Anna Featherstone
@annafeatherstone.bsky.social
✍️ 🐝 🌱 ❤️ 📚 I help authors write, publish & market books | Publishing consultant Australian Society of Authors (ASA) | Non-fiction advisor & podcast host Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) | judge Australian Business Book Awards | Bold Authors
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List of Australian Writers Festivals 2025
Writers festivals are oxygen for the mind and heart. Whether you call them literary festivals, readers festivals or writers festivals, the best of them illuminate, motivate, inform, inspire, shift us,...
annafeatherstone.com
Writers, readers, travellers - here's your list of writers, readers & literary festivals in Australia in 2025...time to start dreaming...and planning! annafeatherstone.com/writing-reso...
So many parallels between musicians and authors when it comes to the demands of marketing www.smh.com.au/culture/musi...
From The Beatles to Taylor Swift: How music marketing became a beast
Remember when artists used to simply play on the radio and tour after releasing a new album? Oh, how times have changed.
www.smh.com.au
October 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM
So many parallels between musicians and authors when it comes to the demands of marketing www.smh.com.au/culture/musi...
How did you feel after your book launch? @micwink.bsky.social shares… www.smh.com.au/culture/book...
Your new book is out! (And now you feel like a ‘first-class numpty’)
The long-awaited moment of publication can bring emptiness, anxiety and a surprising lack of fanfare.
www.smh.com.au
October 15, 2025 at 11:47 AM
How did you feel after your book launch? @micwink.bsky.social shares… www.smh.com.au/culture/book...
It's taken me a while to get this post together, but hopefully lots of food for thought on the current state of the book market in Australia. Some brilliant tips from literary agents and more for aspiring authors out there. #author #books
annafeatherstone.com/the-australi...
annafeatherstone.com/the-australi...
The Australian Book Market August 2025: What Writers, Publishers and Literary Agents are Talking About
L-o-n-g blog post ahead with current (as at August 2025) insights on the Australian book market, book marketing, writing craft, AI, and what literary agents are looking for right now and how to approa...
annafeatherstone.com
August 18, 2025 at 9:45 PM
It's taken me a while to get this post together, but hopefully lots of food for thought on the current state of the book market in Australia. Some brilliant tips from literary agents and more for aspiring authors out there. #author #books
annafeatherstone.com/the-australi...
annafeatherstone.com/the-australi...
Have you or would you get a tattoo to celebrate the launch of your book? Spotted another author with a gorgeous one at this week's mini-writers festival in Castlemaine. annafeatherstone.com/poets-author...
Poets, Authors and a Day in Castlemaine
Enjoyed a literary feast today at a mini writers festival curated beautifully by Kristin and Graham from Northern Books at Buda Historic Home, Castlemaine. How did I end up in Central Vic? I’ve been o...
annafeatherstone.com
July 29, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Have you or would you get a tattoo to celebrate the launch of your book? Spotted another author with a gorgeous one at this week's mini-writers festival in Castlemaine. annafeatherstone.com/poets-author...
So great to see! A win for writers and the community at large.
The funding for the new literary programming, a SWF and SLNSW partnership, is $1.5m ... or nearly 20 per cent of the total literature budget for Creative Australia in 2023-4. It's a boon for Sydney lit-lovers, as I say in @theconversation.com
With thanks to @jocaseau.bsky.social for the edit.
With thanks to @jocaseau.bsky.social for the edit.
Sydney Writers Festival will program year-round, partnering with State Library of NSW. Is this ‘Sydney’s Wheeler Centre’?
Sydney’s new year-round program of literary events is budgeted at $1.5 million, creating over 300 paid opportunities for writers over 12 months.
theconversation.com
July 29, 2025 at 7:12 AM
So great to see! A win for writers and the community at large.
Reposted by Anna Featherstone
Joint statement on Gaza from AFP, AP, BBC News and Reuters
July 24, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Joint statement on Gaza from AFP, AP, BBC News and Reuters
The Australian Society of Authors has updated its recommended rates of pay for authors at events www.asauthors.org.au/news/asa-upd...
ASA updates recommended rates of pay for public appearances - Australian Society of Authors
The ASA has conducted a review of recommended rates of pay for public appearances including festivals, libraries, and community groups.
www.asauthors.org.au
July 23, 2025 at 8:56 AM
The Australian Society of Authors has updated its recommended rates of pay for authors at events www.asauthors.org.au/news/asa-upd...
Non-fiction authors: between AI, short reads and global opportunities there's plenty on the horizon. I had a great convo with Matty Dalrymple from ALLi about non-fiction trends and an indie author approach.
👉 annafeatherstone.com/the-future-f...
👉 annafeatherstone.com/the-future-f...
The Future for Non-Fiction: Trends, Tidbits & Tactics for Indie Authors
As the Alliance of Independent Authors’ Non-Fiction Advisor, I recently sat down (across the world via Zoom) for one of my regular catch up sessions with ALLi Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple. We wer...
annafeatherstone.com
July 4, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Non-fiction authors: between AI, short reads and global opportunities there's plenty on the horizon. I had a great convo with Matty Dalrymple from ALLi about non-fiction trends and an indie author approach.
👉 annafeatherstone.com/the-future-f...
👉 annafeatherstone.com/the-future-f...
Reposted by Anna Featherstone
Got plans today at lunchtime?
Join me today at 1pm AEST to learn what works for me and how to maximise your presence on this platform.
FRIDAY 13 June, 1PM AEST – “Exploring Bluesky”
Facebook link is here: lnkd.in/gX46ETtU
On Zoom:
Meeting ID 893 7026 9599
Invite Link lnkd.in/gmUteBgS
🧵 1/3
Join me today at 1pm AEST to learn what works for me and how to maximise your presence on this platform.
FRIDAY 13 June, 1PM AEST – “Exploring Bluesky”
Facebook link is here: lnkd.in/gX46ETtU
On Zoom:
Meeting ID 893 7026 9599
Invite Link lnkd.in/gmUteBgS
🧵 1/3
June 13, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Got plans today at lunchtime?
Join me today at 1pm AEST to learn what works for me and how to maximise your presence on this platform.
FRIDAY 13 June, 1PM AEST – “Exploring Bluesky”
Facebook link is here: lnkd.in/gX46ETtU
On Zoom:
Meeting ID 893 7026 9599
Invite Link lnkd.in/gmUteBgS
🧵 1/3
Join me today at 1pm AEST to learn what works for me and how to maximise your presence on this platform.
FRIDAY 13 June, 1PM AEST – “Exploring Bluesky”
Facebook link is here: lnkd.in/gX46ETtU
On Zoom:
Meeting ID 893 7026 9599
Invite Link lnkd.in/gmUteBgS
🧵 1/3
Reposted by Anna Featherstone
As @adambecker.bsky.social makes clear in his new book, More Everything Forever, we’re not going to colonize Mars. What’s underneath the desire of tech oligarchs to take us there is deeply disturbing. open.substack.com/pub/bibliora...
We're Not Going to Colonize Mars
On Adam Becker's new book and the people who are going to destroy the universe in the name of saving "humanity."
open.substack.com
June 1, 2025 at 11:25 AM
As @adambecker.bsky.social makes clear in his new book, More Everything Forever, we’re not going to colonize Mars. What’s underneath the desire of tech oligarchs to take us there is deeply disturbing. open.substack.com/pub/bibliora...
"Authors shouldn’t have to always be so suspicious of unexpected outreach...That gushing out-of-the-blue review or fan letter may be exactly the day-brightening surprise it appears to be…but there’s also a non-zero possibility that it’s a prelude to a scam." writerbeware.blog/2025/05/09/t...
Two to Avoid: Book Order Scams and Fake Reviews - Writer Beware
Scammers are nothing if not inventive. As writers become wise to their techniques, they invent new ones. Here are two newish frauds that appear to be on the rise. As with most writing scams these days...
writerbeware.blog
May 12, 2025 at 10:42 PM
"Authors shouldn’t have to always be so suspicious of unexpected outreach...That gushing out-of-the-blue review or fan letter may be exactly the day-brightening surprise it appears to be…but there’s also a non-zero possibility that it’s a prelude to a scam." writerbeware.blog/2025/05/09/t...
Writers - there are some incredible pitching sessions, literary agent one-on-ones, signed books, manuscript appraisals & more up for auction today from the auslit and kidlit community…even a crocheted reading blanket by Hannah Kent airauctioneer.com/authors-and-...
Crochet reading blanket, handmade by Hannah Kent, PLUS signed copy of any of her published books
Award-winning, best-selling author Hannah Kent will make you a crochet reading blanket in your colour preference PLUS send a personalised, signed copy of one of her books: Burial Rites, The Good Peopl...
airauctioneer.com
May 12, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Writers - there are some incredible pitching sessions, literary agent one-on-ones, signed books, manuscript appraisals & more up for auction today from the auslit and kidlit community…even a crocheted reading blanket by Hannah Kent airauctioneer.com/authors-and-...
Any authors out there doing a 'climate edit', 'climate read' or 'climate pass' on their manuscripts? Loving this concept from albert and Sustainable Screens Australia - there's so much we writers can be doing to create a better world. Some info from the workshop...
April 23, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Any authors out there doing a 'climate edit', 'climate read' or 'climate pass' on their manuscripts? Loving this concept from albert and Sustainable Screens Australia - there's so much we writers can be doing to create a better world. Some info from the workshop...
Who/what/how/when…tell me the creation story of #posterpit please. So fun to see all these books and manuscripts getting the movie poster treatment.
April 19, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Who/what/how/when…tell me the creation story of #posterpit please. So fun to see all these books and manuscripts getting the movie poster treatment.
A human chain of books! Town of Tuplin wins the book lover award today, forming a 300m human chain to help a bookstore move 9,100 books, one-by-one, to a new shop location. Alphabetised too! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Book brigade’: US town forms human chain to move 9,100 books one-by-one
A small Michigan community banded together to help a beloved local bookstore move its stock to a new storefront
www.theguardian.com
April 17, 2025 at 6:15 AM
A human chain of books! Town of Tuplin wins the book lover award today, forming a 300m human chain to help a bookstore move 9,100 books, one-by-one, to a new shop location. Alphabetised too! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
What a beautiful, poetic read by Georgina Woods in @theguardian.com.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
When sadness strikes I remember I’m not alone in loving the wild boundless beauty of the living world | Georgina Woods
Nature will reclaim its place as a terrifying quasi-divine force that cannot be mastered. I find this strangely comforting
www.theguardian.com
April 8, 2025 at 5:09 AM
What a beautiful, poetic read by Georgina Woods in @theguardian.com.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by Anna Featherstone
Ahead of the federal election, the ASA is joining publishers, librarians, and booksellers in a shared election platform for the book industry.
bookscreate.com.au
bookscreate.com.au
Election platform for books and reading • Books Create Australia
Australia’s authors, publishers, booksellers and librarians urge candidates to back books and reading during this Federal Election.
bookscreate.com.au
April 4, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Ahead of the federal election, the ASA is joining publishers, librarians, and booksellers in a shared election platform for the book industry.
bookscreate.com.au
bookscreate.com.au
Cannot work out if this is real, or if a disgruntled bar employee was having a joke (and printed and laminated multiple copies of said joke). Tasting notes of 'sea brine, brioche & mushroom'??? Is that a thing for a sparkling wine? Does that sound like something you'd actually want to drink?
March 27, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Cannot work out if this is real, or if a disgruntled bar employee was having a joke (and printed and laminated multiple copies of said joke). Tasting notes of 'sea brine, brioche & mushroom'??? Is that a thing for a sparkling wine? Does that sound like something you'd actually want to drink?
The Australian Society of Authors gathering data about Meta's use of pirated books to train AI to further advocate on behalf of authors. #authorthreads docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Australian authors and illustrators impacted by the LibGen database.
On 21 March 2025 The Atlantic published a search tool which allows authors to search for their books in LibGen, one of the datasets that has been used to train Meta's generative AI system. It is anoth...
docs.google.com
March 21, 2025 at 3:38 AM
The Australian Society of Authors gathering data about Meta's use of pirated books to train AI to further advocate on behalf of authors. #authorthreads docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Ooh, foodies in Sydney...a cookbook fare this weekend! "Help save quality cookbooks and books about food and wine from landfill and be part of the feel-good care, circular and creative economies...the books are curated and some are highly prized and collectable
March 21, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Ooh, foodies in Sydney...a cookbook fare this weekend! "Help save quality cookbooks and books about food and wine from landfill and be part of the feel-good care, circular and creative economies...the books are curated and some are highly prized and collectable
Got out of my non-fiction comfort zone recently and hung out with writers of fantasy, romance, crime and sci-fi at a writers convention! Who knew you were all so fun...even with your scary (and sometimes kind!) dragons, vampires and shapeshifters! Highly recommend author cross-overs like this!
March 15, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Got out of my non-fiction comfort zone recently and hung out with writers of fantasy, romance, crime and sci-fi at a writers convention! Who knew you were all so fun...even with your scary (and sometimes kind!) dragons, vampires and shapeshifters! Highly recommend author cross-overs like this!
If you're in need of something pretty to look at right now, check out the 2025 longlist for The Australian Book Design Awards. I especially love checking out the series' covers to see how designers craft such strong brands. Which are your faves?
abda.com.au/the-73rd-aus...
abda.com.au/the-73rd-aus...
The 73rd Australian Book Design Awards Longlist - Australian Book Designers Association
ABDA is thrilled to present the Longlist for the 73rd Australian Book Design Awards. This year’s longlist showcases the most original, beautiful and inspiring books published in Australia in 2024. Let...
abda.com.au
March 7, 2025 at 3:36 AM
If you're in need of something pretty to look at right now, check out the 2025 longlist for The Australian Book Design Awards. I especially love checking out the series' covers to see how designers craft such strong brands. Which are your faves?
abda.com.au/the-73rd-aus...
abda.com.au/the-73rd-aus...
Australian authors being asked by their publisher to sign over rights to their books to AI...not given much detail and only given 3 days to decide. #authorsky
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...
‘Sign our own death warrant’: Australian writers angry after Melbourne publisher asks them to sign AI agreements
Authors were asked to allow Black Inc to use their work for ‘training, testing, validation and the deployment of a machine learning’
www.theguardian.com
March 4, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Australian authors being asked by their publisher to sign over rights to their books to AI...not given much detail and only given 3 days to decide. #authorsky
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...
Author Steff Green at GenreCon giving perfectionist writers some breathing room. That doesn't mean permission to put out shoddy books, it means really working on your craft and getting the right mentoring, editing & proofreading support. Excellence doesn't need to lead to paralysis. #authorthreads
February 28, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Author Steff Green at GenreCon giving perfectionist writers some breathing room. That doesn't mean permission to put out shoddy books, it means really working on your craft and getting the right mentoring, editing & proofreading support. Excellence doesn't need to lead to paralysis. #authorthreads
Am seeing more and more book deals being offered by traditional publishers to indie authors, and indie authors being able to carve out certain rights. It's great for publishers to get an injection of indie author marketing nous, great for authors to reach new readers, but...
February 28, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Am seeing more and more book deals being offered by traditional publishers to indie authors, and indie authors being able to carve out certain rights. It's great for publishers to get an injection of indie author marketing nous, great for authors to reach new readers, but...