Old School Indian

“With its profound exploration of identity, language, and cultural survival, Old School Indian commands attention. Through the vivid and deeply human lives of a Mohawk family, Curtis weaves a narrative that insists we listen closely and engage deeply. The characters, grounded in both tradition and the challenges of modernity, speak with a voice that is both urgent and timeless, drawing us into a world where every word, every action, carries the weight of history and the hope for the future. Curtis strikingly balances humor and gravity, creating a story that forces us to confront our assumptions, demands to be heard, and ultimately reminds us of the enduring, sacred power of storytelling. Old School Indian joins the ranks of the finest fiction written by indigenous peoples, past and present. This is a novel of pure heart and mastery.” ―Morgan Talty, national bestselling author of Night of the Living Rez and Fire Exit

“Aaron John Curtis gives us honest storytelling shaped by humor, sincerity, and heartbreak. His characters are drawn with strength from his Indigenous community and skillfully cured by tradition and hope. Old School Indian is a novel that reminds us of an essential truth: when one person heals the entire community can feel it.”—Oscar Hokeah, PEN/Hemingway award-winning author of Calling for a Blanket Dance

“A beautiful, hilarious, heartbreaking book, which we so love for how piercingly and warmly and wittily it bears witness—to what we talk about as the protest of existing, to the right to remake and reimagine our own myths, not only when but especially when they are so often appropriated, corrupted, erased, fed back to us in ways we no longer recognize or, even worse, recognize too well. Old School Indian speaks so powerfully (as young Abe, older Abe, and as the indelible Dominick Deer Woods) to all these themes and does so with the humor and heart we know comes from resilience.” —Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Books

Goal: Reach readers of literary fiction with an element of social commentary to drive strong word-of-mouth, bestseller list coverage, and award buzz

Trade Outreach

• Indie Next target title leveraging Aaron's bookseller connections with a letter from Aaron / Erin / Hillman Grad
• Winter Institute '25
• Regional conferences and eblasts

Media Strategy

• Pitch feature, review, most anticipated, and interview coverage to literary, pop culture, general interest outlets
• Pitch for radio and broadcast interviews including NPR's Fresh Air, Krista Tippett, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, etc.; pitch joint TV appearance with Lena to national morning shows
• Book Club pitching to Book of the Month Club, Reese's Book Club, Read with Jenna and Oprah's Book Club
• Place original writing by Aaron in The Paris Review, New Yorker, etc.
• Pitch early interview with PW to build buzz around the book timed to Winter Institute

Events

• Launch event at Books & Books (Coral Gables, FL)
• LA event with Hillman Grad team
• Events with other indigenous authors like Tommy Orange, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Stephen Graham Jones at key indigenous-owned indies
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Consumer Marketing

• Cover reveal that tells the story behind the artist and Aaron's family history during National Native American Heritage Month in November
• Book club outreach with reading guide; especially across indie bookstores
• Outreach to Indigenous authors, creators, associations, employee resource groups, and more
• Dedicated video content of Lena and Aaron in conversation
• Finished copy mailers to literary readers and Hillman Grad network
• Lean on social content that repurposes blurbs, reader reviews, and media features
• TikTok outreach to fans of Indigenous books/TV/film such as Reservation Dogs and There, There
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Advertising

• Goodreads campaign focusing on comp titles and current literary bestsellers (Demon Copperhead, The Rabbit Hutch, The Great Believers, Shuggie Bain)
• Amazon advertising
• Meta ads utilizing content with Hillman Grad team
• TikTok Spark Ads of high-performer user generated content