From Book Blogger to Indie Author PR Strategist: Why I Built Pinto Prose & Publicity

Over 10 years ago, I started a book blog reviewing ARCs from NetGalley.

I’ve always been a reader—never without a book, usually reading 5–10 a month, and constantly trying to keep up with my ever-growing TBR.

I didn’t think of it as building a brand or a career path. I started a book blog reviewing ARCs from NetGalley because I needed a creative outlet, and honestly, because I couldn’t afford to buy every book I was reading.

At the time, I was working in PR agencies in New York City: fast-paced, high-pressure, and, if I’m being honest, highly toxic.

Reading wasn’t something I needed to rediscover. It was something I relied on.

I periodically looked for jobs in the publishing industry, but didn’t know how to breakthrough and couldn’t afford the paycut it would take to start at the beginning.

Looking back now, I can see it was a way to pave my own way into the industry.

Before editorial work, before blogging became a mainstay, before any business existed, I was working in PR agencies in New York City.

That experience shaped everything.

I learned how to:

• Position stories for the right audience

• Craft messaging that actually lands

• Pitch media in a way that gets attention

• Understand how visibility is built strategically, not accidentally

I loved being a publicist, and I was good at it. Over the years, I grew into a Vice President role, leading client accounts, managing teams, and running campaigns from strategy to execution.

I loved being a publicist, and I was good at it.

But PR agency life can also be intense, and at times, completely draining. Reading has always been my escape, the constant that grounded me through every season.

From The Berenstain Bears to Sweet Valley University, reading has always been my go-to comfort.

And unknowingly, I was building the foundation for what I do now.

Then everything shifted.

During COVID, I became a first-time mom (my baby turned six-months during the shutdown), transitioned to remote work, and moved from NYC back to Connecticut. Almost overnight, my world got very small.

I was home all the time, navigating new motherhood, isolation, and a huge life transition, and if I’m being honest, I was drowning a little.

That’s when I leaned into bookstagram.

What started as casually posting turned into real connection. Conversations. Friendships. A community of people who loved books the way I did.

Some of those online friendships have since turned into real-life ones, and that space became a lifeline, especially when I found out I was pregnant with my second.

That’s what brought me back to blogging again—this time with more intention.

Cyn’s Fiction Addiction became a space not just for reviews, but for:

• Author interviews

• Bookish community building

• Seasonal reading content

• Conversations with readers and writers

And slowly, something started to shift again.

After reading dozens of error-laden ARCs and taking an editorial course with Paper Raven Books, I started offering manuscript reviews and editorial assessments. I love being able to offer indie authors a more accessible way to elevate their stories, because great writing shouldn’t be overlooked due to lack of resources.

Through my editing work, I formed relationships with more indie authors and was able to get more insight on:

• How stories are positioned

• How authors present their work

• How marketability and storytelling intersect

• Where great books get lost in visibility gaps

Around that same time, I connected with author Rebecca Parcha, who would become my first PR client on retainer.

Almost immediately, everything clicked. All of the PR experience, strategy, and instincts I had built over the years came rushing back. As we talked through her goals, ideas started forming naturally because this was a world I already knew.

That moment made it clear: this wasn’t something new I had to learn. It was something I was returning to, with a completely different perspective, and I knew this was the right next step.

Pinto Prose & Publicity is the result of all of it coming together:

• A decade of book blogging and reader insight

• Early-career PR agency experience in NYC

• Editorial and manuscript development work

• Deep involvement in the indie author community

• A passion for helping stories find their audience

This isn’t a pivot. It’s a convergence.

What I Do Now

Through Pinto Prose & Publicity, I support indie authors with:

Indie Author PR & Visibility Strategy

Helping authors build visibility through thoughtful, realistic, and sustainable promotion strategies.

Editorial Services

Manuscript critiques and editorial assessments to strengthen story, structure, and market readiness.

Author Resources & Tools

Practical guides like my Indie Author PR Starter Kit designed to help authors start promoting their work with clarity instead of overwhelm.

One of the biggest challenges I see indie authors face isn’t writing the book. It’s what comes after.

How do you get your book seen?

How do you build momentum without burnout?

Where do you even start?

That’s why I created the Indie Author PR Starter Kit—a free resource designed to help authors:

• Understand the basics of PR and visibility

• Start building a promotional foundation

• Identify actionable next steps for their book launch or ongoing promotion

• Stop guessing and start strategizing

--> Indie Author’s PR Starter Kit

Pinto Prose & Publicity is becoming the central home for everything I’m building in the indie publishing space:

📣 PR and visibility strategy insights
✍️ Editorial behind-the-scenes content
👩‍💻 Indie author spotlights and industry conversations
🌿 Publishing reflections and creative business insights
📖 Real conversations about books, writing, and visibility

You can still find reader-focused content and book reviews here at Cyn’s Fiction Addiction while everything gradually transitions into one unified space here at Pinto Prose & Publicity.

I don’t believe in overpromising consistency I can’t realistically maintain.

This space is being built alongside:

• A full-time career

• Two small kids

• Editorial and PR clients

• And a life that is, honestly, very full

But what I can promise is this: when I show up here, it will be thoughtful, intentional, and built to genuinely support authors and readers alike.

At the core, books are my passion. Nothing makes me happier than getting lost in a good story. But I’ve also always loved the strategy behind building something meaningful and watching it grow.

Pinto Prose & Publicity is where those two worlds meet, combining my years in the book community with my passion for helping indie authors grow their visibility, strengthen their platforms, and connect with the readers already waiting for their stories.

What started as a personal book blog is gradually evolving into a larger home for everything I’ve built within the indie publishing space: bringing together reader life, book conversations, publicity strategy, and editorial support under one roof.

This is the continuation of something years in the making, and the beginning of what I hope becomes a long-term home for both readers and indie authors alike.

If you’re an indie author trying to build visibility, start with the PR Starter Kit or explore my services. I can’t wait to connect!