Book publicity & author branding
Book publicity & author branding
From publicizing Wall Street Journal “blockbuster” The Complete Works of Primo Levi edited by Ann Goldstein (Norton), to launching an entirely new publishing company, backed by venture capitalist Peter Thiel around British opinion celebrity Melanie Phillips, BMM Worldwide has helped give birth some of the most acclaimed literary events of the century. The New York firm’s approach to literary promotion, where book publicity and author brand development exist under one roof, makes it a powerful resource for leading authors, agents, and publishers.
As VP, publicity at Scribner, Suzanne Balaban set the record for most concurrent New York Times Best Sellers in Simon & Schuster history. This included breaking out Jeannette Walls and The Glass Castle, launching Lisey’s Story and rebranding Stephen King, looking after Pulitzer Prize winner Frank McCourt, and putting together An Evening With Harry, Carrie & Garp at Radio City Music Hall - J.K. Rowling, Stephen King and John Irving reading from their works.
As Director, Advanced Development at NBC, Elliot Balaban championed the TV network’s digital strategy, evaluated digital investments, did diligence on NBC’s partnership with Microsoft to launch MSNBC, and executive produced the premier of NBC.com.
Backed by investor Peter Thiel, in 2013 Elliot launched emBooks as a brand development vehicle for then Daily Mail star columnist, Melanie Phillips. Curated by Phillips, emBooks published long form, magazine article-length ebooks including political humor bestseller, Islamophilia by Douglas Murray. Among its marquee authors were Academy Award and BAFTA winning screenplay writer, Frederic Raphael, Telegraph science journalist, James Le Fanu, and Phillips herself.
In 2016, BMM Worldwide worked with Norton executive editor Robert Weil to provide publicity for The Complete Works of Primo Levi, edited by Ann Goldstein. The Wall Street Journal pronounced it: “this season's publishing blockbuster".
In 2018, BMM Worldwide worked with Weil again to launch POGROM by Steven J. Zipperstein, which included producing “Fake News, Fake History, Fake Jews,” a live event at Cooper Union, moderated by New York Times writer and editorial page editor Bari Weiss, featuring Zipperstein and NY Times deputy Washington editor, Jonathan Weismann in conversation about antisemitism then — and now. Billed as “an impromptu gathering of the concerned”, it foreshadowed the tragedy to come. Six months later almost to the day, Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood and killed 11 worshippers.