Open Access: Selling Your Book in the Digital Age - NSW Writers Centre - 21 September 2013

On Saturday 21st of September I am involved with the Open Access symposium at the New South Wales Writers' Centre. This is an amazing day focusing on helping authors to better promote and sell their work using all the tools available to us.

Walter Mason will be part of the Open Access symposium

I am appearing in the afternoon on a panel called Can Self Promotion be a Creative Act? I'll be sharing the platform with the gabulous Kirsten Krauth, author of just_a_girl, and also Andrew Nette and Jenn J McLeod. It is going to be a fascinating event.

Jenn J McLeod

So if you wanted to get your head around the fast-changing world of digital publishing and promotion this will be a must-attend event.

Full details:

Open Access: Selling Your Book in the Digital Age

Supported by the Copyright Agency

Saturday 21 September, 10am – 4pm

Cost: Full Price: $90; Member: $65; Conc Member: $55

A one day symposium focusing on how writers promote themselves and their work in the constantly changing world of publishing.

For writers and publishers, the challenge is always how to get a book into the hands of readers. Whether you self-publish or go with a mainstream publisher, whether it’s an ebook, print or both, the challenge of promoting yourself and launching your book into the world remains.

Open Access will bring together authors, publishers, a bookseller, digital expert, and industry professionals to talk about how they do this – their hits and their misses.

10.00 – 11.00
Don’t Get Left on the Shelf
Whether you have published your book digitally or in hardcopy you want to make sure it gets into the hands of readers and doesn’t remain on the shelf. Digital expert Anna Maguire, with bookseller and author Banafsheh Serov take you through what you can do to improve your sales.

11.00 – 12.00
The Author as PR Machine
These days promoting your book is very much part of the author’s role, whether self-published or by a small or large publisher. A panel of authors discuss how they have gone about promoting their books either working alone, with a publisher or publicist. David Henley (The Hunt for Pierre Jnr.), Brendan Shanahan (In Turkey I Am Beautiful and Mr Snack and the Lady Water), Alex Hammond (Blood Witness), and Allison Tait (Career Mums).

12.00 – 12.45 Lunch

12.45 – 1.45
How Did You Sell That Book? Publicity Campaign Case Studies
Self-published author Chris Allen @intrepidallen / intrepidallen.com and his publicist/social marketing expert/wife Sarah Allen @sarallenconsult together devised an integrated online and offline promotional campaign that not only successfully sold his books, but got him published by Momentum, sold the film rights, and signed him to an international literary agent.
Established arts publicist Debbie McInnes (DMCPR Media) joins Andrew O’Keefe to talk about how they promoted Andrew’s non-fiction title Hardwired Humans and his novel, The Boss.

1.45 – 2.45
Bringing Books & Readers Closer Together
How do publishers identify the target audience for a book and what do they do to make sure books and readers find each other? Using specific examples Kate Cuthbert (Escape), Bethia Thomas (Bloomsbury, @BethiaThomas), and Brett Osmond (Random House) discuss what goes into marketing a book.  Chaired by former publisher and editor of the Newtown Review of Books, Linda Funnell.

2.45 – 3.00 Break

3.00 – 4.00
Can Self Promotion be a Creative Act?
Selling your book is no longer confined to a discreet publicity campaign and author tour. It is now a 24/7 proposition.  A panel of authors who work effectively in this domain talk about what they have found works and whether promoting yourself can be as creative as writing your book. With Kirsten Krauth (just_a_girl)  wildcolonialgirl.wordpress.com @WldColonialGirl; Walter Mason (Destination Saigon) www.waltermason.com  @walterm; Andrew Nette (Ghost Money) www.pulpcurry.com @Pulpcurry; and Jenn J McLeod (House for all Seasons) jennjmcleod.com @JennJMcLeod

Online booking here