Case Study 02
James Cook
Strengthening Discoverability for a New Chapter in an Established Zombie Universe
Book
The Hellbreakers
Genre
Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction / Zombie Fiction
Audience
Readers of survival fiction, military action and post-apocalyptic horror
Campaign Focus
- 01Book Marketing Audit
- 02Amazon Discoverability Strategy
- 03Target Reader Research
- 04Goodreads & Book Community Outreach
Overview
James Cook had already built an extensive catalogue through his Surviving the Dead universe. With The Hellbreakers, the opportunity was to bring new attention to the series while making it easier for the right readers to discover where the story fits within the wider world.
The Challenge
A Strong Series Universe With a Complex Discovery Journey
The Hellbreakers had the advantage of an established fictional universe and an existing catalogue. At the same time, new readers needed a clear reason to enter a world with multiple books and storylines.
Series Entry Point
New readers needed to understand where The Hellbreakers fit within the wider Surviving the Dead universe.
Competitive Genre
Post-apocalyptic and zombie fiction is a crowded market, making clear positioning essential.
Reader Targeting
The book had several potential audiences, from zombie horror fans to readers of military and survival fiction.
Catalogue Discovery
There was an opportunity to connect interest in one book with discovery of the author's wider series.
The Approach
Building a Clearer Path Into the Series
We focused on understanding who the book was most likely to appeal to and creating stronger pathways for those readers to discover it.
Book Marketing Audit
We reviewed the book's current positioning, series structure and discoverability opportunities to identify where readers could be lost along the journey.
Target Reader Research
The campaign examined the different audiences most likely to connect with the story, including readers interested in zombie survival, post-apocalyptic action and character-driven adventure.
Amazon Discoverability Strategy
We focused on opportunities to strengthen how the book could be positioned and discovered through relevant search terms, categories and reader-facing messaging.
Goodreads & Book Community Outreach
Relevant reader communities were identified as additional spaces where genre readers discover new series and discuss books within the post-apocalyptic and horror space.
Results
A More Defined Discovery Strategy for the Series
The campaign created a clearer framework for positioning The Hellbreakers in front of relevant genre readers while supporting discovery across the wider catalogue.
Clearer Reader Positioning
The book's strongest audience segments were more clearly defined, creating a stronger foundation for future promotion.
Improved Discovery Opportunities
Amazon and reader-community opportunities provided additional pathways for genre readers to encounter the book.
A Stronger Series Journey
The strategy placed greater focus on helping interested readers move from one title to the wider Surviving the Dead universe.
A More Focused Marketing Direction
Instead of treating every potential reader as the target, the campaign concentrated on the audiences most naturally aligned with the story.
Before / After
See the Difference
Drag the gold divider or use the arrow keys to compare the campaign presentation.
Conclusion
A Series Grows When Readers Know Where to Begin
For an established author with a large fictional universe, visibility is not only about getting attention for one book. It's also about making the journey into that world easier for new readers.
For The Hellbreakers, the strategy focused on clearer positioning, relevant reader discovery and stronger connections across the series.
Key Takeaway
“The easier it is for the right reader to enter a story world, the more opportunity there is for them to stay in it.”
Creating focused marketing strategies that connect books with the readers most likely to love them.