CASE STUDY — BOOK LAUNCH, PR & SOCIAL MEDIA
At 16, Connor Secrist wrote a book that explains artificial intelligence to everyone — and he did it as a student with dyslexia. His family wanted the world to hear about both the book and the story behind it. Here's how we turned a first-time author with no audience into a front-page local news story and a growing book brand.
The client
Connor Secrist is a 16-year-old student at Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia, and the author of AI: Understand the Revolution — From Basics and Buzzwords to Tech Giants, Governments, and Your Future, published by Quick Byte Books. The idea started at home: his mom and grandmother kept asking him questions about AI, and he realized most people know the buzzwords but not what is behind them. So he wrote a book for everyone, from curious teenagers to grandparents. Connor's family came looking for a digital marketing agency to help promote the book and share his story.
The challenge
A great book doesn't sell itself, especially from a first-time author with no audience yet. Connor had a powerful story — a teenager with dyslexia demystifying the most talked-about technology of our time — but nobody outside his circle knew it. The book had Facebook and LinkedIn pages, but no presence on the platform where readers actually discover books, no media coverage, and no library of photos, video, or content to tell the story consistently.
Starting with a conversation, not a pitch
We reached out to the family with a free consultation offer, then held a discovery call where our job was simply to listen: to Connor's goals for the book, his family's hopes for his story, and what they had already tried. Two audiences came out of that call, and every part of the campaign was built to reach one or both.
The reader
Parents, teachers, students, and anyone who feels nervous about AI and wants it explained in plain language. They discover books on social media, trust real reviews, and need an easy path to buy.
INSTAGRAM → EXPLAINERS & REVIEWS → AMAZONThe press & local community
Local newspapers, magazines, and the Northern Virginia community, for whom a teenager with dyslexia writing an AI book is a story worth telling — and sharing.
PRESS RELEASE → INTERVIEWS → FEATURE STORIESWhy we recommended Instagram
The book already had Facebook and LinkedIn, which are great for reaching professionals and family networks. But readers discover new books somewhere else. We recommended launching a dedicated Instagram account, @quickbytebooks, because it is where book audiences live.
- Readers discover books there Instagram's book community — often called Bookstagram — is one of the biggest drivers of book discovery, with readers sharing covers, reviews, and recommendations every day.
- Book covers are made for visual platforms A striking cover like Connor's is the hook. Instagram puts it in front of readers the way a bookstore shelf does.
- Reels reach people who don't follow you yet Short videos can be shown far beyond an account's followers, which matters most for a new author starting from zero.
- Highlights work like a mini website Organized highlights for reviews, explainers, the author, and the audiobook let a new visitor understand the whole book in seconds.
What we did
A full launch campaign built around Connor's book and his story, from the first conversation to the front page.
- Free consultation & discovery call A no-pressure first conversation, followed by a discovery call focused on listening to the family's goals and Connor's vision for the book.
- Instagram launch Created and branded @quickbytebooks, with seven highlight categories: Reviews, Did You Know, Author, Audio Book, AI & Future, Explainers, and Quotes.
- Press release A release written for local media outlets, leading with the angle that makes Connor's story newsworthy: a teenager with dyslexia demystifying AI.
- PR & interview coordination Pitched the story to local outlets and coordinated interviews with Connor, from first contact through publication.
- Branding photoshoot A photo session at Connor's school, Highland School in Warrenton, plus portraits at his desk, giving him professional images for press, social, and the book's marketing.
- Video production & Reels Recorded several videos with Connor, including Reels where he explains, in his own words, why he wrote the book.
- Content calendar & branded graphics A planned posting calendar across his social channels, with branded designs for reader reviews, "Did You Know?" AI facts, quotes, explainers, and launch announcements.
- LinkedIn article An introductory article, "The Power of Partnership: Why I Wrote AI: Understand the Revolution," telling the story behind the book in Connor's voice.
Putting a face to the book
Connor's story is the reason people care, so the visuals put him front and center: at his desk where he wrote the book, and at his school, where his love of technology took shape.
01 — At his desk, book in hand
A feed built around the book
Every post follows a consistent, branded system in the book's own blue and orange palette, so readers recognize Quick Byte Books at a glance: real reader reviews, bite-size AI explainers, quotes from the book, and clear calls to buy.
04 — The @quickbytebooks Instagram profile and grid
The results
The press release and interview outreach turned Connor's story into local news. The Bull Run Observer, Western Prince William County's hometown newspaper, ran it on the front page under the headline "Teen writes book to help demystify AI revolution," citing our press release. A regional magazine followed with "A Bright Future," a feature on the Haymarket teen.
"The reason I wrote this book was to help more people understand AI and its impact."— Connor Secrist, author, to the Bull Run Observer