S236. Getting the Word Out: How to Approach Book Promotion to Actually Reach Readers

Florida Salon 1, 2, & 3, Marriott Waterside, Second Floor
Saturday, March 10, 2018
3:00 pm to 4:15 pm

 

As a writer, all you want is for the writing to speak for itself. But readers, reviews, and book sales don’t magically appear the moment your book is published. Nobody reads a book they haven’t heard of, and most book promotion occurs months prior to the publication date. Learn what you need to do to get your book discovered by the right audience. Understand the timeline of book marketing, what questions to ask your marketers, and how to focus your efforts on what really matters.


Participants

Moderator: Cynthia Shannon has been helping authors and publishers effectively integrate Goodreads into their marketing campaigns since 2013. Prior to Goodreads, Cynthia worked at Berrett-Koehler, Wiley/Jossey-Bass, and Other Press. She holds a degree in journalism from NYU and speaks fluent German.

Johnny Temple is the publisher of Akashic Books and one of the main organizers of the Brooklyn Book Festival. He also plays bass guitar in the band Girls Against Boys who have toured extensively across the globe. His writing has appeared in The Nation and Publishers Weekly, among other publications.

Melissa Febos is the author of the memoir, Whip Smart, and the essay collection, Abandon Me. She serves on the Board of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts, and she is assistant professor of creative nonfiction at Monmouth University and MFA faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Jessica Greer is a graduate from UPENN, who worked for a publisher and publicity department at Penguin Random, then made the shift to Other Press where she’s resided for the last five years and currently serves in the role as publicity director. She is passionate about generating buzz for the books she loves.

Lisa Grubka

#AWP24

February 7–10, 2024
Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Convention Center