Bindery Books: A Case Study in Combining Traditional Industry Marketing & Influencer Strength to Launch Debut Novels

Every few months, it seems like a new publisher or imprint launches that’s driven by how books often get discovered today: through influencers, both online and in real life. Some startups (Zando) partner with big celebrity names, others (8th Note Press, assessed earlier this month) hope to ride the BookTok wave, and some (John Green’s Crash Course Books) hitch their star to a massive author brand.

In August 2023, one such startup, Bindery Books, announced it would partner with online influencers (they prefer the word tastemakers) to establish their own bespoke imprints, using community membership and engagement to support publication, marketing, and publicity. I was skeptical at the time, wondering if an influencer’s following would really translate into meaningful sales and visibility in the wider market and if Bindery could distinguish itself among other influencer-publishing partnerships.

Nearly 18 months later, I decided to check in on progress. I saw strong reviews, industry visibility, and retailer distribution—all signs of gaining traction. Earlier this month, I had a Zoom conversation with Bindery’s co-founders, Meghan Harvey and Matt Kaye, to discuss how it looks from their perspective.

So far, Bindery Books’ first four titles—all released in mid-October 2024—are performing well, selling enough to break even. That means they covered the costs of investing in the books. All four authors have earned out their advance, which is what Bindery designed the model to do. All are debut novelists.

I can’t help but notice that the two better-performing titles come from influencers who have more well-developed platforms and experience in the writing and publishing community. That said, I have no doubt that the qualities of the stories themselves play as much of a role in driving sales.

The influencers who selected the better-performing books, at least for now:

• Jaysen Headley (Ezeekat Press) is a Booktokker, Bookstagrammer, and Booktuber with a significant following across multiple platforms. He’s also a board game creator; books are but one facet of what he does. He’s been active in the writing and publishing space for a decade.
• Kathryn Budig (The Inky Phoenix) has a long history in editing, publishing, and podcasting, plus she’s a nonfiction author of books on yoga/health. She worked at Women’s Health once upon a time and has contributed over the years to multiple media outlets. Her online presence is significant. As with Headley, books are but one aspect of what she does.

The influencers for the other two books:

• Kevin T. Norman is primarily a video/content creator on TikTok and Instagram, where he has significant followings. His portfolio includes a significant amount of work for established brands, like Burger King and Amazon. He’s been active on TikTok since 2020.
• Zoranne Host is also primarily a video/content creator on TikTok and Instagram who has partnered with publishers to promote new books through paid campaigns. She’s been visibly active in the writing and publishing space since 2022.

The influencers have specific commitments to fulfill for each title, none of which are surprising if you work in book publishing. For example, the influencers will do a cover reveal and increase their promotional activity during launch month. What delighted the Bindery team, said Kaye, was how close authors and influencers have become throughout the process. Most started texting each other, and a “deep emotional connection seemed to emerge” he said. Harvey added that these relationships have continued well past launch: “The relationships are really real.”

The other powerful dynamic that emerged is how all the imprint owners know each other and want to celebrate each other. While Kaye said that’s not guaranteed in every case, in certain genres they’re going to know each other’s books and in many cases recommend them. “That’s going to be a huge asset for us,” he said. In my research, I found that in some Amazon reviews, Bindery is in fact coming through as a brand; reviewers will mention enjoying another Bindery title. Kaye and Harvey said the influencers are all deepening their relationship because of Bindery, talking about what they want to acquire and publish next.

For Bindery, it’s more than just having the influencers’ platform: it’s figuring out how to use it well. Kaye says they consider how to best break through the noise and create “social moments” unique to each book and/or influencer. For one novel, they created a little video game; for another, they put a blurb on a blanket. But what I took away most from my conversation with Kaye and Harvey is that Bindery didn’t just rely on the influencers’ reach to make these titles visible.

Bindery played a strong and critical role in marketing and promoting these titles. And they did not throw out the traditional publishing playbook. Kaye told me they are “turning the same wheel” as other publishers when launching a book. They send advance reading copies, conduct Goodreads giveaways, help secure high-profile blurbs, pitch or place books in subscription boxes when possible, and do all the things you’d expect from publishers supporting a lead title.

Strange Beasts received support from major retailers and also a ton of IP interest; Harvey said the “Venn diagram” for that book was just right—that it has a commercial nature that worked for subsidiary rights and mass merchandising that wasn’t as applicable for other titles. Overall, they have 600 indie bookstores selling books from the fall season, with more expected this year. They had books in promotional quantities in Barnes & Noble along with nearly 600 Walmarts. Harvey said, “You would maybe imagine that we would have a higher share of Amazon sales. But that was not the case at all. Sixty to 70 percent of our print sales are in bricks-and-mortar rather than Amazon.” (Bindery is distributed by Ingram’s Two Rivers.)

Bindery does sell hardcover exclusives direct to consumer, although they’re now grappling with tariffs and what that might mean for their titles in the future. They partnered with Tertulia, who acted as a retailer on their behalf, to sell directly through TikTok Shop. Two TikTok posts ended up selling hundreds and hundreds of deluxe editions of House of Frank.

Communication between author and publisher is strong. About eight to nine months prior to release, Bindery invites each author to a kickoff meeting where they detail what will happen every single month during launch. They outline what Bindery is committing to and what the influencer is committing to. (They’ve also used Lavender, a PR agency, to support the books.) They set expectations and explain what is outside of Bindery’s control. Kaye said, “Transparency sets things up for a better process.”

After the kickoff meeting, Bindery sends monthly updates to the author and what to expect in the coming month. Kaye said, “We don’t require [authors] to do much. Anything they do on social can only help.” As far as I could see, Bindery’s authors do not have significant platforms. However, Susan J. Morris (Strange Beasts) did have strong footing going in: She has an extensive background in fiction writing and editing in the fantasy community, plus she was a columnist for Amazon’s Omnivoracious blog.

Bottom line: While I’ve portrayed the success here as anything but accidental—the publishing process was well thought out, well planned, and based on an intimate understanding of how traditional visibility works and how influencer marketing works—there were moments during my conversation with Bindery when I heard about surprise and serendipity, which tend to be longstanding hallmarks of book publishing. Kaye said readers of House of Frank, which is essentially a cozy fantasy about grief, wept on camera multiple times talking about the book on social media. “You can’t predict that; you can’t plan that,” Kaye said. “You can only set the conditions for things to do as well as they can.”