Professional Development – How to simplify your book marketing
14 October @ 10:00 - 11:30 BST

All the book marketing options and ‘shoulds’ can feel overwhelming for authors. When your priority is writing, how are you supposed to fit it all in? The good news is experts are predicting 2025 will be the year of marketing simplification – it’s simply not possible to do all the activity and do it well.
Join Anna Caig as she leads this session, focusing on using a few channels well, rather than spreading yourself too thinly. This is often the best route to marketing success, as well as avoiding burnout or overwhelm.
The writers who succeed will be those who simplify and prioritise sharing meaningful content that resonates with their target audiences across just a few platforms – and who make that content count.
#SoAatHome Professional Development events – free for SoA Members
As of Feb 2025, #SoAatHome professional development sessions will continue to be free as a member benefit. However, for non-members, the price is £35 including VAT.
Not a member? Sign up here with our special #SoAatHome offer and get 20 per cent off for the first year of membership – use code SOAATHOME20.
Programme
- Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Lilly Brend-Fish – Events Manager, SoA (3 mins)
- Presentation by Anna Caig (60 mins)
- Comfort break (5 mins)
- Q&A with audience (20 mins)
- Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
- This event will be moderated by Lilly Brend-Fish, SoA
Who is this session for?
This session is for any writers who feel like book marketing is too time-consuming, too complex or too daunting. Whether you’re a pre-publication or early career writer who’d like to set up your book marketing activity in a way that feels sustainable, and even enjoyable, or a more established writer who’d like to simplify your activity to a manageable level, this session is full of reassuring, practical advice to help you get there.
What will this session cover?
This session will cover:
- Practical guidance for selecting just a few platforms to focus on
- Content ideas that won’t feel like a ‘chore’
- How to integrate your book marketing into your existing routine
- Ideas for finding and making meaningful connections with readers for your work through your marketing activity.
Send us your questions
If you would like to send questions in advance, email LBrendfish@societyofauthors.org with ‘Simplify book marketing’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.
#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
Anna Caig
Anna Caig trains creative people to do their own marketing. She works with The Society of Authors, Jericho Writers and The Literary Consultancy, as well as one-to-one with many writers. She’s worked in communications for over 20 years, specialising in media relations and strategic marketing campaigns, and is an experienced public speaker.
Anna also writes historical and crime fiction, and her debut novel was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger prize. She is obsessed with the hidden voices of women in history.
Website: AnnaCaigComms.co.uk | Instagram: @AnnaCaig
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 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
- 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
Register - SoA Member
Please use the booking form to register for this event.
Please email
events@societyofauthors.org if you have any questions.