The Big River Launch
Publishers have been coming to Big River for guidance since 2015 because their Amazon sales seemed “off” or they made changes in distribution or sales representation, setting them adrift.
Sales velocity in the wrong direction on Amazon can quickly upend a publisher’s entire business. The urgency to create a process to reverse momentum was both critical and intriguing to our founder, Meredith Baker. A student of Kaizen business philosophy, Meredith discovered that by combining her knowledge of bookselling on Amazon with principles of rapid continuous improvement, she could not only set publishers back on course, but on a growth path. While navigating Amazon can be challenging and ever-changing, Meredith’s 20+ years of experience has helped both publishers and the retailer become more efficient at getting great books to the right readers.
Sales velocity in the wrong direction on Amazon can quickly upend a publisher’s entire business. The urgency to create a process to reverse momentum was both critical and intriguing to our founder, Meredith Baker. A student of Kaizen business philosophy, Meredith discovered that by combining her knowledge of bookselling on Amazon with principles of rapid continuous improvement, she could not only set publishers back on course, but on a growth path. While navigating Amazon can be challenging and ever-changing, Meredith’s 20+ years of experience has helped both publishers and the retailer become more efficient at getting great books to the right readers.
Big River Today
After nearly a decade under Meredith Baker's leadership, Big River was sold in October 2024 to two publishing industry veterans with over 30 years of combined experience at Amazon.
Samantha Singh has worked in management roles at Penguin Group, Barnes & Noble, and in Amazon’s Books Retail, Kindle, and Audible teams.
Managing Partner Elaine Bongiorno-Cotta has years of experience in both Trade Books and ProSTEM/textbooks. A former chain bookstore manager, wholesale buyer at Baker & Taylor, and sales manager for The Mountaineers Books, Elaine joined Amazon in 2005, working over 8 years on the Retail Books team as a Sr. Buyer and Sr. Vendor Manager and nearly 10 years at Amazon Publishing, ultimately becoming Head of Operations.
Elaine’s unique history with Amazon began in 1999 when Baker & Taylor sent her to Seattle to become the retailer’s first on-site representative, working on forecasting and operational issues. It was in that role that Elaine first met Meredith Baker.
Elaine joined Amazon’s team in 2005, and became a colleague and friend of Sam shortly thereafter. Both worked with Meredith, still a well-respected rep to the buying team. With a shared history of building relationships with publishers across many categories, solving complex operational challenges, building high-performing teams to manage businesses of many sizes, and being a “Voice of the Vendor” to Amazon, it just made sense for Sam and Elaine to take up the helm of Big River and strive to build upon Meredith’s legacy.
Samantha Singh has worked in management roles at Penguin Group, Barnes & Noble, and in Amazon’s Books Retail, Kindle, and Audible teams.
Managing Partner Elaine Bongiorno-Cotta has years of experience in both Trade Books and ProSTEM/textbooks. A former chain bookstore manager, wholesale buyer at Baker & Taylor, and sales manager for The Mountaineers Books, Elaine joined Amazon in 2005, working over 8 years on the Retail Books team as a Sr. Buyer and Sr. Vendor Manager and nearly 10 years at Amazon Publishing, ultimately becoming Head of Operations.
Elaine’s unique history with Amazon began in 1999 when Baker & Taylor sent her to Seattle to become the retailer’s first on-site representative, working on forecasting and operational issues. It was in that role that Elaine first met Meredith Baker.
Elaine joined Amazon’s team in 2005, and became a colleague and friend of Sam shortly thereafter. Both worked with Meredith, still a well-respected rep to the buying team. With a shared history of building relationships with publishers across many categories, solving complex operational challenges, building high-performing teams to manage businesses of many sizes, and being a “Voice of the Vendor” to Amazon, it just made sense for Sam and Elaine to take up the helm of Big River and strive to build upon Meredith’s legacy.
