How ‘Theo of Golden’ became a surprise bestseller
The Washington Post • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Last spring, a self-published novel titled "Theo of Golden," known as "the white book" for its stark, bright cover, emerged as one of the year's biggest sellers despite minimal publicity.
- The book had limited distribution and no traditional marketing campaign, making its rapid rise in popularity puzzling to the publishing industry.
- The author, Allen Levi, a 69-year-old living alone on a large family property in Georgia, maintained a low social media presence, sharing only a blog and homemade music videos.
- Levi's lifestyle and minimal online activity contrasted sharply with the book's unexpected commercial success.
