TBR 2027: Full Schedule

9:00am EST

Leveling Up: Opportunities & Issues Faced by Mid-Career Authors

Saturday January 16, 2027 9:00am - 10:00am EST

This session tackles what it means to level up in your career beyond your first book. We'll discuss how to strategize for your next stage-- whether that means changing genres or categories, renegotiating with your publisher or switching houses, building new income streams, or repositioning yourself in the market entirely. We'll also discuss what comes after the debut buzz fades: advances that might flatten instead of grow, the pressure to replicate past success, what happens when a book underperforms, and staying visible in a market obsessed with what's new. Whether you're several books in and looking to break through a plateau, or watching peers navigate these waters, you'll leave with a clearer, more honest picture of what "established" really means — and a real strategy for building the career you actually want.

Moderators

Mollie Glick

Creative Artists Agency, Literary Agent

Mollie Glick represents many top authors and thought leaders including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Dame Jacinda Ardern, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg; Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Ken Armstrong, T. Christian... Read More →

Speakers

Kelly Link

THE BOOK OF LOVE, Author

Kelly Link is the author of the novel The Book of Love and five collections, including White Cat, Black Dog. She is the owner of the independent bookstore Book Moon.

Ken Liu

THE PASSING OF THE DRAGON AND OTHER STORIES, Author

Ken Liu (http://kenliu.name) is an American author of speculative fiction. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards, he wrote the Dandelion Dynasty, a silkpunk epic fantasy series, as well as the short story collection The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. His Juli... Read More →

Renee Zuckerbrot

Massie McQuilkin & Altman Literary Agents, Agent

Renée Zuckerbrot became an agent after working as an editor at Doubleday. Authors represented by Renée have won or been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, the Booker Prize, The National Book Award, the Dublin Literary Award, The Caine Prize for African Writing, the PEN Faulkner Award... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 9:00am - 10:00am EST
TBA

Track 4: Post-Pub

10:15am EST

Behind the Book Buzz: The Secrets of Book Publicity

Saturday January 16, 2027 10:15am - 11:15am EST

TBA

Ever wonder why some books seem to be everywhere— bookstore windows, "best of" lists, everyone's algorithm— while equally great ones quietly disappear? The answer is usually publicity, and this session pulls back the curtain on how it actually works. We'll cover what publicists really do (and how it differs from marketing), how books get chosen for reviews, features, and media hits, what authors can realistically do to support the effort, and why buzz often starts building long before a book ever hits shelves. Whether you're prepping for your first launch or wondering why your last one felt so quiet, you'll leave understanding what's really behind the books everyone's talking about.

Speakers

Taryn Roeder

Abrams, Vice President, Publicity

Taryn Roeder is VP, Publicity at Abrams Books, leading the publicity departments for the Adult and Children’s divisions. Taryn has twenty+ years of experience in book publicity and has worked with major figures in politics, science, art, and music, as well as on literary fiction... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 10:15am - 11:15am EST
TBA

Track 4: Post-Pub

11:30am EST

Whether (and How) to Part Ways with Your Agent

Saturday January 16, 2027 11:30am - 12:30pm EST

TBA

Sometimes a partnership that once worked just...doesn't anymore, for all sorts of reasons. Deciding whether to part ways with one's literary agent is one of the murkiest and most sensitive struggles an author can face-- and sometimes it's the agent who's looking to do the leaving. This session tackles the hard questions: how to tell if it's really time to move on, how to have that conversation professionally, what happens to your rights and existing projects, and how to find the right next fit without burning bridges. Come for an honest, practical, and a little bit therapeutic discussion.

Moderators

Mark Cecil

BUNYAN AND HENRY, Author

Mark Cecil is an author, journalist and host of The Thoughtful Bro podcast, for which he conducts interviews with an eclectic roster of Academy Award–winning and bestselling storytellers. Formerly a journalist for Reuters, he has also written for LitHub, The Millions, Writer’... Read More →

Speakers

Courtney Maum

ALAN OPTS OUT, Author

A writer and educator, Courtney Maum is the author of 6 books including the heralded Alan Opts Out about an advertising executive who tries to live off the land in his ritzy gated community in Connecticut after experiencing corporate burnout. Chosen by the New York Times as one o... Read More →

Sarah Khalil

Calligraph, Agent & Editorial Manager

Sarah represents serious nonfiction and memoir with a lens toward social, economic and environmental justice, anti-imperialist thought, pop/cultural criticism and histories, and cross-cultural narratives, all deeply explored by principled and authoritative writers and thinkers. Radical... Read More →

Kaitlyn Katsoupis

Belcastro Literary, Literary Agent

After receiving a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College, Kaitlyn refused to leave the concept of nightly homework behind. A literary agent for Belcastro Literary Agency, she is also a freelance editor at her own company, Strictly Textual. Kaitlyn started her... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 11:30am - 12:30pm EST
TBA

Track 4: Post-Pub

1:45pm EST

SubStack, TikTok, & More: Is It a New Media Landscape or Is It Sucking Us Dry?

Saturday January 16, 2027 1:45pm - 2:45pm EST

TBA

Substack newsletters, BookTok virality, algorithm-chasing on every platform — is this the democratization of media, a real opportunity to attract readers and publish work on your own terms, or just a new set of landlords collecting rent on our attention? This session digs into the real trade-offs of building an audience on today's platforms: reach versus ownership, authenticity versus performance, and what it actually costs (creatively and otherwise) to play the platform game. Come for a clear-eyed, exciting, and occasionally irreverent look at where this media landscape is taking us.

Speakers

Courtney Maum

ALAN OPTS OUT, Author

Mason Rowlee

DeFiore & Company, Associate Agent

Mason Rowlee is a literary agent at DeFiore & Company. He previously worked as an assistant literary scout at Jenny La Plante, Inc., where he developed an eye for the type of books that appeal to international publishers and film production companies. He also interned at Farrar, Straus... Read More →

Kate Gale

Red Hen Press, Publisher, Editor

Kate Gale, author The Loneliest Girl, The Goldilocks Zone and the forthcoming, Little Soldiers from Zando is the publisher of Red Hen Press which she co-founded in 1994.

Saturday January 16, 2027 1:45pm - 2:45pm EST
TBA

Track 4: Post-Pub

3:00pm EST

How Readers Are Discovering Books Today

Saturday January 16, 2027 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST

TBA

BookTok, newsletters, indie bookstore staff picks, algorithm-driven recommendations — the ways readers find their next book have completely transformed, and independent publishers and bookstores are navigating this new landscape in real time. This session digs into how discovery actually happens now: what's driving foot traffic and sales at indie stores, how small and independent presses are building visibility without Big Five marketing budgets, and where social media, community, and old-fashioned hand-selling still win out over algorithms. Whether you're a publisher, a bookseller, or an author trying to understand where your readers are actually coming from, you'll leave with a sharper sense of how discovery works today — and how independents are shaping it.

Moderators

Keith Arsenault

Chesapeake & Hudson, Inc., New England Sales Rep

30+ year book industry professional, with experience in retail, publicity, marketing, management, and sales.

Speakers

Josh Cook

AN EXAGGERATED MURDER, Co-Owner, Marketing Director, Bookseller

Josh Cook is a bookseller and co-owner at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he has worked since 2004. He is also author of the critically acclaimed postmodern detective novel An Exaggerated Murder and his fiction, criticism, and poetry have appeared in numerous leading literary publications. He grew up in Lewiston, Maine and lives in Somerville, Massachusetts... Read More →

Sanj Kharbanda

Beacon Press, Associate Publisher

Sanj Kharbanda is Associate Publisher and Director of Sales & Marketing at Beacon Press, where he brings a strategic and creative lens to publishing bold, thought-provoking books. With deep experience in sales, marketing, and digital strategy, Sanj is known for championing titles... Read More →

Saturday January 16, 2027 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST
TBA

Track 4: Post-Pub

9:30am EST

Author Brand-Building

Sunday January 17, 2027 9:30am - 10:30am EST

TBA

Your author brand is more than a bio and a headshot — it's how readers, agents, and editors come to understand who you are and what you write. This session breaks down what author branding actually means, how to build one authentically (without feeling like a walking marketing campaign), and how to keep it consistent across your website, social media, and public presence. Whether you're just starting out or rethinking your image, you'll leave with a clearer sense of how to shape how the world sees you as a writer.

Moderators

Jenna Blum

MURDER YOUR DARLINGS, Author

Jenna Blum is the New York Times and # 1 internationally bestselling author of four novels, including Those Who Save Us, The Stormchasers, and The Lost Family; memoir Woodrow on the Bench; audiocourse “The Author at Work: The Art of Writing Fiction” and WWII podcast Th... Read More →

Speakers

Julie Gerstenblatt

THE STARGAZER OF NANTUCKET, Author

Julie Gerstenblatt is the author of Daughters of Nantucket, which won the 2024 New England Society Book Award for Fiction, and The Stargazer of Nantucket. She holds two masters degrees and a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, and has taught everything from midd... Read More →

Courtney Paganelli

Levine Greenberg Rostan literary agency, Literary Agent

Courtney is an agent at Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. She enjoys reading voice-driven commercial fiction, dark psychological fiction, and heartwarming romantic comedies. She particularly gravitates towards relatable adult or young adult novels that make her swoon over budding... Read More →

Alexandra Sunshine

Kensington Books, Senior Editor

Alex Sunshine (she/hers) is a Senior Editor at Kensington Books.

Perpetua Cannistraro

Beacon Press, Publicist

Perpetua Cannistraro has worked in book publishing as a nonfiction publicist for the last decade. She promotes books on American history, race and culture, progressive education, poetry collections from poets of color, and memoir.

Sunday January 17, 2027 9:30am - 10:30am EST
TBA

Track 4: Post-Pub

10:45am EST

Show Me the Money: The Business of Being an Author

Sunday January 17, 2027 10:45am - 11:45am EST

TBA

Writing the book is one thing— figuring out how to actually make a living from it is another story. This session covers the financial realities of an author's career: advances and royalties, diversifying income through speaking, teaching, or other revenue streams, budgeting for the unpredictable nature of publishing income, and thinking like a small business owner instead of just a writer. Come for a practical, unglamorous, and essential session for any author.

Moderators

Markus Hoffmann

Regal Hoffmann & Associates LLC, Managing Director & Literary Agent

Markus Hoffmann joined Regal Literary in 2006 and was made a partner at the agency in 2014, when it became Regal Hoffmann & Associates. He studied English and Russian literature and linguistics in Munich, Moscow, and at Hertford College, Oxford, and started his career in publishing... Read More →

Speakers

Kim van Alkemade

UPSTATE, Author

Kim van Alkemade is a New York Times bestselling author of four novels whose work has been translated into eleven languages. She was born in New York City, spent her childhood in New Jersey, and attended college in Wisconsin, where she earned a doctorate in English from UW-Milwaukee. After a career teaching writing at Shippensbu... Read More →

Heather Roberts

1852 Literary (also 1852 Media - the marketing firm), Literary Agent (also a Marketing Professional)

Heather Roberts is a licensed attorney, literary agent, book marketer, and lifelong voracious reader who has built her career around helping authors navigate the business of publishing.

In 2016, she founded 1852 Media to provide strategic marketing and promotional support to authors at every stage of their careers. She later founded 1852 Literary to create more opportunities for writers seeking traditional publication while helping established authors expand their... Read More →

Sunday January 17, 2027 10:45am - 11:45am EST
TBA

Track 4: Post-Pub

12:00pm EST

Audiobook Narration

Sunday January 17, 2027 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

TBA

How does a title actually get greenlit for audio — and what role can authors play in making it happen? This panel brings together audiobook and publishing professionals from houses including Sourcebooks and Podium for a candid look at the state of the industry. Geared toward published authors, the conversation covers how acquisition decisions get made, what makes a strong audiobook candidate, how to pitch your publisher on an audio edition, and audiobooks as a standalone publishing strategy. Leave with a clearer picture of the landscape and concrete ideas for advocating for your own work.

Moderators

Chris Ciulla

Founder and CEO, Leonardo Audio and Nor'Easter Publishing

An on-camera actor, video game and commercial voice actor, Chris has narrated over 580 audiobook titles and produced and/or directed another 100. Just this month, he received an Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine for his performance of Elliot Ackerman’s SHEEPDOGS, and shar... Read More →

Sunday January 17, 2027 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
TBA

Track 4: Post-Pub

TBR 2027

From $20.35

Tickets

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TBR 2027

9:00am EST

Mollie Glick

Kelly Link

Ken Liu

Renee Zuckerbrot

10:15am EST

Taryn Roeder

11:30am EST

Mark Cecil

Courtney Maum

Sarah Khalil

Kaitlyn Katsoupis

1:45pm EST

Courtney Maum

Mason Rowlee

Kate Gale

3:00pm EST

Keith Arsenault

Josh Cook

Sanj Kharbanda

9:30am EST

Jenna Blum

Julie Gerstenblatt

Courtney Paganelli

Alexandra Sunshine

Perpetua Cannistraro

10:45am EST

Markus Hoffmann

Kim van Alkemade

Heather Roberts

12:00pm EST

Chris Ciulla

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