Monaco Associates’ Book Launch Practice Acquired by Caraballo & Co.
Founder Carolyn Monaco Entrusts Leadership to Longtime Collaborator Bárbara Caraballo as the 20-Year Integrated Book Marketing Agency Begins Its Next Chapter
Bárbara Caraballo, CEO of Carabarallo & Co.
Carolyn Monaco, Principal of Monaco Associates
Carolyn Monaco (left) and Bárbara Caraballo (right)
BOSTON and ORLANDO, Fla., July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monaco Associates has been acquired by Caraballo & Co., the firm founded by longtime Monaco Associates Partner Bárbara Caraballo, ensuring the continuation and expansion of a book launch practice that has helped business authors build personal brands, launch influential books, and gain lasting visibility and revenue beyond publication day for more than two decades.
The acquisition includes the practice’s client relationships, methodologies, intellectual property, and integrated approach to author platform development and book launches. Under the Caraballo & Co. brand, clients can expect continuity of high-touch service, impeccable standards, and strategic counsel, while benefiting from an evolved approach that combines human expertise with emerging technologies.
The transition marks the retirement of Publishing Strategist Carolyn Monaco, who will continue working with Caraballo & Co. as an advisor, helping to ensure a seamless transition for clients. She built Monaco Associates into one of the publishing industry’s most respected boutique book marketing firms. For 20 years, Monaco worked exclusively with business authors, thought leaders, and experts, earning a reputation for highly customized, integrated marketing campaigns and a commitment to remaining intentionally small by design.
Throughout its history, authors trusted Monaco Associates to help them expand their impact by building a better brand, book, and business. The firm became known for its carefully cultivated network spanning leading publishers, media outlets, thought leadership communities, and industry influencers.
“As I considered the future of the practice, I wanted to ensure the work would continue in the hands of someone who understands both the responsibility and the opportunity that come with serving authors at this level,” said Carolyn Monaco, Principal of Monaco Associates. “Bárbara has been my partner for more than a decade. She has helped shape many of our most successful launches, earned the trust of authors and publishers alike, and is exceptionally prepared to lead this next chapter.”
For Caraballo, the acquisition represents both a continuation of a proven model and an opportunity to help authors navigate a rapidly changing publishing landscape.
“What I’m continuing is a standard of excellent service,” said Bárbara Caraballo, CEO of Caraballo & Co. “For over 20 years, authors came to Monaco Associates because Carolyn wouldn’t take shortcuts. In an era where everyone is racing to automate, that’s the bet I’m doubling down on: high-touch, integrated, human-led work, augmented intelligently by AI where it actually serves the author.”
“The publishing landscape has changed dramatically in the last three years,” she said. “AI hasn’t replaced the work—it’s clarified what was always valuable: a strategist who sees the whole board, an author who’s positioned to be quoted ten years from now, and a launch that builds a platform instead of chasing a week of attention. That’s what Caraballo & Co. is built to do.”
Over the past decade, Caraballo has designed and executed launches for Fortune 500 CEOs, New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling authors, Thinkers50-ranked thought leaders, and Harvard Business Review Press authors. As Monaco’s longtime partner, she played a leading role in campaigns for authors including Doug Conant, David Grossman, Alden Mills, Anne Lester, Roy Swan, Ashley Reichheld, Derek Lidow, Mort Mandel, and Maynard Webb, among others.
Caraballo holds a Master’s degree in Neuromarketing and works bilingually across English and Spanish, giving clients access to audiences and opportunities beyond what most boutique firms can offer.
“Carolyn built something rare—a practice where authors are treated as people building careers, not titles to launch and forget,” Caraballo added. “Carrying that forward under Caraballo & Co. is the work of a lifetime, and I’m honored she trusts me with it.”
The acquisition reflects a shared belief that while technology will continue to reshape publishing and marketing, meaningful author platforms are still built through trusted relationships, strategic thinking, and personalized execution.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q: I have an idea for a book. Should I write it?
Write a book when you have expertise, a story, or an idea your audience needs and that supports a larger goal like building authority, generating leads, or advancing your career. A book is a meaningful investment of time and strategy, so the strongest reason to write one is that it moves your business or platform forward, not simply to have written it. Before starting, define what you want the book to do for you: attract clients, earn speaking engagements, establish a new category of thinking, or cement a legacy. When you have that clarity, it shapes everything from the title to the launch. A well-planned launch turns your book into an engine for visibility and revenue that keeps working long after publication day.
Q: Should I self-publish or work with a hybrid or traditional publisher?
The right path depends on your goals, timeline, and how much control and investment you want. Traditional publishing offers prestige, wide distribution, and editorial support, but it is selective and slower, with less author control. Hybrid publishing shares costs and control, with faster timelines and higher royalties. Self-publishing gives you full control and speed but puts production and marketing entirely on you. There is no universally best route—the decision should be reverse-engineered from what you want the book to accomplish, ideally with guidance from a book launch strategist before you commit.
Q: How far in advance should I start planning my book launch?
Ideally nine to twelve months before publication and the earlier, the better. The most successful launches are built during the writing and pre-publication window, not the week the book comes out. Early planning lets you grow an audience, line up media and speaking opportunities, secure pre-orders and bulk-sale commitments, and sharpen the book’s core message before attention peaks. Waiting until launch week means missing the windows that create momentum.
Q: What is an author platform, and why does it matter for a launch?
An author platform is your built-in audience and reach: email list, social following, media relationships, speaking presence, and professional network. It matters because publishers and retailers reward demonstrated demand, and because a platform is what keeps your book selling after the initial launch push. A strong platform turns a single book into an ongoing source of leads, speaking, and revenue. Building it is often the real work of a launch, which is why platform development matters as much as the manuscript itself.
Q: Do I need a book marketing firm if my publisher already has a marketing team?
Publishers typically concentrate their marketing on distribution and a short launch window, with attention split across many titles. A dedicated book launch firm works solely on your behalf to build your platform, align the launch with your business goals, and sustain momentum long after launch week. The two are complementary: the publisher handles the book in the market, while a launch partner ensures the book is working for you—driving visibility, clients, and revenue. Authors with ambitious goals usually benefit from having someone whose only job is their success.
Also, costs vary widely by scope—from strategic coaching to full-service launch management—and by choices like publicity, events, and paid promotion. The more useful question is return: a book’s ROI usually shows up less in royalties and more in the clients, speaking fees, partnerships, and authority it generates. Seen that way, a book is a business investment, and the strongest launches are designed around measurable business outcomes, not just copies sold. Mapping expected return to your goals before you spend keeps the investment disciplined.
About Caraballo & Co.
Caraballo & Co. is a boutique book launch and platform-building practice founded by Bárbara Caraballo, the longtime Partner of Monaco Associates. For more than a decade, Bárbara has designed and executed launches for Fortune 500 CEOs, New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling and award-winning authors, Thinkers50 leaders, and Harvard Business Review Press authors. Her practice is built on a single conviction: in an era of AI-generated everything, the most valuable thing a book can do for a leader is build a career, not just sell copies. Bárbara holds a Master’s in Neuromarketing and works bilingually across English and Spanish. Caraballo & Co. continues the practice Carolyn Monaco built over 20 years — same standards, evolved for what’s next.
Connect:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Veronica Kido
vkido@kidocommunications.com
617-899-2893
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0ddfd6ce-749c-4055-a9f3-b4cd21781894
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3dab8990-5af6-4e58-8142-ba2f4464765e
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2c754180-df5e-470a-a3c8-8be74ed6c52e
