Professional Development – Book Data
21 April 2026 @ 10:00 - 11:30 BST
A lot of authors go pale at the idea of ‘book data’ – but there are some really good sources of information out there (both free and paid for) which it is foolish to ignore. No product manager or marketing team in the world ignores data as much as authors do!
This session hosted by author, Melissa Addey is fun and easy and takes away any fears while providing easy to access and very useful info so you can make good commercial and even artistic decisions.
Want to know what colour your next cover should be? Want to know how important it is to write in a series? Want to know whether you should be selling direct? Want to know how much more money LGBTQIA+ authors make over their straight counterparts in self-publishing? Here’s where you find out the answers.
Practical and inspiring, you’ll leave knowing where to find the data you need and how to use it.
#SoAatHome Professional Development events – free for SoA Members
As of Feb 2025, all #SoAatHome Professional Development sessions will continue to be free for members. However, for non-members, the price is £35 including VAT.
Not a member? sign up here with our special #SoAatHome offer and get 20% off for the first year – use code SOAATHOME20.
Programme
- Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Lilly Brend-Fish – Events and Engagement Manager, SoA (3 mins)
- Presentation by Melissa Addey (60 mins)
- Comfort break (5 mins)
- Q&A with audience (20 mins)
- Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
What will this session cover?
- Eight key sources of information, both free and paid for, that you can use now and going forwards to make sure you’re always up to date.
- How to research for a new cover design brief, buzzwords for your blurbs and checking what big names are about to launch in your category.
- Suitable awards to enter or reviewers to approach.
- Ten crucial bricks in your marketing foundations.
- Software to tell you a lot of information from average page counts to just how many sales it takes to hit no.1 in your Amazon category.
- Reports showing which subgenres are rising or falling in popularity.
- How to interpret general consumer trends and understand how they apply to your books.
- Using your own data as an engaging marketing visual.
Who is this session for?
Great for beginners so you get used to using book data right from the start and essential for established authors: all the sources are clear and easy to understand, no complicated spreadsheets or pages of confusing numbers here!
Send us your questions
If you would like to send questions in advance, email Lbrendfish@societyofauthors.org with ‘Book Data’ in the subject header.
#SoAatHome Fundraising Bookshop
Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in the #SoAatHome. When you make a purchase using our affiliate links, a percentage will go to the Society of Authors’ Access Fund, giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats.
The Line-up
Melissa Addey
Melissa Addey writes richly researched historical fiction. Her novels span Ancient Rome, medieval Morocco, 18th-century China, and Regency England. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, was Writer in Residence at the British Library, and lives in London with her family. She runs workshops and webinars for authors wanting to take an entrepreneurial approach to their writing careers.
Website: www.melissaaddey.com | TikTok: @melissaaddeyauthor | Facebook: MelissaAddeyAuthor Instagram: @melissaaddey
Need to know
Accessibility
- Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, to watch with subtitles
- If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org
Before the event
- Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
- If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your junk/spam email folder
- Please add events@societyofauthors.org to your Safe Senders list so you receive our confirmation and reminder emails
During the event
- This online event will take place on Zoom Webinar; you will not be visible on screen but will be able to ask questions via the Q&A function or interact via the chat box
- This event will be recorded but you won’t be on screen
- Attendees have the option to turn on the live transcript
- This event is 90 minutes
After the event
- The hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
- SoA Members and paid attendees of this event will be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel (password protected) or members can access via the SoA website.
Booking
SoA Members: Please use the ‘Register – SoA Members’ form below and provide your details, including your membership number. If you’re unsure of your SoA ID, please email info@societyofauthors.org.
Non-members: Choose one of the two ticket options below, complete the registration form, then fill out the billing info to finalise your payment.
For event or registration questions, email events@societyofauthors.org.
SoA Members – Free
Non-Members – £35
Accordion Content
Access 20% off your first year of membership of the SoA with discount code SOAATHOME20
The Society of Authors is the UK’s biggest trade union for authors – representing more than 12,000 writers, illustrators, translators and other creative practitioners.
Our standard subscription rate is just £32.50 per quarter (£22.75 for students).
As an SoA member, you’ll get:
- Access to all our #SoAatHome events for free including the Professional Development sessions usually charged at £35 from Feb 2025
- Access to all our Feel Good Friday and Industry Insider events which are usually charged £5 from Feb 2025
- Access all #SoAatHome Vimeo professional development recordings so you can catch up in your own time
- Access Unlimited one-to-one professional advice
- Membership of our online and real-world professional networks and special interest groups
- A range of member-only discounts, including books, insurance and travel
- And much more
‘It was a surprisingly lovely way to meet fellow writers in a friendly, warm surrounding perfectly hosted by the SoA staff. Thank you for all the introductions, the welcome and the nourishment!’ – attendee from SoA in Person: Autumn New Members’ Party 2024
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Accordion Content
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If you are in a position to help, please donate via the link below. If you are an author facing access issues, please click here to see if we can help.
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Register - SoA Member
Please use the booking form to register for this event.
Please email events@societyofauthors.org if you have any questions
