831 Stories co-founders Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo built their romance entertainment company around the question: “what does it look like to be a modern fan?”
The book publisher and romance lifestyle brand released its first title, Big Fan, in September 2024, and has plans to release six more within its first year in business. So far, five titles are out. The company releases books in partnership with Artists Equity with distribution by Simon & Schuster, and is represented by UTA.
To serve the modern romance novel fan, 831 seeks to give readers the experience of storytelling beyond the page—inspired by the way Bravo caters to reality TV fans, Marvel to comic book lovers, and A24 to cinephiles.
“Our hope is that this does a lot of work of introducing people to the world of 831,” Mazur told ADWEEK.
Mazur and Cerulo previously founded the e-commerce brand Of a Kind, which they sold to Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2015. They also co-host a podcast and write a newsletter, A Thing Or Two, about their entrepreneurial journey.
Before it had commissioned any books, 831 led with the idea of romance reading as a lifestyle by releasing a line of hats with popular romance tropes spelled out in cursive, including “celebrity / normal person,” “fake relationship,” and “second-chance romance.” Celebrities from Chloe Kim to Kristen Bell have been photographed in 831’s signature hats.
831’s iconic trope hats also serve as market research.831 Stories
The hats served to increase brand awareness and to signal to romance readers that the brand is here to serve them. But their popularity also indicates what kind of novels its audience is most interested in.
For example, the “enemies to lovers” hat was consistently a leader in sales, but 831 didn’t have a book that followed this genre trope in its line up yet. Its first one, Square Waves, came out last month in response, said Cerulo.
Merch plays a much bigger role in 831’s business than Cerulo and Mazur anticipated. It brings in “a lot” of revenue, said Mazur, declining to share exact numbers. 831 wholesales its merch at various booksellers, primarily those with a romance focus, like The Ripped Bodice.
Other 831 merch is less conventional, offering “in-universe” products that “engage the stories in a tactile way,” said Mazur. For instance, its sweatshirt reading “The Just OK Gatsby” references its movie set romance, Set Piece. It also sells merch for the love interest’s fictional band in Hardly Strangers.
These different types of merch offer various entry points and a differentiated way for readers to engage with the brand. Cerulo pointed to the halo effect “The Just OK Gatsby” sweatshirt received when writer, actor, and director Lena Dunham posted a photo wearing it on her Instagram.
“People come to our site to buy the sweatshirt and buy the book off the back of that. It’s definitely not the way that other publishers or entertainment companies are selling books,” she said.
Why 831 commissions fan fiction from creators
For each of its titles, 831 commissions fan fiction from writers—most of whom are Bookstagram or BookTok creators, or run book clubs. Its roster of fan fiction writers include Cat Chiang, Nic Marna, and Zoë Jackson, as well as a handful of smaller creators. So far, 19 fan fiction stories live on 831’s website.
831 reaches out to creators to ask if they are interested in writing fan fiction for a given title; if they agree, 831 does not edit the story before uploading it to its site, said Mazur. Creators then post their commissioned fan fiction on social, creating another marketing touchpoint for 831’s brand.
It’s essentially a fan-forward influencer strategy. “People come who follow those creators to read the fan fiction and find out about 831,” said Mazur.
While fan fiction creates more awareness for 831’s brand, the strategy runs the risk of rubbing fans the wrong way, as it turns an un-sanctioned, de-centralized, and free work into advertising for its titles. In response to potential criticism, Cerulo emphasized the excitement of being able to pay writers for their work—though she declined to provide specific rates.
“For some, commissioning fan fiction feels antithetical to the idea of fan fiction,” said Mazur. “For us, it’s about recognizing, honoring, celebrating, and encouraging the act of generative fandom.”
Similar criticisms could be aimed at 831’s in-universe merch, which, like fan fiction, is typically made by fans and sold on platforms like Etsy.
“Generative fandom is a really important part of the ecosystem, but there’s something different about it coming directly from the creator of the story,” Mazur said. “It takes on a different feel or tenor.”
Embedding with the Fandom
831 identifies creators it works with by researching what the romance community is reading and talking about across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and Goodreads.
“We spend time on Goodreads reviews and see how people talk about our books and romance in general. They tell you what they are looking for and what they like,” said Cerulo.
About six months before 831’s official launch in September 2024, it began hosting and attending events, both to spread the word and to learn from the community about what books they’re excited about and responding to. Events remain a key part of 831’s strategy.
831 caters to a fan sensibility down to its distinct book covers—a key part of its branding—which feature easter eggs. The color-block ratio is an 8-3-1 grid and the numbers are also hidden in a cupid figurine on the cover of every book. It works with design firm C47 for all of its visuals, from book covers to merch.
So far, its attention to detail is paying off—bookstores like the Strand in New York City are displaying its books together as a set.
Going forward, 831 will continue to look to fans for inspiration and guidance around what projects to commission next.
“It’s always been our intention to have a conversation with the fandom, so they can help us shape the types of stories we’re telling and in what way,” said Mazur. “That’s how it should be.”