In this Prologue Day session, historical fiction authors Linda Ulleseit and Vanitha Sankaran of Paper Lantern Writers explore how an author promotion collective can transform the often isolating work of book marketing into a more effective and sustainable collaborative effort.

Through the story of Paper Lantern Writers—from its beginnings as a conference hallway idea in 2019 to a thriving group blog, newsletter, social media presence, and award-winning anthologies—they reveal what goes into building an author platform, what it really costs in time and money, and how working together can expand visibility while easing the burden of self-promotion. This practical and encouraging conversation offers valuable insights into collective marketing, shared resources, and the emotional benefits of building community alongside your writing career.

You’ll learn how to:

• Understand why self-promotion feels so difficult for many writers

• Identify the core components of an effective author platform

• Use a group structure to divide marketing responsibilities more strategically

• Grow reach through tools like newsletters, blogs, social media, and BookFunnel

• Evaluate promotion costs, group dues, and return on investment

• Use collaborative projects like anthologies and craft books to raise visibility

• Build communication, expectations, and accountability within a collective

• Create a more sustainable, less isolating approach to long-term promotion

Whether you’re building your platform from scratch or looking for a more collaborative way to market your work, this session offers concrete ideas for promoting smarter—and with more support.