I have pitched a panel
This practical workshop is for writers who have finished, or nearly finished, a book and are beginning to ask the question nobody prepares them for properly: how do I actually find readers?
Led by novelist, editor and book marketer Mo Fanning, the session will focus on what happens after the writing is done. It will look at the gap between finishing a manuscript and building real reader interest, covering book positioning, genre expectations, blurbs, covers, reviews, social media, author confidence and the confusing advice writers are often given about “building a platform”.
Mo will draw on his own experience as the author of several novels, including Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine, Ghosted, Rebuilding Alexandra Small and The Armchair Bride, as well as his work with other authors. He has also recently combined forces with an established book PR professional to create a new book marketing company, bringing together professional campaign experience and the lived reality of being an author going through full-on publication campaigns.
Audiences can expect a frank, funny and useful session rather than a lecture about self-promotion. The workshop will explore what book PR can and cannot do, why good books still struggle to be noticed, and how writers can talk about their work in ways that feel specific, credible and human.
The event will include practical examples, discussion prompts and audience questions. Writers will be encouraged to think about who their book is really for, what makes it easy or difficult to pitch, and how to describe it without falling back on vague comparison titles or generic marketing language.
The session is suitable for emerging writers, self-published authors, traditionally published authors, writing groups and anyone interested in the commercial and emotional reality of getting books into readers’ hands.