The Author Brand Retreat

Build the brand behind your books.

April 16-19, 2027
Columbus, Ohio

Become the Recognizable Face Behind Your Writing

You wrote the book.

Now it’s time to build the brand behind it.

The Author Brand Retreat is a four-day, three-night immersive experience designed for women writers who want to confidently show up online, build a recognizable author brand, and create a professional Instagram presence that reflects who they are as both a writer and a person.

Whether you're writing poetry, fiction, children's books, or nonfiction, this retreat will help you discover your unique aesthetic, define your message, and leave with the tools and confidence to continue growing your audience long after the weekend ends.

This isn't a writing retreat.

This is an author branding retreat.

Who It’s For

The Author Brand Retreat is designed for women who:

  • Are currently writing a book

  • Have already published

  • Plan to self-publish or traditionally publish

  • Feel overwhelmed by Instagram

  • Don't know what to post

  • Want a cohesive author aesthetic

  • Want beautiful author photos

  • Want to learn Canva

  • Want to connect with other women writers

  • Are ready to invest in themselves and their author career

All genres are welcome.

What You’ll Leave With

By Monday afternoon, you'll leave with:

  • A clearly defined author brand

  • Your personal brand colors and fonts

  • A completed Author Brand Workbook

  • A professional Instagram bio

  • Updated profile photo

  • Instagram highlight covers

  • A content strategy

  • Thirty days of content ideas

  • Custom Canva templates

  • Beautiful author headshots

  • Lifestyle photos for your website and social media

  • Flat-lay book and writing photographs

  • Confidence using Canva

  • Confidence creating content

  • A supportive community of fellow writers

What’s Included

Your registration includes:

  • Three nights of accommodations

  • All meals, snacks, coffee, and tea

  • Printed Author Brand Workbook

  • Welcome gift box

  • All workshops

  • Canva training

  • Instagram profile makeover

  • Photography workshops

  • Author headshots

  • Lifestyle content photography

  • Digital Canva templates

  • Private online community after the retreat

  • Group coaching throughout the weekend

Retreat Schedule

Friday, April 16th

3:00 - 6:00 PM: Check-In

Arrive at the retreat home, settle into your room, and enjoy a relaxed afternoon getting acquainted with the space and your fellow attendees.

Upon arrival, you'll receive your welcome gift box and have time to unpack, explore the house, enjoy light refreshments, and meet the other writers joining you for the weekend.

6:00 PM: Welcome Dinner

Enjoy dinner together as we begin building friendships and getting to know one another in a relaxed, welcoming environment.



7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Workshop 1: What Is An Author Brand?

Our first workshop introduces the foundation of everything we'll build throughout the weekend.

Each attendee will receive a copy of The Author Brand Workbook, which we'll begin working through together.

During this session we'll explore:

  • What an author brand is

  • Why every author needs one

  • Authenticity vs. trends

  • Your unique author story

  • Your goals for the retreat

We'll complete the first workbook exercises and begin discovering the unique brand behind your writing.

8:00 PM: Cozy Evening

After our first workshop, the evening is yours to enjoy at your own pace.

You might choose to:

  • Settle into your room

  • Journal in your workbook

  • Read a book

  • Continue conversations with fellow attendees

  • Explore the retreat home

  • Turn in early for a restful night before Saturday's workshops

Our goal is to create a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere so everyone feels refreshed and ready for a full day of learning and creating.

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Saturday, April 17th

8:00 AM: Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast together while reflecting on yesterday's discoveries and preparing for a full day of creativity.

8:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Workshop 2: Defining Your Author Brand
We'll continue working through The Author Brand Workbook as we define the visual and emotional foundation of your author brand.

Topics include:

  • Your author personality

  • Your ideal reader

  • Brand values

  • Brand keywords

  • Your writing voice

  • The emotions you want readers to associate with your work

  • Choosing your author aesthetic

    • your color palette

    • font pairings

    • mood board

    • inspiration board

    • brand imagery

    • visual style guide

10:00 AM: Break

10:30 AM - 12:00 AM: Workshop 3: Canva for Authors
Learn how to confidently use Canva to create beautiful, professional content for your author platform.

You'll create:

  • Quote graphics

  • Poem templates

  • Book announcement posts

  • Instagram Story templates

  • Carousel posts

  • Promotional graphics

No Canva experience is necessary.

Feel free to grab a snack while working on your laptop.

12:00 PM: Lunch

Relax, enjoy lunch together, and connect with other attendees.

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Workshop 4: Flat-Lay Poetry & Literary Photography
Using natural window light, you'll learn how to style beautiful, scroll-stopping images for your social media.

Each attendee will type a favorite poem, book excerpt, or quote on a vintage typewriter before creating their own styled flat-lay photographs.

A variety of props will be available, including vintage books, dried and pressed flowers, candles, crystals, coffee mugs, journals, fountain pens, wax seals, ribbon, lace, botanical elements, vintage paper and stationery

We'll cover:

  • Flat-lay composition

  • Working with natural light

  • Styling techniques

  • Smartphone photography

  • Editing tips

  • Creating content that reflects your author brand

By the end of the session, you'll have a collection of beautiful images ready to use across your website and social media.

2:30 PM: Break & Refreshments

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Workshop 5: Building Confidence as the Face Behind Your Books
Many writers struggle with showing up online.

In this encouraging discussion, we'll talk about:

  • Overcoming imposter syndrome

  • Finding confidence on social media

  • Sharing your story authentically

  • Creating consistently

  • Handling comparison

  • Giving yourself permission to be seen

4:00 PM: Break/Free Time

5:00 PM: Dinner


6:00 PM: Get Ready

This is a great opportunity to:

  • Change outfits

  • Touch up hair and makeup

  • Recharge

  • Enjoy coffee or tea

  • Review your author brand

  • Get ready for author photos

6:30 PM: Author Portraits
As the evening light softens, we'll head outside to capture beautiful author portraits around the retreat home and surrounding neighborhood.

You'll learn how to create stunning lifestyle photography using only your smartphone while taking turns photographing one another.

We'll capture:

  • Author headshots

  • Walking portraits

  • Reading and writing moments

  • Porch and sidewalk portraits

  • Lifestyle images

  • Group photographs

  • Candid moments

  • Seasonal outdoor content

You'll also learn:

  • Natural posing

  • Portrait mode

  • Working with golden-hour light

  • Composition

  • Creating authentic, timeless images

8:00 PM: Cozy Creative Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy.

Relax with tea, edit your new photos, journal in your workbook, read, connect with fellow writers, or simply unwind after an inspiring day.

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Saturday, April 17th

8:00 AM: Breakfast

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast while reflecting on everything you’ve created so far.

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Workshop 6: Your Instagram Makeover

It's time to transform your Instagram profile into a beautiful, professional author platform.

Together, we'll work through each element of your profile, including:

  • Profile photo

  • Display name

  • Username (if needed)

  • Author bio

  • Link optimization

  • Story highlights

  • Highlight covers

  • Pinned posts

  • Overall profile appearance

By the end of this session, your Instagram profile will reflect your unique author brand.

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Break

11:30 AM: Lunch

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Workshop 7: Designing Your Content
Using your new photos and Canva templates, you'll begin creating content that's ready to publish.

We'll design:

  • Quote graphics

  • Book posts

  • Personal posts

  • Carousel posts

  • Story graphics

  • Promotional graphics

By the end of this session, you'll already have content ready to share.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Break & Refreshments

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Workshop 8: Content Strategy & Content Calendar
Now that your brand is complete, we'll create a sustainable content plan you can confidently follow after the retreat.

Topics include:

  • What to post

  • Captions

  • Hashtags

  • Reels

  • Stories

  • Carousels

  • Behind-the-scenes content

  • Promotional content

  • Educational content

  • Personal content

You'll also begin planning your next 30 days of content, and you’ll learn how to schedule your posts on Instagram.

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Free Time

6:00 PM: Dinner

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM: Brand Reveal Celebration

This is our final evening together.

Each attendee will share:

  • Their completed author brand

  • Mood board

  • Color palette

  • Favorite photographs

  • Updated Instagram profile

  • Biggest takeaway from the weekend

We'll make our first Instagram posts with our new author branding, celebrate one another's growth, encourage one another's next steps, and close the evening by recognizing the incredible transformation each writer has experienced.

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Sunday, April 19th

Breakfast. Pack. Final Questions. Action Plan. Goodbyes. Check Out.

Meals

Meals are designed to feel relaxed, beautiful, and community-focused.

Expect:

  • Artisan charcuterie boards

  • Fresh fruit

  • Sandwich boards

  • Coffee and tea bar

  • Grazing tables

  • Locally catered dinners

  • Sweet treats throughout the weekend

Dietary restrictions will be accommodated.

Accommodations

We'll stay together in a beautiful private home in the Greater Columbus area.

The exact property will be selected based on the size of the group to ensure the best possible retreat experience.

The home will feature comfortable gathering spaces, workshop areas, and beautiful natural light for content creation.

Pricing

Private Room

$1,295

Enjoy your own private bedroom while experiencing the full retreat.

Shared Room

$995 per person

Share a bedroom with a friend and save while enjoying the same retreat experience.

Payment plans are available.

A non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your space.

Application Process

To create a supportive, intimate experience, attendance is limited.

Applications help us build a group of women who are excited to learn, encourage one another, and grow together.

Applications include questions about:

  • Your writing

  • Publishing experience

  • Your goals

  • Your current Instagram presence

  • Your biggest challenges

  • Technology experience

  • Dietary needs

  • Accessibility needs

Timeline

July 2026
Interested List opens

September 2026
Applications open

December 1, 2026
Applications close

December 8, 2026
Acceptance emails sent

December 15, 2026
Waitlist invitations begin

January 2027
Retreat location announced

February 2027
Author Brand Questionnaire released

April 1, 2027
Final payment due

April 16–19, 2027
The Author Brand Retreat

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Author Brand Retreat is open to women who are passionate about writing and building their author platform.

  • No. The retreat is open to poets, novelists, nonfiction writers, children's authors, memoirists, and every other genre.

  • All genres are welcome, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, children's books, memoir, fantasy, romance, mystery, science fiction, and more.

  • Not at all. We'll teach you everything you need to know.

  • Absolutely. Shared room pricing is perfect for friends attending together.

  • The Author Brand Retreat was intentionally created as a space where women writers can learn, create, and grow alongside one another in a supportive, encouraging environment. Throughout the weekend, we'll be taking author portraits, discussing confidence, building our online presence, and sharing personal parts of our writing journeys. Our goal is to foster a relaxed atmosphere where every attendee feels comfortable being seen, asking questions, and stepping outside of their comfort zone.

    • Smartphone

    • Laptop

    • Charger

    • Canva account (Free or Pro)

    • Outfits for photoshoots

    • Comfortable walking shoes

    • Your favorite book

    • A journal

  • Yes. Since much of the retreat focuses on building your author platform, you'll need an Instagram account before attending. It doesn't need to be perfect—that's what we'll work on together!

  • No. A free Canva account is all you need. We'll show you how to make the most of it, and we'll explain optional Pro features if they're helpful.

  • Attendance is intentionally limited to create a personal, hands-on experience. We expect approximately 6–10 attendees.

  • Yes. While the retreat includes workshops and activities, there will also be opportunities to relax, enjoy conversations, journal, explore the neighborhood, and recharge.

  • No. Attendees are responsible for traveling to and from the retreat location. Once everyone has arrived, we'll coordinate transportation for planned photography outings.

  • No. You can Uber from the airport. And once you arrive, there is no need to drive during scheduled retreat activities.

  • Unfortunately, no. To keep the retreat running smoothly, check-in and check-out times must be followed.

  • That's exactly why this retreat exists. You don't need to have it all figured out before you arrive. We'll help you discover and build a brand that feels authentic to you.

Join the Interested List

This form lets us know that you’re interested before the application process begins. We’ll notify you when it’s time to apply, and you’ll be one of the first!