What Wildbound PR does

Wildbound PR is a boutique book publicity and marketing firm that designs custom, end-to-end campaigns for authors, publishers, and literary organizations. The company integrates six core service lines, namely press campaigns, social media marketing, event production, web design, video production, and platform building, into tailored engagements rather than templated packages. Its client base spans debut and bestselling authors (e.g., Boston Teran, Margaret Coel, Chip Jacobs), independent and traditional publishers (Heyday), and major literary institutions. Wildbound PR has produced the National Book Critics Circle Awards, the Kirkus Prize Awards, and the Bay Area Book Festival for multiple years, positioning the firm as a connective node within the US literary ecosystem. The company is co-owned and co-run by spouses Julia Drake and Jared Drake, operates from San Francisco with a Los Angeles office, and discloses headcount in the 1-10 range. Jared Drake separately co-produces the feature film Wall of White with Martin Scorsese attached and directed the Netflix documentary Buried, expanding the firm's footprint into narrative filmmaking. The revenue model is professional-services-based, with quote-based pricing and multi-year contracts; there is no disclosed external funding. In August 2025, Wildbound PR acquired IndieReader, a book review and discovery platform, marking a step from pure services into owned media and a possible recurring-revenue vertical.

Name

Wildbound PR

Legal name

Wildbound PR Inc.

Website

https://wildboundpr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wildbound PR is a boutique literary publicity and marketing firm offering custom press campaigns, social media, events, video production, and web design for authors, publishers, and literary organizations, including production of the NBCC Awards and Kirkus Prize.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations Services

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (541820), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Influencer PR & Seeding (Gifting/Press Kits) (MPAAAHAG)

Keywords

• Book publicity
• Literary PR
• Press campaigns
• Author marketing
• Book marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. PR and Publicity Services: Core revenue stream from book publicity campaigns including media outreach, press coverage placement, and promotional strategy for authors and publishers
2. Event Production and Management: Production of literary award ceremonies and book festivals, including hybrid/virtual event capabilities
3. Marketing Services: Social media marketing, book marketing campaigns, and promotional services designed to build visibility and drive sales
4. Creative Services: Video production, web design, and platform building services for authors and publishers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wildbound PR is a boutique book publicity and marketing agency that crafts custom, integrated campaigns for authors, publishers, and literary organizations. Services span press outreach, social media marketing, event production (including hybrid and virtual formats), web design, video production, platform building, and general marketing services. The firm also produces major national literary award ceremonies, including the National Book Critics Circle Awards and the Kirkus Prize.

Product overview

Wildbound PR is a boutique book publicity and marketing agency offering a comprehensive suite of services for authors, publishers, and storytellers. The company provides integrated campaigns combining press outreach, social media marketing, events, web design, video production, platform building, and marketing services. Additionally, Wildbound PR produces major literary award ceremonies including the National Book Critics Circle Awards and Kirkus Prize Awards, positioning them as both a service provider and event producer in the literary community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Press Campaigns Custom media campaign services that increase credibility, generate exposure, drive traffic to author platforms, and increase book sales through strategic press outreach for authors and publishers.
• Social Media Marketing Social media marketing services that drive sales, enhance brand image, build connections with media and influencers, drive website traffic, and grow mailing list signups for authors and publishers.
• Events Event production services including hybrid events, virtual awards ceremonies, book festivals, and author appearances that drive word of mouth, generate revenue, build credibility, and create media coverage.
• Web Design Professional website development for authors, creating online calling cards and main hubs that integrate social media networks and book information.
• Video Production Video production services including book trailers, author videos, web series, TV content, and feature films to promote books and tell author stories.
• Platform Building Development of author web presence including websites, blogs, social networks, mailing lists, public speaking engagements, and published articles.
• Marketing Services Marketing services designed to place books in front of target audiences, spark buzz, generate reviews, and create organic momentum that continues growing long after launch.
• National Book Critics Circle Awards Production Full production of the National Book Critics Circle Awards including finalists reading, awards ceremony, and reception as hybrid in-person and livestream events.
• Kirkus Prize Awards Ceremony Production Hybrid event production for Kirkus Prize Awards, integrating virtual and in-person attendees with professional multi-camera live streaming and virtual winner acceptance speeches.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple clients achieving USA Today Bestseller status
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• National Book Critics Circle (NBCC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Wildbound PR is producing the National Book Critics Circle Awards in 2026. NBCC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974, comprising 800+ working critics and book-review editors. Wildbound handles event production, live-streaming, and promotional support for the annual awards.
• The New SchoolminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Co-sponsor of the NBCC Awards ceremony. The New School Creative Writing Program at the New School for Social Research co-presents the awards event held at the New School Auditorium in New York.
• Morgenstern BooksminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Co-sponsor of the NBCC Awards ceremony along with Wildbound, The New School, Foley Wines, and NBCC.
• Convergence EntertainmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Financing partner for Wall of White feature film. Martin Scorsese joined as producer after watching Buried documentary directed by Wildbound co-founder Jared Drake. Film is based on book of same title.
• Martin ScorseseflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Acclaimed filmmaker joining as producer on Wall of White narrative feature film. Came on board after watching Buried documentary directed by Jared Drake. Represents major Hollywood partnership for Wildbound co-founder's film project.
• Kirkus Reviews (Kirkus Prize)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildbound PR produces the Kirkus Prize Awards ceremony, one of the most prestigious literary awards recognizing exceptional works in fiction, nonfiction, and young readers' literature. Services include hybrid event production with virtual integration for remote finalists.
• Bay Area Book FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSixth year representing the Bay Area Book Festival. Wildbound provides press coverage, social media strategies, video production, and overall event support for the festival celebrating literature in Berkeley, California.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Smith Publicity: Smith Publicity is one of the largest book publicity firms in the U.S., serving authors and publishers with media campaigns, book tours, and author branding. It is the closest direct competitor to Wildbound PR in the literary PR category.
• BookSparks: BookSparks is a book publicity and marketing firm specializing in PR campaigns for authors across genres, including traditional and self-published titles. It overlaps Wildbound's core author-facing publicity and social media service offering.
• Books Forward: Books Forward is a book publicity and marketing agency focused on helping authors gain visibility through media outreach, reviews, and digital promotion. Directly comparable to Wildbound's integrated PR + marketing + social service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Penguin Random House: Penguin Random House is the largest trade book publisher in the U.S., with substantial in-house marketing, publicity, and events teams. It is a broad incumbent whose internal capabilities overlap with what Wildbound provides externally to publishers and authors.
• HarperCollins Publishers: HarperCollins is a major global trade publisher with in-house PR, marketing, and author platform teams. As one of the Big Five publishers, it represents a broad incumbent that competes for the same author marketing budgets Wildbound targets.
• Macmillan Publishers: Macmillan Publishers is a major global publisher with in-house marketing, publicity, and author events functions. As a Big Five publisher, it is a broad incumbent serving the same author and publisher customer base as Wildbound.
• Hachette Book Group: Hachette Book Group is a major trade publisher with internal publicity, marketing, and author events teams. It is a broad incumbent whose publisher-side marketing operations overlap thematically with the services Wildbound provides to publishers and authors.
• Simon & Schuster: Simon & Schuster is a major U.S. trade publisher with in-house publicity and marketing functions serving authors across imprints. Its scale and integrated marketing capabilities position it as a broad incumbent adjacent to Wildbound's services.

Others

• Goodreads: Goodreads is a book discovery and reader community platform owned by Amazon, frequently used by authors and PR firms (including Wildbound via social media and review campaigns) to drive book visibility. It is an ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Folio Literary Management: Folio Literary Management is a literary agency representing authors for book deals. While its core business is representation rather than publicity, it operates in the same author/publisher ecosystem and frequently partners with or refers to PR firms like Wildbound.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wildboundpr
• Facebookfacebook.com/wildboundpr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildbound-pr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wildbound PR