Shannon Donnelly

Shannon Donnelly – Marketer

Easy-to-execute, effective book marketing strategies powered by 14 years of experience at Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and more.

Overview

For the past 14 years, I’ve partnered with hundreds of authors—independently and through publishers of every size—to deliver marketing strategies that move the needle and are straightforward to implement. My focus is simple: ROI-driven results without wasted time or money.

My consultation services are ideal for authors who already know the basics but want clarity on what truly works, which platforms to prioritize, and how to use them effectively. I provide a streamlined, step-by-step guide built around three essentials: product optimization, review generation, and customer discovery. This framework cuts through digital clutter and ensures your book reaches the readers most likely to love it.

My strategies are lean, practical, and designed for real authors juggling real lives. There is an overwhelming amount of information about marketing being thrown at authors these days. I want to help you go from overwhelmed to empowered, giving you ways to get the word out about your book while still having plenty of time to write the next one.

I’m deeply invested in my clients’ success. I don’t vanish once I hand over the plan. I stay available by messaging on Reedsy as you implement the strategy, offering guidance and support along the way. My goal is to help you build not just sales, but a lasting audience for your work.

Please note, at the moment the only service I am offering is marketing strategy. I am not able to implement marketing campaigns on behalf of the author or write blurbs at this time.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Fiction
Chick Lit Contemporary Fiction Dystopian Epic Fantasy Horror Magical Realism Paranormal Romance

Work experience

Macmillan/Picador

Sep, 2014 — Aug, 2018 (almost 4 years)
Conceived and executed digital strategy for all frontlist and backlist books for approximately 100 unique projects a year.

HarperCollins/Dey Street Books

Sep, 2012 — Sep, 2014 (about 2 years)
Developed and executed full marketing and advertising campaigns for 30-40 books a year.

Random House/Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Jul, 2011 — Sep, 2012 (about 1 year)
Provided digital marketing and social media support across all imprints within the group.

Portfolio

Coming this October: Killing Commendatore, the much-anticipated new novel from Haruki Murakami“Murakami is like a magician who explains what he’s doing as he performs the trick and still makes... read more
Marketing Strategy
The Night Circus: A Novel

Morgenstern, Erin

Anchor Books

Marketing Strategy
House of Leaves

Mark Z. Danielewski

Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could h... read more
Marketing Strategy
Angelmaker

Nick Harkaway

A Wall Street Journal and Booklist Best Mystery of 2012 From the acclaimed author of The Gone-Away World, blistering gangster noir meets howling absurdist comedy as the forces of good square o... read more
Marketing Strategy
Fifty Shades of Grey

James, E.L.

RANDOM HOUSE UK

Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Under the direction of famed explorer Porter Stone, an archaeological team is secretly attempting to locate the tomb of an ancient pharaoh who was unlike any other in history. Stone believes h... read more
Marketing Strategy
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLERAt twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years... read more
Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1)

Smith, Alexander McCall

Vintage

Marketing Strategy
Scent of Darkness: A Novel

Berwin, Margot

Pantheon

Marketing Strategy
Sweet Tooth: A Novel

McEwan, Ian

Nan A. Talese

Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Easy Money: A Novel

Lapidus, Jens

Pantheon

Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Home: A novel

Morrison, Toni

Knopf

Marketing Strategy
The Sense of an Ending

Barnes, Julian

Vintage

Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
The Vanishers

Julavits, Heidi

Doubleday

Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Regarding the Pain of Others

Sontag, Susan

Picador

Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Aleph

Coelho, Paulo

Knopf

Marketing Strategy
Wolf in White Van

Darnielle, John

Picador Paper

Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Gods Without Men (Vintage Contemporaries)

Kunzru, Hari

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Marketing Strategy
Wolf Hall (Wolf Hall Trilogy, 1)

Mantel, Hilary

Picador Paper

Marketing Strategy
Purity

Franzen, Jonathan

Picador Paper

Marketing Strategy
Zone One: A Novel

Whitehead, Colson

Doubleday

Marketing Strategy
Blue Nights

Didion, Joan

Knopf

Marketing Strategy
Not My Father's Son: A Memoir

Cumming, Alan

Dey Street Books

Marketing Strategy
Yes Please

Poehler, Amy

Dey Street Books

Marketing Strategy
The Fifty Year Sword

Danielewski, Mark Z.

Pantheon

Marketing Strategy
Calico Joe

Grisham, John

Doubleday

Marketing Strategy
Red vs. Blue: The Ultimate Fan Guide

Rooster Teeth

Dey Street Books

Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
The Virgin Suicides: A Novel (Picador Modern Classics, 2)

Eugenides, Jeffrey

Picador Modern Classics

Marketing Strategy
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLEROne day, sad cubicle dweller and otherwise bored New York transplant Hannah Hart decided, as a joke, to make a fake cooking show for her friend back in California. She... read more
Marketing Strategy
Winner of the Man Booker PrizeWinner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in FictionWinner of the John Dos Passos Prize for LiteratureNew York Times BestsellerLos Angeles Times Bestseller... read more
Marketing Strategy
A Fighting Chance

Elizabeth Warren

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An unlikely political star tells the inspiring story of the two-decade journey that taught her how Washington really works―and really doesn't―in A Fighting ChanceAs... read more
Marketing Strategy
WINNER OF THE RWA PRISM AWARD FOR BEST TIME TRAVEL/STEAMPUNK AND A FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST BOOK A thriller, a romance, a 10,000-year adventure…The Memory Painter is “the guy-meets-girl story a... read more
Marketing Strategy
#1 New York Times Bestseller Winner of the 2014 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir"An enormously smart, clear-eyed, brave-hearted, and quite personal look at the benefits of medita... read more
Marketing Strategy
Six Gentlemen, One Goal: the Destruction of Hitler’s War MachineIn the spring of 1939, a top-secret organization was founded in London: its purpose was to plot the destruction of Hitler’s war ... read more
Marketing Strategy
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, Slate, Publishers Weekly, GoodreadsFollowing the success of The Accidental Billionaires and Moneyball comes Console Wars—a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business... read more
Marketing Strategy
Kyung Cho is a young father burdened by a house he can’t afford. For years, he and his wife, Gillian, have lived beyond their means. Now their debts and bad decisions are catching up with them... read more
Marketing Strategy
Now a Major Motion Picture from Director Luca Guadagnino, Starring Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet, and Written by Three-Time Oscar™ Nominee James IvoryThe Basis of the Oscar-Winning Best A... read more
Marketing Strategy
Grist Mill Road: A Novel

Christopher J. Yates

An Entertainment Weekly "Must Read" "Twisty and told from multiple perspectives, this meaty thriller races to a satisfying finish." ―People magazine"The intensity of the storytelling is exhila... read more
Marketing Strategy

Shannon has 63 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Carol Ann L.

Carol Ann L.

Nov, 2025

Shannon was a delight to work with. She has provided me with a blueprint for my marketing plan. I found her to be accessible and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend her.
Robert D.

Robert D.

Nov, 2025

Best things about Shannon WAS HER softness around the edges, knowledge of the market place and willingness to help; nice lady and smart....
Anna Marie R.

Anna Marie R.

Nov, 2025

Very useful insight from an industry insider.
Shane A.

Shane A.

Oct, 2025

Shannon was very responsive and a pleasure to work with. I am happy with the marketing strategy she provided me.
Jillian E.

Jillian E.

Sep, 2025

Shannon was so helpful explaining the proposed plan and answering every question I had. She was a delight to work with and I feel more confident with the upcoming release of my book!

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