BABS was founded to foster the local community of content creators, bloggers, authors, web experts, ebook creators, publishers and online marketing professionals. Our in-person meetings go deep and wide into the culture and tools of digital connection. Members share tips & tricks, hear new concepts by local start-up owners, brainstorm blog elements, and network for mutual success. Attending our meetings, you will find new blogging buddies, support for your ideas, and answers to your technical questions. If you have tips to share or would like to let people know about your own services, come join us.

Authors Go Public meetups are our most recent innovation. These are designed to help bloggers and authors find the best ebook production tools, and develop cutting-edge marketing plans to help sell their quality ebooks. Authors Go Public events include keynotes, panels, and Ignite-style speakers on subjects ranging from digital publishing to author platforms and converting blog readers to book buyers. AGP meetups are scheduled in San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma throughout 2012-13.

Our agenda includes forming local "ePub Clubs" which are small groups of people who work closely together to move their publishing forward. This includes all forms of ebooks for all forms of e-readers, including Kindle. ePublishing is a powerful and fast-moving aspect of online content which we all need to be aware of, whether we are writers working on our careers or website owners with content to share.

We also learn good marketing practices to employ for our websites and online businesses. The Internet provides us with many affordable options for reaching an audience or client base. The trick is to learn and use these tools without being overwhelmed or wasting precious time! At our BABS meetings and other classes offered by our members, we share the best of all the current tools.

On this MeetUp we announce BABS gatherings in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and the East Bay. You will also learn about classes, workshops and talks given by our members to support your ongoing development as a modern communicator.

Topics we discuss include digital publishing, Kindle publishing tools, author platforms, finding great domain names, using blog tools (especially Wordpress), keeping costs down, using social media to expand our reach, gaining influence online, writing spectacular content that attracts a loyal following, and different avenues for monetization. We also teach microblogging (Twitter), and the newest options for cutting-edge blogs.

If you are an author publishing any kind of online content including fiction, writing a blog (or want to start one), want to find out about social media marketing for your business, or just need to be around some interesting people, come join us at the next BABS meeting. All blogging professionals are invited to network and share your products and services as well.