Tahoe Literary Festival

10:00am PDT

Beyond the Book: Building an Audience in the Modern Literary Landscape

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

This panel explores how independently published, hybrid, and small press authors can build visibility and grow readership in a rapidly changing literary landscape. Traditional media and bookstore events still build credibility—but they no longer drive book discovery the way they once did. Today's readers are finding books through Substack, podcasts, BookTok, Instagram, Reddit, online communities, and creator recommendations.

Join us for a candid conversation about balancing traditional publicity with modern audience-building tools, including newsletters, social media, podcasts, paid advertising, and direct reader engagement. Learn what works, what doesn't, and how to build a solid ecosystem around your book in order to reach readers, generate book sales, and sustain a writing career.

Speakers

Julia Drake

Julia Drake is a co-founder of Wildbound PR, a boutique literary PR and marketing firm for authors, and owner of IndieReader, a trusted platform for indie book reviews and publishing resources. She has led successful campaigns for high-profile and indie authors alike, partnering with... Read More →

Jared Drake

Jared Drake is president of Realization Films, a co-founder of Wildbound PR, a boutique literary PR and marketing firm for authors, and owner of IndieReader, a trusted platform for indie book reviews and publishing resources. He has led successful campaigns for high-profile and indie... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema 475 N Lake Blvd

Fiction, All Genres

10:00am PDT

A Crash Course in Novel Writing with Grant Faulkner author, co-founder of Flash Fiction Institute. (Separate ticket required)

Sunday October 11, 2026 10:00am - 1:00pm PDT

Fairway Community Center

One of the biggest obstacles any writer faces is writing the first draft of a novel. As Nora Ephron said, “I think the hardest part about writing is writing.” Your story matters, and "someday" is not the time to write it. If something has been holding you back from writing your novel — whether it be lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of knowing how to write it, or just plain fear — then Grant Faulkner, former Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, can help you get your creative juices flowing and take the first steps to planning — and writing — your novel. Warning: you will leave this session with a novel plan in hand, so be prepared to write.

Speakers

Grant Faulkner

Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of Memoir Nation (and also the co-host of the Memoir Nation podcast), the co-founder of the Flash Fiction Institute, the co-founder of 100 Word Story, and an executive producer on America’s Next Great Author. He was also Executive Director of National... Read More →

Sunday October 11, 2026 10:00am - 1:00pm PDT
Fairway Community Center 330 Fairway Drive Tahoe City, CA 96145

Fiction

Tahoe Literary Festival

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Tahoe Literary Festival

10:00am PDT

Julia Drake

Jared Drake

10:00am PDT

Grant Faulkner

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