TODAY: executive marketing director Aly Mostel
on marketing nonfiction
This summer, I launched a series of lunchtime chats to demystify the publishing industry and promote a spirit of congeniality and mutual respect between writers and publishing professionals, instead of mistrust, paranoia, and resentment (!)
Today I’m talking to Aly Mostel.
Aly Mostel has been with HarperOne since 2019 and was promoted this year to Executive Director of Marketing. She has worked on marketing campaigns for memoirs, essay collections, and self-help books including Finding Me by Viola Davis, No Judgment by Lauren Oyler, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Julie Smith, and Nowhere for Very Long and Never Leave the Dogs Behind by Brianna Madia.
Join me today at 1pm EST, when I’ll be asking Aly:
Is the role of marketing changing, as the media landscape shifts? Are there gaps in publicity that the marketing team can (or is expected to) fill?
Why do non-fiction authors need platforms to sell books? What metrics does a publisher use to evaluate author platform? How big is “big enough”?
What is trending in memoir and essay collection? What has already been done a lot?
How can writers identify the audience(s) for their books and communicate that with their agent/publishing team? How does Aly’s team think about audience when promoting a book?
How is Aly’s team using newer media platforms, like Substack, TikTok, or podcasts, to promote books? What platforms are over?
I will interview Aly for about 30 minutes and then open it up to your questions! This is an extremely rare opportunity to ask your marketing questions to someone at Aly’s level, instead of basing your understanding of book marketing on something a writer told you that another writer on an AWP panel said their agent told them.
If you can’t attend live, there will be a recording available to watch for 7 days.
As a reminder, this is a private, off-the-record conversation, exclusively available to my diamond medallion members. You may not post quotes from the conversation anywhere on the internet, or create content out of my events. Keeping the Chat Room series private allows both me and my guests to speak candidly.