Notification of Annual General Meeting 2026

 

Notification of PYA Annual General Meeting 2027

Promoting Yorkshire Authors Annual General Meeting

Thursday, January 21st 2027

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

 

The PYA Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, 21st January 2026 via Hostpoint at 7 pm. We encourage all members to join us as we shape PYA’s direction for the next twelve months and beyond.

To join on the day, use this link.  Please disregard any other joining instructions you may have been sent - only use the ones in the Agenda for the AGM.

 

Agenda

Welcome and Chairman's Report (Linda Jones)

Finance Report (Paul Smith - Treasurer)

Committee and Subcommittees - The committee and subcommittees will resign. We ask that those who put themselves forward for election and re-election for the coming year will be prepared to take an active role within PYA.  

We are seeking new members to take over the roles of Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer, as our current Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer will resign at the end of 2027. We also wish to fill the roles of four Regional Coordinators, an Event Coordinator, a Marketing and Social Media Coordinator and a Website Manager and Assistant.  

The current committee and subcommittee members are:

Core PYA Committee: Linda Jones (Chair), Jane Clack (Vice Chair), Paul Smith (Treasurer), Kate Swann, Pam Golden, Ros Kind, Peter Kay.

PYA Sub Committee: Heike Phelan, Helen Johnson, Phill Featherstone, Stuart Larner, Jane Clack, Pam Golden Joy Beilby, Andrew Sugden, Ian Walker, Karen Drury, Kate Swann, Lucy Brighton, Peter Kay.

PYA Finance Subcommittee: Paul Smith, Ros Kind, Jane Clack, Linda Jones, Kate Swann.

PYA Events Coordination Subcommittee: Jane Clack, Linda Jones, Pam Golden, Andrew Sugden, Peter Kay, Yvonne Battle-Felton.

 

Discussion: Achievements so far and priorities for 2027  

  PYA Development Strategy and PYA 4F - Promoting Yorkshire Authors for the Future: Please take a look at our discussion documents, which you'll find on our blog. PYA 4F offers an in-depth explanation and proposes a way forward for PYA, and we're seeking active members to drive PYA forward. Please try to read these prior to the meeting.

Any other business.

Date of the Next AGM – Thursday 21st January 2027  

 

Map showing the distribution of PYA members in August 2026 

Alphabetical list of number of members throughout Yorkshire August 2026

 

Key to towns/cities 

 

A Harrogate                                         37

B Hull                                                  24

C Pontefract/Wakefield/Castleford      49

D Huddersfield                                    22

E Bradford                                           20

F Market Weighton                              3

G Ilkley                                                5

H Pickering                                         1

I Selby                                                 1

J Middlesborough                               4

K Northallerton                                  20

L Knaresborough                                6

M Guisborough                                   2

N York                                                 47

O Barnsley                                           8

P Yarm                                                 3

Q Beverley                                          6

R Hebden Bridge                                4

S Leeds                                               51

T Sheffield                                          14

U Halifax                                             9

V Whitby                                             3

W Hawes                                             1

X Scarborough/Filey                           18

Y Ripon                                               7

Z Richmond                                        5

Aa Shipley                                          5

Bb Malton                                          4

Cc Bedale                                           2

Dd Holmfirth                                      1

Ee Driffield                                         1

Ff Skipton                                           6

Gg Leyburn                                         3

Hh Doncaster                                       15

Ii Rotherham                                        1

Jj Keighley                                           2

Kk Batley                                             1

Ll Thirsk                                              2

Mm Stokesley                                      3

Nn Catterick                                         1

Oo Holme upon Spalding moor           2

Pp Sowerby Bridge                              2

Qq Chesterfield                                    2

Rr Redcar                                             2

Ss Otley                                               2

Tt Goole                                              4

Uu Kirkby                                           1

Vv West Mirfield                                1

Ww Pocklington                                 2

Xx Wetherby                                       1

Yy Tadcaster                                       2

Zz Brough                                           2

 

Four in Manchester

Two in Darlington

One in Preston

One in Kendal

One in Stockton on Tees

Two in Morecombe

 

Nearest Town/City with the largest  number of members

Leeds                       51

Wakefield &area    49

York                        47

Harrogate               37

Hull                         24

Huddersfield          22

Bradford                20

Northallerton        20

Scarbrough/Filey  18

Doncaster              15

Sheffield                14

Pocklington, Beverley and Market Weighton together

Members               11

Development Strategy for PYA  - 2027

Our Promoting Yorkshire Authors Community Group has grown substantially over the past twelve months, with almost five hundred members spread across Yorkshire and the United Kingdom. Growth is positive and always welcome, but to meet the needs of this growing organisation, we need to strengthen and build on our core infrastructure. 

As part of this overhaul, in 2027, we will introduce a non-refundable £10 fee for members who wish to attend PYA events such as the Harrogate and Newby Hall flower shows, as well as other smaller book events as they occur. For events such as Wakefield Book Fair and Barnsley book fair, there will be a small additional charge of £5.

There will continue to be no charge for attending any online events such as Children's Author Group or Writers' Support sessions

Unfortunately, we have had a number of attendee no-shows at several of our recent events. We acknowledge that for some, non-attendance is due to circumstances beyond their control; however, when you can, please inform us as soon as possible.

So far, we have been able to cover the costs of event insurance, promotional material, banners, flyers, etc., with the money raised and through generous donations, but as the number of events increases, so do the costs. 

It is important to note that we are all volunteers. None of the admin staff or event organisers is paid for their time, travel costs, or any work they carry out on behalf of PYA. 

Any additional money raised will allow us to continue funding the following.

• Maintaining and updating the website
• Providing posters, flyers, PYA bookmarks, updating roller banners, and adding further promotional equipment.
• Subscription for our payment system for events
• Yearly insurance fee
• Additional insurance fees for certain events (market insurance in the case of Barnsley and Wakefield)

The above is not an exhaustive list but includes some of the key payments we need to make.

Over the coming weeks, we will share further updates on the strategy to ensure PYA's future development and how we will achieve our objectives.

 

The ancient Ridings of  Yorkshire is a huge area. One key topic we are discussing is to create the role of regional coordinators to help provide local events, such as workshops, writer groups, book launches. To do that, we will need volunteers. More on that proposal and others in the coming weeks.

A big thank you to those who have recently stepped up and offered their skills and time. We will be in touch very soon.

Linda Jones

Voluntary Chair PYA

 

PYA at Slowdown Sunday Event at Holden Clough Nurseries

Thanks to PYA Committee Member Peter Kay we have now are showcasing showcasing our books every month at Holden Clough Nurseries, Bolton by Bowland, Clitheroe BB7 4PF on Slow Down Sundays. 

There is space for 5 authors per session. It is a friendly laid-back atmosphere among beautiful plants, with a lovely café onsite.

Register your interest if you wish to participate in the event - but remember places are limited - or just come along and meet some of our members, talk about Promoting Yorkshire Authors, our community group, and maybe even pick up a few books from authors you haven't met before - but will want to meet again.

Recommended Editors List

PYA Members have asked about editing services. There are lots of scammers on the internet making money off unsuspecting authors desperate for a bit of help. Don’t be taken in by them. We’ve heard horror stories from our members and wanted to protect everyone in our community group.

In response, PYA is compiling a list of reputable editors. But remember that it is up to you, as an individual to contact them, discuss their charges and reputation, and ensure that the service they offer matches your needs. PYA will not be held responsible if you use one of our recommended editors; we’re trying to help steer members away from the sharks. Of course we'd welcome your feedback when you use one of the editors on our list - good or bad.

• Martin Renton has edited several members books and has been recommended by them.  Here are his contact details: martinrenton@rocketmail.com and 07708 096 890. The best way to contact him in the first instance is by email, and then he usually arranges a zoom or face time video call to meet the author. 
• The Wishing Shelf Awards run by Edward Trayer (aka Billy Bob Buttons). Several members have entered the awards and find them excellent, providing lots of reader feedback even if you don’t win, which is invaluable. The Alliance for Independent Authors recommends them too. They offer developmental editing, line editing, and beta reading. The price depends on the manuscript, word count, genre, and the amount of work needed. Also, different editors charge different amounts so authors need to send a manuscript for a firm price. They offer a package with developmental edit first, then a full line edit, followed by beta reading.Wishing Shelf recommends becoming a lifetime member because the service is lower cost but membership or entering the awards aren't mandatory to access their service. Contact thewishingshelfawards@gmail.com by email to make an enquiry.

If you have a personal recommendation of someone you have used who is good, then please let us know.

We'll update the list as new editors are added so please bookmark this blog page and revisit from time to time.

eBook Marketing and Sales

A solid eBook marketing and sales strategy isn’t about one big launch push, it’s about implementing and sustaining a process that continuously attracts readers, converts them, and keeps them buying.

Positioning (Don't Skip This)

Before you start marketing you need to define your target reader by being specific (age, gender, social status, etc of those who might be interested in your book), what is the core promise, i.e. the transformation your book delivers and identify the niches where you can hold some rank on Amazon. If you’re too broad, you disappear. If you’re too specific, you dominate a narrowly viewed niche.

Platform Strategy (Where to Sell)

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) dominates the eBook market so you have to be there.  You should strongly consider using Kindle Unlimited (KU) for visibility.

Other platforms are very, very, secondary and include: Apple Books, Kobo, and Google Play Books.

Sales Funnel (Where you make the money)

You need to think beyond one book and create a series with compelling tales in each book. Create a free or low-cost entry to the series, a lead magnet (e.g. a free short book or sample), one core eBook (£2.99–£4.99 being sweet spot price), follow-up books, a high value up-sell, meaning meatier books, cliff hanger story ending requiring the next in the series and courses for non-fiction or bundles and audiobooks for fiction.

Email List

Having an email list of readers is a critical asset and the route to follow-on readers. Use a mail or newsletter management tool like MailChimp, Substack, Ghost (hosted in the EU) or ConvertKit. Create a regular newsletter and offer often, exclusive content, preview of work in progress and snippets that act as a magnet for readers but don't over sell and then not deliver - be realistic.

Audience Growth

The cheapest and easiest way to grow is organically using social media but pick only one or two channels from TikTok (Hashtag BookTok) which is big for fiction, YouTube for tutorials, storytelling, or commanding authority (like an influencer)  and Instagram for visuals, quotes, reels.

This does not preclude you using other social media channels but restrict them to putting subliminal book suggestions with or without links in replies to others posts. Don't simply post a cover image and expect people to dive in and but. They won't. Try innovative content like behind-the-scenes writing exposes, story hooks or teasers and educational content if non-fiction. Be innovative and interesting. 

Amazon Search Optimisation

Optimise KDP information and make the information appropriate and relevant with an eye on what readers use during their book search. Attract readers who are likely to buy your book. For example title & subtitle where keywords matter, book description, making it sales conversion-focused, creating categories with low competition and high relevance and do the same for keywords.

Think like a person using a search engine here and not like an artist.

Paid Ads

If you have to use paid ads, start small by using Amazon Ads which are best for buyers already on the Amazon  platform, i.e. most of your readership!

Then perhaps expand to Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram). Google Ads are less commonly used for eBooks.

Important: Don’t scale ads until your book converts well organically. You may not need to pay for ads at all if you get the organic strategy right.

Launch Strategy or Make Social Media Algorithms Work for You

Pre-Launch (2–4 weeks)

• Build anticipation using email newsletters and  social media.
• Recruit advance reviewer readers who are prepared to review your work.
• Collect early reviews.

Launch Week

• Offer discounted pricing (£0.99 at launch even).
• Push traffic hard.
• Stack promotions using email newsletters, social media, and perhaps ads.

Consider promo sites:

• BookBub which is  premium and very competitive.
• Freebooksy
• Bargain Booksy

Your goal is to increase eBook downloads, which will trigger Amazon ranking improvements and increase visibility.

Measure

Measure your success by calculating conversion ratios for each marketing campaign - how many sales from each activity.

Reviews Help Sales

Without reviews, conversion of marketing efforts into sales suffers. The best way to achieve reviews is to recruits advance reviewer readers, through your email newsletter list and with a clear-cut call-to-action in your book, at the beginning and the end. You should try for 25 to 50 reviews minimum early on. Reviews make you stand out from everyone else at best, or put you in the race at worst. No reviews? You're not in the race at all.

Branding & Author Identity

You’re not just selling a book. Instead, you’re building an author brand. So, for books of a genre, make the cover style consistent, write in a clear niche and don’t jump genres randomly, plus create a professional looking website. If you're writing in different genres, consider using different pen names so as not to confuse the readership.

Treat your books as products and your activities like a business, not simply a creative project.

Timeline

•  Month 1–3: Setup + first book
•  Month 3–6: Build audience + reviews
•  Month 6–12: Scale ads + series

Conclusion - Straight Talk

• One book rarely succeeds but multiple books often win.
• Marketing matters as much as writing.
• Email list equals long-term income.
• Series equals biggest revenue driver.

eBook Market 2025/2026 

Here’s a current snapshot of the eBook market in 2025–2026), its size and who controls it.

PYA have got it covered when it comes to selling physical books - essential for some kinds of books like picture books, cooking, travel, non-fiction and so on - as we organise book fair type events where members can promote and sell their wares.

There's a whole market for electronic books (eBooks) and it's growing so we've created a couple of blog posts dedicated to exploiting the eBook market plus the process - quite different to traditional books - of getting your book noticed and sold.

Remember that Amazon controls the majority of the eBook market and our advice - if you can't beat them (you can't), join them.

Overall eBook Market Size & Growth

The global eBook market is large and growing fast. Roughly $50–60 billion eBooks were sold globally in the fiscal year 2025–2026. It is forecast to exceed $200 billion by 2034. A further estimate places the retail market around $23–24 billion in 2025.

Growth Drivers:

Surprisingly, smartphones are used as primary reading devices and subscription models account for approximately~56% of the market, driven by self-publishing and/or indie authors plus the rise in education and professional digital content.

The market has expanded as a  separate digital media market and is no longer a niche.

Dominant Players

Amazon is by far the most dominant player in the eBook market place, controlling:  around 67–80% of eBook sales in major markets, up to approximately 88% of UK sales and it owns the entire ecosystem for eBooks, namely: Kindle devices, Kindle Store, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Kindle Unlimited subscription. This vertical integration is why Amazon is dominant as it controls book creation, distribution, reading device and  subscription through Amazon Prime - difficult if not impossible to usurp.

Much Smaller Second-tier Players 

There are some meaningful eBook players but none are close to Amazon in market domination.

The second tier eBook companies include: Apple Book with a 10–14% share, Google Play Books, much smaller but with a global presence, Kobo (Rakuten) who are strong in Canada and parts of Europe, and Barnes & Noble (Nook) who are declining but still relevant in the US.

Combined, these players split most of what Amazon doesn’t control.

Subscription & Alternative Platforms

The major platforms for subscription/commercially based lending (as distinct from public libraries) are Scribd or Everand type platforms which share 7–8% of the market in niche segments.

For public library lending Libby or OverDrive (Borrowbox) dominate.

Recent challengers like Bookshop.org are trying to support indie stores but are small players at present. An important trend is that subscription is becoming as prevalent as outright sales.

Market Intelligence

The eBook market is highly concentrated with over 95% of eBook sales go through just a handful of platforms, with some regional variations. Amazon dominates in the UK, US, Germany and Canada with  competition growing in Asia (local platforms emerging) and both France and Japan (where there are strong domestic platforms).

Dynamics shaping the market:

• Platform lock-in. Kindle ecosystem is closed (with proprietary formats, digital rights management[DRM]) and it makes switching platforms difficult.
• Self-publishing explosion. Amazon KDP is the default route for indie authors. A massive volume of books is created, thousands daily.
• Subscription shift. Kindle Unlimited and similar services are changing how authors get paid (per page read) and how readers consume books.
• Discovery problem. The real competition isn’t publishing, it is being found when there's a flood of new releases every day.

What this means for PYA Members, both Traditionally Published and Independently Published

Amazon is the gatekeeper of the eBook market. You can publish elsewhere but you’ll likely miss the majority of readers. The real strategic choice is whether to go exclusive (Amazon/KDP Select) or go wide (multi-platform, smaller reach per platform). Our advice - bite the bullet, swallow your pride and go Amazon.

Sources

[1]: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/ebook-market-111315?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ebook Market Share, Size, Growth & Trend, 2034"

[2]: https://dataintelo.com/report/e-books-market?utm_source=chatgpt.com "E-books Market Research Report 2034"

[3]: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/e-book-market/market-size?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ebook Market Share, Size, Trends & Industry Analysis"

[4]: https://about.ebooks.com/ebook-industry-news-feed/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ebook Industry News Feed: News from the world of digital books"

[5]: https://www.wmtips.com/technologies/ebooks/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Top 12 Ebook Technologies in 2025"

[6]: https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/what-market-share-do-amazon-apple-bn-kobo-and-google-have-selling-ebooks?utm_source=chatgpt.com "What market share do Amazon, Apple, B&N Kobo and Google have selling eBooks? - Good e-Reader"

[7]: https://dataintelo.com/report/ebook-sales-platform-market?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ebook Sales Platform Market Research Report 2034"

[8]: https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/amazon-is-the-dominant-player-in-ebook-sales?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Amazon is the Dominant Force in E-books - Good e-Reader"