Katrina Sawa on How to Design a Live Event, Retreat or Author Fan Event Around Your Book

Did you know that the Nonfiction Authors Association offers two free monthly teleseminars to help members learn more about writing, publishing and marketing their books?

Well guess what? They do!

Today’s teleseminar featured Katrina Sawa on How to Design a Live Event, Retreat or Author Fan Event Around Your Book.

One of the most useful things I got out of today’s call were some of Katrina’s comments on the value of Meetups. She noted that any time you start a Meetup group, if it’s related to your business in any way, you should be positioning yourself as a leader – even if the event itself focuses on another presenter – and you should certainly sell your books and services at the back of the room whenever that group meets.

I currently run two different Meetup groups, both affiliated with the Nonfiction Authors Association, so I hadn’t necessarily been thinking in terms of positioning myself as a salesperson there. Typically, when I host our our local Chapter Meeting (held on the third Friday of every month – the next one coming up on March 18 on the topic of Writing Nonfiction for Young People), I am positioning my guest speakers as the leaders, and thus taking a back seat for any marketing opportunities there.

The other Meetup I run is a Nonfiction Read & Critique Group that meets on the last Saturday of every month (next available meeting on March 26). While it’s currently a freebie, designed to introduce people to the local NFAA chapter, I think Katrina would agree that it’s also a good way for me to market my editorial services. Indeed, whether or not the Meetup continues to be offered for free or I decide to introduce a small fee for attendees, it would definitely be beneficial to me as the leader of that group to push my services a bit more to those who are attending the group. After all, what do you do in between monthly meetings if you are raring to keep going with your edits? Maybe… hire an editor?

So that was a great light bulb moment for me, and well worth the 30-minute investment today listening to this teleseminar.

Want to learn more?

Sign up for an Authority Membership at the Nonfiction Authors Association for access to the recording of this teleseminar! It’s just $19 a month, and if you live in San Diego – or anywhere else with a local chapter – you’ll also gain free access to our monthly meetings.