SPS-450: How to Work a Conference (Not Just Attend One) with James Blatch & Cissy Mecca

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca share practical advice on how to work a conference rather than simply attend one, ahead of SPS Live in London. They discuss how authors can prepare in advance, choose the right sessions, network confidently, ask useful questions, and turn conference inspiration into real action afterwards. The episode also covers author scams, AI discoverability, changing AI tools, and how writers can use conferences to build meaningful connections and long-term career momentum.

Key Talking Points

• How to prepare before arriving at a conference
• Why authors should treat conferences as an investment
• Choosing sessions based on your current goals
• Making the most of panels, Q&As and speaker access
• Networking naturally without feeling awkward
• Why generosity and genuine curiosity help build stronger connections
• How to take useful notes and turn ideas into action
• Avoiding post-conference overwhelm
• Staying alert to scams targeting authors
• AI discoverability and why metadata, niche positioning and FAQs matter

Links & Resources Mentioned

• ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com
• SPS Live 2026 schedule: https://learnselfpublishing.com/schedule 
• SPS Live digital ticket: https://learnselfpublishing.com/spslive-digital 
• Meta's subscriptions: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/help/subscriptions/960854640235758