Off Book: The Book Launch Club on Book Marketing, Romance & Men in Billowy Shirts
What do book marketing, Ina Garten dinner parties, and men in billowy shirts have in common?
Apparently, quite a lot.
This week on Genre'd Off Book, Elyse and Katy are joined by Meredith and Erin, the founders of The Book Launch Club, a boutique book marketing agency helping authors find their readers
and actually sell books.
We have things to say. And so do they.
We get into the realities of publishing, why having thousands of followers doesn't necessarily mean you're selling books, and why romance continues to be one of the most underestimated genres in literature.
And somewhere along the way, Meredith introduces us to a new favorite genre: men in billowy shirts.
Honestly, the classification system makes a surprising amount of sense.
Meet the Book Launch Club
Meredith Bohling Erin La Rosa
Like all great business origin stories, this one begins with an Ina Garten dinner party.
Erin, a romance author and former marketing professional at BuzzFeed, Netflix, and Prime Video, met Meredith through mutual connections and a shared love of books.
After plenty of conversations about publishing, marketing, and their respective corporate careers, the two realized they had complementary skills and a shared vision.
Why not start a book marketing company together?
And so The Book Launch Club was born.
Their approach is simple: every author and every book deserves an individualized strategy, and successful marketing should do more than generate pretty social media posts. It should help sell books.
They've worked with authors including Michelle Eileen, author of A Real Page Turner, and Jordana Webber, helping develop strategies that range from building a debut readership to establishing a recognizable visual identity.
And because Meredith is responsible for much of the agency's gorgeous branding, Katy immediately has questions.
Naturally.
Book Marketing, BookTok & the Power of Actually Reading the Book
One of the most interesting parts of our conversation is just how much book marketing has changed.
With BookTok, Bookstagram, and an endless stream of creators recommending their latest reads, you'd assume bigger audiences automatically mean bigger book sales. Not necessarily.
Meredith and Erin explain why an engaged audience of a few thousand readers can be more valuable than a massive following that never translates into purchases.
The difference?
Trust.
There's a big distinction between someone posting an aesthetically pleasing book unboxing and someone who has actually read the book, loved it, and convinced their audience they need to read it too. It's the digital version of hand-selling a book at your favorite bookstore.
And it's something authors, publishers, and content creators should be paying attention to.
We also discuss:
Why traditionally published authors still need to market their own books
How authors can build relationships with booksellers, librarians, and creators
Why long-term readership matters more than a single successful launch
The importance of creating a recognizable author brand
How Substack is becoming a valuable space for authors and readers
As two people who started a book podcast and quickly discovered that podcasting also means becoming full-time content creators, we had plenty of thoughts.
The Genre'd Questions: Romance, Romantasy & Billowy Shirts
Once we get into our usual Off Book questions, things take a turn.
A very well-dressed, historically inspired turn.
What's Your Favorite Genre?
For Erin, it's contemporary romance, particularly books with strong characters, meaningful relationships, and plenty of emotional depth.
For Meredith?
Men in billowy shirts.
That's it. That's the genre.
Historical romance, romantasy, dukes, morally questionable men in elaborate clothing. If there's a shirt that billows dramatically, Meredith is interested.
And frankly, we respect the specificity.
The Books That Started It All
Meredith credits The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare as an ideal introduction to historical romance.
It has an arranged marriage, a duke, a seamstress, a Beauty and the Beast dynamic, and enough romantic tension to make it an excellent gateway into the genre.
Erin points to Jasmine Guillory's contemporary romances as books that helped inspire her own writing.
Their character-driven storytelling and emphasis on relationships showed Erin the kind of joy she wanted to create for readers.
Meanwhile, Elyse remembers getting her hands on historical romances at an age when she probably shouldn't have been reading them.
Apparently, our mother's supervision of our childhood reading selections was fairly relaxed.
Books for Romance Beginners and Devoted Readers
Naturally, we couldn't let two people who work with books professionally leave without giving us recommendations.
For romantasy beginners, Meredith recommends Rachel Gillig's One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns.
A complete duology with romance, atmosphere, and manageable world-building? Katy would like publishers everywhere to take note. Not every fantasy series needs seven books.
Erin recommends The Bodyguard by Katherine Center as a gateway into contemporary romantic comedy, praising its humor, memorable supporting characters, and distinctive voice.
For more experienced romance readers, Erin suggests It's a Business Doing Pleasure With You by Lindsay Lewis, while Meredith makes a compelling case for revisiting Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.
Because sometimes the best recommendation isn't a new release.
It's a classic you read in school before you were old enough to fully appreciate it.
Why Romance Deserves More Respect
One of our favorite conversations of the episode centers on the way romance is dismissed as less serious or less meaningful than other genres.
Erin shares an experience at a writing conference where someone complimented her work by suggesting that romance novels don't usually have depth. Which is certainly one way to compliment a romance author.
Her perspective is that romance is often underestimated precisely because it centers women's happiness, relationships, and pleasure.
Meredith expands on that idea by discussing the female gaze in fiction and why the perspective through which a story is told can completely change the reading experience.
That leads us into a spirited discussion about male-authored fantasy, Anna Karenina, Red Rising, and whether certain fictional men are actually romantic or just objectively terrible.
Heathcliff and Rochester, we're looking at you.
We also revisit the books we read far too young and how much differently we interpret their relationships as adults.
Turns out, your childhood reading habits might explain quite a lot about your adult fictional crushes.
Our Favorite Tropes & Comfort Reads
Everyone has a literary comfort zone.
For Erin, it's enemies-to-lovers banter. Two people who absolutely cannot stand each other, preferably exchanging increasingly entertaining insults.
Her repeat comfort read is Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall.
For Meredith, it's forced proximity and arranged marriage.
Preferably involving a duke.
Preferably wearing a billowy shirt.
This also leads to an extended appreciation of Heated Rivalry, which Katy considers a genuinely life-changing television experience.
Sometimes a story comes along that completely changes what you thought you liked.
And sometimes you watch it ten times.
No judgment here.
Every Book We Added to Our TBR
Consider this your warning that your reading list is about to get longer.
Cozy, witchy & romantasy reads
Cards on the Table by Lana Harper and Jilly Gagnon
Something Wicked by Fallon Ballard
What Light Breaks by Fallon Ballard
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
Contemporary & historical romance
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Casually Yours by Vivian Gia-Lac
Roommating by Meredith Schorr
It's a Business Doing Pleasure With You by Lindsay Lewis
Jasmine Guillory's contemporary romance novels
Classics worth revisiting
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Plus plenty of discussion about Sarah J. Maas, Heated Rivalry, and the books that shaped our reading tastes.
About Our Guests
Meredith and Erin are the founders of The Book Launch Club, a boutique marketing agency dedicated to helping authors reach readers and build lasting careers.
Erin brings experience as a published romance and nonfiction author alongside a background in entertainment and digital marketing. Meredith brings a creative eye for branding, visual storytelling, and author positioning.
Together, they help authors develop personalized marketing strategies focused on meaningful connections and book sales.
Find The Book Launch Club:
Website: https://thebooklaunchclub.com
Instagram: @thebooklaunchclub
Substack: The Book Launch Club
Listen & Follow Genre'd
Genre'd is a weekly book podcast hosted by sisters Elyse and Katy, where we read outside our comfort zones, share strong opinions, and discover books we might never have picked up otherwise.
Listen to this episode of Off Book wherever you get your podcasts.
New episodes every Thursday.
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @genredpodcast, and visit genredpodcast.com for more book reviews, recommendations, and conversations.
Read widely. Judge freely.
FAQs
What is The Book Launch Club?
The Book Launch Club is a boutique book marketing agency founded by Meredith Bohling and Erin La Rosa. They help authors develop personalized marketing strategies, connect with readers, and promote their books.
Do traditionally published authors need to market their own books?
Often, yes. As Meredith and Erin explain, even authors receiving publisher marketing support may benefit from additional outreach, branding, creator partnerships, and reader engagement.
Does having more BookTok followers mean selling more books?
Not necessarily. The Book Launch Club emphasizes that engaged audiences, genuine recommendations, and trusted relationships can matter more than follower counts alone.
What are some good romance books for beginners?
In this episode, Meredith recommends The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare for historical romance, while Erin recommends The Bodyguard by Katherine Center for contemporary romantic comedy.
What are the best romantasy books for beginners?
Meredith recommends Rachel Gillig's One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns for readers looking for an atmospheric fantasy romance with an accessible magic system and a complete two-book story.
Where can I listen to Genre'd Off Book?
You can listen to Genre'd Off Book on your favorite podcast platform. The series features conversations with authors, publishing professionals, and book lovers about the stories and genres that shaped their reading lives.
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