EP. 82 | Publishing Success Without a Big Platform: How One Writer Attracted Agents and Editors w/Sarah Damoff

If you’ve ever thought, “There’s no way I can land a book deal without a massive platform,” this episode is going to mess with that narrative in the very best way.

Our guest, best-selling novelist Sarah Damoff, sold her debut novel, The Bright Years, to Simon & Schuster with no writing background, no industry connections, an Instagram following of about 300 friends and family, and a tiny email list. So if you’ve been quietly disqualifying yourself because of your numbers, today’s guest is living proof that your craft can carry you farther than your follower count. Listen in!

Tune in to Hear:

How Sarah sold her debut novel to Simon & Schuster with only 300 Instagram followers and no industry connections
The strategic approach Sarah used to target literary agents who work with Big Five publishers
How Sarah leveraged other people’s platforms instead of trying to build her own massive following
The seven-pronged marketing strategy Sarah’s publisher used that had nothing to do with her personal social media
Why Sarah believes the craft of writing must come before platform building

More About Sarah:

Sarah Damoff is the author of the debut novel, The Bright Years, published by Simon & Schuster on April 22, 2025. Her writing has appeared in Oprah Daily, Porter House Review, Ruminate Magazine, and Open Global Rights, among other publications. She holds a degree in Family Studies, and a Child Protection Certification from Harvard University. A Texas native, Sarah lives in Dallas with her husband and children. Her second novel, The Burning Side, is forthcoming with Simon & Schuster in June 2026.

Links from the Show:

To read the blog post inspired by this episode, check out How Sarah Damoff Sold 50,000 Books Without a Social Media Platform
The Bright Years* by Sarah Damoff – Available at major retailers
To connect with Sarah and learn more about her work, visit her at www.sarahdamoff.com
Publishers Marketplace – An industry website for tracking book deals and researching agents/editors
NetGalley – A platform for distributing advance review copies
Lost Children Archive* – The novel by Valeria Luiselli that inspired Sarah to try fiction writing
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