Once upon a time, when I was an aspiring TV producer (working at “Good Morning America”), I started dating an older man (I was 22; he was 40!). He was handsome, smart, and funny. One day, he said to me, “Jane, if you learn how to scuba dive, I will take you to the Caribbean.” What else would a 22-year-old do? I jumped into the pool at the YMCA in New York City, and within six weeks, I was a certified scuba diver.

True to his word, on our third month “anniversary,” we flew down to St. Maarten for a seven-day magical scuba diving trip. I was exhilarated by the beautiful palm trees, balmy weather and, of course, what promised to be romantic nights. However, upon arrival to the hotel, the “boyfriend” said to me, “Jane, I really like you, but let’s just be friends.” Haven’t we all been there? Seven days on a Caribbean island with someone who clearly wasn’t interested in me was not what I had anticipated. Heartbroken (those were the days before the internet), I was in serious doubt how I would survive the trip. I was miserable and lonely. The one and only thing that saved my trip was a last-minute decision to take Anne Rice’s 500-plus page book Cry to Heaven along for the trip. The book was my savior, and Anne Rice’s words became my friends.

From then on, I always remembered to take a book with me whenever and wherever I traveled. A book was my constant companion.

Years later, during a mid-life career change, I realized books and travel were my two constant passions. The timing was perfect. Bookstores were unfortunately in decline, and while Amazon was booming, that really did not help the traveler already at their destination. I knew that pairing curated books with luxury hotels was something that would resonate with travelers.

In 2017, I launched Bedside Reading®, an amenity program designed for luxury and boutique hotels. Our company provides books that are placed by the bedsides in the rooms of our hotel partners. Hotel brands include Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, and Kimpton, among many others.

A crisis is often a spark for a solution. When the pandemic hit the US in March of 2020, many hotels were closing and/or eliminating all products and paper goods from hotel rooms. We realized this provided Bedside Reading with an opportunity to re-design and re-think the needs of hotel guests. After beta-testing our program for a year, we launched a new “green” and sustainable digital amenity, On the Download. This program offers e-books, audiobooks, podcasts, and meditations to guests 24/7/365 via a QR code wherever the guest is, on- or off-site. Our program can now be found in more than 40 hotels worldwide.

In addition to this new digital program, we publish Bedside Reading magazine. Our eighth issue will be available beginning May 30, 2023.

The Bedside Reading Programs provide authors with visibility, discoverability, and media exposure through a combined 15-pronged layered approach.

1. Hotel placement – We first place books (physical, digital, and audio) in high-profile hotels both here and abroad (from Hollywood to New York, Canada, and even in Greece!) where high-profile hotel guests frequent.
2. Giveaways – More visibility! We promote our authors’ books as part of a collection of giveaways to millions of readers on various media platforms, including print and online magazines.
3. Social media – This is a big part of our program. We leverage the power of social media by promoting books on all Bedside Reading’s social media platforms, as well as that of our hotels.
4. Newsletter – We send our e-newsletter to a targeted audience reaching over 10,000 every months.
5. On the Download – For authors with e-book or audiobook fans, we have you covered, too. Bedside Reading offers digital downloads displayed inside hotel TV screens and by the placement of bookmarks (with QR codes offering a quarterly collection of books) on hotel pillows for over a three-month period.
6. Bedside Reading magazine – Our magazine (print and digital) is placed throughout the summer in the Hamptons and sent to Hollywood producers and to indie bookstores.
7. Events – Want to engage with guests at five-star hotels at an exclusive book signing event? We do that, too.
8. Bedside Reading Recommends – As a regular contributor to several luxury magazines (in print and digitally), we have been able to showcase our books in airports, hotels, and newsstands.
9. Poolside – Introducing our new 2023 Summer Poolside Program. This summer, we will be sending books to be placed by the pool or fireside at luxury hotels. From the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills to the iconic Napa Valley hotels and even at the Acqualina Resort & Residences are books that can be found by the pool.
10. Hamptons Summer Program – Every summer, Bedside Reading places books in several Hamptons hotels, targeting the desirable beach-going/beach reads crowd.
11. Media coverage, both guaranteed and earned – Through paid partnerships and publicity, we can guarantee certain media placements for you and work to secure additional editorial placements.
12. Awards and webinars – We have started an annual book cover award program with winners winning a variety of Bedside Reading opportunities, including books in hotels. Webinars are offered with topics such as book marketing, book covers, and more.
13. Hollywood and film – Through our relationship with a Hollywood producer, Rocky Lang, author of Einstein’s Compass, we provide you with access to this producer who can advise and introduce you to the ways to get your book noticed by producers.
14. Media recaps – We share the results back to you, giving you a “lookbook” of placements that you can repurpose and merchandise back to the audiences you want and need to reach.

Discover the possibilities of giving your book extraordinary reach and exposure. Bedside Reading puts books from all major, independent, or hybrid publishers in front of millions—through hotel placements to media coverage. Imagine not only seeing your work available for download when checking into a hotel room but also gaining an additional round of visibility via our publicist’s expert placement skills.

We keep novels alive and flourishing by providing word-of mouth buzz that can boost popularity among readers over time. It’s like sprinkling extra whipped cream on top with a cherry for good measure. All these amazing people have formed part of this success: authors, publishers, and even those marvelous hotel partners we’ve connected with.

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