Creating a New York Times Bestseller
After 23 Years in Print
The Problem:
Boundaries is a well-known book co-authored in 1992 by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, which has sold over 3 million copies and landed on several regional bestseller lists. However, the book had not yet made the New York Times bestseller list and recent sales had stagnated.
Sealy Yates, the book’s literary agent, and Zondervan Publishers (a division of HarperCollins) asked Rob Eagar of WildFire Marketing to revitalize interest in Boundaries, build a larger audience, and help boost book sales.
The Solution:
Rob Eagar solved the problem by creating new digital marketing tools to engage more readers, spread word-of-mouth, and spur book purchases of Boundaries. His work included these steps:
1. Built a new website at BoundariesBooks.com, which attracted over 20,000 visits per month and over 50,000 new visitors via Google search traffic.
2. Curated content from the Boundaries manuscripts to develop a weekly email newsletter that garnered over 50,000 subscribers with a 30% open rate – double the industry average.
3. Developed new partnerships with various departments of the publishing house to gain added marketing exposure on company websites, banner ads, newsletters, and social media pages.
4. Created unique free resources, including the Boundaries for the Holidays and the Boundaries Kickstart Guide, which have been downloaded by over 10,000 people and helped influence book sales.
The Results:
Rob’s work helped produce these spectacular results:
- Boundaries made the 2015 New York Times Religion, Spirituality, and Faith bestseller list for 8 consecutive months (February – September) reaching as high as #5.
- Boundaries returned to the 2016 New York Times Religion, Spirituality, and Faith bestseller list for 6 consecutive months (April – September) reaching as high as #2.
- Boundaries made the ECPA Top 25 Bestselling Books of 2015 and 2016.
“I asked Rob Eagar to breathe more life into sales of the successful book, Boundaries. After Rob worked with me and the publisher, the truly unexpected happened – Boundaries made the New York Times bestseller list for the first time in the book’s 23-year history! Sales and visibility increased, and we all are the beneficiaries of a lot of hard work by all involved. However, I’m convinced that we achieved these great results because of Rob Eagar and WildFire Marketing.”
Sealy Yates
Founder of the Yates & Yates Literary Agency
“Rob Eagar gets great results, plain and simple. His approach and focus work well together, and he strategically places the author in the right spaces. I’m very happy with what Rob did for me, and I highly recommend him.”
Dr. John Townsend
New York Times bestselling co-author of Boundaries
Founder, Townsend Leadership Institute
This case study is just one example of how Rob Eagar helps authors and publishers sell books like wildfire. To request Rob’s assistance with your manuscript or book campaign, contact him today.
