Page to Post No. 6
marketing brief for Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
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Editors always say, "show, don't tell," when it comes to good writing. It's time to apply that same principle to your marketing! In this edition of Page to Post, we're diving into Jennifer Niven's sweeping family drama, Meet the Newmans.
Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven is a multigenerational family novel set against the golden age of 1960s television, where the Newmans—a picture-perfect family built for the screen—are each quietly falling apart behind the facade. A story about the cost of performing happiness, the courage it takes to stop, and what becomes possible when people finally let each other in.
This marketing guide was not paid work. It was made specifically for my portfolio! xx
Story-Inspired Content
A peek inside your novel, spotlighting key themes, tropes, and characters through storytelling to intrigue potential readers.
Immersion: This campaign transforms your feed into the glamorous, complicated world of 1960s television: where everything looks perfect on screen and nothing quite is off it. Make your followers feel like they’re part of the cast, slowly realizing that for the show to go on, they're going to have to step out from behind the screen.
Share story-inspired content such as: behind-the-scenes on set versus the polished broadcast, each Newman’s private journal entry versus their public persona, the family dinner table (on- versus off-screen), television studio policies throughout history, costume and styling moments from the era, fan mail to the Newman family, the TV Guide feature versus the real story, studio lot snapshots, and for fun—a playlist inspired by Shep’s music.
Key Themes
The performance of the perfect family. What we show the world versus what we carry privately, and the cost of keeping those two things separate
Evolution at every age. There is never a wrong moment to honor who you are becoming; people come into themselves on their own timeline
The burden of not wanting to disappoint. How the love we have for each other can, paradoxically, be the very thing that keeps us from truly knowing each other
Isolation within intimacy. How a family can live under on one property and still feel alone and unknown
The facade that protects and imprisons. The moment the carefully constructed image starts to crack is the new beginning
Authenticity as liberation. The best thing you can do for yourself and the people you love is to be true to who you actually are
Popular Tropes
Family secrets. Every Newman is hiding something, and the truth has a way of surfacing
Multigenerational drama. Each generation carries the weight of the one before
Behind the glamour. The golden age of television as a backdrop for unscripted character struggles
The slow unraveling. A perfect image that chips away, piece by piece, until something more true emerges
Feminist awakening. Women stepping into their own power against the expectations of the era
Found authenticity. Characters who stop performing and start living, regardless of age
Character Spotlights
Dinah Newman – The heart of the story, a woman who is forced to confront the truth that the life she built for everyone else was never quite built for her
The Newman Family – A picture-perfect television family whose individual silences have kept them from truly seeing one another, and has kept their show stuck in the past
The Supporting Cast – Julianne, Elaine, Kelly, and additional friends, colleagues, and strangers who hold up mirrors to the Newmans, reflecting back what the family can’t yet see in themselves
1960s America – As much a character as any of the Newmans—a time of glamour and constraint, on the edge of cultural change
Interactive Series
A custom series designed to spark engagement and immerse readers in your story’s world.
Series Concept: Start a Meet the [Your Name]s series, inviting your audience to cast their own life as a television show, in the spirit of the Newmans, who are more complicated than their billing suggests.
The Lead Role. “Who would play you in the TV adaptation of your life—and what is it about them that mirrors something true about you? Tell us who you cast and why.”
The Character Arc. “Every great character has something to overcome. What’s your character’s journey? What are they moving toward, releasing, or finally ready to face?”
The Ensemble Cast. “No show works without the supporting cast. Who are the people in your life that round out your story—and what role do they play?”
The Episode No One Saw. “Every character has a scene that didn’t make the final cut—a moment that shaped everything but stayed private. What’s yours?”
The Season Finale. “Where does your character end up? What does the next season of their show look like?”
Partnerships and Collaborations
Strategic outreach ideas to connect with authors, brands and influencers who align with your book’s themes and genre.
Jennifer Niven’s Community. Leverage her existing reader community and the emotional resonance of All the Bright Places fans for cross-promotion—this is a different book but the same deeply human storytelling
1960s Nostalgia and Vintage Accounts. Partner with vintage fashion influencers, mid-century modern aesthetics accounts, or classic television communities for era-specific content that brings the world of the Newmans to life
Multigenerational Family Drama Authors. Cross-promote with Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kristin Hannah, or Jojo Moyes for book bundles and conversations about family, secrets, and women finding their voices
Women’s Empowerment Platforms. Partner with voices that speak to women stepping into themselves at every age—this book’s message that evolution has no expiration date deserves a wide audience
Television and Entertainment Media. Collaborate with entertainment journalists or classic TV enthusiasts for “Behind the Broadcast” content that contextualizes the Newman family within the real history of 1960s television
Family Therapists and Relationship Voices. Partner thoughtfully with therapists or coaches who speak to family dynamics, the cost of people-pleasing, and the freedom that comes with authenticity
Interested in a Page to Post strategy for your next book launch or to revive your backlist? I’d love to work with you. Click the link below!
Creative Direction
An overview of the aesthetic direction for your campaign: colors, textures, moods, and design cues that bring your story’s world to life across content.
Visual Aesthetic: The campaign mirrors the Newmans’ journey, starting in crisp, classic black and white and slowly, almost imperceptibly, warming into color as the facade cracks and the characters come into themselves, until the final posts are fully, unapologetically alive with 1960s color.
Tone & Voice: Warm, knowing, and quietly emotional. Your copy should feel like someone who has seen behind the curtain and loves these people more for it, sort of like a hired journalist (not a gossip columnist). There’s humor here (the Newmans are funny, even in their mess) and there’s tenderness.
Typography & Design Elements: Mix vintage broadcast typography (bold, mid-century sans-serif, television title cards) with intimate handwritten elements for the private, off-screen moments. Incorporate design elements like TV Guide-style graphics, studio clapperboards, vintage photo borders, network broadcast cards, and family portrait mockups that are just slightly too perfect—rendered first in black and white, then gradually warming as the campaign unfolds.
Content Mood: The visual journey from black and white to color is the story. Let followers feel the shift happening without announcing it. The campaign is simply Meeting the Newmans, prioritizing the emotional shift to the way you feel when the performance ends, and you get to meet the real people underneath the characters.
Engagement Hooks
Short, strategic prompts designed to spark interaction, deepen reader curiosity, and encourage community engagement.
Pick Your Newman. “Every family has one: the overachiever, the rebel, the peacekeeper, the one who holds it all together. Which Newman are you?”
Fill in the Blanks. “The best sponsor for my show would be ___, because of ____.”
Would You Rather. “Would you rather: Live your life as the person everyone expects you to be OR risk disappointing them to find out who you actually are?”
Overheard. "'I spent twenty years being exactly who everyone needed me to be. I don't regret a single moment. But I'm not doing it anymore.' - Dinah Newman. Share an overheard confession that stopped you in your tracks."
If You Liked.... “If Daisy Jones & The Six left you wanting more of the glamour, the secrets, and the family drama, Meet the Newmans is next on your list.”
Fan Mail. "If you had to confide in a Newman, which one is getting your letter, and why?”
Character Quiz. “Which Newman are you? Take our quiz and find out which family member’s journey mirrors your own.”
Bringing it to Life
Main launch goal and the platforms that best support it, plus a quick guide to which content types will perform strongest on each.
Overarching Goal: Position Meet the Newmans as the must-read for anyone who has ever felt the gap between who they are and who their family needs them to be, while celebrating the universal truth that it’s never too late to come into your own, and that the people who love you are often waiting for permission to do the same.
Platform No. 01 // Instagram
Carousel posts designed like vintage TV Guide spreads that peel back to reveal the real story. Layer each post with music from the ‘60s, especially The Beetles since they’re mentioned all throughout the book!
Reels featuring “POV: You’re a 1960s housewife realizing her power,” “The era that changed everything for women,” or “Books about families who finally let each other in”
Stories with polls about family dynamics, question boxes for “Which Newman are you?” prompts, and era-specific aesthetic moments
Grid aesthetic that shift from the perfect black-and-white Newman family, to the 1960s Newmans in real life color.
Platform No. 02 // TikTok
“POV” videos – “POV: You’re Dinah Newman and you’re done performing,” “POV: The perfect family photo where no one is okay,” “POV: You’re finally letting your family see the real you”
Era storytelling – Short-form videos about the real history of women in 1960s television, the feminist movement brewing beneath the glamour, or “what life actually looked like” behind the mid-century modern aesthetic
BookTok trends – “Books about families with secrets,” “If you loved Daisy Jones, read this,” “Multigenerational dramas that will absorb you in the best way”
Meet the [Your Name]s duets – Create videos specifically designed for followers to introduce their own cast of characters, riffing on the interactive series
Platform No. 03 // Pinterest
Aesthetic boards for “1960s Television Glamour,” “Mid-Century Modern Living,” “The Newman Family Wardrobe,” and “Books About Women Finding Themselves”
Quote graphics with lines about authenticity, family, evolution, and the courage it takes to stop performing—set against vintage-inspired backdrops
Reading guides – Downloadable book club discussion questions, character relationship maps, era context guides about women in 1960s America
Dual-world boards – Side-by-side pins that capture both the glamorous broadcast world and the intimate, imperfect reality underneath—the visual tension that defines the book
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Jessica Sorentino specializes in branding and marketing for authors, helping them connect with readers and position their work for agents and publishers. With over a decade in publishing, she transforms stories into lasting brands through strategy, connection, and visibility.
