With special guests
Kristen McGuiness
Michelle Garside Andrea Thatcher
Karen Salmansohn
nicola kraus Diana Ventimiglia Bethany Saltman
Emily Maceda
Book Magic Live?
what is
This one-day writers’ retreat will show you what it takes to go from emerging writer to published author, guided by industry professionals who will give you the insight only experience can offer.
Spend a day charting your book—from your book brand to book publicity, from writing your first draft to understanding the publishing landscape. Through live Q+As and coaching with book editors and agents, published authors, and PR professionals, Book Magic Live will help you find your path to publishing.
When: friday • 3 October 2025
Where: Arlo midtown • new york, new york
3 October 2025
From 10:00am - 4:00pm
Arlo midtown - 351 W 38th St, New York, NY 10018
10:00am - Introduction by Kristen McGuiness (Founder + Publisher of Rise Literary)
10:30am - Book Marketing & Publicity Q+A with Andrea Thatcher + Michelle Garside
11:30am - Book Marketing & Publicity Breakout Session
12:30pm - Lunch with authors Karen Salmansohn and Nicola Kraus
1:30pm - Book Publishing Q+A with Diana Ventimiglia, Bethany Saltman, and Emily Maceda
2:30pm - Book Publishing Breakout Session
3:30pm - Closing with Kristen McGuiness
4:00pm - Cocktails + Mocktails at the Arlo Midtown Bar Downstairs (Cash Bar)
5:00pm - Reception ends
EVENT COST: $149
Write now
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Write now ⋆
your guides to
book magic
Kristen McGuiness is a best-selling author, editor, and long-standing publishing professional. She is the Founder + Publisher of Rise Literary, a book coaching company for authors who are writing the good fight. After spending the first decade of her career working in editorial for Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins, as well as in film development at Warner Brothers, Kristen wrote the bestselling memoir, 51/50: The Magical Adventures of a Single Life, which was featured on the "Today Show" and in USA Today. Since then, she has co-authored dozens of books, including her recent debut novel, Live Through This. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Shondaland, Marie Claire, amongst others. Kristen lives in Ojai, CA with her husband, two children, and a dog named Lucy.
HOST + Publisher
of Rise Literary
Brand architect + Co-founder
of soul camp creative
Michelle Garside is a visionary brand architect, speaker, and writer who has spent the last 15 years helping people and companies transform from the inside out. She’s the co-founder of Soul Camp Creative, founder of the Connecticut Women’s Group, and the author of NOT AWAKENED, forthcoming from Hachette in 2027.
Before all that, Michelle built brands at Novo Nordisk, Unilever, and J&J - until she realized she was meant to help people tell the truth of who they are, not just sell what they do.
Her work lives at MichelleGarside.com (http://michellegarside.com/), where she helps visionary humans name what they’re really here to do - and build brands, talks, and platforms that make it impossible to ignore.
Publicity Manager
for smith publicity
Andrea Thatcher oversees a team of passionate and knowledgeable publicists at Smith Publicity, where she leads high-level strategy and hands-on campaign execution for author and publisher clients. She has a genuine passion for mentoring emerging talent and nurturing their professional growth. Andrea also excels at building and maintaining strong relationships with media contacts, particularly in the arts, entertainment, and health & wellness spaces. Her leadership is defined by collaboration, creativity, and a commitment to delivering exceptional results.
bestselling author
and Behavioral Change Expert
Karen Salmansohn is a bestselling author, award-winning designer, and creator of a range of successful Master Class online courses focused on personal development and resilience. She began her career in advertising, earning a CLIO Award just six months in and rising to become a Senior VP and creative director at top agencies like J. Walter Thompson and McCann Erickson by age 27. Known for her inventive thinking—she coined the name “Croissan’wich” and developed campaigns for major brands like L’Oreal and MTV—Karen eventually shifted her focus from marketing products to inspiring people. Her work is driven by a mission to turn pain into purpose and share the tools that helped her overcome life’s challenges.
NYT bestselling AUTHOR
of the nanny diaries
Nicola Kraus is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with over six million copies of her books in print across 32 languages. Her passion for storytelling began early—with a childhood fascination for the tragic dramas of Medea and Macbeth, a love later fueled by the satirical genius of Tom Lehrer and the irreverent humor of Weird Al Yankovic. This unique blend of high drama and cultural satire ultimately led to the creation of The Nanny Diaries. Then, in May of 2025, she released another novel, The Best We Could Hope For: A Novel. As a creative coach, she champions the belief that audiences deserve to be thoroughly entertained; as a journalist, she is driven to uncover what fuels people’s passions and sustains them through life’s tougher days; and as an artist, she honors the daily discipline of quiet reflection to stay connected to the creative source.
Executive Editor, Balance
hachette book group
For the last 17 years, Diana Ventimiglia has been working with authors who speak to the diversity of our lived experiences. She is drawn to strong voices in spirituality, identity & sexuality, relationships, psychology, mental health, female empowerment, and LGBTQ+ rights. She believes that everyone has a story to tell and lessons to share, and the best part of her job is partnering with incredible individuals who are dedicated to starting bigger conversations and inspiring individual and collective healing. She truly couldn’t imagine doing anything else! When she’s not working with authors, you’ll find her working through the 5 plus books on her nightstand and yelling at her cat, Phillip, to stop knocking things off the shelf. But he’s so cute!
Literary agent
WAVE LITERARY
Bethany Saltman is also a literary agent and Director of Business Strategy at Wave Literary and an author. Her critically acclaimed first book, Strange Situation: A Mother’s Journey Into the Science of Attachment (2020, Ballantine) was named one of the Top Science Books by New Scientist, has been published in six countries, and is included in psychology syllabi around the world. Bethany splits her time between the Catskills of New York and the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband, her daughter (when she visits from college) and their two standard poodles.
Associate literary agent
The Weis Agency
Emily Maceda works closely with authors at The Weis Agency, a full-service literary agency that identifies the literary stars of tomorrow. She believes that every story has value and is thrilled to spend her days helping writers bring their work to the page and beyond. In fiction of all categories, Emily is drawn to a powerful and engaging plot with a consistent voice and compelling characters. In non-fiction, she is interested in new voices, fresh angles, expert perspectives, and gripping narratives on provocative subjects. She is a graduate of Duke University, where she earned her bachelor’s degrees in English and Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing, and enjoys cheering for the Blue Devils when she’s not working with authors.
Your next chapter begins at Book Magic.
Get your ticket today.