Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Genre: Small-town romance
Formats: $6.50 mass-market paperback | $4.99 ebook
Released: December 23, 2023
Sabrina York is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hot, humorous romance. She loves to explore contemporary, historical, and paranormal genres, and her 50-plus books range from sweet and sexy to scorching romance. Her publishers include St. Martin’s Press (Macmillan), Berkley/InterMix Romance (Penguin), James Patterson BookShots (Hachette) and, most recently, Harlequin Special Edition.
The Airman’s Homecoming is the second novel in the Tuttle Sisters of Coho Cove series. From the moment Noah Crocker steps into Amy Tuttle Tolliver’s bakery, the self-made baker’s a confection he can’t resist. The stunning entrepreneur needs help, and the pararescue medic is more than happy to share his hidden baking talent! When he realizes his unexpected link to the husband Amy lost in combat, the instant connection to her—and her two adorable sons—intensifies.
When asked what contributed to the book landing on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list, York said: “I’ve had multiple books hit multiple lists over my career, and I’ve had to ask that question every time,” York said. “Sometimes it’s a mystery … there are so many elements that go into a book launch.”
She has found three elements that drive a book’s success the most—and support a successful publishing career whether an author hits a bestseller list or not. It starts with reader trust. “Most bestsellers are built on a firm foundation of consistent quality work and reader loyalty,” York said. “Writing compelling series can be a step on the path to a bestseller list by reinforcing that reader trust and leveraging a loyal following.”
The second element is reader outreach. “Your loyal readers are often your best promoters. Through reviews, word of mouth, and even blogging about your release, your readers provide you social proof to help you attract new fans.” York recommended connecting with readers on social media, blogs, newsletters, “or whatever works for you” to build excitement for a successful launch. The third element is the cover art. “In my opinion, The Airman’s Homecoming hit the list because the Harlequin Special Editions cover team knocked it out of the park.”
York offers excerpts from her novels on her website and incentivizes readers to share about her books and join her newsletter with frequent giveaways. She maintains a newsletter and blog for book announcements, as well as accounts on Instagram (1K), Facebook (5.4K), Goodreads (1.4K), and Pinterest (1.3K). She also has a private VIP chat room (Facebook, 1K), and a street team.
York advised authors, “Keep trying. Keep experimenting. Keep learning. The industry and the market are in constant flux, so you need to be as well. Finally, and speaking from experience, hitting a bestseller list won’t change who you are as a person or as a writer. It doesn’t make you a better writer. It doesn’t make you uber famous or super rich. It is not the be all and end all of your career.”
Emily Wenstrom is a freelance writer and platforming expert and writes award-winning speculative fiction for teens and adults as E. J. Wenstrom.
E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. She writes dark speculative fiction for adults and teens, including her new release, a young adult dystopian novel titled Departures (August 10, 2021). When she isn’t writing fiction, E. J. Wenstrom is a regular contributor to DIY MFA and BookRiot, and co-hosts the Fantasy+Girl Podcast. Learn more at her website.
