Start Talking: Amplify Your Platform in Front of the Camera and Behind the Mic

Even before the book is published, today’s author needs to switch gears from creating the book to creating a buzz. And one of the most effective ways to do this is to start talking. Done well, this means increasing your marketing visibility and building authority by engaging your audience, creating social media reels, booking podcasts, recording an audiobook, speaking at events, and producing engaging content that keeps your audience loyal.

In this interactive workshop, attendees will leave with concrete, repeatable ideas and actionable strategies to elevate their brands and elocute with ease. Industry pros Jeniffer Thompson (Monkey C Media) and Mary Catherine Jones (The Audiobook Experience) will teach you how to make the transition from author to thought leader to publicist-in-chief, and (most critically) how to look and sound like the professional you are and give a polished performance every time.

About the Speakers:

Mary Catherine Jones is the Founder and CEO at The Audio Book Experience. She delights in working with authors to bring their stories into the world—either guiding them as they narrate their own work or helping them find the perfect professional voice for their audiobook. From manuscript preparation to the final master, Mary Catherine supports every step of the production process, ensuring that each project is handled with care, clarity, and attention to detail.

Jeniffer Thompson is a publishing consultant, author branding coach, and book marketing strategist. She co-founded Monkey C Media in 2004, an award-winning website design studio and marketing firm, hosts The Premise podcast, and she is founder of The San Diego Writers Festival. Subscribe to her book marketing newsletter at JenifferThompson.com.

About the Speaker:

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Lindsey Salatka is an author, developmental editor, ghostwriter, and Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach dedicated to helping writers discover their voice and thrive. She leads a weekly Read & Critique at San Diego Writers, Ink and brings years of editorial and coaching experience to every page she touches.

Her award-winning debut novel, Fish Heads and Duck Skin (She Writes Press, 2021), showcases her sharp storytelling and heartfelt humor. Her personal essays have been published in multiple anthologies and performed on stage at the San Diego Memoir Showcase (2020–2022), and at the VAMP Storytelling Showcase (2026). Her short plays have been produced by The What Next Collective (2024–2026). Her Substack, It’s a Thing can be found at lindseysalatka.substack.com.

Committed to the healing and connective power of literary citizenship, Lindsey has served on the advisory board of the San Diego Writers Festival, directed the KidsWrite! Children’s Writing Contest (2022-2024), and coordinated the San Diego Central Library’s Author of the Month program (2023–2024).

Whether she’s editing manuscripts, coaching writers at every stage, or championing literary voices, Lindsey’s mission is clear: to nurture stories that matter.

Today’s New Essentials of Book Awards Pursuits: Everything You Need To Know Before You Begin Applying with Carol Abrahamson

In this info-packed masterclass for newcomers and seasoned pros in the awards world alike, you will learn:

• The dozen benefits awards bring their winners
• 10 things those benes translate into for authors
• Book awards compared to bestsellers
• The lay of the land of awards and awarding programs: how they work, what they include, common elements and realities, typical submission process components, the essentials to win, recent changes/changes ahead.

Carol A-bra-HAM-son is founder of Book Award Mastery, the only comprehensive book awards pursuit service that delivers 5 additional services beyond the awards option research and submissions help the entire rest of the industry delivers. Also a former book awards judge, an expert about how to grow a business with a book as well as how to become an admired industry leader through leveraging a book’s expertise. She’s won a slew of quality awards for some of the 42 nonfiction books she’s written to build her businesses, consults to high-profile organizations planning their own awards programs and is writing a book about how awards led to game- and life-changing benefits for 200 winners.

About the Speaker:

I’ve been creating systems, organizations and groundbreaking concepts, ideas and information designed to generate growth and prosperity for clients and communities in four arenas since the 1970s:

• For knowledge-based experts and thought leaders wanting to get noticed and admired while you differentiate yourself and your work, extend your reach, increase your impact, amplify your message and monetize your expertise by using any of 300+ uncommon $100K income streams your competitors don't use (my system guides your choosing the right ones and supports your bringing a few to life)

• For executive authors who want to create a results-generating book to describe, differentiate and market your expertise, brand, business or nonprofit (my system ensures you have the right book and the right aligned business for your growth goals plus the right action plan to get your book noticed by your ideal clients)

• For communities and entrepreneurs throughout the US that benefit enormously from infrastructure that enables sharing resources, contacts, information and expertise

• For corporate America via my Wall Street and investor relations careers