SPS-468: SPS Live is Coming to the USA!

Big news this week – The Self-Publishing Show Live is coming to the USA! James Blatch and Cissy Mecca reveal the plans for the first SPS Live USA, taking place at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden in Texas on April 29th and 30th, 2027. The first year will be deliberately small, with just 200 places available, and the first 100 people on the waitlist will have the chance to secure special Founders tickets. They also reveal the first two speakers: bestselling romance author Lucy Score and Hollywood screenwriter Tom Donnelly. James talks through why Fort Worth was chosen, plans for keeping the event affordable and what they want to bring across from the London conference. Elsewhere, James and Cissy discuss the latest controversy surrounding RARE London 2027 and the large number of authors withdrawing from the event. James also shares an update on his Etsy experiment, including what happened when he promoted his Cold War book package directly to his mailing list and why bringing your own traffic to a new sales platform can make such a difference. Key Talking Points SPS Live USA officially announced for April 29th–30th, 2027 Fort Worth Botanic Garden confirmed as the venue The event will be limited to 200 attendees in its first year The first 100 people on the waitlist will be offered Founders tickets Lucy Score and Tom Donnelly announced as the first speakers Why SPS Live USA will avoid traditional hotel room blocks The latest controversy surrounding RARE London 2027 James's Etsy experiment and selling books as gift packages Why driving your own traffic to a new platform can help generate sales Avoiding "shiny new object" syndrome and focusing on what's already working Links & Resources Mentioned ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com Discount code: IWC15 SPS Live USA Waitlist: https://learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveusa SPS Patreon / Support: https://learnselfpublishing.com/support