All Things Book Marketing

We sat down with Bookshop.org's Director of Bookstore Partnerships to discuss the indie bookstore landscape in recent years and how authors and readers can further engage with their local indies.

Steph Opitz (she/her) is the Director of Bookstore Partnerships at Bookshop.org. Formerly, she was the founding director of Wordplay at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and a visiting instructor at the University of Minnesota. She serves on committees for the National Book Foundation, the Authors Guild, PEN America, and LitNet. She has curated literary events and festivals around the country—as the literary director of the Texas Book Festival, the fiction co-chair of the Brooklyn Book Festival, and on the programs team for the PEN World Voices Festival— and was the books reviewer for Marie Claire magazine. Learn more at bookshop.org.

Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, & LinkedIn.

In celebration of Indie Author Month, we interviewed Amy Edelman, Founder of IndieReader, on what it means to be an indie author, the struggles they face, and the benefits they reap. Tune in for publishing insights, tips, tricks, and advice!

Amy is a twice traditionally published and twice self published author whose day job for two decades was working in PR and marketing. She founded IndieReader in 2009 to help give hybrid, small press and self published authors a more level playing field and was one of the first companies to offer professional book reviews. The IR Discovery Awards were launched a year later. Today IR offers many services designed to help raise the profile and discoverability of non-traditionally published authors. Learn more at IndieReader.com and follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, & LinkedIn.

Speaking is becoming more and more of a priority for many authors looking to grow their professional brand, so we've invited Josh White, the Managing Director of Epic Keynotes, to explain how to begin developing your speaker brand, where your book fits in, and goals to consider.

Joshua White launched Epic Keynotes to help companies and speakers leverage the full potential of speaking engagements. Epic's business model does not quantify bookings as the measure of success; instead, Epic focuses on generating the maximum impact possible for its clients. To that end, Epic works not just with thought leaders but with leaders of thought, those rare individuals who can impart something so profound that it will stay with audiences for the rest of their lives.

Over the past decade, Joshua has been at the forefront of the professional speaking industry, working with some of the world's most renowned keynote speakers and corporate clients and charting a new direction for the sector. With Epic Keynotes, he helped pioneer a new approach to booking keynote speakers, from a transactional bureau to a consultant for both corporate clients and the keynote speakers themselves. Learn more at www.epickeynotes.com and follow both Josh and Epic Keynotes on LinkedIn.


Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, & LinkedIn.

Podcast popularity is continuing to skyrocket, allowing more and more thought leaders and authors to showcase their expertise to niche audiences and listeners. On this episode of All Things Book Marketing, Founder and Chief Evangelist Officer at Interview Valet Tom Schwab provides insights into how to give an expert interview including how to arrange your background, the equipment you'll need, and tips to talk like a pro.

Tom Schwab believes the best things in life come from conversations. It’s these powerful, sometimes awkward conversations that propel us from where we are personally and professionally to where we dream of being.

As an engineer, a Navy Veteran, and Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator, Tom thinks differently. Tough Minded, Skeptical, sometimes even Cantankerous, but always technically competent, always thinking – “What if”, is how the head of the Nuclear Navy described it.

As a small business owner and entrepreneur, he understands the unique challenges of business owners. This led him to be an early pioneer of using inbound marketing for eCommerce and targeted podcast interviews for marketing that connects.

Tom is the author of two books: Podcast Guest Profits: Grow Your Business with a Targeted Interview Strategy, called the bible of podcast guesting and One Conversation Away: A manifesto for a rich life and a profitable business. You can learn more at interviewvalet.com/bookmarketing.

Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, & LinkedIn.

Peter Winick, Founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage and host of the Leveraging Thought Leadership podcast, breaks down the hot topic of thought leadership with definitions, descriptions, and examples.

Peter Winick is the founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage. For the past two decades he has helped individuals and organizations build and grow revenue streams through designing and growing their thought leadership platforms as well as acting as a guide and advisor for increasing business to business sales of thought leadership products. His clients come from a diverse set of backgrounds and specialties. They include New York Times bestselling business book authors, members of the Speakers’ Hall of Fame, recipients of the Thinkers50 award, CEOs of public and privately held companies, and academics at prestigious institutions such as Yale, Wharton, Dartmouth, and London School of Business. Peter has built his career and Thought Leadership Leverage to serve the needs of these individuals and others like them. Specifically he uses his entrepreneurial experience and spirit along with a passion for using relationships to leverage growth to help: CEOs, business owners, and internal practice leaders looking to grow revenue, revitalize marketing, and improve customer experience through applying the principles of thought leadership; Other business leaders and experts seeking to build out their ideas into a platform so they can launch content and products to create a lasting impact in various companies around the globe; and, “Traditional” thought leaders who want to build or grow their practice, increase their effectiveness in content creation and marketing as well as extend their reach into existing and new clients. Peter uses a combination of art, science, logic, focus, passion, and creativity to transform a thought leader’s great ideas into a platform and practice so they can effectively reach business leaders and executives to serve them the tools they and their organizations need. You can learn more at thoughtleadershipleverage.com and follow Peter on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.


Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, & LinkedIn.

Book Publicist Chris Baker walks us through the basics of expert commentary as a thought leader with insights into how to frame yourself and pitch to the media.

Follow Chris on LinkedIn and learn more about his band, The Duskwhales, at www.theduskwhales.com.


Discover more about Smith Publicity and how we can potentially help you market your book at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads & LinkedIn.

Most authors know about the big bestseller lists with the New York Times and USA Today, but many are missing out on the much more reachable goal of Amazon Bestseller status. Chelsea Richards, the Marketing Manager at Greenleaf Book Group, joins this episode of All Things Book Marketing to dive into what it means and what it takes to become an Amazon Bestseller.

As Marketing Manager at Greenleaf, Chelsea works with authors to create strategic marketing campaigns, build their author brands, and increase visibility and exposure for their books. She helps authors establish their authority as experts through developing their online presence, harnessing the power of their existing networks, and targeted advertising to both the trade and consumers. Chelsea holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Exeter in England, a BA in English and communications from Southwestern University and completed New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute. A passionate reader and writer herself, Chelsea delights in helping authors reach readers. Prior to her role at Greenleaf, she worked in magazine and book publishing in San Francisco and London. Chelsea is a bibliophile and an Anglophile, and in her spare time she enjoys gardening, traveling, yoga, and baking. Learn more about working with Chelsea and Greenleaf Book Group at www.greenleafbookgroup.com and follow them on social media @greenleafbookgr.


Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, & LinkedIn.

WSJ Bestselling and Award-Winning Author Selena Rezvani walks us through her publishing journey and what led to her success as an author, speaker, and thought leader.

Selena Rezvani is a recognized consultant, speaker and author on leadership and self-advocacy. Named by Forbes “the premier expert on standing up for yourself at work,” she’s the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book Quick Confidence, and also wrote the award-winning Pushback and The Next Generation of Women Leaders, all about ways to make your voice heard and negotiate your needs at work. Selena addresses thousands of professionals each year at places like The World Bank, Under Armour, Microsoft, P&G, and many others. Today, she’s a columnist for NBC News’ Know Your Value. Selena is based in Philadelphia where she lives with her husband Geoff and 11 year old boy-girl twins. Learn more at www.selenarezvani.com and follow Selena on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, & LinkedIn.

Smith Publicity’s Book Publicist and Social Media Strategist, Shannon Donaghy, joins us in today’s Open Book episode to share valuable advice with young professionals entering the publishing space. Listen in as Shannon guides us through her career journey and learn how to leverage essential skills, professional networks, and personal passions.

Shannon Donaghy is a Publicist and Social Media Strategist at Smith Publicity. She works with authors of all genres, but works most often in the fiction space, particularly youth and children’s fiction. She has gained coverage for her clients in outlets such as Forbes, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, Insider, Salon, Parade, Home & Gardens, Psychology Today, AARP, CrimeReads, Tinybeans, LittleThings, The Social, and NPR’s Jazzed About Work. She has the pleasure of running the Smith Publicity Instagram account. Shannon has a BA in English with a concentration in Poetry Writing and a minor degree in Public and Professional Writing from Montclair State University. She has multiple original poems published, and when she is not writing or reading, she enjoys hiking and hanging out with her wife and their two cats, Willow and Marlin. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram @after_this_chapter.

Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, & LinkedIn.