The Road Was Full of Thorns

Award-winning author: Zoeller’s most recent book, Island on Fire, won the 2020 National Book Critic Circle Award for Nonfiction (“A nuanced, textured, readable history.” —National Book Critics Circle).

New York Times bestseller: Zoellner’s An Ordinary Man, co-authored with Paul Rusesabaginas of Hotel Rwanda fame, was a New York Times Bestseller in hardcover and paperback.

Stellar national review track: Zoellner’s books have garnered major, glowing review attention in outlets ranging from The New York Times to Entertainment Weekly.

Strong sales track: Three of Zoellner’s books (Train, Uranium, and The Heartless Stone) have netted 10K+ copies in all editions.

New Press track in field: Our key Civil War/slavery history titles have seen robust sales, including Denmark Vesey’s Garden (11.5K+ in all editions); A People’s History of the Civil War (16K+ in all editions); and Remembering Slavery (50K+ in all editions).

Strong subcategory: Like The 1619 Project, author places enslaved people at the center of American History, arguing that their actions drove the plot of the Civil War—a noteworthy/newsworthy argument that will attract attention.

Marketing Support: Printed and digital galleys, social media campaign and outreach; print and digital advertising; library promotion.