The UK publishing scene now has a central online portal where all book-related events can be listed and easily searched, regardless of publisher or location, free of charge. The site is called BookGig, and it was launched by HarperCollins UK.
Events are categorized into those for adults or for children, as well as by genre; in addition, event searches can be conducted by city or postal code. More than 300 events are already listed; however, every event has to be vetted by the site’s staff before it appears. Their FAQ states, “We want our users to be confident about the events they attend, so we only select events from reliable, recognised organisers, such as major and independent booksellers, publishing houses, literary festivals, charities, libraries, museums, and other public services…. Events are selected at the editor’s discretion.”
Sam Missingham, head of audience development at HarperCollins UK, says, “I’m very proud that we’re pursuing initiatives that focus energy on authors and book-lovers first…. My aim is to create a community of hardcore readers who love attending events.”
Bottom line: While the site looks lovely—and as Americans we’re a bit jealous—this type of events calendar may work well and take off in the UK because of its manageable size. BookGig has started a companion Twitter account for promoting events, as well as an email newsletter. Our hunch is that, if the site succeeds, HarperCollins UK stands to benefit from developing a potential advertising platform and (of course) another direct-to-consumer marketing channel.
Editor’s note: The BookGig site was eventually discontinued, redirecting visitors to The Bookseller.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
