Women in Publishing Presents: Marketing Bootcamp for Authors & Publishing Industry Professionals
Virtual Buy Replays $97Two Days. Two Tracks. One Community Full of Women Building the Future of Marketing in the Book Industry.
All sessions are live, interactive, and designed for participant engagement. Replays will be provided.
The WIP Marketing Bootcamp is not a passive summit but an engaged experience built for authors who want to sell more books AND for the publishing professionals that help them do it.
The WIP Marketing Bootcamp is two full days of live training designed around what authors and publishing industry professionals actually need in 2026. Two parallel tracks run alongside shared keynotes and networking, so you can sit in the room that fits the work you’re doing right now—and walk away with that work in progress, not just outlined in a notebook.
Authors Track
Practical marketing systems for the authors who want to grow their audience, sell more books, and build something that lasts beyond launch week. Sessions cover: brand clarity, email and partnership strategy, podcast pitching, AI-powered book discovery, and the marketing shifts quietly reshaping how readers find books in 2026.
Publishing Industry Professionals Track
Business marketing for the people behind the authors—publishers, coaches, publicists, designers, service providers, and the founders building bookish businesses. Sessions cover: visibility strategies, lead generation through media and speaking, client acquisition planning, podcast monetization, and the operational systems that make a service business scalable.
This isn’t a passive bootcamp. It’s a learn-and-get-it-done event: every session is built to give you something you can use, and most are followed by implementation time to actually apply it. You’ll leave with written plans, finished templates, drafted pitches, and clarity on what to do next—not just a list of things to think about later.
Structured networking makes sure you walk away with relationships, not just notes.
Survey Insights That Shaped the Program
The program was designed from 73 survey responses. Key findings:
- 59% of respondents named marketing as their #1 struggle—the highest of any category.
- Discovery (getting found by new readers/clients) was the #1 individual challenge.
- Implementation workshops, step-by-step sessions, and live build-it formats were the top three preferred learning styles.
- Attendees want tools that don’t require paid ads—organic, email, collaboration, and community strategies dominated the topic requests.
- Multiple respondents explicitly said they want to “leave with something done.”
Bootcamp Schedule
Scroll down for descriptions of each session and bios of each speaker.
Day One—Where Are You Now & What’s Actually Working
- Opening Keynote (for both tracks): How Marketing in the Publishing Landscape Has Changed—What You Need to Know Right Now with Alexa Bigwarfe
- Author Morning Track: Proven Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Audience and Sell More Books with Lacy Lieffers
- Pro Morning Track: Getting In Front of Authors: Visibility Strategies for Publishing Professionals with Alexa Bigwarfe
- Lunch Keynote (for both tracks): The Importance of Having a Marketing Plan—and How to Build One That Actually Works with Jennifer S. Wilkov of Your Book Is Your Hook
- Author Afternoon Track: Heart-Centered Marketing: Build a Values-Aligned Visibility System with Beth Barany // Navigating Independent Bookstore Partnerships for Self-Published Authors with Leanne Janzen of FriesenPress
- Pro Afternoon Track: 5 Ways to Generate Magnetic Leads Using Media Interviews & Speaking Engagements with Lilian Sue // Build Your Client Acquisition Plan Implementation Workshop facilitated by Alexa Bigwarfe
- Close: Day One Networking for both tracks
Day Two—New Tools, New Tactics, Do the Work
- Author Morning Track: Beyond the Book: Using Your Fiction to Fuel Multiple Revenue Streams with Cher Terais // How to Get Booked on Podcasts: Pitch Strategy & Implementation with Savannah Gilbo
- Pro Morning Track: Fly Higher: Building, Growing & Monetizing Your Podcast as a Publishing Professional with Julie Lokun // What I Learned from 400 Author/Speakers: Insights That Will Change How You Work with Bobbie Carlton
- Author Afternoon Track: AI Marketing Tools for Authors—What You Need to Know with Shalonna Anderson // AI Is Now a Book Discovery Engine—and Many Authors Are Invisible In It with Alexa Bigwarfe
- Pro Afternoon Track: From Overwhelmed to Automated: Simplify Your Social Media with AI Tools with Chelle Honiker of Author Automations // Recruiting & Coaching Authors Toward a 5-Figure Launch with Porsché Mysticque Steele // Launching in Your Own Backyard: Local Launch Strategy for Publishers & Service Providers with Diane Windsor
- Close: Day Two extended Networking for both tracks
Speakers
Authors & Professionals
Alexa Bigwarfe, Marketing Expert
Alexa Bigwarfe is a book marketing expert and creator of Book Launch in a Box, helping authors turn overwhelming marketing into clear, strategic action. She teaches proven systems for building visibility, leveraging partnerships, and creating consistent book sales beyond the launch.
AI Is Now a Book Discovery Engine—and Many Authors Are Invisible In it
Readers are now turning to AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to ask for book recommendations. But are you showing up in the results? Alexa Bigwarfe will explain what GEO is and why you need to understand it as an author. We’ll then conduct a quick audit and learn the simple steps to start showing up in AI search results. We’ll even do some of the work during the workshop so it’s not just one more item on your To Do list.
Other Sessions:
How Marketing in the Publishing Landscape Has Changed—What You Need to Know Right Now (Both Tracks)
Alexa Bigwarfe will set the stage for the entire bootcamp. She will share an overview of what has shifted in 2026 across platforms, reader and client behavior, and data—giving all attendees a framework to evaluate every tactic they’ll encounter during the sessions.
Getting In Front of Authors: Visibility Strategies for Publishing Professionals
Alexa will run this session for publishing professionals based on her extensive experience marketing to authors. She will cover email list building, content strategy for building know/like/trust with ideal author clients, and positioning as a niche expert.
Build Your Client Acquisition Plan Implementation Workshop
During this facilitated working session, publishing professionals will apply the frameworks from the morning sessions to build their actual client acquisition strategy. Structured prompts will guide attendees through: ideal client profiles, where to find them, outreach approach, and nurture sequences. Attendees will leave with a written plan.
Professionals
Lilian Sue, Public Relations Consultant
As a media authority amplifier, Lilian Sue works with established entrepreneurs, publishers and coaches on how to increase cash flow by leveraging their authentic stories to get on the right stages and be featured on the right media platforms and podcasts. Lilian works with her clients to develop their confidence to share their stories, create the visibility strategies that will allow them to generate leads using media interviews and speaking engagements and to ensure that their ecosystems can support the business growth they want.
5 Ways to Generate Magnetic Leads Using Media Interviews & Speaking Engagements
Lilian Sue presents five specific tactics for building a lead generation ecosystem through media and speaking—plus the two most common mistakes that kill ROI. She will cover how to turn a single interview or talk into a steady stream of warm, qualified author prospects.
Authors
Cher Terais, Author & Experience Designer
Cher Terais is an author, curator, and experience designer who believes one truth above all else: You should have the freedom to choose your life. Not someday. Not when everything settles down. Now. She chose to live differently and built a world that allows other women to do the same.
Beyond the Book: Using Your Fiction to Fuel Multiple Revenue Streams
Your novel is more than a story—it’s a brand platform, a content engine, and a business foundation. Cher Terais built an entire ecosystem from her Wanderlust Romance series: a coined genre, a global content strategy, a boutique publishing company, and multiple revenue streams beyond book sales. Attendees will leave with a revenue stream map and a clear first step to activate it.
Authors
Lacy Lieffers, Marketing Strategist
Lacy Lieffers is a marketing strategist and founder of Black Fox Marketing, dedicated to helping authors expand their reach, sell more books, and grow sustainable author businesses. With over 18 years of branding and marketing experience and 12 years working directly with authors, Lacy is known for turning overwhelm into clarity with actionable strategies and plug-and-play tools.
Proven Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Audience and Sell More Books
Lacy Lieffers offers this interactive workshop, covering author brand clarity, email and social strategy, and collaboration opportunities. Attendees will leave with a clarified brand statement, action plan, and at least one collaboration opportunity identified.
Professionals
Julie Lokun, Business Consultant
Julie Lokun, JD is a powerhouse in the world of media, entrepreneurship, and creative brand-building. Ranking in the top 0.5% of podcasters globally, she hosts Get Obsessed and The Creative Entrepreneur Podcasts, both top 5 on Apple Podcasts, delighting audiences with her signature blend of strategic insight and storytelling rooted in her journalistic background.
As Co-Founder of The DragonFly Podcast Academy, Julie has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs harness the microphone to amplify their brands and crash through glass ceilings. She is also the Founder of Cre8tive Con, a business conference and lifestyle brand built for creatives who are ready to stop dreaming and start monetizing.
A bestselling author, keynote speaker, and contributing writer to Entrepreneur Magazine and MindValley, Julie is known as the “facilitator of dreams”—weaving brand narrative with bold growth strategy to turn passion into profit. Whether she’s coaching on the big stage or building community for the next wave of creative entrepreneurs, Julie Lokun is proof that your voice is your greatest business asset.
Fly Higher: Building, Growing & Monetizing Your Podcast as a Publishing Professional
Julie Lokun will cover podcast niche definition, launch strategy, audience growth without burnout, and early monetization. This session is aimed at publishing professionals who are considering starting a podcast or want to grow an existing one.
Authors
Shalonna Anderson, AI Integration Specialist
Shalonna Anderson is a communications strategist, digital marketing professional, and AI integration specialist with over a decade of experience leading content, email, and campaign strategy for nationally recognized organizations. She specializes in audience engagement, data-driven storytelling, and integrated digital campaigns. Shalonna is passionate about helping communicators and indie authors harness emerging tools to expand their reach and impact.
AI Marketing Tools for Authors—What You Need to Know
The publishing landscape is changing quickly, and AI is giving authors powerful new ways to market their books. In this session, Shalonna Anderson will explore the AI tools that are making a difference for authors today: from generating social media content, to identifying target audiences, optimizing metadata, and personalizing a marketing strategy. At the end of the session, attendees will leave with a practical understanding of how to start using AI to work smarter, not harder, in book marketing
Professionals
Porsché Mysticque Steele, Publishing Expert
Porsché Mysticque Steele is an award-winning book coach, independent publishing expert, and TEDx speaker who helps high-performing entrepreneurs transform their books into revenue-generating assets. After launching her own book to $30K, she developed a proven five-figure launch system that ensures her clients don’t just publish, but profit. Having published over 90 books and guided dozens of authors to bestseller status, Porsché is known for her high-energy teaching style and ability to merge storytelling with strategy.
How to Execute a 5-Figure Book Launch
Porsché Mysticque Steele will cover how to identify the authors most likely to achieve extraordinary results, what the coaching relationship looks like during a high-stakes launch, and how publishing professionals can position their services for premium clients serious about success.
Professionals
Bobbie Carlton, PR & Marketing Expert
Bobbie Carlton is the founder of Carlton PR & Marketing, Innovation Nights and Innovation Women, or, as she calls them, the day job, the night job and the dream job. Carlton is an entertaining, tell-it-like-it-is speaker who speaks extensively (and passionately) about public speaking and how it can be the driving force behind career growth and business success. She’s a TEDx speaker; an entertaining startup event host; she’s spoken at the United Nations; she’s shared the stage with storytelling legend (and NPR’s Snap Judgment host) Glynn Washington; and she’s been on the main stage for some of the world’s best-known conferences for technical and professional women.
What I Learned from 400 Author/Speakers: Insights That Will Change How You Work
Bobbie Carlton will share her most important data-driven insights from working with 400+ author/speakers—distilled to what matters most for publishing professionals today. During the second half of the session, she will facilitate small group brainstorming, where attendees apply key insights to their own businesses and leave with a prioritized action list.
Authors
Beth Barany, Novelist & Creativity Coach
Beth Barany is an award-winning author and creativity coach who helps writers build sustainable, strengths-based creative practices. Drawing on NLP rapport tools and two decades of interactive teaching, she leads action-oriented, get-it-done workshops that honor each person’s unique voice and process. Host of the How To Write The Future podcast, Beth equips writers with clarity, confidence, and momentum.
Heart-Centered Marketing: Build a Values-Aligned Visibility System
Beth Barany presents a values-aligned, sustainable visibility framework for authors who have avoided marketing because it felt inauthentic. Attendees will identify their core values, map them to marketing activities that feel natural, and build a weekly practice.
Authors
Savannah Gilbo, Podcaster & Writing Educator
Savannah Gilbo is an online writing educator and host of the top-ranked Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast (3M+ downloads). She helps aspiring fiction authors confidently write, edit, and publish stories readers love. Known for her approachable teaching style, Savannah breaks down complex storytelling techniques into simple, actionable steps that make novel writing feel fun and achievable. With a global community of 100,000+ writers and 800+ graduates from her signature program, Notes to Novel™, Savannah empowers authors to overcome self-doubt, take creative risks, and bring their stories to life.
How to Get Booked on Podcasts: Pitch Strategy & Implementation
Savannah Gilbo hosts a top 0.5% global podcast with 3M+ downloads and has received thousands of pitches. She teaches authors how to find the right shows, write pitches that get responses, what hosts actually want, and how to maximize reach from each appearance. This session includes a pitch plan template attendees will complete during the session.
Authors
Leanne Janzen, Publishing Specialist, FriesenPress
Starting her journey in the publishing world, Leanne Janzen began working as a Publishing Specialist—guiding authors through the self-publishing process with care and attention. Her passion for educating others on the current publishing landscape and the benefits of self-publishing led her to launching a successful speaking program at FriesenPress, where she and her sales team present to organizations and groups around North America.
Navigating Independent Bookstore Partnerships for Self-Published Authors
Leanne Janzen will guide authors on a deep dive into consignment agreements, bookstore requirements, negotiation, and turning bookstore relationships into community-building engines. This session will focus on the strategy of having books in bookstores.
Everyone
Chelle Honiker, Automation Strategist, Author Automations
Chelle Honiker is an automation strategist and technology consultant for indie authors and publishers. She is the CEO of Athenia Creative, publisher of Indie Author Magazine, and creator of StorytellerOS. With expertise in workflow automation, AI integration, and publishing technology, she helps authors build sustainable businesses through smart systems.
From Overwhelmed to Automated: Simplify Your Social Media with AI Tools
Chelle Honiker will guide attendees through the world of automated social media, giving them confidence to post consistently while saving time. Attendees with a paid Claude account will set up at least one marketing automation during the session. The session is not about replacing creativity; it’s about reclaiming time.
Professionals
Diane Windsor, Publishing Expert
Diane Windsor is the founder of Motina Books Publisher. She is passionate about helping women release their stories and also helping any author succeed with book marketing.
Book Marketing in Your Own Backyard
Diane Windsor will examine community-based and local launch strategies that consistently outperform digital-only campaigns and how publishing service providers can bring these tools to every author they work with.
Keynote – Everyone
Jennifer S. Wilkov, Book & Business Consultant, Your Book Is Your Hook
Jennifer S. Wilkov is a multi #1 international best-selling award-winning author, producer, an award-winning freelance writer, The Literary Agent Matchmaker™ and a respected book, business and entertainment creative consultant for nearly 20 years. Jennifer was selected as the Top Motivational Speaker, Business Consultant and Best-Selling Author of the Year for 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). She supports first-time writers and creators and seasoned authors, screenwriters, scriptwriters and playwrights with the essentials to become a bestseller: a great project, a strong platform and a well-polished pitch, presentation and hook for their book, television project, film, or theater project.
The Importance of Having a Marketing Plan—and How to Build One That Actually Works
Jennifer S. Wilkov addresses the reactive marketing problem—posting when you remember, promoting when you launch. Jennifer makes the case for a real marketing plan built around goals, capacity, and audience, and walks through the essential questions attendees must answer to build one that works.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time zones are the sessions in?
How does the conference work? How will I get access to join?
Do I need to have a published book to attend?
Nope—this event is for publishing industry professionals of all types who may or may not be published authors. You will be learning how to strategize the content your business puts out into the world and streamline the process of getting it there. This event is geared toward intermediate to advanced authors and publishing industry professionals.
How is this different from a writing or publishing conference?
The Marketing Bootcamp focuses specifically on the marketing side of being an author or publishing industry professional. Speakers will not only teach, they will guide attendees to implement the training on the spot, so you will leave with new systems and plans in place.
Can I pick and choose which sessions to attend?
Yes! You’re welcome to attend the sessions most relevant to your needs. Each topic stands on its own, so you can customize your experience. (But we promise, they’re all valuable.)
Will I get a workbook or resources?
Many sessions include worksheets, templates, or tools you can use right away in your business.
Can I ask questions during the sessions?
Absolutely. Most sessions include time for Q&A. If you’re watching the replay, you can submit questions afterward through our community or support channels (if applicable).
I work a full-time job or am not available all days the week of the event. Will it be recorded?
Good news! Everything is recorded, so if you can’t be there live, it’s okay! That being said, we strongly encourage you to take off time for the most pressing topics for what you need right now to take full advantage of live interactive feedback with our experts.
Will there be networking or implementation?
Yes! Networking and implementation are at the heart of every event we host.
What if I don't live in the U.S.?
If you’re outside the U.S., we encourage you to attend—marketing is universal.
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