Smith Publicity launched our book marketing webinar series in 2022. It’s part of Smith Publicity’s commitment to making helpful book marketing services and publicity knowledge available online to authors, publishers, and others involved in our field.
Each session is led by a veteran Smith Publicity team member and cover a range of book publicity and marketing topics of value for authors and publishers. Knowledge is power in the highly competitive book industry, and education empowers authors, publishers and anyone involved in book publishing to stand out from the crowd. We welcome you to watch our recorded webinars and as always, contact us if you’d like to explore book publicity options.
Business Book ROI Study & Webinar-October 24, 2024
Between April and August 2024, four author service organizations—Amplify Publishing Group, Gotham Ghostwriters, Smith Publicity, and Thought Leadership Leverage—teamed up with statistical professional Josh Bernoff, author of Build a Better Business Book, to conduct a survey of over 300 authors.
Our goal was simple: to uncover the factors that most likely generate a positive return on investment (ROI) for authors pursuing book projects.
Discover the true value of publishing a business book beyond just book sales. We’ll break down the hard numbers—royalties earned, sales of consulting and speaking services—as well as the invaluable, non-material returns such as increased visibility, media inquiries, and personal brand growth.
In this event, we dove into:
- The ROI of business book publishing: What’s the real payoff?
- How to weigh the costs—financial, time, and emotional—of bringing a book to life.
- Key takeaways and lessons for every aspiring or current author, whether self-publishing, working with a hybrid publisher, or landing a deal with a traditional publisher.
Download the 32 page Business Book ROI Study here.
Get on the Same Page with Literary Agents: How to Query and Grow a Relationship with Leading Author Advocates – July 10, 2024
For authors navigating complex publishing pathways, a literary agent serves as a guide and advocate, cutting through the noise and opening up the doors to new opportunities on your behalf. Not only is working with a literary agent essential for any kind of traditional deal, but they can also help authors with translating publishing contracts from hybrid and indie houses as well and can curate long-lasting relationships with editors and publishers alike. But first, before working with an agent, you have to query them. What does that entail? And once you’ve signed on, what are the best practices for creating a positive working relationship? We’re glad you asked!
Donya Dickerson, Literary Agent at Aevitas, and John Willig, Literary Advisor and Content Coach at Literary Services Inc., join Host Corinne Moulder, Smith Publicity’s VP of Business Development, to discuss how to query and work collaboratively with literary agents.
From Pages to Stages: Understanding the Intersection Between Authorship and Speaking – April 17, 2024
Writing a book and writing a keynote are very different practices, but each can inform the other, and should if speaking is a big part of your author platform, or vice versa! In fact, many authors are in-demand speakers as one of the opportunities that arise from publishing a book, and then use their books to promote their speaking. This cyclical pattern and the intersection of the author and speaker brands is why we’ve invited Michael Port, CEO and Co-Founder of Heroic Public Speaking, to discuss how to build an author/speaker strategy in today’s competitive landscape.
Behind the Bestseller Webinar: A Look at the Inner Workings and Evolving Nature of Bestseller Lists – January 24, 2024
Bestseller lists have long been a publishing industry fixture and a major goal for authors, the shiny pinnacle of a mountain made up of many other challenges and accomplishments. But in recent times, bestseller lists have been in flux — from the hiatus and re-emergence (in partnership with independent bookstores) of the USA Today list to the Wall Street Journal’s announcement that it would be dropping its bestseller lists.
What’s next for bestseller lists and the authors who hope to see their titles on them? In a fascinating and informative session, book marketing strategist, consultant, and founder of the future of agency, Andrea DeWerd, joins Smith Publicity President Marissa Eigenbrood to discuss the current state of the bestseller list landscape, updated bestseller strategy for authors and publishing industry professionals, and what the future of bestseller lists may look like.
Literary Law 101: What Authors Should Know About Contracts, AI, and More – November 8, 2023
An author is the expert on the topic of their book, but what about when it comes to the legalities of the writing and publishing process? From understanding issues like copyright and fair use, to negotiating contracts with service providers, to navigating hot topics like AI – many authors quickly realize there can be some complicated legal issues to face as they work to get their book across the finish line.
This enlightening and informative session features expert guests Joseph Perry, attorney at The Law Offices of Joseph J. Perry and literary agent at Perry Literary, and David Wogahn, author and president of AuthorImprints, as they discuss some of the most common legal questions clients ask and help walk authors through the basics of literary law from both legal and publishing operations perspectives.
Prepare to Launch: Key Steps to Ensure a Smooth and Successful Book Launch – August 16, 2023
With all that goes into the process of preparing a book for publication—from meticulous editing to thoughtful design to strategic marketing and much more—it’s no wonder the launch of a book is often compared to a birth. It takes a dedicated team working together diligently and with care for many months to get from the starting point to that main event: pub day. How can authors and publishers ensure it’s a success?
In their over 25 years of business, Smith Publicity has honed in on what makes for a successful launch. In a helpful, information-packed session, Publicist Shannon Donaghy and President Marissa Eigenbrood share top tips, ideal timelines, dos and don’ts, and much more.
Viewers will walk away with a clear idea of all that goes into a winning book launch plan, as well as actionable takeaways they can implement to ensure their launch is smooth and, ultimately, successful.
Appealing to Bookstores: How Authors Can Get Their Book onto Store Shelves, Plan a Successful Store-Hosted Event, and More – April 26, 2023
One of the areas authors often want to know more about is bookstores: how to work with them, how to get their book onto store shelves, what goes into a successful store-hosted author event, and more.
In this exciting and informative session, you’ll receive valuable insight into these topics from two industry experts with different and crucial perspectives: Lynn Rosen, Barnes & Noble manager and founder of Open Book indie bookstore, and Kristine Peyre-Ferry, Director of Distribution at Greenleaf Book Group.
Our guest experts will share their experiences working with authors, best practices, and answers to the most frequently asked questions they receive. Don’t miss this opportunity to go behind the scenes of bookstores!
Behind the Scenes of Book PR: Trends, Predictions for 2023 & Top Book Marketing Questions Answered – January 11, 2023
Our dynamic publicity managers gather for an open discussion on what they’ve observed over the past year in the world of book marketing, new industry trends, and what they predict for the year ahead. Plus, they answer YOUR top book publicity questions!
A unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of book publicity, please join us for this kick off to the new year that will leave you feeling up-to-date about the current landscape of book marketing and how to best market your book, and motivated to accomplish your goals in 2023 and beyond.
Becoming a Coveted Speaker: Grow Your Speaking Confidence & Land an Agent – October 4th, 2022
Smith Publicity’s October 2022 webinar focuses on best practices for speaking at events, and how can to consistently tie your message back to your book. How can they find and secure the right representation to help bring their speaking career to the next level?
What Media Wants: An Inside Look Into What Makes for Successful Book and Author Coverage – July 27th, 2022
Smith Publicity’s July 2022 webinar focuses on how media outlets choose which authors and books they cover. As one of the most effective mediums in the book publishing industry today, books and authors who receive media attention generally have greater success in reaching their target audiences. Join our speakers as they discuss strategies and tactics to get your book noticed by the media when you publish and begin a publicity campaign for your book.
Monetizing Your Thought Leadership: Driving Income Beyond Book Sales – May 25th, 2022
Making money from book sales is often the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how non-fiction authors generate income from writing a book. This informative webinar explores specific ways authors and thought leaders make money beyond book sales. Attendees learn about building visibility with target audiences through publicity, but also critical next steps: once people learn about what you do, how can you create ways to monetize your content?
Building a Successful Indie Publishing Team: How and When to Get Started – March 30th, 2022
This enlightening webinar identifies the pillars of an indie publishing team and tips to maximize book launch results through partner collaboration. From design to production to publicity, hiring the right team—and one that works well together—helps authors, publishers, and service providers alike prepare and execute a winning publication plan while following a “traditional” model on their own terms. Complete with insider perspective from seasoned industry professionals, this session touches on how and when to engage and activate your publishing team, tips to ensure collaboration and communication across team members, and top considerations for cohesive strategy.
Developing Your Author Brand – Jan. 26th, 2022
In this informative webinar, attendees will learn about building their author brand: from identifying (and applying!) their unique selling propositions to what social media platforms they should be active on and much more. Attendees will walk away with a thorough understanding of why establishing their author brand is so important and how doing so can help them sell more than just books.