Grub Street’s Muse & the Marketplace

Kelley & Hall had a wonderful time speaking at Grub Street‘s annual Muse & the Marketplace. Here is a description of our “hour of power” session, Blueprint for Book Publicity.

What makes a book a blockbuster? What pushes it to the top of bestseller lists, onto bookshelves across the country, and into the hands of eager readers? What helps an author create a strong following? If an author learns the strategies and secrets, can he propel his book in the direction of bestseller status? Do you have to be published by the biggest and best publishing houses in the country in order to make a presence for yourself and your work?

The answers to these questions will surprise even the most cynical of writers. Whether you have already written a book that shot up the bestseller list or are a debut author wondering how to navigate the confusing maze of publicity, this course will provide all of the secrets, tips, strategies and advice that every writer needs to learn. We will help you create the best possible path for you and your work. The advice we offer is lasting, and the suggestions will inspire you to learn every angle of this business from the inside out. We pooled our knowledge from various industries; public relations, sales, advertising and journalism to provide you with the most complete reference for creating a successful and powerful publicity campaign.

It is always inspiring to see so many writers with passionate stories to tell. You never know who the breakout writer is going to be. Last year, at this time, we were there with our client, Lisa Genova, author of STILL ALICE. Since last year’s Grub Street, Lisa has gone from having a self-published book to being picked up by Simon & Schuster and now being a fixture on the New York Times best seller list!

The event is so informative and a great networking tool. Authors at this year’s Muse included Tess Gerritsen, Ann Patchett, Lois Lowry, Sue Miller, Lynne Griffin, Amy MacKinnon, and Jennifer Haigh. I have to admit, I was very sad not to get a chance to meet Lois Lowry. Anastasia Krupnik, was one of the first books I remember devouring as a child and dragging my mother back to the bookstore to get the next book in the series. I credit Ms. Lowry with my absolute, undying, love and passion for books. And now she blogs! It rivals the childhood excitement I felt when I started following Punky Brewster on Twitter (Soleil Moon Frye).

If you didn’t get a chance to attend our seminar, and are interested in learning everything you need to know about marketing and publicizing your work, we are currently working on the only instruction manual you will ever need on book publicity, BLUEPRINT FOR BOOK PUBLICITY. Here’s a sneak peek:

Grub Street’s Muse and the Marketplace

Last weekend (April 25-27) we spoke at Grub Street’s 7th Annual Muse and the Marketplace held at the Omni Parker House in Downtown Boston. We were on the publicity and promotion panels and were able to provide some insight into the complex world of book promotion. Many aspiring writers were there to learn from the pros. Jonathan Franzen made the keynote address at the luncheon and the audience was filled with notable writers, agents and editors. Anita Shreve, Mameve Medwed, Trish Ryan, Amy MacKinnon, Michael Thomas, Lois Lowry, Lisa Scottoline, Julia Glass, Scott Heim, and Jenna Blum were among the writers in attendance.

Two of our clients, Lisa Genova (Still Alice) and Brunonia Barry (The Lace Reader) were also on various panels, each with their debut novels. Everyone involved with the event enjoyed the experience and are already eagerly anticipating next year’s event.

The Boston Globe ran an article this weekend on the event and brought attention to the fact that New England is truly a literary hotbed. Chris Castellani was responsible for the wonderful flow of the entire weekend and should be commended for his amazing work as well as his fabulous introduction to Jonathan Franzen’s speech. Below is a photo of Jocelyn Kelley and Megan Kelley Hall with local author and National Book Award winner, Julia Glass. We are all eagerly awaiting her newest release, I SEE YOU EVERYWHERE!

Jocelyn Kelley, Julia Glass, Megan Kelley Hall