Tag: Author platform

  • The Writers Bridge | All about the HUSTLE: Marketing Your Own Book

    The Writers Bridge | All about the HUSTLE: Marketing Your Own Book

    April 28 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT

    Authors are marketing in new and surprisingly successful ways.

    What’s the best way to sell YOUR book?

    More than ever, authors are doing the lion’s share of marketing–even when traditionally published. But gone are the days of religiously posting to socials and desperately hunting for Goodreads reviews. Our guests have mixed new practices and unique publicity hooks to get their books in front of the readers who need them.

    Andromeda Romano-Lax, Jo Piazza and Stephanie Weaver will tell us how their marketing plans have changed in 2026, the ways they’re bringing their words to the world, and the surprising tactics they never thought would work! Find out the best new book marketing tricks of the trade, and what you already know that’s still working.

    Join us TUESDAY April 28th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Our special guests:

    Andromeda Romano-Lax’s first novel, The Spanish Bow, was translated into eleven languages and her next novels– The Detour, Behave, Plum Rains and Annie and the Wolves have been Indie Next and Amazon Books of the month; one has been optioned for TV/film. With 2024’s The Deepest Lake (a Barnes & Noble Monthly Pick) and her 2026 novel, What Boys Learn, Andromeda has swerved into the world of suspense fiction, although she continues to write historical fiction, too. Her next novel, coming in 2027, is a speculative retelling of Sylvia Plath’s life.

    Jo Piazza is the national and international bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, Everyone is Lying to You, We Are Not Like Them, You Were Always Mine, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff and How to Be Married. Her work has been published in ten languages in twelve countries and four of her books have been optioned for film and television.  Jo’s podcasts have garnered more than twenty-five million downloads and regularly top podcast charts. An editor, columnist and travel writer, her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, New York magazine, Marie Claire, Glamour and many other publications. Her next book, The Parisian Heist, comes out in July, 2025.

    Stephanie Weaver is a TEDx speaker coach and chronic illness advocate who distills complex human experiences into accessible, compelling narratives. Her fifth book, Bitter, Sweet: How to Heal Yourself When Your Family Is Broken is a heartfelt exploration of healing from childhood sexual abuse. Weaver’s personal journey as an abuse survivor who reconciled with her parents after years of estrangement informs her work, inspiring others to rewrite their own narratives and transform pain into purpose.

    Join your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS), Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guests for this lively, funny hour of frank talk about publishing, platform, and always following your mission.

    FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.

    Enjoy past recorded sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. An expert in author marketing and community building, her platform includes the Brevity Blog (80k+ followers), Instagram (10k+), a mailing list (12k+), and Facebook (5k+), with publications in the New York Times and appearances on NPR and CBC. Her book, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, sold on proposal. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Sharla Yates is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight, published by Stranded Oak Press (2017). She hosts a webinar series, CRAFT TALKS for writers on writing, and co-hosts The Writers Bridge with Allison K Williams. Her nonfiction essay, “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal writing contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. She is the former Director of Education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | LIVE ONLY Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K Williams

    The Writers Bridge | LIVE ONLY Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K Williams

    April 21 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT

    Learn to deliver the pitch that will sell your book–and how to build the platform you need to support that pitch.

    BONUS Writers Bridge episode Tuesday April 21st from 1-2PM Eastern. LIVE ONLY NO RECORDING NO REPLAYS.

    Getting your book to the shelves means talking about it–clearly, concisely, and in a way that builds excitement and anticipation. And talking about your platform is part of that pitch.

    Practice pitching YOUR book to Literary Agent Jessica Berg and editor Allison K Williams. We’ll give you frank, useful feedback about your pitch–is it selling your book, and why or why not?

    Then, dive deeper. Tell us your platform (or the one you’re thinking about building) and we’ll share our best tips and tools to find your audience and reach them. And if you don’t know yet? We’ll brainstorm it with you, right now.

    All live attendees will receive a follow-up email with recommended tools and highlights from the session.

    Literary Agent Jessica Berg has heard thousands of pitches, and helped the authors she represents shape their platform and refine their pitch to attract publishing deals, plan their marketing, and ultimately reach readers.

    Cohost Allison K Williams has shepherded writers through live and virtual pitch events, and helped them get comfortable talking about themselves and their books with top agents in New York and London. She’s pitched a fair few books herself and learned some surprising new elements of her own platform for 2026.

    Join us live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Your Hosts

    Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and the founder of Rosecliff Literary. She loves stories that explore grief, longing, ambition, and survival and the complicated ways they intersect.

    She earned her MFA from Spalding University and contributes regularly to Writer’s Digest. Jessica serves on the boards of the Women’s National Book Association and the Historical Novel Society, and teaches nationally on querying, comp titles, and the business of authorship, with a focus on building sustainable, long-term writing careers. Her client list includes Vincent Zandri, Lisa Roe, Arizona Bell, and others..

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. She’s the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, and an expert in author marketing and community building. Her own writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Travelers’ Tales and Writers Digest and her performed stories on The Moth, NPR and CBC-Canada. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Enjoy past recorded WRITERS BRIDGE sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | LIVE ONLY Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K Williams

    The Writers Bridge | LIVE ONLY Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K Williams

    March 10 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT

    Learn to deliver the pitch that will sell your book–and how to build the platform you need to support that pitch.

    BONUS Writers Bridge episodes March 10th and April 21st. All sessions Tuesdays from 1-2PM Eastern. LIVE ONLY NO RECORDING NO REPLAYS.

    Getting your book to the shelves means talking about it–clearly, concisely, and in a way that builds excitement and anticipation. And talking about your platform is part of that pitch.

    Practice pitching YOUR book to Literary Agent Jessica Berg and editor Allison K Williams. We’ll give you frank, useful feedback about your pitch–is it selling your book, and why or why not?

    Then, dive deeper. Tell us your platform (or the one you’re thinking about building) and we’ll share our best tips and tools to find your audience and reach them. And if you don’t know yet? We’ll brainstorm it with you, right now.

    All live attendees will receive a follow-up email with recommended tools and highlights from the session.

    Literary Agent Jessica Berg has heard thousands of pitches, and helped the authors she represents shape their platform and refine their pitch to attract publishing deals, plan their marketing, and ultimately reach readers.

    Cohost Allison K Williams has shepherded writers through live and virtual pitch events, and helped them get comfortable talking about themselves and their books with top agents in New York and London. She’s pitched a fair few books herself and learned some surprising new elements of her own platform for 2026.

    Join us live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Your Hosts

    Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and the founder of Rosecliff Literary. She loves stories that explore grief, longing, ambition, and survival and the complicated ways they intersect.

    She earned her MFA from Spalding University and contributes regularly to Writer’s Digest. Jessica serves on the boards of the Women’s National Book Association and the Historical Novel Society, and teaches nationally on querying, comp titles, and the business of authorship, with a focus on building sustainable, long-term writing careers. Her client list includes Vincent Zandri, Lisa Roe, Arizona Bell, and others..

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. She’s the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, and an expert in author marketing and community building. Her own writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Travelers’ Tales and Writers Digest and her performed stories on The Moth, NPR and CBC-Canada. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Enjoy past recorded WRITERS BRIDGE sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | Multiple Platforms, One Vision: Building Your Audience around Your Mission with Sari Botton

    The Writers Bridge | Multiple Platforms, One Vision: Building Your Audience around Your Mission with Sari Botton

    February 24 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

    How can you build a multi-audience platform around one vision?

    Discover how building your own audience springs from commitment to what YOU want to write.

    Sari Botton publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Land and Adventures in Journalism to an enormous audience of Substack and email subscribers, social media admirers, and live event attendees. Over a long career from journalist to magazine publisher, she’s interviewed notable writers and, through Oldster Magazine, explores what it means to travel through time in a human body at every phase of life.

    She’s created an ecosystem of complementary publications, featuring her own writing, guest essays, interviews and more–and they all lead back to her vision of intergenerational communication and just plain good writing.

    We’ll talk about how Sari’s work has evolved over her career while staying true to her vision, how to make a living by creating what you care about, and finding the audience that cares, too.

    Join us TUESDAY February 24th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Our special guest

    Sari Botton‘s memoir in essays, And You May Find Yourself…Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen-X Weirdo, was chosen by Poets & Writers magazine for the 2022 edition of its annual “5 Over 50” feature. An essay from it received notable mention in The Best American Essays 2023, edited by Vivian Gornick. For five years, she was the Essays Editor at Longreads. She edited the bestselling anthologies __Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving NewYork __and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York. She publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Land, and Adventures in Journalism. She was the Writer in Residence in the creative writing department at SUNY New Paltz for Spring, 2023.

    Join your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS), Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guest for this lively, funny hour of frank talk about publishing, platform, and always following your mission.

    FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.

    Enjoy past recorded sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. An expert in author marketing and community building, her platform includes the Brevity Blog (80k+ followers), Instagram (10k+), a mailing list (12k+), and Facebook (5k+), with publications in the New York Times and appearances on NPR and CBC. Her book, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, sold on proposal. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Sharla Yates is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight, published by Stranded Oak Press (2017). She hosts a webinar series, CRAFT TALKS for writers on writing, and co-hosts The Writers Bridge with Allison K Williams. Her nonfiction essay, “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal writing contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. She is the former Director of Education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | LIVE ONLY Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K Williams

    The Writers Bridge | LIVE ONLY Pitch & Platform with Literary Agent Jessica Berg & Allison K Williams

    February 3 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

    Learn to deliver the pitch that will sell your book–and how to build the platform you need to support that pitch.

    BONUS Writers Bridge episodes January 6th, February 3rd, March 3rd and April 7th. All sessions Tuesdays from 1-2PM Eastern. LIVE ONLY NO RECORDING NO REPLAYS.

    Getting your book to the shelves means talking about it–clearly, concisely, and in a way that builds excitement and anticipation. And talking about your platform is part of that pitch.

    Practice pitching YOUR book to Literary Agent Jessica Berg and editor Allison K Williams. We’ll give you frank, useful feedback about your pitch–is it selling your book, and why or why not?

    Then, dive deeper. Tell us your platform (or the one you’re thinking about building) and we’ll share our best tips and tools to find your audience and reach them. And if you don’t know yet? We’ll brainstorm it with you, right now.

    All live attendees will receive a follow-up email with recommended tools and highlights from the session.

    Literary Agent Jessica Berg has heard thousands of pitches, and helped the authors she represents shape their platform and refine their pitch to attract publishing deals, plan their marketing, and ultimately reach readers.

    Cohost Allison K Williams has shepherded writers through live and virtual pitch events, and helped them get comfortable talking about themselves and their books with top agents in New York and London. She’s pitched a fair few books herself and learned some surprising new elements of her own platform for 2026.

    Join us live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Your Hosts

    Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and the founder of Rosecliff Literary. She loves stories that explore grief, longing, ambition, and survival and the complicated ways they intersect.

    She earned her MFA from Spalding University and contributes regularly to Writer’s Digest. Jessica serves on the boards of the Women’s National Book Association and the Historical Novel Society, and teaches nationally on querying, comp titles, and the business of authorship, with a focus on building sustainable, long-term writing careers. Her client list includes Vincent Zandri, Lisa Roe, Arizona Bell, and others..

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. She’s the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, and an expert in author marketing and community building. Her own writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Travelers’ Tales and Writers Digest and her performed stories on The Moth, NPR and CBC-Canada. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Enjoy past recorded WRITERS BRIDGE sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | How to Pitch Your Book in 2026 with Literary Agent Jessica Berg

    The Writers Bridge | How to Pitch Your Book in 2026 with Literary Agent Jessica Berg

    December 30, 2025 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

    Whether you’re talking to agents, publishers or readers, you need to comfortably talk about your book.

    What makes a great pitch, and the platform you need to support your book.

    Getting your book to the shelves means talking about it–clearly, concisely, and in a way that builds excitement and anticipation. And talking about your platform is part of that pitch.

    Literary Agent Jessica Berg has heard thousands of pitches, and helped the authors she represents shape their platform and refine their pitch to attract publishing deals, plan their marketing, and ultimately reach readers.

    Cohost Allison K Williams has shepherded writers through live and virtual pitch events, and helped them get comfortable talking about themselves and their books with top agents in New York and London. She’s pitched a fair few books herself and learned some surprising new elements of her own platform for 2026.

    We’ll talk about successful book pitches, how your platform can support your pitch, and hear some of YOUR pitches on the next episode of The Writers Bridge.

    Join us TUESDAY December 30th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Our special guest

    Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and the founder of Rosecliff Literary. She loves stories that explore grief, longing, ambition, and survival and the complicated ways they intersect.

    She earned her MFA from Spalding University and contributes regularly to Writer’s Digest. Jessica serves on the boards of the Women’s National Book Association and the Historical Novel Society, and teaches nationally on querying, comp titles, and the business of authorship, with a focus on building sustainable, long-term writing careers. Her client list includes Vincent Zandri, Lisa Roe, Arizona Bell, and others..

    Join your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS), Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guest for this lively, funny hour of frank talk about writing and publishing.

    FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.

    Enjoy past recorded sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. An expert in author marketing and community building, her platform includes the Brevity Blog (80k+ followers), Instagram (10k+), a mailing list (12k+), and Facebook (5k+), with publications in the New York Times and appearances on NPR and CBC. Her book, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, sold on proposal. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Sharla Yates is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight, published by Stranded Oak Press (2017). She hosts a webinar series, CRAFT TALKS for writers on writing, and co-hosts The Writers Bridge with Allison K Williams. Her nonfiction essay, “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal writing contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. She is the former Director of Education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | Social Media Simplified with Jane Friedman

    The Writers Bridge | Social Media Simplified with Jane Friedman

    January 27 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

    What online behavior actually moves the needle? What’s a waste of time?

    Discover what’s new in social media for writers in 2026.

    Should you be on social media? Which platforms? Do you need video? What about a newsletter or a Substack?

    Jane Friedman has been writing and reporting on publishing since MySpace. She’s seen the rise and fall of Medium, Twitter, and many more. And she’s done the research and knows the numbers: does #BookTok actually sell books, and which ones? Does it matter if you post video or stick to text? Is LinkedIn actually a social site? And what should be driving the choices you make about your writer platform?

    Cohost Allison K Williams co-founded The Writers Bridge and built platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (RIP) and is currently refusing to be sucked into BlueSky. She swears by an email list, but needs to use it more effectively. And cohost Sharla Yates doesn’t do much social media at all–should she?

    We’ll talk about our own social media and platform-building dilemmas and YOURS on the next episode of The Writers Bridge.

    Join us TUESDAY January 27th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Our special guest

    Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Bottom Line, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.

    Join your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS), Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guest for this lively, funny hour of frank talk about writing comedy, writing for TV, and the wonderful chaos of the writers’ room.

    FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.

    Enjoy past recorded sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. An expert in author marketing and community building, her platform includes the Brevity Blog (80k+ followers), Instagram (10k+), a mailing list (12k+), and Facebook (5k+), with publications in the New York Times and appearances on NPR and CBC. Her book, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, sold on proposal. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Sharla Yates is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight, published by Stranded Oak Press (2017). She hosts a webinar series, CRAFT TALKS for writers on writing, and co-hosts The Writers Bridge with Allison K Williams. Her nonfiction essay, “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal writing contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. She is the former Director of Education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Questions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link
    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | From Zero to 100K Followers: Midlife Social Media

    The Writers Bridge | From Zero to 100K Followers: Midlife Social Media

    November 25, 2025 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

    How to build your presence and get a book deal–by doing what you actually enjoy.

    How can a midlife writer make a dent on social media?

    By showing up.

    When Lucie Frost first tried to sell her memoir, she heard the dreaded “not enough platform.” And she didn’t want to violate her own privacy or get trapped into following fads.

    Instead, she focused on what drove her writing: curiosity. Her Instagram and TikTok appearances, sharing what she wanted to know and why, built a multi-generational audience of inquisitive readers, ready for her book, How the Hell Did I Not Know That: My Midlife Year from Couch to Curiosity.

    In this months’ Writers Bridge, Lucie will share the tips and tricks she used to feel comfortable and happy building her platform, how she protected her online self, and how that platform led to a traditional publishing deal. She’ll also answer all your questions about how you can do it, too!

    Join us TUESDAY November 25th at 1PM EASTERN – live and FREE on Zoom, all welcome!

    Our special guest

    Lucie Frost is a no-longer-practicing lawyer and the author of How the Hell Did I Not Know That? (Trinity University Press, August 2025).

    She has written humor and satire for NextTribe, Slackjaw, The Belladonna, Points in Case, Emrys Journal, and others. She is active on social media, with 100k+ engaged followers across various platforms.

    She lives in Central Texas with her three needy, delightful dogs.

    Join your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS), Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guest for this lively, funny hour of frank talk about writing comedy, writing for TV, and the wonderful chaos of the writers’ room.

    FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.

    Enjoy past recorded sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. An expert in author marketing and community building, her platform includes the Brevity Blog (80k+ followers), Instagram (10k+), a mailing list (12k+), and Facebook (5k+), with publications in the New York Times and appearances on NPR and CBC. Her book, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, sold on proposal. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Sharla Yates is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight, published by Stranded Oak Press (2017). She hosts a webinar series, CRAFT TALKS for writers on writing, and co-hosts The Writers Bridge with Allison K Williams. Her nonfiction essay, “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal writing contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. She is the former Director of Education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Questions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link

    Allison K Williams

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | Publicity 101 for Authors

    The Writers Bridge | Publicity 101 for Authors

    September 30, 2025 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT

    Finally understand what publicists know (and what your publisher isn’t telling you)

    So you’ve written a book—congratulations! Now comes the fun part: convincing the world to actually read it. Our special guest, professional publicist Shanetta McDonald, will demystify the often-overwhelming world of book publicity, starting with why press coverage still matters in our digital age and how it translates into actual readers and sales.

    We’ll break down the difference between what your publisher’s in-house team handles versus what external PR agencies do, plus help you figure out what you can tackle yourself versus when it’s worth hiring help. You’ll learn how to build your own roadmap through the publicity maze, with practical strategies that won’t break your budget.

    Today’s media landscape is brutal. Journalists are drowning in pitches (they only open about 45% of what hits their inbox), newsrooms are shrinking, and news cycles move faster than a caffeinated hummingbird. But don’t panic—we’ll dive into the art of media pitching. Learn how to work with news cycles, understand lead times, and most importantly, how to develop compelling media angles that transform your book from just another title into a newsworthy story that editors and producers want to cover.

    Whether you’re a debut author feeling lost or a seasoned writer looking to up your publicity game, you’ll leave with a FREE book media launch timeline and checklist–so you’ll know exactly what to do and when to do it–and the confidence to give your book the launch it deserves.

    Our special guest

    Shanetta McDonald is the founder of The Giselle Agency, a boutique PR agency dedicated to supporting women, BIPOC, and queer authors with intentional, story- and mission-driven book launches. With over 16 years of experience, she has spent her career challenging societal norms and shifting cultural conversations. Today, she proudly focuses on amplifying the voices of those who need it most, marginalized groups who are making a difference.

    Shanetta’s own writing has been featured in Allure, Refinery29, HuffPost, Essence, and Well+Good, where she explores themes of identity, healing, body image, and belonging.

    Join your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS), Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guest for this lively, funny hour of frank talk about Substack, newsletters, essays, and building platform by doing what you love.

    FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.

    Enjoy past recorded sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. An expert in author marketing and community building, her platform includes the Brevity Blog (80k+ followers), Instagram (10k+), a mailing list (12k+), and Facebook (5k+), with publications in the New York Times and appearances on NPR and CBC. Her book, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, sold on proposal. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Sharla Yates is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight, published by Stranded Oak Press (2017). She hosts a webinar series, CRAFT TALKS for writers on writing, and co-hosts The Writers Bridge with Allison K Williams. Her nonfiction essay, “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal writing contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. She is the former Director of Education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Questions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link

    Allison K Williams

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom

  • The Writers Bridge | Getting Social on Substack

    The Writers Bridge | Getting Social on Substack

    July 29, 2025 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT

    Is Substack our next big platform?

    It feels like EVERYONE’s getting on Substack–is it right for you? And if you’re enjoying Substack, how can it better fuel your writing process and build your audience?

    New-ish Substack user Rebecca Morrison has had some Notes go viral. Totally new user Allison K Williams (your cohost) is getting her feet wet by writing short essays and interacting in Notes. And experienced Substacker Lindsey DeLoach Jones will share her guidance on who Substack is good for and why, how much time it takes, and best ways to use Substack Notes to build platform.

    If you’ve been considering a Substack–or even a regular newsletter!–this episode’s for you. Join us live, bring your questions, and network with other writers in the chat, or watch the replay on YouTube.

    Our special guests

    Rebecca Morrison is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Newsweek, TODAY and HuffPost, among others. Her debut novel, The Blue Dress, based on her childhood as an Iranian immigrant trying to fit into her family’s expectations of beauty and American homeland is coming out March 24, 2026, from Farrar Straus Giroux. You can find her at rebeccakmorrison.com – and on Substack.

    Lindsey DeLoach Jones is a writer living in Greenville, South Carolina. She often finds herself inside the tension between seemingly opposed forces—the spiritual and the practical, the mysterious and the mundane, the Mother and the Artist. Lindsey’s essays have appeared in HuffPost, HuffPost Parenting, Split Lip, Under the Gum Tree, and Motherwell. She is a recipient of the Vandermey Nonfiction Prize, and an essay nominated by Pigeon Pages was recently a finalist for Best of the Web. She has been writing on Substack at Between Two Things since 2021.

    Join your hosts Allison K Williams (SEVEN DRAFTS), Sharla Yates (CRAFT TALKS) and our special guests for this lively, funny hour of frank talk about Substack, newsletters, essays, and building platform by doing what you love.

    FREE, all welcome! Sign up to receive the Zoom link the day before.

    Enjoy past recorded sessions here

    Closed captioning is available. ✔
    All registrants receive the recording. ✔

    ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS

    Allison K Williams has edited and coached authors to publishing deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, St. Martin’s Press, and numerous small presses. An expert in author marketing and community building, her platform includes the Brevity Blog (80k+ followers), Instagram (10k+), a mailing list (12k+), and Facebook (5k+), with publications in the New York Times and appearances on NPR and CBC. Her book, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book, sold on proposal. She leads the Rebirth Your Book writing retreats and co-hosts The Writers Bridge.

    Sharla Yates is the author of the poetry chapbook What I Would Say if We Were to Drown Tonight, published by Stranded Oak Press (2017). She hosts a webinar series, CRAFT TALKS for writers on writing, and co-hosts The Writers Bridge with Allison K Williams. Her nonfiction essay, “Address” was a finalist for the 2015 Columbia Journal writing contest and the 2016 Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. She is the former Director of Education at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation and teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Questions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com

    Registration Info
    Free
    Sign Up for Zoom Link

    Allison K Williams

    View Organizer Website

    Location

    Zoom