Black Creatives Marketing Workshop for Published Authors

The Black Creatives Marketing Workshop for Published Authors, will provide guidance and innovative marketing techniques to authors interested in amplifying their stories and reaching a broader audience.

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Purpose

WNDB is offering twenty (20) slots total to writers who identify as part of the African diaspora for this Marketing Workshop to provide guidance and support for published writers looking to energize their careers through established and innovative marketing techniques. Faculty will include marketing experts, independent booksellers, school visit coordinators, and other authors who will share tips and best practices for marketing books, including support for social media and events outreach. We have a particular interest in supporting mid-list authors working to revive their methods of marketing their books for contemporary markets!

Program Structure

WNDB will select up to 20 Black published authors to participate in a Marketing Workshop that will take place virtually. The schedule will include faculty-led talks, Q&As, and Q & A sessions. Faculty will include marketing experts, independent booksellers, and other authors who can share tips and best practices.

At the conclusion of the symposium, participants will receive a template to create their own book branding kits and educator guides.

Eligibility

Participants must identify as part of the African diaspora and must have at least two traditionally published books.

Judges’ Criteria

WNDB team members will assess applicants by using a mutually agreed upon rubric.

Cost

Free

Application

We have started accepting applications for the Black Creatives Marketing Workshop. Our submission window will remain open until April 7, 2023. Applications must be in by 11:59 PM EST on April 7. You can submit an application using our application form.

Workshop Speakers

Gwen Richardson has been an author, writer, entrepreneur, and book industry innovator for decades. As an author, she has 14 published books, two of which were nominated for NAACP Image Awards. Her latest children’s book, Boss Women: Seven African-American Women Who Built Their Businesses From the Ground Up, features seven African-American women who started their businesses by themselves or as co-founders with family members. Some of the enterprises are relatively new, while others have been established for decades.

Gwen is co-founder of Cushcity.com, which was launched in December 1998 as the world’s largest African-American online retailer. Since then, the company has evolved into a world-class marketer/promoter for authors and publishers.

Richardson is national coordinator for the National Black Book Festival (NBBF), an annual event established by Cushcity.com that celebrates its 16^th anniversary in 2023. NBBF is the largest African-American book event in the South. Richardson is also creator, producer, and co-host of the weekly live-streamed online program, Black Authors Matter TV. Launched in July 2020, the show averages 1K viewers each week, and has featured interviews with nearly 500 book industry movers and shakers, including authors, publishers, agents, event coordinators, bookstore owners, book club facilitators, and others.

Gwen is a native of Newport News, Virginia. She resides in Houston with her husband, Willie, and their adult daughter, Sylvia. She is a graduate of Georgetown University with a B.S. degree in marketing.

You can visit her online at www.gwenrichardson.com and follow Black Authors Matter TV on social at @NationalBlackBookFestival.

Stephen C. Thomas is the owner of Scribes & Vibes is a community-centric bookstore. Scribes & Vibes partners with librarians, educators, nonprofit organizations, and corporations to ensure that children see themselves in books. They pride themselves in providing a safe space for creative expression.

As part of their efforts to ensure that diverse voices and visions are heard, shared, and celebrated the Scribes & Vibes Read Local Initiative provides local authors and independent publishers with opportunities to distribute their books to libraries and bookstores.

Visit Scribes & Vibes online at Scribes & Vibes and on social @scribesandvibes