831 Stories is building a book brand for the fandom obsessed. Founded by Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo, the company goes beyond just publishing romance novels and letting the fandom create itself. They’re creating merch and even commissioning fanfiction of their titles to be embedded in the community—because if there’s anything to know about #BookTok, both will exist eventually. From hats with trope names like “enemies to lovers” to a sweatshirt referencing a fictional band from one of its novels, 831’s products double as both marketing and meaningful touchpoints for readers. According to YPulse, 77% of 13-39-year-olds who have bought merch say it helps them feel like part of a community, and 831 taps directly into this sentiment for readers by making fan engagement central to its strategy. (Ad Week)
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