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  • Rachel Barnett, author

Rachel Barnett is an author of escapist contemporary women’s fiction, published by Boldwood Books. With a prestigious 6-book deal and her debut title The Italian Lakes Affair launching in February 2026, Rachel needed to establish a professional digital presence to support her growing author career and connect directly with readers.

Having previously published under both her own name and the pen name Laura Leeson, Rachel’s online presence was spread across multiple platforms without a cohesive strategy. With no dedicated author website and social media that wasn’t working as hard as it could, she turned to Utterly Social to build a strategic, sustainable digital foundation ahead of her major book launch.

Challenges

  • No existing website: Rachel had no digital home to showcase her books, build her mailing list, or provide a professional hub for readers and media.
  • Fragmented social media presence: With accounts across multiple platforms but no cohesive strategy, Rachel’s social media wasn’t working as effectively as it could to build anticipation or connect with her target readership.
  • Need for strategic direction: Rachel needed a clear, structured approach to social media that would maximise impact without becoming overwhelming or time-consuming.
  • Major publisher launch pressure: With Boldwood Books investing in a 6-book deal, Rachel needed her own brand-owned platforms to complement the publisher’s promotional efforts and build direct reader relationships.
  • Fragmented brand identity: Multiple books across different settings (Italian Lakes, French Riviera, Scottish Highlands) and previous pen name work required a cohesive visual and strategic identity.
  • Time constraints: As a working author focused on writing, Rachel needed a low-maintenance, high-impact approach that wouldn’t consume her creative energy.

Solution

Utterly Social delivered a comprehensive author platform launch, creating all digital infrastructure from scratch and providing Rachel with a clear, manageable strategy.

  • Professional author website: Built a clean, elegant Webflow site featuring homepage with book carousel and newsletter signup, dedicated About page with author bio and photos, individual book pages with blurbs and buy links, media/press kit page with downloadable assets, and contact page with social links.
  • Email marketing infrastructure: Set up email system with GDPR-compliant signup forms integrated into the website, welcome email sequence to nurture new subscribers, and seasonal sending plan.
  • Comprehensive social media strategy: Developed an Instagram-led content strategy and a detailed 3-month content roadmap.
  • Visual brand development: Created cohesive colour palette, designed custom typography system, produced website mood board, and developed templates.
  • Author photography: Photo session for headshots and lifestyle shots for website and press use.
  • Press kit creation: Compiled professional media pack.
  • Ongoing advisory support

The strategy focused on quality over quantity, creating a warm, relatable author brand that felt authentic rather than pushy, and establishing systems Rachel could maintain independently without overwhelm.

“With my first novel in a big six-book deal hurtling towards publication, I decided it was time to get my social media sorted out by a professional! I also needed a new, easy to use website and so I turned to Sarah at Utterly Social.

Sarah has designed a wonderful new website for my books, she sorted out my haphazard approach to social media and has provided me with a clear and carefully structured roadmap to take me forwards. I’m already getting more visits to my social media accounts.

I would absolutely recommend Sarah at Utterly Social for all social media and website requirements.”

~ Rachel Barnett, author

Solutions:

  • WEBSITE DESIGN & BUILD (WEBFLOW)
  • EMAIL MARKETING SETUP & STRATEGY
  • SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY & PLANNING
  • BRAND DEVELOPMENT & VISUAL IDENTITY
  • CONTENT STRATEGY & ROADMAP
  • AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPHY
  • PRESS KIT CREATION
  • TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
  • ADVISORY & CONSULTATION
  • LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLANNING
  • WEBSITE DESIGN & BUILD
  • EMAIL MARKETING SETUP & STRATEGY
  • SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY & PLANNING
  • BRAND DEVELOPMENT & VISUAL IDENTITY
  • CONTENT STRATEGY & ROADMAP
  • AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPHY
  • PRESS KIT CREATION
  • TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
  • ADVISORY & CONSULTATION
  • LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLANNING

Results

  • Professional digital presence: Rachel now has a polished, credible author website that positions her as an established professional and provides a central hub for readers, media, and industry contacts.
  • Owned audience building: With newsletter infrastructure in place, Rachel is building a direct relationship with her most engaged readers independent of publisher channels or social media algorithms.
  • Clear, sustainable social strategy: Rachel gained confidence and clarity in her social media approach, with a manageable posting rhythm and content bank that supports her books without overwhelming her creative time.
  • Increased visibility: Social media visits and engagement are growing as Rachel implements the strategy, with readers discovering her work through Instagram and signing up to hear about future releases.
  • Cohesive brand identity: All digital touchpoints now reflect a consistent, professional aesthetic that complements Boldwood’s high-quality branding while feeling distinctly personal to Rachel.
  • Launch-ready platform: With all infrastructure in place ahead of The Italian Lakes Affair release, Rachel is positioned to maximise the impact of Boldwood’s promotional efforts with her own brand-owned content and direct reader connections.
  • Sustainable approach: Rachel feels equipped to maintain her digital presence independently, with clear guidance, templates, and systems that work with her schedule rather than dominating it.
  • Foundation for growth: The platform built for Rachel’s first Boldwood release will support all five subsequent books in the deal, growing organically as her readership expands.
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