How Getting Picked For Reese's Book Club Changes Everything For An Author & Their Work

While Oprah Winfrey first established the power of the celebrity book club in the late '90s, Reese Witherspoon has had a major hand in upholding the legacy of Hollywood-led reading groups. The "Legally Blonde" star formally launched her book club under her production company Hello Sunshine in 2017, endeavoring to spotlight uplifting, women-centered stories. Though Witherspoon sold her company in 2021, the Louisiana native remains on the board and continues to headline Reese's Book Club. In addition to influencing readers everywhere, with some of her picks landing on our list of the very best book club reads of 2024, her sticker of approval has a major impact on the lives of writers spotlighted by the club.

"This is the equivalent of winning the lottery for these authors," Kristen McLean, executive director of BookScan, told Vox in 2019. According to data from BookScan reported by The Wall Street Journal, the first 41 titles selected by the book club averaged 149% higher print sales than the top 1,000 titles of U.S. fiction over the same period of time. 

When Time Magazine highlighted Hello Sunshine as one of the most influential companies of 2021, the publication noted that more than 30 of the club's first 54 book selections landed on The New York Times bestseller list. Being selected for Reese's Book Club doesn't guarantee that an author or their publication will go viral, but the reading group's marketing resources and bustling community often translate to significant sales boosts and a lasting impact.

When looking at the impact of Reese's Book Club, there are a few monthly picks that demonstrate just how powerful Reese Witherspoon's recommendation can be. One of the most popular examples is "Where The Crawdads Sing," an August 2018 release by Delia Owens that achieved unexpected and delayed popularity. 

Though its success isn't solely attributed to Witherspoon, the actor had a hand in its virality, selecting it as her September 2018 book club pick and producing its film adaptation. The book hit number one on The New York Times bestseller list five months after its initial publication, and outsold all other adult fiction and nonfiction titles in 2019. The debut novel has sold over 22 million copies worldwide and its Hello Sunshine-produced adaptation was a hit among fans despite being panned by critics, grossing over $144 million worldwide.

"The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave, which is among the best thriller and mystery picks from Reese's Book Club, is another success story. The May 2021 title was selected for the celebrity reading group upon its release and exceeded the popularity of other Simon & Schuster publications backed by Witherspoon's book club. As with several of the screen-adapted picks from Reese's Book Club, Hello Sunshine optioned the title prior to its release, with the announcement of a star-studded limited series on Apple TV+ creating buzz for the anticipated mystery novel. The series, starring Jennifer Garner, was just as popular as its source material, marking another major success for Witherspoon.

While it's clear that Reese's Book Club has the capacity to boost books into stardom, the group also has a large impact on authors. Through platforms like Instagram, where the group boasts some 3 million followers, selected reads are typically promoted from hardback publication to paperback release, with the club hosting giveaways and featuring exclusive author-based content. 

This ongoing promotion translates into the aforementioned boosted sales for authors, and even those who don't reach the unprecedented popularity of "Where The Crawdads Sing" feel the effects. "The unexpected piece of it all was the economic impact on these authors' lives," Reese Witherspoon told The New York Times, sharing that one writer was finally able to purchase a family home. Surprisingly, Reese's Book Club maintains connections with many authors after their book's month in the spotlight, often promoting subsequent releases through cover reveals or publication announcements.

Featured authors also find support from fellow writers highlighted by the literary group, staying in touch via social media and connecting at official Reese's Book Club events. "I definitely felt like I was joining a very large community," Kiley Reid, whose debut novel "Such a Fun Age" was highlighted in January 2020, told The New York Times. LitUp, the Reese's Book Club mentorship program, is another avenue for writers to connect, with featured authors invited to mentor unpublished talent. Though the impact ranges, it's clear that Reese's Book Club has the power to change everything for an author.