I spoke at two panels on book marketing at this year’s BookExpo America, one focused on publishers’ efforts to reach readers online and the second on how writers can “balance authorship and the new business of brand-building.” That second panel has been posted as a BEA podcast, so if you weren’t able to make it to the expo, or you were setting up your company’s booth while the panel was going on, now you can hear what literary agent Betsy Amster, events planner Kim Ricketts, and novelist/blogger Mark Sarvas have to say about effectively promoting your work without losing sight of the creative drive that made you a writer in the first place. (With marketing consultant Kevin-Smokler leading the conversation smoothly, I should add.)
The MP3 clocks in at just over 41 minutes—perfect for the commute home? Of course, if you’re not interested in self-marketing, the BEA organizers have podcasts of several other panels, on topics ranging from the Chinese publishing market to the books librarians are most excited about this fall.