Literature
Tel: +447514761519