What members think.......
“Sam’s created a warm friendly community, her own insights draw on years of publishing and marketing experience, are often original, you can’t get some of this stuff anywhere else, and all delivered in a warm, accessible way. She also has a large pool of experts to draw on, from every area of publishing, which is fab.”
“I love the workshops with experts, and I also find the newsletters incredibly useful. There’s always a few practical marketing tips that I can use.”
“Friendly community, hive mind and helpful detailed advice.”
“The community is great for friendly advice. We are all learning all the time and access to the ‘hive mind’ is super useful. Everyone’s really nice, so you don’t feel like a newbie when you ask questions.”
“I’ve been writing for a long time but am learning so much particularly from the expert Q&A sessions Sam is a font of knowledge!”
“I am loving being a lounger and feel I’ve already had my money’s worth from the Q&A sessions, they’re excellent. So glad I joined!”
“Membership is worth every penny. I am so glad I signed up.”
What authors think.........
“Sam is a truly original and creative thinker who always has fascinating things to say about books and how to market them more effectively. ”
“With a wealth of knowledge and a passion for publishing and books which is palpable, Sam is on a mission when it comes to sharing advice and tips with authors. She is a fountain of knowledge and I, for one, have found her understanding of the online world an inspiration.”
“Sam brings her considerable knowledge of social media and the publishing business to this exciting new project.”
“Sam has made a huge difference to my social media presence. I attended two of her talks for authors and was blown away by her excellent and incisive insights on how to navigate the Twittersphere. Sam combines the savvy of a social media guru who knows the publishing business inside out - with the lovely warm-heartedness of an industry figure who has generously championed new authors and young publishers. ”
“A pioneer for publishing, and especially for women in publishing. There is a thread that connects us, as writers, as publishers, as speakers, and usually yanking on the other end of that thread is Sam, a great encouraging force and a valued and valuable friend and comrade.”
“I’ve followed Sam on Twitter for quite some time and she consistently offers fantastic publishing insight & her enthusiasm is contagious.”
What the publishing industry thinks.....
Sam is a fantastic person to work with - she's full of enthusiasm and huge ideas, but also someone who thinks through the details enough to make those ideas turn into reality. Katie Sadler, Senior Marketing Manager, HarperCollins.
As long as I’ve known Sam, she’s been a disruptive force of nature. Always questioning and challenging the-way-things-are-done with startling success. Looking beyond the book to new ways to build audiences and drive revenue Sam has been reinventing, iterating and improving where ever she goes. And unlike those silicon valley bros, when Sam breaks through with new ideas, she doesn’t do it for self-gain, but to drag the rest of us slowpokes along with her. Sam is a true champion of ideas, but also of her colleagues. She’s given many a leg-up to others on her way to the top. Matt Clacher, Marketing Director, 4th Estate Books, HarperCollins
“Brilliantly well-connected, with wide knowledge across a huge range of books and publishing and with boundless enthusiasm, Sam combines knowledge and expertise with approachability.” Kate Wilson, CEO, Nosy Crow Books
Sam understands readers fundamentally; what makes them tick, how to connect with them and how to curate and get their attention. Many publishers and retailers pay lip service to the idea of engaging and inspiring (and challenging) readers but with Lounge, Sam is actually delivering on this. She is a fresh voice that actually stands out and connects in a digital conversation where everyone is saying the same thing. Matt Haslum, Former Marketing Director at Faber, now marketing consultant.
Sam has an incredible work ethic, brilliant vision, unbelievable passion, clever ideas and knows the publishing industry from many different perspectives. Working with Sam was always full of surprises, many triumphs and always a laugh along the away. Kim Young, Publishing Director, HarperCollins UK
Sam is a force of nature, a one-woman whirlwind that has fearlessly and single-mindedly challenged the publishing industry to up its game across the board. She's superbly connected and an even better connector with a mastery of social media and communication. But she's also full of new ideas and has the rare ability to actually execute them and genuinely make an impact. In all, a classic disruptor! Michael Bhaskar, Founder, Canelo Publishing.
Sam, having worked in and around traditional publishing, and hearing the same questions being asked again and again, has become a voice of support in the industry for those that are trying so hard to navigate it, usually by themselves. Maria Vassilopoulos, Marketing Manager, British Library Publishing.
I’ve known and worked with Sam for nearly eight years and I can without hesitation say that she is the most positive disruptor I know in the publishing business. While we often associate disruption solely with technology Sam (while certainly working with technology) primarily disrupts with aggressive new and innovative marketing strategies and tactics that directly impact sales and profits. She is active not just for her employers and clients, but also for the book business as a whole to the benefit of us all. Don Linn, Partner, Unicorn Publishing Group.