What We Can Crib from a Six-Figure Book Deal?

Written By Rachelle Newbold

I first heard about Sierra Greer’s slim novel, Annie Bot, on TikTok last spring. The book’s premise–a man gets a robot girlfriend who has the capacity to learn–intrigued me and the bright pink cover caught my eye. So when I saw the ARC in the staff room in the bookshop where I worked at the time, I snatched it up.

Sierra Greer’s book received accolades in dream publications, caught coveted attention from BookTok, and appeared on several key podcasts. What what we take from Greer’s media blitz (and even writing philosophy) and apply to our own projects?

I combed the internet and listened hard to every podcast featuring Greer I could find (yes, it’s true!) for clues. Here’s what I learned.

Capturing Our Present Moment

You may be looking at the title of this post and saying, “Well, Sierra Greer had a huge publishing deal and that’s how she achieved success.” You wouldn’t be wrong! A significant advance signals the effort a publisher will take in promoting a book.

While I cannot say definitively why Greer won a six-figure deal, there are at least two things working in her favor:

  1. The subject of her novel–about a robot girlfriend–meets our obsession with A.I. It catches the winds of our current moment.

  2. The novel is a well-written page-turner. I, a slow reader, devoured it within 24 hours.

Greer has also previously published YA series under a different name (Sierra Greer is a pen name), so while this is her debut adult novel, she isn’t new to the publishing industry.

Everywhere All at Once

If you pay attention to the book industry like I do, it may have felt like Annie Bot was everywhere last spring. This wasn’t by accident! Check out the marketing piece the publisher shared with booksellers here. The last page outlines the marketing plan.

Podcasts

Sierra Greer made the podcast circuit, and I listened to every episode I could find, discovering some new-to-me podcasts along the way. Here are several of those podcasts, plus insightful quotes from Greer on the writing process.

  • “Gabfest Reads: When a Sex Robot Catches Feelings” Slate’s Political Gabfest (June 15) “I do a lot of brainstorming. I write everyday. And I consider that a win even if it doesn’t add up to something that eventually could be a novel.”

  • “Sierra Greer - Annie Bot” Debutiful (March 20) “I have probably written twice as many novels that are not published as that are published. The creation is in my control, but the publishing is completely not.” Isn’t it a relief to hear a successful novelist say that?

  • “It’s Really Hard to Change the Patriarchy” The Stacks (May 22) “It's really important for people to understand that every writer does it their own way… Because I think sometimes new writers think that there's a path, there's like, oh, I have to have an outline, or I have to write 1000 words a day, or, you know, there's some system that's going to help it all work. And the truth is, each person has to find their own thing that works for them. And what works for one novel might not work for the next novel too. You just have to kind of stick with it and see what works for you.”

There are many (many!) more podcasts that discuss Annie Bot in a review or book club-type format, and it’s reasonable to assume these podcast hosts received advance review copies.

What About Social Media?

Sierra Greer has a modest presence on X/Twitter and Instagram, mostly to repost accolades or promote her book. It’s not the most engaging social platform; however, she doesn’t need to be more active or creative here thanks to the marketing and PR machine behind her. And, depending on your view, this is where Greer is truly lucky.

It’s worth considering: Would Greer’s book reach wider readership if she were more active on the socials?

To Crib

You may not have a six-figure deal in your future (I hope you do!), but there are some actions you can copy from Greer’s marketing plan. Note that these require an investment of time or money—and often both.

  • Build a marketing team. These could be trusted friends and family, or members of your writing group. They will be your early readers, your supporters, your promoters. You will task them with helping you spread the word to their networks, repost your social posts, etc. (Note that great care needs to be taken in both selecting and inviting people to be on your marketing team!)

  • Create a promotional sheet (see Greer’s) and host it on your website. Share it with your marketing team and use it as your truth north when you get init to the thick of launching your book.

  • Purchase advance copies, either physical or ebook, and place them strategically with potential reviewers, podcasters, BookTokkers, independent bookstore buyers, etc. Accept that a fraction of the books you send out will be reviewed and consider how you can make your book a “must review.”

  • Consider hiring a publicist, but listen to this excellent interview with publicist Lauren Cerand before you do.

For Further Reading

Before and After the Book Deal, by Courtney Maum

Author in Progress: A No-Holds-Barred Guide to What It Really Takes to Get Published, by Therese Walsh

The Business of Being a Writer, by Jane Friedman

This is just one successful book in a sea of others, and success can look different from book to book. I plan to share analyses of other books every few weeks or so. If you want to stay informed,

The books linked above are affiliate links, which earn me a small commission (at no cost to you), should you decide to buy.

Rachelle Newbold
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