Once a book is published, it has to be sold to the public. Four published authors, members of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Authors Association, will tell you how they marketed their works. You will find out how they navigated social media platforms, publicists, marketing agencies, author-services agencies, personal appearances, literary competitions, and awards to bring their books to the readers. What worked, what didn’t, and what it cost — financially and emotionally.
Location: Room 485, UBC Robson Square
Type: Panel
Sponsored by: The BC Chapter of the Canadian Authors Association
Moderator: Elizabeth McLean
Readers: Jane Callen, Bernini’s Elephant, (Guernica Editions) | Arwinder Kaur, Living While Human(Tellwell Talent) | Jerena Tobiasen, Tsarina's Jewels | Julie Wise, Make No Mistake (Wise Publications)
About The Moderator
Elizabeth McLean
I am a writer of historical fiction, set mostly in Vietnam, where I lived and taught and wrote for many years.
About The Readers
Jane Callen
Jane Callen is a Vancouver author and unabashed Italophile. Both Canadian and Italian citizens feature in her work. Her short stories have been published in Grain Magazine, Montreal Writes, Spadina Literary Review, CV7 Short Fiction Anthology Series and White Wall Review. In 202, Bernini’s Elephant was published by Guernica Editions at 254 pages (approx. 100.4K word count), ISBN 9781771837842. The noir thriller explores the theme that murder undetected remains murder after all be it in the opulent world of Italian art or the raw nature of the BC west coast.
Arwinder Kaur
Travelling the world in my youth was the best education I could have received. I learned many important life lessons about what it is to be human and how differently this is defined depending on where one happened to be born or raised. How different it is depends on gender and race. What is considered “suffering” or being “free” has as much to do with one’s external circumstances as what goes on internally in our hearts and minds. What are rights and privileges, and are humans really entitled to everything we want? These questions and the truths I acquired have been critical in providing me what I refer to as a “compass for the soul.” Find the kernel of simple truths through the clutter. A lack of moral clarity that makes living in our ever-increasing world so chaotic and confusing for those who have lost their compass or never realized there was one. I have dedicated my life to giving to those around me. After attending SFU, I became a social worker specializing in the area of child welfare for almost 30 years. I hope that, in sharing my writing, others too may find it a comfort to have a compass to help navigate their lives as humans on this planet. I believe in the power of words. I have come full circle. After reading Ishmael by Daniel Quinn in 1994, I was propelled into ecological activism and writing Living While Human. I hope my words might inspire others in some manner, to act for the protection of the natural world. This is my first writing project. I am childless by choice. I live with my genius dog Monty, near Vancouver, BC. I am also passionate about music, art and tennis.
Julie Wise
Julie Wise (she/her) is a writer from the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Her poetry and prose have appeared in multiple publications as well as three anthologies. She is the author of Dream Bigger: Reclaiming A Life of Joy and Ease (2010), Make No Mistake: The Novel (2025), and writes Glimmers From The Edge on Substack.
