Confess

Since self-publishing her first book, Slammed, in 2012, Colleen Hoover has rocketed to stardom and published 22 novels and novellas. Her success did not follow the typical publishing blueprint as Hoover didn’t have a literary agent or a formal education in writing, and she self-published many of her early books rather than seeking out a publisher. Her path to success was rooted less in traditional marketing and more in finding new ways to interact with her readers and the online book community. For example, Slammed became a viral hit because it was reviewed by Maryse Black, a popular book blogger who focuses on independent and self-published works alongside books from major publishers. After cultivating a following, Hoover continued self-publishing and offered free bonuses for her fans such as publishing a free novella (Finding Cinderella, 2013) and collaborating with musician Griffin Peterson to create a free, streamable soundtrack to Maybe Someday (2014).

Hoover’s fans, primarily women, call themselves CoHorts, and they post gushing, often emotionally charged reviews on various platforms. In the past few years, Hoover’s books have been featured heavily on BookTok (TikTok with a focus on books), especially because Hoover is active on the platform and often posts reaction videos to reviews. Hoover’s online persona is charming, self-effacing, and silly, and she often gets her sons and husband involved, creating a feeling of intimacy with her fans.

Starting with Slammed, her book sales have been driven by these devoted readers, and Hoover has achieved unique success in the publishing world. For example, her 2012 novel Hopeless was a #1 New York Times bestseller, the first self-published novel to earn the distinction. As of December 2022, four of her novels are in the top 10 on the NYT bestseller list, an unusual achievement given that only one of these is a new release. Over 8.5 million copies of her book were sold in 2022 alone.

Hoover mostly writes romance novels, although she’s authored a ghost story and psychological thriller, as well. While romance is a popular genre in general, her approach has also added to her success. Where other romances tend to keep backstories to a minimum, Hoover’s characters are often survivors of intense trauma, such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, or the deaths of loved ones. Hoover worked as a social worker before becoming a full-time writer, giving her the context necessary to incorporate these sorts of subjects in her books. In this way, Hoover builds a sense of reality in her romance novels. Her characters engage in love stories, but they also have real lives; their love stories don’t exist in a vacuum. Her readers find it easy to relate to her characters as a result. Her emotionally rich protagonists are mixed with more archetypal secondary characters, who function as tabula rasas or blank slates onto whom readers can project their own feelings and experiences. Her books are also famous for their surprising plot twists that keep readers engaged.

Hoover’s female protagonists are 18-26 years old, which categorizes her books as “New Adult,” a classification of coming-of-age books that became popular around 2010. This has contributed to her success on BookTok as about half of TikTok’s users are in that age group. New Adult books have been criticized for romanticizing trauma and toxic relationships, but the inclusion of these plotlines is part of the appeal for many readers.