We are so thrilled to be celebrating 7 amazing years here at BookSparks! Although we have a million things that we are proud of, especially all that was accomplished in 2015, we wanted to round up 7 crazy memories from the madness of the last 7 years for our March Madness Issue…
1. BookSparks takes New York City!
As we move into our 7th year as a company, we are officially expanding SparkPoint Studio and our BookSparks division to the East Coast and building a presence in the hub of book publishing: New York City. We are so thrilled to be sending our incredible Senior Publicist, Robert Soares to spearhead our brand new New York City office.
2. The Fantastic Fan Con Tour of 2015
Last year, we got to experience first-hand the madness of several Fan Cons across the country – and it was an exciting and wild ride! Thanks to our work with Transmedia Author and Literacy Advocate, Alane Adams, the BookSparks team embarked on a nationwide Fan Con tour to launch her location-based mobile game, her books that inspired the game and spread the word about her incredibly unique take on getting kids interested in reading. We are so thrilled to be publishing her books and to witness her literacy and transmedia movement make a mark on the industry and see the faces of the many kids, families, teachers, fans, librarians and readers fall in love with the world she’s created with her books and game.
3. BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge
The Summer Reading Challenge evolved from one out-of-the-box idea thanks to Crystal being a book nerd and reading all of the teacher-recommended books over summer as a high school student and has grown to be the definitive word on summer reading and the biggest, most sought after book campaign of summer. As one media outlet put it last year, “Summer reading belongs to BookSparks”. The SRC continues to grow each year (this year will be our 6th Annual) and we’ve reached more than 2.5 million readers via the breathtaking creative, the more than 400 bloggers and influencers who have participated, the more than 100 major national media selecting our summer book picks as their choices for coveted summer reading picks and more than 500 consumers reading along each year. It’s grown to be something we never could have imagined!
4. BookSparks takes Napa!
We were so excited to head to Napa, California for an exclusive Elizabeth Gilbert BIG MAGIC Writer’s Retreat last Fall. The weekend was filled with reflection, recharging and some serious team bonding.
5. SparkPress publishes the Nanny Diaries’ Authors, Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Sparkpress is a big crazy moment for us – launching our own publishing division and receiving some incredible reception in the industry. We are particularly thrilled to be publishing the authors of The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. It is a #1 New York Times bestseller and the longest-running hardcover bestseller of 2002. In 2007 it was released as a major motion picture starring Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, and Alicia Keys. We are over the moon to be publishing their next novel (and their last together), So Close, coming this June!
6. BookSparks gets a facelift, new office space!
Last April, BookSparks moved in to the beautiful Hayden Ferry Buildings overlooking Tempe Town Lake. We are so grateful for the beautiful views every single day and love being located in the heart of the vivacious Downtown Tempe. This is a huge step up from Crystal’s dining room seven years ago!
7. BookSparks Speaks Out!
As a book community, it is very important for us to come together to use our words, our blogs and our social presence to #SpeakOut against issues that are important to us. In past years, you’ve spoken out with us and we’ve donated money to domestic violence and anti-bullying organizations. This year, we spoke out for suicide prevention and suicide loss survivors. We love doing what we do, but we also love the support we are able to also lend to important issues!
Thank you to all of our authors, partners, vendors, clients, team, agents, editors, fans, followers, bloggers, media and everyone who have made the last 7 years an incredible journey!
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