FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
March 15, 2024  

**Debut Novel 'The Paper Border' Enters Second Printing**  

*Former architect James Chen's literary debut, initially released as a viral social media serialization, sells out first run two days after publication*  

PORTLAND, Ore. — James Chen's debut novel "The Paper Border" (Harper Via, March 12) entered its second printing Wednesday, just 48 hours after its Tuesday release, following the complete sellout of a 25,000-copy first printing. The book, which traces three generations of a Chinese-American family through the buildings they design, originated as a 200-tweet thread posted in 2022 that garnered more than 3 million views before Harper Via acquired the print rights.  

Chen, who left his position at a Seattle-based firm to complete the manuscript, expanded the viral fragments into a 320-page narrative spanning 1960s Hong Kong to present-day California. The novel examines the physical and psychological architecture of immigration, using structural engineering as a metaphor for familial inheritance. Industry observers note the rapid sellout signals growing market appetite for literary fiction with viral digital origins.  

"I wrote that thread at 2 a.m. during a sleepless night in the studio, never thinking anyone would read it," said Chen. "The idea that these 280-character fragments about my grandfather's draftsman table could become a bound book feels like a contradiction—permanent paper from disposable pixels."  

The novel carries an ISBN of 978-0-06-323456-7 and retails for $27.99. It received a starred review from *Publishers Weekly*, which cited Chen's "precise technical prose," and was named a "Spring Debut to Watch" by Library Journal. Rights negotiations are currently underway with Anonymous Content for film adaptation.  

"James has the rare ability to make concrete feel sentient," said Sarah Kim, Editorial Director at Harper Via. "We knew acquiring something that had already lived its life online carried risk, but the manuscript proved these stories couldn't be contained in tweets."  

"The Paper Border" is available through independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Chen will launch his national tour at City Lights Booksellers in San Francisco on April 2, followed by appearances at Powell's City of Books on April 5 and the AIA Conference on Architecture in Washington, D.C., on April 18. Review copies and interview requests must be submitted by March 22.  

###  

**ABOUT CRIMSON LEAF MARKETING:** Crimson Leaf Marketing is a Portland-based literary publicity firm specializing in debut fiction and narrative nonfiction. Established in 2019, the agency represents authors published by HarperVia, Graywolf Press, and independent houses, focusing on bridging traditional publishing with digital-native readerships.  

**MEDIA CONTACT:**  
Zara Mitchell  
zara@crimsonleafmarketing.com  
(503) 555-0142