By Leah Murphy, Emily Lavin, Georgia Rees, Chante-Marie Dante and Annamária Rákti
The upcoming prequel of her successful urban fantasy series Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, taking place in 1536, Queen B brings you to the gripping and bloody beginning of where everything started, with a twisted retelling of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn which brings a unbelievably fresh perspective. The book follows Lady Grace Fairfax, a witch who will do everything in her power to avenge the person she loved, but also has to deal with the complications of a vengeful husband, one that happens to be her own, and a man who threatens to end witch-kind itself.
It is more than just a story about a scornful woman, it is about an individual who has to go on a journey of self-reflection, loss and, ultimately, learn how to be a new version of herself. While her passion for Anne Boleyn ignites brightly, Grace has to let things go and temporarily put all her energy into hunting the one that slaughtered her, eventually finding a conclusion that will put her anger to rest.
Queen B is a fantastic fantasy book that elevates and builds on the world of what it means to be a witch, where sisterhood can bring them together or hostility can rip them apart.
Social Media
The social media campaign for Queen B is championed by the author herself, Juno Dawson. Dawson has over forty thousand followers on Instagram, and she made sure they were along for the ride. Juno has been amazing at sharing all updates with her fans: unboxing proof copies, gushing over the special editions and sharing moments from her book tour.
Another online champion of the book was the TikTok team at Harper Voyager. Preparing for the launch, they posted about the first two books in the series and, once Queen B was out, they consistently made good content about the book, hopping on trending sounds and creating mood boards. They also sent out PR boxes to lucky influencers, including a letter to the protagonist and a custom cookie, along with the book.
Along with the amazing events and displays, Harper Voyager prepared an awesome giveaway for those who pre-ordered the book, offering tickets to the musical Six, about the six wives of Henry VIII. They were not the only ones to see the connection and most videos on social media have Anne Boleyn’s iconic song from the musical in the background. The messages of the book were clear and loud, no doubt calling to lovers of all things witchy and sapphic.
Events
Juno Dawson has developed a reputation for her funny and insightful book tours and this one is no different. Beginning at Waterstones Canterbury and Waterstones Newcastle, readers were treated to a witty author talk and book signing, following the theme of “bow down witches”.
Readers also had the opportunity to listen to the author “conjure personal anecdotes, chilling histories and more”, joined by the recently crowned “Queen of the Mothertucking World” (on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World) Tia Kofi. The event was live streamed in collaboration with FANE productions, with readers able to purchase a stream and book package which included a copy of Queen B.
The tour moved on to Waterstones Piccadilly, where Juno Dawson was joined by Jen Cownie, part of the Litwitchure tarot reading duo. The event included a live tarot reading, embracing the “bow down witches” theme.
Juno Dawson also made an appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, on the panel Show Your Pride. Speaking alongside David Levithan and Cynthia So, the panel focused on the LGBTQ+ anthology Proud, discussing the stories they contributed to the collection.
Finishing in Sheffield, Juno finally met Juno (Books) for a sold out event at The Mowbray. Readers were treated to a selection of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks inspired by the book (and the HMRC trilogy). These included Lady Grace, Royal Coven, Rose Lemonade, and Felicette Grenache Rose, perfect for a boozy book event.
Bookshops
In store marketing in both independent and high street bookshops is a great way to draw attention to a new release. It has the dual effect of capturing the interest of prospective readers as well as those who may have been looking to purchase a book already.
The Harper Voyager marketing team employed in-person marketing in their campaign for Queen B. Bookshops, such as Waterstones Manchester Arndale, were given display boards featuring the cover portrait of Anne Boleyn to draw attention to this latest instalment to Dawson’s bestselling fantasy series. Other bookshops, like Waterstones Leicester Fosse Park, even offered Queen B bookmarks and tarot-style cards to give out to readers alongside signed copies of the book. Small keepsakes such as this are also an excellent way to encourage purchases from readers, once again highlighting the value of in-person marketing for a new release.
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