Queer Publishing Day: Getting Your Work Out There: How to break through the algorithm, interest the press and spread the word about queer books

So your book is published, now what? We’re joined by marketing and publicity executives and both traditionally and self-published authors to talk about promoting queer books. We’ll cover how social media and the algorithm can work against queer writers, encountering prejudice from the mainstream media and what you can do as an author to get your work in front of the right audiences. The event will be hosted by Dialogue Books’ commissioning editor, Hannah Chukwu.

Hope Ndaba joined the Bonnier team as Senior Publicity Manager, having previously worked at FMcM as Communications Manager. She delivered publicity campaigns for a range of titles from Dialogue Books, a division of Hachette; and ran marketing campaigns for clients such as Thomas Heatherwick, prizes such as the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award and managing FMcM’s brand identity. Prior to this, Hope worked in both marketing and publicity at Picador Books, launching debuts such as Julia May Jonas’s Vladimir and Maddie Mortimer’s Booker-longlisted Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies. Outside of her day-to-day, she serves on the And Other Stories board of trustees, and recently participated on a panel for the PEN Translates Award.

Ollie Martin started in publishing at Waterstones in 2016. Since then, he has worked as a bookseller and events manager, planning events for literary heavyweights including Sally Rooney, Stacey Halls and Matt Haig. In 2021, he joined Hodder & Stoughton working across fiction and non-fiction, with notable mentions for James Cahill’s Tiepolo Blue, Jessica George’s Maame, and Bryan Moriarty’s Sounds Like Fun, which he won an annual PPC Award for. Since June 2023, he has worked at Headline as Publicity Manager across a range of titles including #1 NYT bestseller, First Lie Wins, Matt Coyne’s debut novel, Frank & Red and a bookseller favourite, the Dallergut Dream Department Store novels. Alongside his roles in publicity, he also led the Hachette Pride Network as co-chair for two years, introducing new initiatives and partnerships, including sold-out bookshop events with Waterstones Piccadilly and Manchester’s Queer Lit, internal events with Durex and the Terrence Higgins Trust, and introduced industry-wide socials for queer publishing professionals.

Sam Morris is an artist, writer & content creator from London.Morris launched his eponymous erotic platform in 2016 in which his boudoir photography emerged as a beacon of queer romanticism, captivating audiences and earning him widespread acclaim, including capturing the attention of international publications and esteemed fashion houses. In 2020, Morris published his debut book, Don’t Fall In Love, Sam. A compilation of essays and poetry inspired by his time dwelling in the hedonistic city of Berlin. Notably, Russell T Davies described the work as “like love letters from the edge”. In 2024 Morris published his memoir Pieces Of A Boy, which explores pockets of his life from being a successful child actor, to sex work, and estrangement from family. Jake Shears described it as a ‘brutal & beautiful read’ citing that we ‘need these stories’. Morris has garnered a following of over 500k across his socials where he expresses himself through his creative work, as well as storytelling, comedy skits, and dancing. Morris currently resides in Brighton, UK.

Ellen Jones is a trailblazing author, strategist, and award-winning campaigner, renowned for her work in fostering inclusion and advocating for LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent communities. Ellen’s highly anticipated debut book, Outrage: Why the Fight for LGBTQ+ Equality Is Not Yet Won and What You Can Do About It, was published by Bluebird Pan Macmillan in January 2025. Ellen’s achievements are as impressive as they are impactful. She has been recognised as one of London’s most influential people by the Evening Standard, included in Attitude Magazine’s 101 LGBTQ Trailblazers. In 2024, Ellen was selected for WACL’s Represent Me campaign, where she collaborated with Snap, YouTube, and Pinterest to elevate conversations about representation. These accolades underscore her expertise and commitment to creating inclusive spaces that empower marginalised voices.

(Chair) Hannah Chukwu is a multi-award-winning Publishing Director at Dialogue Books, where she leads the literary team publishing across fiction and non-fiction, with a focus on publishing underrepresented voices. Authors she publishes include bell hooks, Bora Chung and Yoko Tawada. Prior to joining Dialogue, she commissioned at Hamish Hamilton, PRH, where she also edited Five Dials magazine, founded the Black Britain: Writing Back series with Bernardine Evaristo, and was the Policy and Campaign Consultant for the curriculum change project Lit in Colour, in collaboration with the Runnymede Trust. She is a Trustee for the education charity The Brilliant Club.

Important: If you have booked a festival or day pass, you still need to register for this event to ensure your space. Follow the book now link and select the Festival or Day Pass Holder Free Registration. No registration means we cannot guarantee you a space for this event.