Our House

Louise Candlish brought her 12th book to Simon & Schuster with a very modest track record, but by the end of 2018 Our House had sold 165,000 copies in all editions.

It was a remarkable turnaround—though not as shocking a twist as the final line of Our House. The promise of a shocking finale was the focal point of Simon & Schuster’s marketing campaign for the book, which began with a slew of proofs and the gathering of big-name endorsements. An eye-catching cover, heavy author promotion and retail support, especially from Tesco and Waterstones, were other factors in its success.

The book also benefited from S&S’ flexibility. Spotting a similar title on the horizon, it pulled hardback publication forward from June to April. Then, when an opportunity in Waterstones’ Thriller of the Month slot came up, it shifted the paperback too. An increased advertising budget kept sales rolling on until Christmas and into 2019, nicely teeing up Candlish’s next book, due in July.

Like the Fiction: Début Book of the Year, Leïla Slimani’s Lullaby, Our House tapped into middle-class fears, this time about property. The British Book Awards judges liked its new take on the now very competitive psychological thriller genre, and were pleased to see a mid- career author make it into bestsellerdom after a long slog.

“The team’s adaptability speaks of a lot of hard work behind the scenes to get this novel the recognition it deserves,” said one. “Simon & Schuster had a great vision for Our House right from the start—it was a campaign and a book that seemed to be everywhere for much of 2018,” added another.