Scarlett St. Clair, a former librarian, found unexpected success self-publishing romance novels, one of which exploded in popularity on TikTok. Despite the newfound success, she struggled to meet the demands of print-on-demand orders, juggling her day job and acting as a distribution warehouse. Traditional publishers rejected her, not wanting to take on self-published authors, and she was told that no publisher could match her impressive monthly earnings of over $10,000.
In the summer of 2021, St. Clair was approached by Bloom Books, a new romance publisher with only one author on their roster, E L James, famed for the “Fifty Shades of Grey” series. James had left her prestigious publisher, Vintage, to help launch Bloom Books.
In her first meeting with Bloom, St. Clair was presented with an elaborate data-oriented plan detailing the retail locations where they planned to distribute her books, including big names like Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target, and Costco, as well as independent bookstores and airports. Bloom offered to republish her entire backlist and future novels, giving her total control over the publication schedule, cover designs, and marketing plans. St. Clair appreciated that Bloom recognized the entrepreneurial spirit of self-published