Speaking

As the Founder of WeGrowMedia, I have spoken at many of the top publishing conferences, engaging with executives from the largest publishing houses, to writers just trying to get their foot in the door. I also create and run custom workshops focused on building the skills of those within your organization or audience.

If you would like to discuss my availability for speaking at your event, or developing a workshop for your company, please reach out to me at:
dan@wegrowmedia.com.

Events I have spoken at:

Events Dan Blank has spoken at

Previous speaking events:

  • Backspace Writers Conference, May 23 – 25, 2013
  • BookExpo America, May 29 – June 1, 2013
  • Thrillerfest, July 10 – 13, 2013
  • Publishing Business Conference + Expo, Sept 2013
  • MediaNext (formerly Folio: Show), Jan 8 – 10, 2013
    Panel: The Two Paths of Social Monetization: Audience and Advertiser, Jan 8, 2013 4pm
    Social media is the media of the future. It’s created great new opportunities for engagement and business development. Join our speakers for a look at hyper-successful initiatives in generating revenue from both advertiser and audience through social media.

  • Digital Book World, Jan 15 – 17, 2013
    Workshop: How to Create the Content Your Audience Desperately Wants, But Doesn’t Know to Ask For, Jan 15 1:30pm
    This workshop shows you specific ways to understand exactly what your audience wants, and how to translate that knowledge into compelling content. Whether you are creating books, a product strategy, or content for marketing campaigns, you will learn how to do deep research and analysis.

  • Book^2 Camp, Feb 10, 2013
    I will be an attendee, and likely propose a session discussion. For a peek at what last year’s event looked like, here is my recap.

  • Tools of Change for Publishing Conference, Feb 12 – 14, 2013
    Feb 12, 9am: Books at the Block Party: The Economics and Outcomes of a Local Literary Economy
    Why does it make national news when Laredo, TX (pop. 250,000) loses their only bookstore and not their only flower shop or car wash? This discussion gets at why. Acknowledged out loud or not, we view books, authors and literature as emblems of a vital community. “Books at the Block Party” will explore the economic and cultural value of a thriving writing/book/publishing culture . Experts from urban planning, library, and nonprofit space will share data and case studies of what has worked, how and the benefits and challenges of making books part of a community’s lifeblood. The takeaway: An action plan and the supporting evidence for why books not only enrich a community but how that enrichment shapes the business and place of authors, publishers, booksellers and organizatons in the publishing ecosystem.

  • Columbia School of Journalism Social Media Weekend, Feb 15 – 17, 2013
    I will be a “social media doctor” on Feb 16th, available to consult with any attendee on how to develop or rework their social media strategy.

  • Writers Digest Conference, April 5 – 7, 2013
    April 6: How to Build An Audience For Your Books
    How do you find and develop an audience for your book? In this session, Dan Blank of We Grow Media helps you understand the key steps to understand where your audience is, what engages them, and how you can connect with them in ways that are meaningful, not promotional. Whether you are already published or years away from sharing your work, the time to begin developing and growing your audience is always NOW. This session will review how you can make use of online resources, social media, events and other avenues, while protecting your time to write.

  • American Society of Journalists and Authors Annual Conference: “Finding Fame and Fortune with Facebook and Google+”  April 27, 2012
  • Grub Street’s The Muse & the Marketplace 2012: “The Writer As Entrepreneur” May 5, 2012
  • Backspace Writers Conference: “The Writer as Marketer: Using Social Media and Digital Tools to Build a Platform, Connect with Readers and Grow Your Community Online” – May 25, 2012
  • The Writers’ Conference at Hunter College – June 9
  • Grub Street’s Launch Labs – June/July
  • BookWorks Self-Publishing Workshop – June 26
  • NYU Summer Publishing Institute – June 29
  • Thrillerfest July 14, 2012
  • ASBPE Digital Boot Camp July 18, 2012
  • Self-Publishing Book Expo – October 27, 2012 – “How to Target Your Niche Market and Develop Your Audience”
  • Media Next Conference, October 29, 2012
  • Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI)– I’ll be speaking at a chapter event. March 2012
  • Publishing Business Conference & Expo – I’ll be moderating the Mobile Strategy Summit for Book Publishers, March 20, 2012
  • National Association of Memoir Writers – I am speaking at the NAMW Telesummit Memoir Writing in the Digital Age. March 2012
  • Writer’s Digest Conference Becoming an Author Entrepreneur: The Business of Being a Writer and Building Your Platform 1/21/12 To build a career as an author, you have to have an entrepreneurial spirit – you must take charge of connecting with your audience, grow your platform, share your work, encourage sales and earn revenue. This session is for writers with creative vision who also need the business backbone to support their career.Panel: Hardcore Author Marketing – What to Do to Rise Above in the Digital Age1/22/12You’ve heard it a hundred times by now: writers have to be marketers, too. They have to have a platform to succeed. And with more and more writers finally coming to terms with these new requirements, the fight for attention becomes even more important. Before, you had to stand out in a relatively quiet room. Now everyone is yelling and screaming for attention. In that environment, what actions make the difference? What really sets you apart, gets your work noticed and drives your sales? Enough with theories, advice and supposition—here is where you’ll learn exactly what can get you ahead of the literary pack.
  • Digital Book World: “Measuring Content Strategy ROI: What, Why and How to Present It” 1/23/12 With digital books and media, we now have an incredible amount of data at our disposal. And yet, many organizations lack the ability to effectively understand what is working, and more importantly: WHY. This workshop presents effective strategies and tactics to determine the return on investment of your content strategy, and how to use analytics proactively to lead to action that moves your business forward.
  • Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI) – I’ll be speaking at a chapter event. Feb 2012The SCBWI acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people.

Photos from previous events:

Dan Blank Speaking

Dan Blank Speaking

Dan Blank Speaking

Dan Blank Speaking

Dan Blank Speaking

Dan Blank Speaking

Dan Blank Speaking

Dan Blank Speaking

(images by: Babette Ross, Josh Gordon, Calvin Reid, and Joanna Penn)