From Odete Roitman to Rosa Montero: when fiction boosts book sales

A single soap opera scene was enough to push a long-published title into Brazil’s bestseller lists. In Vale Tudo, the iconic character Odete Roitman appeared reading The Danger of Being Lucid, by Rosa Montero, published by Todavia. The impact was immediate: according to a report in VEJA RIO, Google searches for the book and its author jumped 180%, while sales rose by about 60% in just one day.

Cases like this are not new, but they continue to surprise for how strongly they reveal the power of narratives across multiple platforms. Books have often found a second life after being cited in songs, films, or streaming series. Just think of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, which returned to bestseller lists after Hulu’s adaptation, or Frank Herbert’s Dune, reissued in dozens of countries when Denis Villeneuve’s film hit theaters.

In Brazil, there are also plenty of examples. Jorge Amado’s Captains of the Sands reappeared among the bestsellers after being mentioned in Segundo Sol, a Globo telenovela set in Bahia. Another case was João Guimarães Rosa’s Grande Sertão: Veredas, which has seen spikes in interest whenever it was referenced on reality shows or by popular artists. More recently, titles such as Djamila Ribeiro’s A Small Anti-Racist Handbook (Pequeno Manual Antirracista) gained wider circulation after TV debates and mentions in mainstream programs. Even on Big Brother Brasil we’ve seen books jump in sales after being spotted in a contestant’s hands or mentioned in casual conversation inside the house.

What happened with Rosa Montero and Odete Roitman highlights a key point: book consumption does not occur in isolation but is connected to references, symbols, and emotions already embedded in the collective imagination. The text itself did not change, but the context did. The book began to circulate infused with the aura of an iconic character from Brazilian television drama, and that carries weight.

Another important factor was the absence of a traditional campaign. There were no ads, no coordinated bookstore networks. The effect came from narrative integration: the book was incorporated into the storyline organically, as part of character building. That natural fit gave the title a much stronger reach than if it had been inserted as mere product placement. Of course, it is worth noting that the author’s presence at this year’s FLIP festival also helped to boost the book, along with actions by the publisher at launch and during the title’s ongoing promotion—but those factors were not the main drivers in this specific case.

From there, a chain of amplification took shape. Television provided the initial trigger. Social media amplified it, turning curiosity into a search trend. Digital retail consolidated the movement, with the book climbing the bestseller lists. Each medium played its role, and together they transformed what could have been a passing reference into a commercial boom.

This type of hybrid circulation helps explain why publishers worldwide have been investing in areas such as brand publishing, product placement, and cross-media partnerships. In the United States, for instance, entire teams monitor which books show up on BookTok or get mentioned in Netflix series, ready to relaunch marketing campaigns and reprint stock within hours. In Brazil, however, reactions are still more punctual, often lagging behind the peak of the trend.

The episode involving Rosa Montero and Odete Roitman poses a clear challenge: if a single soap opera scene can transform a book’s fate, how can the Brazilian publishing market get better at spotting, embracing, and leveraging these moments of convergence? This requires closer alignment between marketing and sales, as well as agile processes for restocking and real-time communication with readers. I am often reminded of Bruno Zolotar’s article about the power Jô Soares once had to propel books onto bestseller lists simply by mentioning them on his show.

In an increasingly fragmented consumption landscape, these unexpected touchpoints can be as strategic as the large-scale campaigns planned months in advance. After all, stories gain strength when they find resonance—and that resonance often emerges where we least expect it.