Kingston University London

Overview

Alison Baverstock is a former publisher who is now the course leader for Kingston University's MA in publishing, which she jointly established.

When not at Kingston, she spends her time writing about how to get published and about marketing within the book trade.  She is the author of several books on the subject, with her latest (The Naked Author) tackling the formerly vexed subject of self-publishing, which Alison believes is ripe for reappraisal. In May 2012 she was elected to the Board of Management of the Society of Authors - she will serve for three years.

Her How to Market Books, now in its fifth version, is often referred to as the 'bible' of book marketing. Both this and its companion volume Are Books Different? are used as the basis of publisher education worldwide. She has also written widely about how to write and get published - Is There a Book in You? and Marketing Your Book - An Author's Guide have been featured on Richard & Judy, BBC Breakfast, Open Book and Woman's Hour.  A regular commentator in the press on book-related issues, Alison has written for The Bookseller, Mslexia and has a regular column in Writer's Forum. She has also contributed to editions of The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook.

Alison speaks regularly at conferences for writers and publishers and at many literary festivals.  She is one of the founders of the Kingston Readers' Festival, which was first held in 2002 over a long weekend and which is now held every May for a week.

She has run seminars for The Society of Authors on how to best work with agents and publishers, and trained generations of publishers to promote books and writing. In 2007 she received the prestigious Pandora Award, presented annually to a woman who has made a valuable contribution to the publishing industry.

Follow Alison on twitter @alisonbav or look at her website www.alisonbaverstock.com