Creative Lab Syllabus
Description:
Have you ever wondered how to get your career “to the next level”? Whether you are a debut author or an established award-winner, this session with TvS Media Group founder and publishing veteran Tracy van Straaten is designed to provide published authors and illustrators with a better understanding of how to take a step back and evaluate their career and “brand”, through the lens of a publicist and marketer. How do others view you and your work? What message do you want to send into the world about your book(s)? Participants will leave this session with a clearer understanding of how to define and amplify your personal brand; how to collaborate with your publisher for the best results; PR, marketing, and social media strategy / best practices; how to determine which marketing and PR activities are worth your time; and how to set achievable publicity/marketing goals for the future.
Prerequisites and Advanced Preparation - Ahead of this session, please prepare the following:
- A list of five authors and/or artists publishing in your “space”. Review their websites and note a few of your favorite and least favorite things about each site (design, organization, ease of use, information included, etc).
- Make sure your own website is available on a screen for viewing during the session (laptop, iPad, etc.), or print out a homepage for sharing.
- Registered participants must fill out a brief Q&A in advance by February 1, 2024. (The survey can be found under MEMBER HOME > RESOURCES > WINTER CONFERENCE HANDOUTS after registering).
Schedule:
- Introduction (5 minutes)
- Publicity vs Marketing: An Explainer (10 minutes)
- Defining Your Personal “Brand” (10 minutes)
- Breakout/Workshop: Brand/Tagline Development, Discussion, and Q&A (25 minutes)
- Humblebrag or Brag? Web Site Best Practices (15 minutes)
- Coffee/Snack/Stretch/Bathroom Break (10 minutes)
- Breakout/Workshop: Website Review with a Partner, Discussion, and Q&A (25 minutes)
- Tags, Hashtags, and Reels, Oh My! Social Media Dos and Don’ts (15 minutes)
- Breakout/Workshop: Developing Social Media Content, Discussion, and Q&A (25 min)
- Coffee/Snack/Stretch/Bathroom Break (10 minutes)
- Your Publicist is Your Teammate: How to Collaborate with Your Publisher (10 minutes)
- How to Build a Ladder to Where You Want to Go: Setting Achievable Goals, and Q&A (15 minutes)
- Breakout/Workshop: Goal Setting (10 minutes)
- Final Q&A (10 minutes)
Objectives - Participants will leave understanding:
- The differences between publicity and marketing
- How to define their personal brand
- How subtle website refinements can make a big impact
- Effective time management strategies for social media
- Which social media platforms are the best fit
- Strategies for social media engagement and audience growth
- Personally customized ideas to bring their career to the next level
- The value of strategy in publicity and marketing
