Some debut fantasy novels are so detailed and epic, you’d never guess they’re a first book—and Shen Tao’s The Poet Empress is exactly that. We loved partnering with TOR to promote this stunning novel, which comes as a gorgeous deluxe edition that is a showstopper on any fantasy bookshelf (trust me, it looks amazing on mine!).
Set in an ancient China-inspired fantasy world, The Poet Empress is a dark fantasy where poetry holds the key to survival, power, and strength within a brutal palace. When poetry is magic and women are forbidden to read, a desperate peasant girl must secretly learn to write spells to survive her violent prince—and protect everything she holds dear. Perfect for readers who loved books like The Serpent & the Wings of Night and The Song of Achilles, bestselling author Chloe Gong calls it “Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting.”
The campaign featured targeted banners reaching fantasy, literary fiction, and historical fiction readers actively browsing content related to epic fantasy, dark fantasy, political intrigue, and AAPI books and authors. We layered in audiences including fantasy and folklore enthusiasts, AAPI readers, fantasy and sci-fi TV watchers, book club members, and bestselling book buyers. Comp authors included Leigh Bardugo, Samantha Shannon, Sue Lynn Tan, Shelley Parker-Chan, and Madeline Miller, while media comps featured Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Witcher, and The Rings of Power. Keywords targeted phrases like epic fantasy, bestselling historical fantasy, court intrigue, political fantasy, fantasy worldbuilding, and AAPI fantasy.
The ads finished at a 0.16% CTR, with a 1.28% interaction rate, and ran on premium sites including IGN, Variety, Bustle, NPR, Huffington Post, Slate, Polygon, Parade, and more. Our read-alike audience resonated strongly with readers (0.21% CTR), followed by fiction and fantasy readers browsing news and entertainment content on tablets (0.19% CTR). Book influencers and followers came in at 0.16%, with cozy fantasy readers on entertainment sites like Parade, IGN, ScreenRant, People, Polygon, and The Nerd Stash at 0.16% CTR!
Geographically, the campaign resonated strongest with readers in Oregon (0.25% CTR), Louisiana (0.23%), Missouri (0.22%), and Arizona (0.20%), with Portland, Raleigh-Durham, and San Antonio leading among metro areas. (I have plenty of friends in Durham who probably clicked through!)
If you’re a sucker for dark fantasy you can’t put down, I highly recommend picking up The Poet Empress. You can find your copy here. And if you have a niche book you’re ready to share with the world, you know where to find me—marybeth@adbiblio.com.
