Writers need therapy. Or at least office hours.
A quick recap of our first Office Hours—plus how to join the next one.
Last Friday, we had our very first Author Insider Office Hours, and it was such a good time. Huge thanks to everyone who joined and brought their honest questions and sharp insights.
If you missed it, Office Hours is our new monthly live Q&A for members who want straight talk about publishing, marketing, and career strategy. It’s casual, off-the-record, and designed to be the kind of conversation you can’t have on a public panel—real experiences, real frustrations, real answers.
This first session covered a lot of ground, including:
What to do when your publisher’s publicity goes quiet
How to decide whether to hire a freelance publicist (and what that actually costs)
DIY marketing moves that don’t feel gross
Building an email list and selling books directly to readers
Which platforms—Substack, BookTok, YouTube—are actually worth your time
Every Office Hours stays private so participants can speak freely. No recordings or transcripts are shared afterward (thus this text-only post). It’s designed to be an open and candid conversation among writers.
I’ll be hosting these once a month, and the next one is Monday, November 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
If you’ve ever wanted to ask a writing or publishing question that doesn’t have a clear answer, this is your chance. Bring your beverage of choice, your curiosity, and your best “is it just me, or…?” moments from the writing life.
See you on November 11!
Best,
Panio Gianopoulos
Editorial Director, Author Insider & The Next Big Idea Club
P.S. If you’re new here, Author Insider is our community for nonfiction authors — real talk, proven strategies, and monthly live Q&As. Subscribe to join future events and get insider publishing insights delivered straight to your inbox.