IT'S TIME FOR SOME FRESH THINKING
We are seeing rapid changes in digital technology and equally rapid changes in the ways creative individuals are reaching their audience.
A new chapter is being written in how authors and illustrators are marketing themselves and managing their readers, their fans and their subscribers.
Traditionally, many creative people have had to learn the hard way and have often relied on chance encounters with people more experienced than they are to glean useful insights. AuthorProfile has a mission to share such information and guide creative individuals through the multiple challenges thrown up by the current, fast-changing world of creative industry.
We confess we’re just a little bit excited about this changing scenario.
But change requires fresh thinking and new ways of working. We understand that for many – if not most – people, such change can seem stressful and even scary.
Let us help you be at the forefront of this change and gain the critical advantage over the rest of the pack. It’s going to be a whole lot easier, and far more enjoyable, than you might think.
Digital Strategy
We work with publishers, authors and literary agents to build, excite and leverage online fan communities.
Author Training
We offer ground breaking, practical training which focuses on the day-to-day demands of being a successful author.
Publisher Training
Learning solutions for employees in the publishing industry that build confidence in increasingly public-facing roles.
21st Century Author
A National Literacy Trust initiative providing AuthorProfile training for authors and illustrators in England.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working with PJ at AuthorProfile. I’m impressed by his expertise and his enthusiasm. Nothing has been too much trouble.
Above all, AuthorProfile has played a huge part in raising my online profile! I cannot recommend it highly enough.
— ALISON WEIR
AuthorProfile launches – London, UK
March 2011
AuthorProfile – the brainchild of Phil (PJ) Norman and Justin Somper – is launched to help the publishing industry navigate rapid changes in digital technology and equally rapid changes in the ways creative individuals are reaching their audience. Working with PJ and Justin are a number of industry professionals, eager to share their thoughts and tips on the inside track.
Lucas Alexander Whitley host brand training – London, UK
May 2011
The literary agency embraces training by hosting a social media and branding strategy day for their adult and children’s list including Chris Hunter (Extreme Risk), Simon Toyne (Sanctus), Kate Harrison (The Secret Shopper Affair), Veronica Henry (The Beach Hut), Steve Cole (Astrosaurs), Linda Chapman (My Secret Unicorn), Tom Cain (Dictator), Helen Nathan (Flossie Crums) and Katharine McMahon (The Crimson Rooms).
Macmillan Children’s author / illustrator training – London, UK
Mar 2012
Macmillan Children’s books bring together authors and illustrators Frances Hardinge (A Face Like Glass), Chlöe Inkpen (Zoe and Beans), Rebecca Cobb (Missing Mummy), S.D. Crockett (After the Snow), Rebecca Patterson (Not on a School Night!) and Hayley Long (What’s Up With Jody Barton?) for a session focused on delivering a strong message online, at school and festival events as well as in television and radio interviews.
Event skills for Chicken House authors – London, UK
May 2012
Chicken House embrace author event training for David Massey (Torn), Cathryn Constable (The Wolf Princess) and William Osborne (Hitler’s Secret) in a session that sees Justin Somper guiding them through the essentials of an age-appropriate and highly-adaptable talk for schools and Jeremy Finch coaching in vocal exercises, microphone skills and stage craft.
Social media training for Hachette Children’s – London, UK
Jul 2012
Hachette Children’s Group kicks social media strategy up a notch with AuthorProfile’s course ‘Thinking strategically about your profile online’, guiding authors and illustrators David Melling (Hugless Douglas), Jo Lodge (What’s That Noise, Mr Croc?), Jeff Norton (Metawars 1.0: The Fight for the Future), Hilary McKay (Indigo’s Star) and Claire O’Brien (Cordelia Codd) on how to deliver brand-consistency across their online channels.
AuthorProfile launches online channel audits – London, UK
Oct 2012
AuthorProfile launches an audit and reporting service for publishers, to help marketing teams and their authors implement a strategy that gets the most out of reader-targeted content on the author's website, news feed, newsletter subscription and social media channels. Michael Joseph contracts audits for big-brand authors Nicci French, JoJo Moyes, Marian Keyes and Lesley Pearse.
SCBWI Annual Conference – Winchester, UK
Nov 2012
AuthorProfile’s Phil (PJ) Norman and Justin Somper are invited to run branding workshops for writer and illustrator members at The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (British Isles) annual summer conference in Winchester. Delegates were instructed on how to identify, articulate and effectively represent their brand identity at events, on social media and when talking to the press.
Author care for Usborne's rising stars – London, UK
Jan 2013
Usborne brings together up-and-coming talent Holly Bourne (Soulmates), Matt Brown (Compton Valance The Most Powerful Boy in the Universe), Carina Axelsson (Model Under Cover - A Crime of Fashion) and Andrew Beasley (The Battles of Ben Kingdom: The Claws of Evil) for a training session with Justin Somper and Anita Naik on engaging their readership through social media, the press and author appearances.
Social media support at Macmillan Children’s – London, UK
Jun 2013
Macmillan Children’s hosts ‘Thinking strategically about your brand online’ for picture book and middle grade authors Chris Riddell (Ottoline Goes to School), Emily Gravett (Matilda’s Cat), Andrew Lane (Young Sherlock Holmes), Mo O’Hara (My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish) and Tor Freeman (Digby Dog Delivers) to learn how to engage key influencers when their readers are too young to use social media platforms.
Puffin author coaching programme – London, UK
Sep 2013 – Jan 2014
AuthorProfile delivers a multi-level 1:2:1 coaching programme for Puffin Books, spread across five months, to guide Sally Green through the business end of being an author. The coaching sessions covered author branding with Justin Somper, media training with Anita Naik, social media strategy with Phil (PJ) Norman, designing content for author events with Justin Somper and performance skills with Amy Finegan.
Oxford University Press training day – London, UK
Nov 2013
Oxford University Press invite author / illustrators Layn Marlow (You Make Me Smile) and Richard Byrne (Aye-Aye), writers of middle grade books Tom Moorhouse (The River Singers) and Ben Davis (The Private Blog of Joe Cowley), and author for teens Nikki Sheehan (Who Framed Klaris Cliff?) for a fast-track training day that covers networking for authors, the author/publisher relationship and preparing for author events.
Usborne training day – London, UK
Jan 2014
Phil (PJ) Norman and Justin Somper deliver intensive training support on preparing for school events and successfully managing multiple social media platforms for children’s and YA authors Lara Williamson (A Boy Called Hope), Faye Bird (My Second Life), Emma Haughton (Now You See Me), Helen Brandom (Writing in the Sand) and Diana Kimpton (Princess Ellie’s Perfect Plan) at Usborne Publishing.
Digital support for Martina Cole - London, UK
Feb 2014
AuthorProfile is invited by Headline Publishing to dive head-first into Martina Cole’s 120,000-strong community of readers and to create digital content that's an authentic representation of Martina’s characters: the girl gangs, the serial killers and the ambitious rogues; the claw hammers and the severed arteries; as well as staying true to her relentless and explosive style.
Digital support for Simon Scarrow - London, UK
Feb 2014
AuthorProfile is contracted by Headline Publishing to engage Simon Scarrow’s extensive fan-base online through the release of Eagles of the Empire books Praetorian, The Blood Crows, Brothers in Blood, Britannia, Invictus and Day of the Caesars, as well as stand alone historical novels, while harnessing his core influencers and attracting a community of readers new to his writing.
Chicken House training for school events - London, UK
Jun 2014
Hachette Children’s training day – London, UK
Jul 2014
Digital support for H for History - London, UK
Sep 2014
Headline invest in digital strategy coaching - London, UK
Nov 2014
Usborne kicks off author support – London, UK
Apr 2011
Usborne Publishing starts what will develop into an annual training programme with a ‘fast track’ training day for authors Paula Rawsthorne (The Truth about Celia Frost), Anne-Marie Conway (Butterfly Summer), Jane Lawes (Gym Stars: Summertime & Somersaults) and Susanne Winnacker (The Other Life) to better prepare them for the demands of social media, school events and press interviews.
Fast-track training for Hachette Children’s – London, UK
Nov 2011
Hachette Children’s imprints come together to host the first of their fast-track training days with authors H.L. Dennis (Secret Breakers), Fiona Roberton (Wanted: The Perfect Pet), Kathryn James (Mist), and Christopher William Hill (Tales from Schwartzgarten), in a session designed to guide authors and illustrators on how to navigate social media platforms, the UK book industry, press interviews and school events.
Branding for Penguin General literary authors – London, UK
Apr 2012
Penguin General pull together literary big-hitters Elif Shafak (Honour), Naomi Alderman (The Liar’s Gospel), Hugh Aldersey-Williams (Periodic Tales), Salley Vickers (The Cleaner of Chartres), Jennifer McVeigh (The Fever Tree) and Elizabeth Wilhide (Ashenden) for a training day with Justin Somper and Anita Naik on social media strategy and how to effectively articulate your author brand.
AuthorProfile launches digital strategy service – London, UK
Jul 2012
In a joint campaign for Michael Joseph and Razorbill to celebrate the hardback of Pittacus Lore’s The Rise of Nine, AuthorProfile whips readers into a frenzy in a character-led hack of the 300,000-strong I Am Number Four Facebook community – inviting super fans deep into a conspiracy, and convincing them to aid, abet and counsel a fugitive hiding from the Mogadorians and the US government.
Digital support for Michael Joseph authors – London, UK
Sep 2012
The team at Michael Joseph host a digital strategy day with Phil (PJ) Norman and Justin Somper to provide guidance for Tim Weaver (Vanished), Elizabeth Fremantle (Queen’s Gambit), Nicci French (Blue Monday) and Elizabeth Noble (Between a Mother and her Child) on the top social media wins for authors, key network opportunities within the UK books industry and how best to engage their digital communities.
Puffin / Movellas team up for media training – London, UK
Oct 2012
Puffin teams up with Movellas – the social writing platform for teenagers and young adults – to provide 1:2:1 media training for teen writer Emily Baker ahead of the publication of her novel Loving the Band. AuthorProfile’s Anita Naik provided 1:2:1 media coaching to prepare Emily for print interviews in teen magazines, newspaper coverage, as well as upcoming appearances on regional radio and local television.
AuthorProfile contracted for Nicci French campaign – London, UK
Dec 2012
AuthorProfile is contracted by Michael Joseph to ramp up reader excitement about the Frieda Klein sequence and to pro-actively drive brand loyalty on the Nicci French Facebook page and website news feed. AuthorProfile supported the Michael Joseph marketing and publicity teams, as well as Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, through publication of Tuesday’s Gone (paperback) and Waiting for Wednesday (hardback).
Michael Joseph: Conn Iggulden – London, UK
Apr 2013
AuthorProfile works with marketing and editorial at Michael Joseph on digital strategy and training support for historical fiction giant Conn Iggulden – with the aim of harnessing the enthusiasm existing readers have for the red-blooded dynasties of his Emperor and Conqueror books ahead of the hardback release of Stormbird, the first novel in his epic new Wars of the Roses series.
Author / illustrator support at Hachette Children’s – London, UK
Jul 2013
Teen, middle grade and picture book authors / illustrators Sharon Jones (Poppy Sinclair: Dead Jealous), Guy Parker-Rees (Giraffes Can’t Dance), Chris Higgins (The Day I Met Suzie), Jamie Thomson (Dark Lord: The Teenage Years) and Emma Dodd (Forever) unite at Hachette Children’s for a training day with Phil (PJ) Norman and Anita Naik on how to express their unique brand identity across their social media platforms.
Training for Michael Joseph’s women’s fiction list – London, UK
Oct 2013
Michael Joseph authors Jane Shemilt (The Daughter), Kate Anthony (Beautiful Day) and Tina Seskis (One Step Too Far) attend a social media strategy day, designed to help them navigate key networks relevant to women’s fiction and within the wider UK book industry, and to create evocative that deliver a strong brand message to their readers across multiple social media communities.
21st Century Author Programme – London, UK
Nov 2013 – Oct 2015
AuthorProfile teamed up with the National Literacy Trust to launch the 21st Century Author Programme, an initiative funded by Arts Council England to provide high level support, training in creating and conducting school visits and deployment opportunities as part of Premier League Reading Stars, for 64 established and emerging authors and illustrators in England.
Oxford University Press digital branding day
Jan 2014
Oxford University Press brings together Oxford Reading Tree, children’s and teen authors Ali Sparkes (Destination Earth), Julia Golding (Young Knights), Dave Cousins (Charlie Merrick's Misfits in Fouls, Friends, and Football), Gill Lewis (Moon Bear), John Dougherty (Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face) and Wendy Meddour (Wendy Quill Tries to Grow a Pet) to work on a strategy for effectively delivering their author brand online.
Digital support for Victoria Hislop - London, UK
Feb 2014
AuthorProfile is contracted by Headline Publishing to created an up-to-date, brand-consistent presence for Victoria Hislop on her Facebook community and to harness the enthusiasm of her British, Greek and international online fan-base . . . while showing respect for the political, social and economic events that are, for the most part, within living memory.
Digital support for Jill Mansell - London, UK
Feb 2014
AuthorProfile is contracted by Headline Publishing to create a high-impact campaign for Jill Mansell that not only raises reader awareness of her latest title - The Unpredictable Consequences of Love - but also stimulates and rewards Jill’s die-hard 27,000-strong community on social media . . . with the overall aim being that Jill feel confident to take over the reins at the end of the campaign period.
Social media support for Chicken House authors
Jul 2014
Digital support for Patrick Gale - London, UK
Sep 2014
Media training for talent at Gleam Futures - London, UK
Oct 2014
Back-to-back training days for Chicken House - London, UK
Jan 2015
