Tara Lewis

Tara Lewis – Marketer

I am a children's, middle-grade, and YA book marketing expert with twenty years of experience in the Top Ten publishers and freelancing.

Overview

I am an experienced children’s marketing professional with more than twenty years in the children’s book publishing industry. I have insight into the workings of children’s book publishers and internal operations and processes, having managed a global marketing department as a Director at Disney Publishing Worldwide for six years and managed teams at Scholastic Inc. for six years.

I have worked with a broad range of children’s original titles in the picture book, middle-grade, and young adult categories. I have also spearheaded the campaigns for many licensed book series such as Scooby-Doo, Disney Princess, Harry Potter paperbacks, Pokemon, Powerpuff Girls, Marvel, Lego, Tinkerbell, Matchbox, Winnie the Pooh, and Baby Einstein.

My marketing planning included not only devising the strategies but also conducting competitive analysis reports, writing press releases, articles, blogs, catalog copy, and news pieces for the product. I worked on a daily basis with the editorial teams to bring a successful book to market.

As a freelancer, I am thrilled to provide the following services:

-Marketing plan development (strategy, tactics, social, deliverables, etc.)
-Writing press releases, author bios, catalog copy, book blurbs
-Market research and competitive analysis
-Creating book proposals for authors to submit to publishing houses. Also query letters.



My areas of specialty are picture books, middle-grade, and YA sci-fi/fantasy. I love working with self-published authors to help them navigate and understand the publishing process. I also enjoy working with seasoned publishing veterans.

I have an impeccable career history at the highest level at the best publishing houses in the world. Let me help you - and your book - make the leap from good to great! I will help your book get the exposure and readership that it deserves.
Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction Parenting & Families Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Fiction
Middle Grade Picture Books Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Dale Carnegie leadership training
  • Disney Institute leadership and business training

Work experience

Self-employed

May, 2008 — Present

Provide children's, middle-grade, and YA publishing services including marketing plan development, book reviews, book proposals, query letters, editing, competitive analysis, and more.

Disney Publishing Worldwide

Jul, 2000 — Apr, 2006 (almost 6 years)

Managed the global marketing department for Disney Publishing Worldwide and all its imprints. Oversaw marketing strategy and campaigns, publicity, promotion, author relationships, multi-million dollar budget, staff of 26 employees worldwide.

Scholastic Inc.

Aug, 1994 — Jul, 2000 (almost 6 years)

Marketing manager for trade paperback and licensed imprints. Oversaw all marketing, promotion, and publicity campaigns and author relationships for relevant books and series.

Projects

Science-Fiction and Fantasy marketing

Comprehensive marketing and publicity campaign including social and digital media, Amazon marketing, press release, author bio, awards and grants.

Me and My Afro by Aiden Taylor

Create a full media, publicity, and marketing campaign to launch this wonderful story of self-love, inclusion, diversity, and acceptance.

Freelance book campaigns

Edit and/or develop marketing strategies and analysis for self-published authors or to enhance book proposals for published authors.

Harry Potter

Managed the paperback book marketing for the first three Harry Potter books.

-Dovetailed off the massive hardcover marketing campaign to push the paperbacks into all bookstore and non-traditional outlets
-Worked on a one-of-a-kind , never-before, and never-since book launch event: a nationwide midnight launch party for book IV

Disney licensed properties book publishing

Managed the marketing strategies for all of Disney book brands including Winnie the Pooh, Tinkerbell (and Peter Pan), Mickey Mouse, W.I.T.C.H., and more.

-Implemented a valued multi-million dollar promotion through McDonald's Happy Meal for the W.I.T.C.H. book series

-Was the Walt Disney Company's and Disney Publishing Worldwide's brand ambassador for Disney Fairies across all book and consumer product outlets

Goosebumps

Managed and executed the marketing plans and strategy for over 160 of these series titles.
-Instrumental in the development and production of the Goosebumps Scare Shack, one of the largest in-store floor displays ever created for a children's paperback series
-Implemented one of the largest free book giveaways ever in Central Park, New York City

Clifford the Big Red Dog

Managed marketing plans for five years for this well-loved and longstanding early book series.

-Oversaw the creation, production, and approvals for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon
-Worked with our television synergy partners on marketing opportunities with consumer products and media

Portfolio

Isle of Dragons (# 1)

Thompson, L. A.

Spoken: A Novel

Weiss, Melanie

I AM

Allen, Mary C.

Silver Planet

Johnson, Tom

ME AND MY AFRO

Taylor, Aiden M

Emily Elizabeth recalls a snowy day while Clifford was a puppy, when he went sledding in her boot, was rescued from the ice by a hockey player, and helped build a snowman
Discover the bone-chilling adventures that made Goosebumps one of the bestselling children's book series of all time. Now with all-new bonus materials!Greg thinks there is something wrong with the old camera he found. The photos keep turning out . . . differen... read more
In the W.i.t.c.h. boxed set, see how the story started as the girls discover their new responsibility in The Power of Five and then find out how a friendship is destroyed in The Disappearance. In Finding Meridian, the girls travel to a new world and in The Fir... read more
Baby Einstein: Mirror Me!

Julie Aigner-Clark

Can you stick out your tongue like Frog? Puff up your cheeks like Cow? Scrunch up your nose like Jane the Monkey? Look in the mirror and try! This busy book with a mirror on every spread (and a peekaboo finale!) teaches babies and young children parts of the f... read more

Tara has 299 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Puja S.

Puja S.

Jul, 2024

Tara is a stellar book marketing planner! Her strategic approach and dedication ensured my book reached its audience effectively. Highly recommended!
Ed M.

Ed M.

Jul, 2024

I am so glad I chose Tara as my book marketing expert. She has 20 years experience in promoting young adult and children's books, and she is a consumate professional. The materials she created for my book "Aurora and the Whispering Jewels: A South Pole Christmas Story" include a helpful timeline for things I can do three months... two months... one month before launch -- and beyond. There is...
Read more
Tara L.
Hi Ed! I am so delighted to read this, thank you so much. I'm looking forward to hearing about all the good things that befall Aurora!
Madelaine W.

Madelaine W.

Jul, 2024

Tara is a pleasure to work with, and I am honored to have her on my team! She not only provided me with links and references on every possible category of marketing, but she also tailored each category specifically to my book genre—with an explicit timetable and directions for execution. Because Tara then went through every single bit of it with me, I now feel confident in my ability to impleme...
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Tara L.
Thank you, Madelaine! I am so very delighted to hear this, thank you for sharing your experience. Yours was a unique project for me with it being a nonfiction workbook which made it an exciting and...
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Kate S.

Kate S.

Jul, 2024

Tara is professional, detailed, prompt, and an expert in the field. Highly recommend!
Tara L.
Thank you so much, Kate! It was my pleasure to work on your sequel after such an amazing debut title. I appreciate your feedback.
Kristen A.

Kristen A.

Jun, 2024

Working with Tara has been an absolute delight. I have to admit that I was completely in the dark in regard to anything having to do with Marketing or its timing. Tara gave me all of the information needed several months ago to make an informed decision so when it was time to hire a professional, it was not even a question that I would reach out to her with my project. Her expertise, professi...
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Tara L.
Thank you so much for your generous feedback, Kristen. This is one hundred percent what I strive for so this means a lot. I am looking forward to hearing all of the great feedback and activity surr...
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