So you’ve written a book or two and tried your best to promote it through your own marketing channels. There’s no doubt, however, that being invited to a writers’ festival will place you in the spotlight, all the better to expose your work to a wider network of readers. But we all know how difficult it is to land one of those coveted spots on a program; there are many authors and limited room. But here are some tips that may help improve your chances.
If you are willing and capable of offering workshops, also include that in your pitch, as festivals usually have an educative component too.
Thuy On is the former Reviews and Literary Editor of ArtsHub and an arts journalist, critic and poet who’s written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Sydney Review of Books, The Australian, The Age/SMH and Australian Book Review. She was the Books Editor of The Big Issue for 8 years and a former Melbourne theatre critic correspondent for The Australian.
She has three collections of poetry published by the University of Western Australian Press (UWAP): Turbulence (2020), Decadence (2022) and Essence (2025).
Threads: @thuy_on123 Instagram: poemsbythuy
