Q&A With Julie Schoerke

I’m glad to be doing this Q&A with the founder of Books Forward and Books Fluent. Julie is also an expert in book publicity & book publishing expert. 

Q: Julie, would you like to tell the readers of the blog & me a little bit about you & what made you interested in having a career in publishing?

A: Bianca, thank you very much for having me on your blog! I was a voracious reader by the age of 5. The first fact I remember learning from a book (and the librarian didn’t believe me) is that bats are not blind. 

My father was a screenwriter early in his career and became the head of the most award-winning film production company in the US of its time. So, storytelling is in our blood. My sisters and I all ended up in the book industry. One is a librarian; another is a bookseller, and I promote and publish books.

I found my way into the publishing world years ago. I had some general PR clients who behaved badly and got into massive amounts of trouble. I didn’t like crisis management. I was working with my first author client and realized that writers are intellectually curious, cause trouble only between the covers of books and stay at home, not committing crimes. I was sold! Of course, since I gobbled up books for years, it was a very happy transition. Authors have always been my rock stars and now I got to meet and help them!

Q: You are the founder of Books Forward & Books Fluent! How long have you been in business at Books Forward & Books Fluent?

A: We started in 2000. Almost 25 years ago! We started out as JKS Communications (my initials) just for tax purposes and stuck with it for years. But Marissa DeCuir (a previous journalist and currently the president and partner) joined me and we started attracting other amazing journalists with empathy. It seemed wrong to me to have only my initials on the firm since it took our whole village of publicists to create success and partner with our authors. So, Books Forward was born as the book marketing/publicity/promotion division. And we started Books Fluent a few years ago. That allows us to publish writers’ books in a professional manner, using only industry standards of major publishing houses, to birth the books. Then we could promote them. But lots of times authors would ask us to represent their manuscript or book and we couldn’t because it didn’t rise to the level of polished story and book cover that readers demand.

Q: Since you’re a publicist and publisher, what important lessons have you learned in your career as a publicist and publisher that you would want others to know?

A: When I speak to authors and writers around the country, I always tell them that there are key steps to success which include (but are not limited to):

1.   Read! Did you know that a few years ago a study was conducted that 80% of all Americans wanted to write a book, but at the time, less than 50% had read a book in the past two years?! Hone your skills and you can’t do it if you don’t read other work. Thankfully since COVID about 80% of adults have read a book in the last two years.

2.   Finish writing your manuscript! It seems self-evident, but I still know writers that started books 15 years ago and haven’t completed them.

3.   Be nice to everybody. 

a.              Recognize that you are like a politician. Authors need to get to know and charm as many readers, booksellers, librarians and other authors as possible because they are the ones who will spread the word about the book. For example, there are lots of bookstores that hand-sell particular books because they really like the author. Get out there a “kiss the babies” online, in person, through writer and literary conferences. If something is going wrong, let your friendly publicist take care of it. We want everyone in the world to love you so that they’ll give your book a fair shake.

b.             Do NOT ever leave a bad review for another author anywhere ever. If you didn’t care for a book, move on from posting on Goodreads or Amazon. Your taste may not line up with the book. And, pointing out perceived writing weaknesses is petty and sophomoric…and other authors will remember when your book is published. Spread good in the world and promote the books by others that you love.

4.   Other books are not your competition as a writer/author. The competition, hands down, are electronic devices. They chew up horrific amounts of time the world used to spend reading. If you want to play the blame game for smaller book sales, look no further than social media.

5.   Recognize that you are not alone in having to “spend” to promote your book. Anyone who is “in it to win it” spends time, energy and financial resources to make their book “go.” In 2023 675 million books were printed last year – that is 1.849 million books a day, 365 days a year! In 2007 traditional publishers pulled way back on financial resources to promote a book and build an author’s career. Today, traditionally published, indie published or self-published, the author is the catalyst.

 Q: If you were a writer, what would your book be about & would you be your own publicist?

A: This made me laugh! I love it! I tell people all the time that I don’t have a book in me to save my life. I admire authors who do – even if it’s only one.

I wouldn’t be my own publicist, in a way. I’d hire our marketing firm to do all the things that are kind of yucky for an author to have to do. Bragging on one’s own book is gauche and means nothing. Imagine if someone said, “I am the most beautiful/brilliant/humanitarian person. And you’ll love me, I promise. My entire family and friends love me.” Now exchange the word “book.” See? You want others to say that. That is what a professional publicist says. In our case we’ve been working with media and literary tastemakers for nearly a quarter of a century. If we come to them with a book (and explanation of what makes it unique and important), those professionals know they can trust us from our long relationships. We only work with books and authors that we believe have a shot at “making it.” We must turn down a lot of books.

On the other hand, I’d work my tail off alongside my paid publicist because I understand that I am the “product” and readers want to get to know the genuine me. I understand that I must do interviews, podcasts, social media, TV, columns or editorial content. But I wouldn’t have to set it up – I’d just do it when I got the assignment from the publicist who gotten a commitment from me. I would do everything my publicist asked me to do because in my current role I’ve seen many cases of serendipity when magic happens, and a small promotion can cause the book to explode.

Q: Can you please give a list of authors you & your team have or are representing at Books Forward and Books Fluent?

A: We are proud of the nearly 2,000 books and more than 1,300 authors we have represented. Every single one of them has added something important to the conversation for intellectually curious people around the world.

New York Times bestselling authors:

• W. Bruce Cameron on his break-out New York Times bestseller fiction.
• Andrew Maraniss on his New York Times bestseller and subsequent adult and YA non-fiction.
• Lisa Wingate, a New York Times bestselling author, on her inaugural book.
• Ava Reid
• J. Elle
• Joan He
• Daphna Ziman

USA Today bestselling authors: 

• Jenny Milchman
• Kosoko Jackson
• LS Hawker

 Many hundreds of authors who are bestsellers on regional lists and have won many literary awards…this is just a few:

• Cheryl Rainfield, #1 in the Top 10 ALA Quick Picks; ALA’s Rainbow List; a Governor General Literary Award Finalist; Staff Pick for Teaching Tolerance, Bank Street College Center for Children’s Literature’s Best Books of The Year for ages Fourteen and Up SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award, finalist An ALAN Pick, a finalist for the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award.
• Dr. Seema Yasmin, Emmy Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist. 
• Jennifer Moorhead, #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Southern literary thriller Broken Bayou, with 16,000 reviews and counting.
• Heloisa Prieto2-million-copy bestselling Brazilian author of The Musician
• Dr. Shaan PatelAuthor of the #1 Bestselling SAT book Prep Expert Digital SAT Playbook
• Lori Rader-Day, the Edgar® Award-nominated, Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of mystery thrillers