When You Publish a Career-Changing Book: Q&A with Elinor Florence

In 2024, I met Canadian novelist Elinor Florence on the QM2 writing retreat. She and I had a consultation where we discussed the launch of her forthcoming novel, Finding Flora, from Simon & Schuster Canada, and how she might handle her earlier two novels that were languishing with a different, smaller publisher. I advocated self-publishing after her rights reverted, but she ended up going down a different path that has gone tremendously well.

Finding Flora released on April 1, 2025. It’s a work of historical fiction about women homesteaders on the Canadian prairies. It was an instant number-one bestseller in Canada and has been on the Canadian national bestseller list for 27 weeks. It was also named one of Indigo’s top ten novels for 2025. So far it has sold about 25,000 copies (24,000 in Canada and 1,000 in the US) and still going strong.

Based on that success, Simon & Schuster offered Florence a three-book deal. They will reissue both previous novels with new covers in 2026, plus a new historical novel to be released in spring 2027.

Last month, I sent her questions about the outstanding success of Finding Flora.

Jane Friedman: Finding Flora has turned into a career-changing book for you. When did you first sense that this novel was connecting with readers in a different way than your earlier work?

Elinor Florence: I had no idea that the novel would be such a success until several days after it was released on April 1, 2025. I was signing books at a quiet little bookstore when I received an email from my editor Adrienne Kerr at Simon & Schuster Canada, with the subject line: “ARE YOU SITTING DOWN?”

She told me Finding Flora had debuted on the weekly national bestseller list for Canadian fiction in the number-one spot. It’s a good thing I was sitting down, because I almost fell off my chair. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was number two!

Your book has strong traction in Canadian bookstores and has remained on the national bestseller list almost every week since then. Does that surprise you?

Surprise is an understatement. Convinced that the first week was a fluke, I was jubilant when the novel appeared on the list the following week, and then almost every week since then. It fell off the list a couple of times only because the publisher ran out of copies! At first I hoped to make three weeks on the list, then four … but the book has now been on the list 31 times and counting. I am still overwhelmed at the incredible response.

What do you think made this particular story resonate so widely?

I’m asking everyone that question, because I want to know, too! I was optimistic that Finding Flora would connect with prairie readers, and those with homesteading ancestry, but I never anticipated such far-reaching interest. I have concluded there are several reasons.

Firstly, Flora has overarching appeal because she is a strong heroine who overcomes many challenges, not only from the brutal environment but from a sexist, racist government. And she does so with the help of several other women in her close-knit community. Sisterhood is powerful!

Secondly, all three of my novels lean heavily into true history. Readers of historical fiction appreciate the authentic details that I weave throughout my novels, with plenty of discussion points for book clubs, who are perhaps my biggest audience. My background as a journalist makes me want to educate as well as to entertain.

Thirdly, Finding Flora doesn’t sugar-coat history, but it isn’t particularly dark or disturbing. Many historical novels focus on tragic and disturbing events. Wonderful and exciting things took place in the past, too, things that changed our world for the better. In these troubled times, readers are seeking stories that make them feel uplifted and inspired. Spoiler alert: I only write happy endings!

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Buy Canadian movement is very strong in our country this year, and both authors and bookstores are reporting increased sales as a result.

What did you observe firsthand about the business side of working with a large publisher like Simon & Schuster?

I knew little about how big publishers operate, and it’s been interesting to observe. Partly it’s a matter of boots on the ground. Obviously their sales and marketing teams can do much more than an individual author. And their relationships with booksellers and media outlets and book influencers have been cultivated for years.

The big publishers also have access to historical sales data, and while this is not always a predictor of success (my publisher called Flora “a sleeper hit”), they can mine information in numerous ways unavailable to an individual author.

One behind-the-scenes enterprise that never crossed my mind is that publishers with clout can negotiate deals for bulk buys. Finding Flora was the Book of the Month for April 2025 at a national chain of 1,300 pharmacies here in Canada called Shoppers Drug Mart. Publishers also work with retailers like Walmart and Target and Costco.

I also didn’t anticipate how many advance reading copies that my publisher would send to bookstores and reviewers. As one example, Elizabeth Barnhill, book buyer at the popular Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas, fell in love with the ARC, championed the book, and chose it as a Fabled Book Club selection. One person can create a significant knock-on effect, but first the book must reach their hands. It’s difficult for authors working alone to cast such a wide net.

Looking back, which specific pieces of the launch and publicity plan did you perform that moved the needle the most for Finding Flora?

Even large publishers have a limited travel budget. For my part, I travelled around Western Canada and conducted book signings at my own expense. I enjoy handselling books and set a new sales record for authors at almost every shop I visited. That not only launched hundreds of copies of Finding Flora into the world, but it impressed bookstore managers, which is always a good thing since they will continue to sell the book long after you’re gone.

One caveat, however: you must be good at selling books or you will achieve the opposite effect. I heard multiple horror stories from bookstore staff about authors who sit behind their tables and study their phones rather than engaging with people, leaving a negative impression with both customers and staff. Authors need bookstores, and bookstores need sales to stay in business. It’s your responsibility to do everything in your power to help them.

Before Flora came out, you were debating what to do with your two earlier novels. Now that Simon & Schuster is reissuing them, how do you feel about revisiting and reintroducing those books to a much larger readership? Has the success of Flora changed the way you see those earlier works?

I’m delighted that my previous novels will receive a new lease on life. During their lifespan they achieved modest success in the marketplace, but like any proud parent, I always wanted them to be more widely read. I feel certain that Flora’s fans will find my previous novels equally as engaging. My publisher is creating new covers, branded to complement the lovely gold-embossed cover of Finding Flora.

Wildwood will come out in April 2026 in time for Mother’s Day, my wartime novel Bird’s Eye View will be released in November 2026 in time for Remembrance Day, and my historical novel titled Touching Grass will appear in spring 2027. I’m unaware of any author lucky enough to have four books released by a traditional publisher within 24 months, and I’m still pinching myself.

Was there a business decision or moment of advice that proved most pivotal during this process—and what would you tell another writer facing similar crossroads?

When I ventured into fiction 12 years ago after a long journalism career, I treated my writing as a profession. I incorporated my business, I paid for a professional editor, I employed a graphic designer to create the covers for my first two novels, and I commissioned a beautiful website. Over the years I took online writing courses, and I even booked a publishing cruise on the Queen Mary 2 where I was able to discuss my career with you and other qualified experts.

My advice to authors is to invest in yourself. I don’t mean to suggest that you can throw money at a mediocre book and turn it into a success, but if you have confidence in your work, spend as much as you can afford to create a professional product and presence.

You’ve said that doors opened partly because of people you met and connections that happened at the right time. How do you think about serendipity, networking, and community now—especially for writers who feel shut out of traditional pathways?

I have tried very hard to create my own luck. Although I live in a tiny community in the Canadian Rockies, far from the brights lights of Toronto and New York, I never hesitated to reach out to other professional authors to ask for advice, in the nicest possible way. I have found that the writing community to be very warm and welcoming. I return the favor by following them, and promoting their books. Instagram and Facebook are my only social media platforms, but I post there every day.

For example, one accomplished author was kind enough to refer me to his literary lawyer. That lawyer reviewed my contract for Finding Flora, and then introduced me in turn to the woman who is now my agent, Samantha Haywood of Transatlantic Agency. I pay it forward as my time allows, trying to be helpful to other less experienced writers. For moral support, I also Zoom regularly with three or four like-minded authors.

The most valuable form of networking, however, has been my grassroots connections with readers. I’ve sent my monthly newsletter for 12 years and many of my subscribers have been with me since day one. I’ve spoken with many book clubs, schools, and senior centers. Some of my biggest fans are elderly readers who don’t even own a computer, and they send me handwritten letters! In 2025 I did 30 face-to-face events, and enjoyed chatting with the most interesting people, and making new friends.

Perhaps my greatest piece of advice is to show gratitude. On my website, I pledge to answer every message. I send an email or make a phone call to thank every media outlet that interviews me. When people order a signed copy of one of my books, I send it gift-wrapped. I mailed physical Christmas cards to every bookstore that hosted me in 2025.

This isn’t some kind of canny marketing technique on my part—it is just good old-fashioned manners. And I believe people appreciate that.