PR by the Book is celebrating 20 years of providing publicity and social media services for authors and publishers all over the country and even internationally. My husband Doug and I started PR by the Book in 2002 to create a boutique firm to serve all authors from bestsellers all the way down to self-published authors. We have had a great time with these beloved books over the years in so many different genres. Here’s a list of 20 books and authors we’ve had the joy to work with who are simply unforgettable.
1. Waiting for White Horses by Nathan Jorgenson
I read this novel cover to cover while standing in a pool at Red Mountain Lodge in Utah, on vacation, in triple digit heat. I just couldn’t go inside and stop flipping the pages of this intriguing story.
2. Patagonia Business Library by Yvon Chouinard
Yvon founded Patagonia and his big hit is “Let My People go Surfing.” We handled publicity for Patagonia Books for 6 years and were honored to help promote this icon.
3. Slow is Fast (Patagonia)
I have so many favorite books from Patagonia but as a travel writer, this one struck a chord with me, a reminder of slowing down to appreciate the surprising simple pleasures along the journey.
4. How to Travel the World for Free by Michael Wigge
Landing this self-published, first-time author from Germany on “The Tonight Show” was a media highlight for our boutique firm. We still laugh about Wigge’s comedic antics.
5. Giants in the Land series by Clark Burbidge
Clark is likely our longest running client, having helped him on 8-ish books throughout his writing career, this middle grade novel is a favorite of both our sons. They both used this series for class projects at school.
6. Confessions of a Scholarship Winner by Kristina Ellis (Worthy Publishers)
I had the pleasure of spending a day with Kristina when she came to Austin to speak at The Texas Book Festival. It was a real treat as I was in awe of what it took her to succeed as she did and I recommend this book to all high school seniors.
7. Let’s Go on Safari by Kate Gilman Williams
I had a ball working with Kate when she was only 9, as we were able to do a few media training sessions in person before her NYC media tour. She got the attention of Ellen, Ryan Seacrest and other celebrities.
8. Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag by Creek Stewart
After his publicity campaign with PR by the Book, Creek scored his own show on The Weather Channel, “Could You Survive.” We landed Creek an interview on Fox & Friends TV show on Father’s Day during his publicity campaign.
9. Making Happy and The Good Fight by Les and Leslie Parrott
Marriage experts who have been married for decades, Les and Leslie Parrott have always inspired me in my own life. It was a blessing to help them promote their positive message for marriages.
10. Max Goes to the Moon and other children’s books from Jeffrey Bennett
We were elated to learn, while promoting Bennett’s books, that his book was chosen by NASA as the first book to be read by an astronaut on the space station for their new storytime program.
11. Sideways by Rex Pickett
Rex’s book was made into the hit indie movie and later, he hired PR by the Book to create a Texas publicity tour for his subsequent book project. As he passed through the Austin area, our team got to sip wine with this storyteller.
12. Realionnaire by Farrah Gray
A millionaire at the age of 19, Farrah inspired me. Getting to meet him at Book Expo America, he was one of the most charming young people I’ve ever met. He gave me the name “Lady M!”
13. Oola series by Dave Braun and Troy Amadahl (HCI)
The Oola guys are everywhere. We had the honor of creating a nationwide book tour for them, where they rode in their famous VW bus, encouraging regular folks to use their 7 Fs to create a better life.
14. Ready or Not by Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo
Promoting Michelle’s cookbook was exciting and fast-paced. She’s one of the most talented authors when it comes to marketing her brand. Through her videos, social media and expansive email list, she created buzz like no other.
15. Breakthrough by Shea Vaughn (HCI)
The mother of actor Vince Vaughn, we were able to land her an interview on Ellen, of which we got to attend (it happened to be the first day of Ellen’s 12 Days of Christmas). What a thrill to be a part of that type of Hollywood TV!
16. Secretly Hers and other novels by Jamie Beck
The author of many novels for women, Jamie hit 1 million books sold with Amazon while we worked with her!
17. Good Evening Friends by Dave Ward
Dave is a trusted celebrity in Houston where he’s brought the city news for decades. It was an honor to help him launch his memoir to longtime fans and new followers alike.
18. Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer (Bard Press)
Possibly one of the bestselling business books of all time, we were introduced to Gitomer by one of our favorite publishers, Ray Bard of Bard Press in Austin.
19. The Ultimate College Student’s Handbook by Dr. Jill Grimes
A returning client, we had the pleasure of working with Jill during the time when our oldest daughter graduated from high school and headed to college. I bought copies of this book for every single graduate we knew that year, sending them off for good health and success! Dr. Grimes did TV from coast to coast!
20. Aspire!: How to Create Your Own Reality and Alter Your DNA by Frank McKinney
We’ve worked with Frank on a couple of his best-selling books, and he is one-of-a-kind! From setting himself on fire for a book launch (which we were lucky enough to attend) to visiting  homeless shelters and soup kitchens on his cross-country book tours, we are constantly thrilled and amazed with everything he does!
Even through the ups and downs of the past two years, working with such an amazing and diverse group of authors has kept us in high spirits! We are thankful for every single one of our clients over the last 20 years for believing in us and trusting us with their books. Books change lives, and every book we’ve promoted has an audience. Our authors and their books are all written for a reason that betters our society as a whole, and we are so grateful that they have allowed us to help them tell the world their stories.
Happy 20 Years, PR by the Book!
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