Inspiring Indies at YALC

Nine authors, hundreds of visitors and more than £1200 of book sales later, the new #InspiringIndies zone at the Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) has been praised as a “resounding success” by all involved.

Throughout the two days (16-17 November) in Olympia, London, there was a hugely positive vibe around the new #InspiringIndies zone created by leading book marketing and author branding agency LitPR.

There was something for every reader, with nine authors doing ‘meet and greets’, many of whom got to sell and sign their books for the first time, plenty of giveaways and goodies for readers, hundreds of book sales, two industry arena discussions starring some of the authors demystifying the indie publishing journey, lots of selfies and plenty of laughs.

Helen Lewis, founder of LitPR and creator of the #InspiringIndies zone at YALC, said: “At LitPR we are on a mission to level the playing field between indie and trad publishing from the perspective of marketing, sales, branding, promotion, and events opportunities by 2030. YALC has always been an inclusive, fun event in publishing, and it made sense that we’d work together to create an inclusive, fun #InspiringIndies zone for their 10th year. However, I had no idea that it would be so well received, not just by authors but by the YALCies! We had people running over saying they were so happy to see us there, that they’d come to see us first because they love indie authors, and there was so much positive feedback. What really stunned me though was the amount of book sales we made for our indies. I had no expectations other than from a brand building perspective, but to see the books flying off the proverbial shelf and then excited readers lining up to get them signed, made me so proud. It shows that there really is a space for indies at mainstream publishing events – and a demand for indies’ creativity, passion and beautiful books.”

Zoe Finch at YALC said: “YALC’s aim has always been to champion YA Books in all forms and by opening up the programme to include indie authors this means that we can provide our audience even more content and support this growing area of the publishing world. We are proud to have partnered with LitPR on this and are pleased that both the indie authors and attendees who visited the #InspiringIndies zone had an amazing experience.”

Kiera Nixon, author of The Dream Maker, said: “It was truly a fantastic weekend. A great introduction to direct sales and brand awareness, and much to consider and amend going forward. One of my main reasons for participating was to learn more about who my readership are and will be, and I spoke to lots of young people who are everything I put pen to paper for, so I’m in the right space.”

Marie Voinson, author of Us Against The Likes, said: “Signing and personalising copies of my book for the very first time was one of my top moments at YALC. Also, talking about my books to complete strangers and hearing them say “Oh, this sounds good!” was such a thrill. It’s so heartwarming to see that people are curious about your work. Some of them even went to buy a copy straightaway! That felt like a dream. Making an author appearance, signing books, where so many of my favourite authors are doing just the same a couple steps away from me… Simply incredible.”

Roz MacLaren, author of Venom and Blaze, said: “My three favourite moments of #InsiringIndies at YALC were: Finding a community, getting out of my comfort zone, and getting advice and tips from others in the industry. I felt at home and connected with everyone around me. I’m a natural introvert so I expected to be overwhelmed by all the people, but everyone felt like someone I could gel with. I regularly try and challenge myself to do new things; I’d never been on a panel, done public speaking or been an author at a literature convention and doing all three this weekend felt like a huge win and confidence boost.”

Roxan Burley, author of Bloodstream of Moonlight and Bond of Eternity, said: “Being an indie author at YALC’s Inspiring Indies Zone has been an incredible journey of stepping out of my comfort zone. It’s more than just signing books for the first time—it’s about coming together with other authors to build a community, where we share our struggles, triumphs, and everything in between. The real magic happens when I engaged with readers, sharing my book with them for the first time. It’s a reminder that, as an indie author, we may start alone, but we’re never truly on our own.”

John Tarrow, author of The Stranger’s Guide To Talliston and The Stranger’s Door To Talliston, said: “One of my highlights of the weekend was connecting with new readers and hearing their stories: how they read, where and why. It’s always wonderful to watch the amazement in a reader’s eye when they discover that the YA adventure novel they are holding is inspired by a real house and gardens – and they can step inside the chapters of the book for real!”

April Grace, author of The Steel Princess and Songbird Heir, said: “One of my favourite moments at YALC was when a lovely reader wanted to pose with me for a selfie and said she’d put it into a little scrapbook next to my signature! I enjoyed doing the panel talks on both days with all the other lovely indie authors, and making some amazing new author friends.”

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Notes to editors: More press releases, author info, photos from the event etc, are here.

YALC is back on 15-16 November 2025 in Olympia London. To register your interest in participating in the #InspiringIndies zone please complete this form.

Helen Lewis, Founder of LitPR (www.literallypr.com) is available for media interviews and comment about the role of indie publishing in the wider book industry, marketing, events, author branding and PR. Each of the authors is available for media interviews and comments about their YALC experience, what it means to be an indie and more.

The amazing authors at the #InspiringIndies zone: