Book influencers have been around for years, continuing to flex, find followers, and build their niche as new social platforms have entered the scene. Meanwhile, for publishers, working with bookish content creators is now a core part of your campaigns, whether fiction or specialist.

With this explosion of activity on both sides, what is it that makes an influencer campaign stand out from the crowd? Where can you build the most buzz: Bookstagram, BookTok or X? And how do you build lasting, collaborative relationships that deliver compelling content readers love – and, crucially, convert to sales?

Join us online on Wednesday 13th November, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. GMT to hear from an influencer, marketing expert, and platform analyst – and BookMachine’s very own TikTok expert, Gemma Rostill – as they discuss the key ingredients for standing out in a crowded market, the importance of collaboration, and the impact of influencers on brand awareness, marketing and sales.

Drawing on their expertise in building their own community – from working on integrated campaigns, or analysing wider consumer trends – our speakers will shed light on what powers effective influencer strategies and campaigns.

Can’t make the event date? Catch the recording within 2 weeks of the event start date on the BookMachine Campus membership platform. Sign up after the event here to access!

Your host

Gemma Rostill, Digital Marketing Strategist, BookMachine

Gemma has 20 years of marketing experience predominantly across trade publishing, most recently as Head of Marketing for Penguin Random House Children’s. Gemma specialises in data-driven and creative strategy, underpinned by extensive experience across the entire marketing mix, from copywriting and content creation to social media and influencer marketing. She has also previosuly been a TikTok content creator in the FinTech sector, and has worked across channel strategy, content, advertising and training for a growing number of BookMachine clients including Bloomsbury Publishing, Bonnier Books, Hodder & Stoughton, Pearson Education, The Quarto Group and Simon & Schuster US.

The speakers

Gemma Shelley, Commercial Marketing Director at Little, Brown Books

Gemma Shelley is a senior marketing professional with over 20 years experience in the publishing industry specialising in global, trade and commercial marketing. Gemma has worked across the communications mix including advertising, direct marketing, consumer research, PR, sales, e-commerce and digital. She is veteran of the working for the Big Five having started her career at Penguin, then Random House, then PRH and Hachette. Most recently, she is leading the commercial marketing strategy and implementation in the UK and globally across big fiction brands such as Mark Billingham and high profile non-fiction titles for celebrities such as Jenny Éclair, Tommy Fury and Jack Whitehall.

Patrick Hunter, Books Category Manager at TikTok Shop

Patrick is responsible for developing the ‘books, magazine and audio’ category at TikTok Shop, helping publishers, retailers and authors to make the most of the growing marketplace. Prior to this, Patrick worked for 7 years in publishing with roles at Atlantic Books, Oneworld Publications and Faber & Faber.

Francesca Pavis, Marketing Expert and Content Creator

FAQs

Who is this event for?

Publishing colleagues seeking to create impactful influencer strategies and implement effective campaigns that resonate. This event is also one for those in the influencer and content creator space who might be looking for a glimpse behind-the-scenes into campaigns from the publishing perspective.

What is BookMachine?

We’re glad you asked! We’re a creative digital marketing agency for publishing, education and the book trade. We’re also the creators of Campus, our membership community for ambitious publishing professionals. We’re passionate about providing events, courses and digital campaigns to help industry professionals nurture their books, audiences and skills.

What’s the difference between member and non-member tickets?

Active BookMachine members can attend all our events free of charge. (They also get access to our course library, recordings of past events, industry discounts and other perks!). Non-members can pay to attend one-off events.

How will this event be accessible?

This event will take place online on Zoom. Closed captioning will be enabled for this event for attendees to toggle on and off. We will also keep communication between attendees in the chat box to a minimum so personal screen-readers are not overloaded with additional text.

Will this event be recorded?

Yes – but please note that it will only be available to BookMachine Campus members. If you can’t make the live event, consider signing up for a membership instead. Join for as little as £18/month (cancel anytime) to access the recording, as well as 100s of other video resources. The recording will have subtitles available.