On October 27th and 28th, sixty-eight Page Two authors gathered at The Sutton Place in Toronto for our inaugural Global Author Summit. What began as a community-building idea became two days of candid conversation, new friendships, and shared hard-won lessons from authors at every stage of their publishing journey.
The day was built around three panels, several small-group roundtables, two evenings of intimate author dinners, a cocktail reception, and a relaxed brunch the next morning. Here’s a look back at how it all unfolded.
Three panels, one big question
The Summit’s theme was Books for Growth, and every session circled back to one question: what do you really want this book to help you accomplish? Our three panels tackled it from different angles.
Books for Growth and the Long Game
Moderated by Pam Slim, with Riaz Meghji, AJ Harper, Minette Norman and Mike Lipkin. The opening panel looked at how a book can keep building a business and a brand for years beyond launch week, and why patience and consistency pay off.
Marketing that Actually Works Right Now
Moderated by Page Two’s Kirstin Richter, with April Dunford, Lisa Bragg and Steve Pratt. The panelists shared what is cutting through the noise today: leaning into what makes you distinctive, choosing channels that fit your strengths, earning attention through podcasts and newsletters, and measuring what actually moves your business.
The Business of Speaking for Authors
Moderated by Martin Perelmuter of Speakers Spotlight, with Joey Coleman, Liane Davey and Valerie Garcia. The closing panel explored how authors can turn their books into speaking careers, from getting booked to building lasting relationships with event organizers.
Roundtables: authors teaching authors
After lunch, the Summit broke into three rounds of small-group roundtables, with eighteen conversations led by Page Two authors and partners. Groups of up to thirteen authors gathered to dig into the questions that matter most once a book is out in the world.
Topics ranged from the practical to the provocative: getting real about the ROI of book-related spending, running a Kickstarter campaign, how to use AI to free up your time for writing and business, building a podcast that supports long-term book sales, creative bulk sales strategies, turning a book into curriculum and workshops, and the cost of playing it too safe on the page. Martin Perelmuter also hosted an “Ask a Speakers Bureau Founder” session, and seasoned authors shared what they’d do differently with their first book.
The roundtables were where the generosity of this community shone brightest. As Page Two author Elisabeth Swan put it: “People freely shared what worked, what didn’t, and what they wished they’d known sooner.”
Cocktails and brunch
Once the last panel wrapped and closing remarks ended on a song (thank you Kristoffer Carter!), everyone headed to the cocktail reception where attendees swapped stories, compared notes from their respective roundtable sessions, and made plans to stay in touch.
The next morning, we gathered once more for a relaxed drop-in brunch at the hotel’s Abrielle Lounge. It was a last chance to connect, say proper goodbyes, and keep the conversations from the day before going.
Takeaways
We’ve loved seeing authors share some of their Summit highlights and key takeaways online. Here’s a few:
Andrea Wojnicki enjoyed this sage advice from AJ Harper: When introducing your book, start with “My book is for…” Not what it’s about, but who it’s for and the value it offers.
Trevor Blondeel took away this big lesson: “There is no right way. It’s about finding the way that works for you.” And his new goal: “Next year, my book will be on that shelf.”
Anne Roche was left feeling “the (not so invisible) army of these communities behind me.”
Keita Demming shared this: “The thing I’ll carry longest wasn’t on a slide. It was sixty-eight people who’ve shipped a book telling each other what worked and what didn’t, with no reason to perform. That room is rare.”
Thank you!
We are so grateful to our authors, panelists, facilitators, partners, and team for bringing your collective energy, ideas, and generosity to Toronto. (Thank you also to The Sutton Place for hosting us in serious style!)
In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing next year’s Summit date and more of the community initiatives we have planned. If you’re a Page Two author, keep an eye out for news from our team. We can’t wait to see you at the next one.
