What Does Your Book Ask of You Now?

Publication is not a conclusion but a change in the relationship between author and work. As a book moves into the world, new responsibilities emerge: to its meaning, its readers, and its future. This workshop is designed to help authors understand—and step confidently into—that next phase.

Author Pathway

Writing the book was the first act. What follows determines whether it endures.

Most authors are prepared for publication.
Very few are prepared for the long life of

their book.

After launch, many find themselves:

Unsure how their book is really being positioned
Dependent on attention that fades too quickly
Unclear how to sustain momentum without diminishing the work
Curious about AI, but unsure how to use it without losing authorship

This is not about talent or effort.

It’s about stepping into a phase of authorship that rarely comes with a map.

The Author in Command

Owning the life of your book in the age of AI

A one-day, in-person strategic intensive for serious authors

The Author in Command is a focused, high-trust working day designed to help authors step confidently into the phase after publication — with clarity, authority, and control.

This is not a course on tools or tactics.

It is a strategic intervention for authors who care about how their work is understood, sustained, and remembered.

Small group · In person · Application-based

What You Will Leave With

By the end of the day, each participant will have:

A clear strategic narrative for their book — not a blurb, but a spine
A reframed understanding of their role after publication
A practical system for using AI as a thinking partner, not a content generator
An author-led marketing structure that fits their temperament and values
A grounded, realistic 90-day action plan

Everything is designed to be reused long after the day itself.

Designed for Authors

Aligned with Publishers

Second Act Advisory develops strategic programmes that support both authors and publishing houses by strengthening the long life of serious books.

Our work is informed by:

15+ years inside the publishing ecosystem
Board-level experience in publishing technology
International work on creative careers and markets

This is not disruption.
It is alignment — at a moment of change.

Apply for The Author in Command

To protect the quality of the room, places are application-based.

This is not gatekeeping.

It is curation.

We are assembling a small group of authors who take their work — and each other — seriously.

→ Apply for a Place. Dates will be offered on acceptance. The workshops are held in central London.

Applying takes 10–15 minutes and does not commit you to attend.
It simply allows us to ensure the right fit.

Investment

Participation in The Author in Command is £1,250 per author.

This reflects a full day of in-person strategic work in a deliberately small group, with preparation, guided frameworks, and tools designed to be reused long after the programme concludes.

Places are limited. The work is considered.

For many authors, the return is not immediate visibility, but something more durable: clarity, direction, and renewed command over the life of their book.

Writing the book was the first act.
What follows is authorship by other means.

The Author in Command is for those ready to step into that role.

Apply Here

AI as a Strategic Ally — Not a Replacement

AI is already shaping how books are discovered, discussed, and sustained.

In this programme, authors learn how to:

Train AI on their book and intent
Use it to clarify positioning and stress-test strategy
Surface blind spots and sharpen judgement
Retain authorship, taste, and discernment at all times

AI is treated as a mirror, challenger, and organiser — never as a substitute for thinking.

No hype. No shortcuts. Just intelligent partnership.

Who This Is For

This programme is for authors who:

Are traditionally or hybrid published (or imminently so)
Write non-fiction, narrative history, or serious ideas
Care deeply about the integrity and long-term life of their work
Are ready to act on insight

It is not for:

Shortcut-seekers
Social-media-first publishing strategies
“AI content” enthusiasts
Anyone looking for spectacle over substance