We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Arielle Haughee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Arielle, appreciate you joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

Book marketing is always tricky. A strategy that worked for one book won’t work for another, and the market is always changing so you constantly have to adapt your approach. To make things even more difficult, a recent study by the University of Florida (my alma mater) and University College London found that over the last 20 years, daily reading for pleasure has dropped 40%. In addition, an estimated three million titles were published in the US alone last year. That means authors and publishers are fighting for a shrinking audience in an over-saturated market. Standing out becomes key.

But how do you do it?

In January, I published a middle-grade mystery, Snoopers & Sneakers, by two talented authors that I was really excited about. The story features two girls who become friends and one has autism. One of the book’s authors also has autism, and the story reads really authentic and is a fantastic book for children to see the world through this particular character’s lens. I was previously a special education teacher who worked with kids with autism, and I felt it was incredibly important to share this story with the world and have these types of kids represented on the page.

As a publisher, I have witnessed many books release and noticed the ones that do better are the ones where the authors are active in marketing and continue to do it months after the book releases. Well these two authors, Cristina Rouvalis and Lydia Wayman, are marketing superstars and are always doing table events, school visits, press releases, social media posts… you name it. I, in turn, have also amped up my marketing efforts with this book and want to see it go places.

Well, go places it did. It got someone special’s attention…

It was a regular week when an interesting email hit my inbox. The sender purported to be an assistant producer for The Kelly Clarkson Show. Naturally, I was immediately suspicious. Scammers abound in the book and publishing industry. I went to LinkedIn and looked up the individual’s name, not expecting any real results. But there it was—the person’s name, job title with the show, and large amount of followers. I almost fell out of my chair. She was asking to be connected to the authors to see if they would like to appear on the show. I zipped an email over to the authors and got an almost immediate HECK YES from them. The parties connected and plans were made for them to appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show with their book.

The producer explained to me that they selected it to be featured for Autism Acceptance Month since the book included an autistic character and had an author with autism. All our marketing efforts paid off! I was absolutely delighted that my mission of having stories with neurodivergent characters would be furthered with this excellent exposure.

After much anticipation, the day finally came when the segment would air. Now this would sure help the book stand out. The authors appeared virtually on Kelly’s big screen while she held a copy of the book. I was incredibly proud of them and our “book baby.” It goes to show you that you never know what can happen when you consistently market a book; you might get a delightful surprise like this!

Arielle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After being a special education teacher for several years, I became a stay-at-home mom to my two boys. Often I would read and write to escape my sometimes monotonous days. After getting some pieces published, I realized how much I enjoyed working with other creatives. I also had an idea for an anthology series and some picture books I wanted to create. So I started Orange Blossom Publishing where I could work with other creatives and make whatever books I wanted. The more I got involved in publishing, the more I enjoyed that end of the business versus the writing element. I slowly shifted away from writing and more toward publishing.

At OBP, we publish books about love, humor, and wellness for women and children with a concentration on the female audience for our adult books. I also have a mission of sharing stories with female, LGBTQ, and neurodivergent authors, although we of course welcome anyone of any background to submit.

While selling a lot of books is always one of our main goals, creating beautiful stories with impact is at our core. With this focus, our books have won many awards and have been frequently recognized for their merit. I am most proud when an independent reviewer or contest judge evaluates our works and finds them outstanding.

How’d you meet your business partner?

One thing I am quite proud of is my team of freelancers who have been with me for years. We work incredibly well together and have navigated so many different situations with what I consider success. I met my cover designer, Sanja Mosic, when she created a logo for a writing nonprofit I volunteered for. I helped facilitate that process and enjoyed working with Sanja so much, I asked if she did book covers. She replied in the affirmative and we’ve been a team ever since. Sanja has a true gift for taking an author’s written ideas and turning them into stunning visuals. I love the covers she creates.

I also have a fantastic formatter, Autumn Skye. She was referred to me by a friend in the publishing industry. Autumn does an excellent job of making the interior of the book part of the art while still keeping with industry standards. I often get comments on how beautiful the formatting is with my books… that’s all Autumn.

Lastly, I made a recent addition to the team who is an old friend, editor Paul Iasevoli. Boy, does he have an eye for grammar! He’s always taking classes and keeping up with current editing trends. He does a wonderful job of tidying up prose and making sure everything is in tip-top shape.

I am lucky to have such a great group of talented individuals who help me create literary works of art.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I’ve spent a lot of time volunteering with different writing/literary organizations. I was the Marketing Chair and then Executive Vice President for the Florida Writers Association. I am currently the Secretary on the Board of Directors for The Kerouac Project of Orlando. By giving my time, talent, and energy consistently over the years, I’ve built up a reputation for myself and my press. I will also teach workshops and sit on panels for different groups and at different conferences. Really putting myself out there as much as possible in the writing world has exponentially helped establish myself as an industry expert. This all ties into my brand, showing that I make quality books and attract quality authors. I often get told, “Oh, Orange Blossom Publishing? I’ve heard of them.” It’s all from my work in the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.orangeblossombooks.com/
• Instagram: @orange_blossom_books
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrangeBlossomPublishing
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ETBYSxNQt8

Image Credits
Stephana Ferrell, The Inspired Storytellers