CASE STUDY: Psychiatrist Turned Debut Novelist

SEEKING A REBRANDED IMAGE

Challenge

Before working with Greenleaf Book Group, Jeffrey Deitz was already a clinical psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, an assistant professor of psychiatry, and a regular contributor to media sources including The New York Times and the Huffington Post.
However, Jeffrey was ready to branch out and communicate his views on psychiatry through a fiction novel he had written over several years. He was also interested in becoming more involved with communities of writers, and expanding his online presence beyond his private practice. Above all he wanted to work with a publisher that would take the time to understand his goals and content, and work collaboratively with him towards success.

Plan

Jeffrey partnered with Greenleaf to publish Intensive Therapy: A Novel in September 2014. He simultaneously began working with our Platform Development team in order to develop three initiatives: a branding strategy, outreach to secure endorsements for the book, and a new website.
While our Editorial team worked on the manuscript for the book, our Platform Development team forged ahead with research on Jeffrey’s competitors, target audience, and trends within his genre. The goal of the research was to identify the elements of his work that make him unique among other authors.

"When venturing into the unknown of publishing your first book, I needed a partner and I found it in Greenleaf. There is a good feeling that we’re in it together.” - Jeffrey Deitz

As a way to further build excitement for Jeffrey’s book, we also built a targeted list of relevant authors, bloggers, psychologists, and top executives, and contacted them to request endorsements that could be included on the book’s cover.
Finally, we worked with Jeffrey to build a new website that would serve as a hub for his work as an author, and provide a distinctly different look and feel than the platform for his private practice.
The goals of the website were to visually capture the spirit of Jeffrey’s new brand, cross-link to social media, host an engaging blog where readers could connect and subscribe, and offer tangible tools that writers could use to enhance their own projects.
Through the entire process, collaboration was key, as we explored Jeffrey’s core goals, guided his ideas with a strategic lens, and received his approval for each decision before moving forward.

"The visuals and layout are representative of me! I’m more
than proud. This website IS me . . . and I’m proud to present it to the world." - Jeffrey Deitz

Results

The combination of strategy and digital assets provided by our Platform Development team resulted in a cohesive and unique brand positioning for Jeffrey as an author who pulls from psychiatry expertise to create true-to-life characters, while also guiding character development for other writers. Additional results from Jeffrey’s increased digital presence as an author include:

• Four glowing endorsements for the book (including one from a top executive
  at the Walt Disney Company) used on both the cover and the website
• 10 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars
• 27 ratings on Goodreads with an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars
• An active Facebook account with over 3000 Likes
• A website that represents Jeffrey’s new brand, offers downloadable tools for writers,
  and promotes his book

"At Greenleaf there is no agenda except to help the author realize their own vision. There is something about having a good collaborator that enables someone to go beyond what they think they can do. It’s like having a coach that brings out the best in you.” - Jeffrey Deitz

Greenleaf Book Group is a publisher and distributor best known for its innovative business
model, distribution power, and award-winning designs. Named one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States by Inc. Magazine, Greenleaf has represented more than 4,600 titles, including over 70 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestsellers. You can learn more about Greenleaf at www.greenleafbookgroup.com.