WMG member Bridget Marmion spent over a decade each at FSG, Random House and Houghton Mifflin, working in editorial, publicity, sales, advertising, and marketing during her career. She now runs a full-service marketing firm, www.bridgetmarmionbookmarketing.com.
PREVIOUS EVENTS:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 6:30 pm ET
A Zoom Virtual Event sponsored by the Women’s National Book Association
$10 for WNBA members, $20 for non-members
Taking the Leap: About that book you plan to write…
So many of us think, dream, and plan to write a book… someday. Join us to hear from two busy people who actually took the leap. During this conversation, moderated by someone who’s worked for years with authors, you’ll hear why these writers delayed as long as they did. (The reasons may sound very familiar). The authors will share tips on moving those ideas from your head onto a page. Spoiler alert: Do not expect a blissful flow of creativity and a clear, coherent, winning manuscript to quickly emerge.
Writers and aspiring writers at any stage of their journey are encouraged to register for this event, whether your work is in the category of fiction or nonfiction. There will also be time in the program for several audience members to succinctly share their own tips on getting started or a bit of advice with the community.
What we’ll cover:
—I couldn’t start the book, because…
—The trigger to actually begin the book
—How to decide the focus of your book.
—What to expect as you’re writing a book: the practical, logistical, and psychological challenges most writers face.
—Tips on dealing with common challenges, including the question “How’s the book coming?”
Register Here!
The Authors
Fran Hawthorne After an award-winning career as a nonfiction author and journalist (including writing or editing for The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and Fortune), Fran Hawthorne a few years ago “took the leap” and returned to her childhood passion: fiction. Her second novel, I Meant to Tell You (published last fall by Stephen F. Austin State University Press), has been short-listed for the Sarton Award in contemporary fiction and won second place in women’s fiction and third place in adult fiction from the Feathered Quill Book Awards.
Maiya Katherine is a #1 Best-Selling Author and Transformational Speaker. Although she ventured into the business world after college, she eventually decided to follow her Life Purpose of helping others heal emotional trauma and adopt a success-oriented mindset. Since publishing her first book in September 2021, she has spoken at various Universities, Mindset Programs, Mental Health Podcasts, and Teen Workshops, among others. She continues to develop programs and courses to help others heal and thrive.
The Moderator
Bridget Marmion spent over a decade each at FSG, Random House, and Houghton Mifflin, working in editorial, publicity, sales, advertising, and marketing during her career, for both adult and children’s books. She launched her own marketing firm, Your Expert Nation, in 2012, which relaunched last year as www.bridgetmarmionbookmarketing.com.
Thursday, September 15, 2022, 6:00 pm ET
A Zoom Virtual Event sponsored by the Women’s Media Group
Free for WMG members, $15 for non-members
What is an Author Platform? How Every Writer Can Be A Powerful Partner In Their Own Success
Publishing insiders will discuss what agents and publishers mean when they ask writers “What is your author platform?” Discussion will revolve around what exactly is an author platform. What matters to agents and to publishers? Are all author platforms the same? What are the components of a platform? When and how should writers start building their platform? This is the perfect opportunity to learn the many ways writers can create robust communities waiting for their books; when they should begin building their platforms. Not only authors, but literary agents, editors, and marketing experts will find this a useful and informative discussion.
Moderator:
Bridget Marmion spent over a decade each at FSG, Random House, and Houghton Mifflin, working in editorial, publicity, sales, advertising, and marketing during her career, for both adult and children’s books. She launched her own marketing firm, www.yourexpertnation.com in 2012, which relaunched last year as www.bridgetmarmionbookmarketing.com.
Panelists:
Regina Brooks is the founder and CEO of Serendipity Literary, the largest African American literary agency in the US and home to many award-winning authors and illustrators. She’s the author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults and You Should Really Write a Book, How to Write Well and Market Your Memoir.
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, which was named 2020 Media Outlet of the Year by Digital Book World. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal.
Patsy Jones currently serves as VP of Marketing at Hachette Book Group in Franklin, TN, following years at Books A Million and Anderson Merchandisers. She is seasoned both as a marketing professional at the highest levels as well as a veteran in the retail space and has a deep, lived understanding of the connection between content and audience and between products and retail.
Register for this event here.
Thursday, May 13, 2021
AGENTS, EDITORS, THE PITCH LETTER
A Panel Discussion Event sponsored by The Women’s National Book Association
Bridget Marmion, founder and president of Bridget Marmion Book Marketing, created and moderated this panel discussion for those who have a book idea or manuscript to pitch and wanted to learn what pitches work – and which ones don’t – from two agents and two book editors.
THE PANELISTS
Laura Gross, Founder, Laura Gross Literary Agency
Margaret Marbury, Vice President Editorial, Harlequin Trade Publishing
Johanna Castillo, Senior Agent, Writers House
Tara Parsons, Associate Publisher, HarperOne
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
THE YA TODAY: An Editor, Agent, and Blogger Discuss the Book, the Audience, the Crossover
A Presentation Event by Emilia Rhodes, Peter Knapp, Katiebabs, and Bridget Marmion
The video of The YA Today: An Editor, Agent, and Blogger Discuss the Book, the Audience, the Crossover is now available. Click for more details and purchase info.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
CAN I WRITE THAT WHILE THEY’RE STILL ALIVE?
A Presentation Event by Bridget Marmion, Boris Kachka, Elinor Lipman, and Jan F. Constantine
All ninety minutes of this information-packed Confab is now available on video. Click hereto find out more and purchase!
Sunday, September 17, 2017
HOW TO REACH YOUR READERS: What You Need to Know from the Publicity, Social Media, Audio, and Marketing Professionals of BRIDGET MARMION BOOK MARKETING
A Bridget Marmion Book Marketing workshop at the Brooklyn Book Festival
Rich Kelley , Anne Kostick, Jennifer Maguire and Bridget Marmion
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
FINDING AND BUILDING YOUR COMMUNITY OF READERS
A Presentation by Ron Hogan, Jennifer Maguire, Bridget Marmion and Rich Kelley
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
REACHING READING GROUPS TODAY: Effective Marketing and Publicity
A Presentation by Carol Fitzgerald, Jean Hanff Korelitz, Jill A. Tardiff, Jeanette Zwart, Rich Kelley, and Bridget Marmion
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
MARKETING AND PUBLICITY’S NEW ROLE IN DISCOVERABILITY: Metadata Made Easy
A Presentation by Anne Kostick, Maureen McMahon, Jeanette Zwart, Bridget Marmion and Rich Kelley
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
TIMELINE TO SUCCESS: When Should Authors Begin Preparing for Successful Publication—and How?
A Presentation by Michelle Blankenship, Rich Kelley, and Bridget Marmion
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
GETTING YOUR BOOKS INTO THE COMMON CORE MARKET: Whether fiction, picture books, non-fiction or graphic novels, K-12
A Presentation by Nancy Mahoney and Neil Nathan, moderated by Bridget Marmion
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
EVERY BOOK NEEDS A HOOK
A Presentation by Bridget Marmion, Michelle Blankenship, Eamon Dolan, and Lee Stern
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
CREATING AND TRACKING ONLINE ADS
A Presentation by Rich Kelley
Thursday, April 10, 2014
PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION:
A Conversation with Publicity, Marketing, and Social Media Experts
Victoria Meyer, Rich Kelley, and Bridget Marmion