Write well.
Publish wisely.
Be savvy.

Professional development for working writers offering affordable online workshops on specialist topics giving you the knowledge and tools to boost your career.

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Paid Advertising:
Waste of Cash
or Worth It?

With Eleanor Pilcher, Head of Digital Marketing at Bookouture
£29Recording Available for PurchaseEleanor Pilcher runs paid advertising across hundreds of titles at Bookouture, one of the UK’s most commercially successful digital publishers. She’ll give you an honest, insider account of how publishers allocate ad budgets, which books get spend and why, and where most authors sit in the pecking order.She’ll show you how to work out what your own publisher is doing, how to have a more informed conversation with your marketing team, and how to make a credible case for more support if you feel you’re not getting it. And if your publisher simply isn’t doing enough, she’ll help you think through when and where it might make sense to step in with your own spend.This workshop will help you understand:
* the current advertising landscape and how it has changed
* how marketing departments allocate budgets
* where your book sits within your publisher’s pecking order
* how to make the internal case for more spend on your title
* when and where it might be beneficial to spend your own moneyAimed primarily at traditionally published authors, this session may also be relevant for indies, but is not a how-to-run ads session. It will help you advocate for your book and make clear-eyed decisions about what to do if advocacy isn’t enough.

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Launch Like A Pro:
A Checklist for Debuts & Seasoned Authors Alike

With Alison Barrow, PR Director of TransworldRecording Available for Purchase
£29Alison Barrow has spent decades at the highest level of UK publishing, launching some of the biggest bestsellers of the past twenty years. In this insider-led session, she’ll show you exactly how publicity works from both sides.She’ll discuss what your publisher is doing and why, what factors determines which authors get the most attention, how to have more productive conversations with your publicist, and how to collaborate more effectively. Finally, she’ll discuss where author-led activity can genuinely add value. Practical, strategic and grounded in industry reality, it will help you avoid wasted effort and focus on what really drives coverage.By the end of this session, you will:
* understand how in-house publicity teams prioritise and make decisions
* know how to collaborate with your publicist to maximise opportunities
* identify where your own efforts can meaningfully support publisher activity
* learn what journalists and producers will respond to
* focus your time on publicity actions that lead to real coverageAimed primarily at traditionally published authors, this session may also be relevant for indies. It will help you advocate for your book and make clear-eyed decisions about how your activity can meaningfully support your publisher's. Places will be limited to keep the session interactive.

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The Heat Level Masterclass:
Writing Intimacy That Sells

With author Tracy Buchanan (AKA Laura Bloom), founder of the Savvy Writers Snug, the UK's largest online group for published authors.Monday July 6th 7-8.30PM
£39Tracy is a bestselling author of both women’s fiction under her own name and romance under the Laura Bloom pen name, which landed her a six-figure deal.In this 90-minute masterclass, she will draw on her experience writing across multiple genres and the full romantic spectrum to teach you the craft editors want and the heat levels readers are buying.This workshop is relevant to romance authors, but also authors who want to include intimate scenes in their novels, whatever the genre.We'll cover:
* Heat levels editors are buying right now (plus quotes from editors and agents she consulted)
* What readers are hungry for
* A guide to the full heat spectrum — from closed door to high spice — with real examples
* The specific craft techniques that make sex scenes memorable
* A reference guide for naming body parts and actions by heat level (because while we all love the phrases 'pork swords' and 'velvet tunnels’, your editor will absolutely have questions!)
* How to choose a heat level that fits your voice, your genre, and your readers
* How to build emotional investment before and physical intimacy (the real tension)
* How to weave spice into plot and character so it earns its place
* The specific craft techniques that make sex scenes memorableWhatever genre you’re writing in, you'll walk away with a framework for writing intimate scenes that work.

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