Friday, July 15, 2022

 

3pm – 3:30pm Opening & Welcome Session

Shanon (S.D. Huston), Jenna O'Malley, with Alyssa Matesic, Leslye Penelope, & Becca Syme

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During this half hour welcoming ceremony, there will be a brief discussion about where to find the schedule and what to expect. Giveaways and how to enter will be announced. We'll also introduce the Keynote Speaker.

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3:30pm – 4pm Keynote Speech 2022

Keynote Speaker, Dale L. Roberts

"Help! My Books Won’t Sell, What Gives?!"

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Have you been trying to sell more books yet getting nowhere fast? Do you want to know why Amazon isn't selling what you're publishing? Find out how to increase book sales on KDP and beyond. Would you like to learn what improves book sales and what won't move the needle an iota? This deep dive is ideal for beginners to intermediate self-published authors. 

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4pm – 5pm Session #1, Publishing Track

Special Guest Speaker, Keith Wheeler

“Self-Publish, Traditional and Hybrid, Oh My!”

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In this Seminar, we will cover the pros and cons of each book publishing option (self-publishing, traditional publishing and hybrid publishing).  Presenter, Keith Wheeler, will use his unique experiences as being both a traditionally published as well as self-published author to help separate myth from fact when it comes to your publishing options. By the end of the presentation, we hope you'll have all the information you need to better decide which publishing path you'll take for your next book.

 

5pm – 6pm Session #2, Publishing Track

Special Guest Speaker, Mandi Lynn

“Simple Steps to a Profitable Book Launch”

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Learn how to take your book release to the next level as we walk through simple steps to have a profitable book launch! During this seminar, you’ll learn some of the many marketing methods you can use to plan your book release, as well as best practices to keep yourself organized! This seminar is perfect for those looking to publish for the first time, or experienced authors who need the extra spark of inspiration.

 

6pm – 7pm Session #3, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, April Cox

“Is Self-Publishing Right for You?”

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Is Self-Publishing Right for You? Learn the differences between self-publishing and tradition and understand whether you are a good candidate and have the qualities to excel in the self-publishing arena. Explore myths and mistakes to avoid as well as critical success factors to excel as an Authorpreneur.

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6pm – 7pm Session #3, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Alyssa Matesic

“Why Is It So Dang Hard to Get a Literary Agent?”

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Many emerging authors dream of getting their book published by a prestigious "Big Five" publishing house. But the first — and biggest — barrier to traditional publishing is getting a literary agent. As anyone who has been in the querying trenches knows, the process of finding a literary agent is often fraught with confusion, rejection, and discouragement. Many emerging authors discount the possibility of traditional publishing altogether because they struggle to get a literary agent. So, what gives? Why is it so difficult to get a literary agent? And is there anything you can do to increase your chances of finding one? As someone who's worked at a top-tier NYC literary agency in addition to two of the Big Five US publishing houses, I understand how the industry works and am passionate about educating and empowering emerging authors on the traditional publishing path. In this session, I will share: - Insider knowledge of the industry and how literary agents work - How to decide if you should keep querying or give up - Practical strategies you can use to improve your chances of getting a literary agent Then, I'll open the floor for Q&As on anything related to traditional/Big Five publishing!

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6pm – 7pm Session #3, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Nia James (Vixen of Fiction)

“World Building on The Go”

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If you're a Plotter, Pantser, a Plotter with Pantser tendencies, I'm going to give you a few tricks to help your world build as you go. If you just need the bare minimum or a lot, I'll show you how Character sheets and Timelines can be utilized as you draft, in revisions, or as you outline.

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6pm – 7pm Session #3, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, JD Estrada with A.F. Stewart, Katie Salidas, and Bobby Nash

 “Maintaining Your Voice across Genres”

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Some people wonder what genre they have to write in as if there's only one choice. This panel is to discuss things you can do to ensure your voice carries across multiple genres AND titles because at the end of the game, what's most important is to give something NO ONE ELSE can offer.

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7pm – 8pm Session #4, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Becca Syme

"Make Good Choices: Author Marketing Just for You"

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As a success alignment coach, I specialize in helping authors customize their writing world. I've coached 5500+ individual authors and do breakdowns by personality trait and by capacity of what types of tactics or strategies tend to work best for which types of people. My goal is always to be both as comprehensive and specific as possible, when talking about why things work or don't work. The tagline of my YT channel is: "Anyone can tell you what worked for them, and they can say, 'it might not work for you,' but they can't tell you why. I can tell you why." That's the specialty of this particular workshop. Why do some tactics work for some people and not for others.

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7pm – 8pm Session #4, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Leslye Penlope

"The Authorpreneur Path"

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A passion for the written world is not the only thing necessary for a successful author career. Navigating today’s publishing landscape requires authors to also be entrepreneurs. Regardless of your publishing path, whether traditional, indie, or hybrid, understanding the basic fundamentals of running a business is essential. Learn tips for running your author business from entrepreneur and award-winning hybrid author L. Penelope.

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7pm – 8pm Session #4, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Katharine Francis with Laura from "tropetrinitytrilogy," Ian from "KirkPattieCake," and Liv from "Liv Miles Paranormal Romance"

"Crafting Memorable Characters”

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The inspiring hero? The villain you love to hate? The loveable love interest? Good characters are central to telling good stories. In this panel, four authors will discuss different methods and tips for creation of characters. From background to psychology, personality to influences, this discussion will include elements to consider when developing characters for your story and common mistakes made by authors that can create either cheap or flat characters.

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7pm – 8pm Session #4, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Morgan Lee

"Writing Diverse Characters”

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Diversity and inclusivity in fiction is grossly important, but the task can be daunting. I will be presenting information on how to write diverse characters in fiction from my perspective as a disabled, chronically ill, autistic, Black woman! You will learn strategies on the dos and don'ts of writing diverse characters as well as why it is important to have accurate and diverse representation in your fiction.

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8pm – 9pm Happy Hour

Shanon (S.D. Huston), Jenna O'Malley, with M.K. Williams, Morgan Lee, J.D. Estrada, A.F. Stewart, Gillian St. Kevern, & Nia James

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During this hour, we’ll relax, discuss anything great we learned that day, and make connections with our audience members. At the end, we'll break off into the Jitsi rooms.

 

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Saturday, July 16, 2022

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10am – 11am Session #5, Publishing Track

Special Guest Speaker, M.K. Williams

“So, You Want to Self-Publish Your First Book?”

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In this session, M.K. Williams will guide authors through the process of self-publishing their first book. This session is ideal for authors who have decided they want to self-publish but don't know what to do next. We will cover the steps you'll need to take after you complete your manuscript such as editing, formatting, cover design, publication, and all those technical little details. This process doesn't have to be confusing and you don't have to follow someone else's exact template. MK Williams has coached many first-time authors to a successful launch - and successful as in what "success" means to that individual author. Let's roll up our sleeves and get a plan in place for your first book.

 

11am – 12pm Session #6, Publishing Track

Special Guest Speaker, Evan Gow

“Going from 0-1,000 Email Subscribers”

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In this presentation, you will learn how to build your mailing list, write a welcome sequence, arrange cross-promotions, and vet potential reviewers.

 

12pm – 1pm Session #7, Writing Track

Special Guest Speaker, Rachel Lachmansingh

“A Writer’s Secret Weapon – MASTER the Art of TITLING Your Story”

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Many of us judge books by their covers, but how many of us also judge books by their titles? Join authortuber Rachel Lachmansingh from the channel “rachel writes” for a seminar analyzing the titles of various books, shows, and stories, from popular to obscure, from poetic to straightforward. Rachel will analyze what’s working and what isn’t in an in-depth analysis of multiple published titles, then give viewers at home practical tips on how to construct titles that are sure to hook readers at just a glance.

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1pm – 1:30pm Break

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1:30pm – 3pm First Page Critique Panel

Judged by Rachel Lachmansingh, Alyssa Matesic, and Margaret Pinard

Hosted by Shanon (S.D. Huston) and Jenna O’Malley

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The First Page Critique Panel will critique first page submissions by anonymous writers.  During the Panel Session, these works will be read aloud, and panel members will raise their hand if and where they would have stopped reading the work. At the end of the reading, panel members will be able to comment on what stopped them, and then give one positive note about the work.

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3pm – 4pm Session #8, Publishing Track

Special Guest Speaker, Sarra Cannon

“Planning to Thrive”

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In today’s publishing atmosphere, many people seem to be in survival mode, constantly hustling just to keep their head above water. But what if you could thrive as an author? What if there was a way for you to prosper and grow a long-lasting career without feeling as though you could drown at any moment? Join author Sarra Cannon as she gives you practical tips and strategies to help you develop a long-term plan that focuses on joy, balance, and building the career of your dreams.

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4pm – 5pm Session #9, Writing Track

Special Guest Speaker, Shaelin Bishop

“The Forgotten POV: Using 2nd Person”

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A dive into the most forgotten and rarely used narrative point of view: 2nd person. Despite its rarity, 2nd person can be an impactful narrative device and can be used to explore character psychology or even theme. This presentation will look at the different applications of 2nd person, and why this often overlooked point of view can be one of the most impactful narrative devices out there.

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5pm – 6pm Session #10, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Morgan Hazelwood

“Pitching: The Trad Publishing Process”

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If you've been considering dipping your foot into the traditional publishing world, find out exactly what the process looks like, what you'll need to put together, and why you might want to risk the odds.

 

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5pm – 6pm Session #10, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Samantha Kilgore (S.L. Michaels)

“How to Use Social Media for Free to Get the Sales!”

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Marketing. It's the key to getting book sales. But who wants to pay more money for such a risky investment? In this seminar, I will give you the steps on how to use the three popular social media platforms on how you can market your book for FREE, and you don't need to have a huge following, or worry about copyright strikes. I will also give you a behind the scenes look on how I design my ads for my debut novel, The Synesthete, as well as The Surrogacy Contract on Kindle Vella, and which one gave me an audiobook sale the first day! Hope to See You There! ~Write On!~

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5pm – 6pm Session #10, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, A. F. Stewart with Greg Pizzino, Crysta Coburn, M. Leigh Hood, Paul Hiscock, and Karen J. Carlisle

“Steampunk and the Other 'Punk' Subgenres”

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An author panel on the nature of the "punk" genres. What is the difference between steampunk, clockpunk, dieselpunk, cyberpunk, etc. with tips and tricks for writing these genres.

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5pm – 6pm Session #10, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Gillian St. Kevern

“Character Driven Plotting”

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Compelling characters are cited by readers as the reason they fall for a particular series or author. But how do you create a rich, character driven storyline that doesn't skimp on tension, or lose steam half way through? If you struggle with saggy middles, or want to be sure that your stories resonate with readers, then character driven plotting is for you. Start by interviewing your character to find out their deepest feats and desires and then construct your plot around those elements for fiction that will have readers hooked.

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6pm – 7pm Happy Hour

Shanon (S.D. Huston), Jenna O'Malley, with J.D. Estrada, Tiffany Russell, Margaret Pinard, M.M. Ward, Lauren Wheatley, Haley Stevens, D.L. Tillery, Ben Pick

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During this hour, we’ll relax, discuss anything great we learned that day, and make connections with our audience members. At the end, we'll break off into the Jitsi rooms.

 

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Sunday, July 17, 2022

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10am – 11am Session #11, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Denis Caron with Mairead Beeson

“How to Write Your Books 95% Faster (Even if You Have a Busy Schedule)”

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In this session you’ll discover the most powerful and scientifically proven ways to crush your excuses, smash through writer’s block, and start writing your book faster and with more confidence. You’ll be taught through a unique lens of how art meets marketing from Book Marketing Expert, Denis Caron and Story Coach, Mairead Beeson. You’ll also learn how book quality affects your overall marketing of your book in real numbers. Every participant receives a FREE “5-Steps to Writing Your Book 95% Faster” checklist.

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10am – 11am Session #11, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Lyndi Allison

“Writing Adventurously”

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Would you like to write but are unsure of how to get started? Has your work-in-progress stalled? Would you like to learn from other writers? Lyndi will introduce writers to the Amherst Writers & Artists method of writing based on Pat Schneider’s book Writing Alone and With Others. Facilitators of this method believe everyone is a writer with a unique voice. This hands-on workshop will provide space to explore and develop your writing craft and share how to get started facilitating your own workshops.

 

10am – 11am Session #11, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Estelle Van de Velde

“Revising and Editing: How to Make it Work for You”

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You wrote your first draft, congratulations! Now is time to edit the beast, what should you do? Usually, editing is the part that writers like the least. But it doesn't have to be that way. Your book is almost ready to meet its readers, you've already done the hardest part: writing it. In this presentation, I'll tell you how you can revise and edit your book yourself, who are the different types of editors and what's the ideal timeline for editing a book + get a list of editors from the Authortube community!

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11am – 11:20am Session #12, Writing Track

Speaker, Ben Pick

“I Don't Have My Sh*t Together - Imposter Syndrome Struggles”

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Every writer I know struggles with imposter syndrome. I am going to openly discuss the difficulties in writing and pouring myself into my works. I'll also explain the methods I use to work through my doubts. Hopefully, we can bring our struggles to light and together support each other.

 

11am – 11:20am Session #12, Writing Track

Speaker, PenumbraMine Writing with M.M. Ward

“Writing the Tree: A Nonlinear Story Writing Method”

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Writing The Tree is a nonlinear method of creating a zero draft in fourteen days and a very rough first draft in eighteen. There are several steps set out in days but these can be done in weeks if needed. The point of the Writing the Tree method is to get the world/story written as quickly as possible before you start building a plot or trunk of your tree. 

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11am – 11:20am Session #12, Writing Track

Speaker, Natalie Locke

“Putting the Flash in Your Fiction”

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Flash Fictions are a glimpse, a moment, and there are many routes to change a blank page to a full page. Starting with an editing mind while remembering the reader is the common theme among them.

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11:20am – 11:40am Session #12, Writing Track

Speaker, Haley Stevens with Cory N Davis

“The Creative Grind—Finding Time for Writing in the Midst of a Working Life”

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Join Cory N Davis and I as we deep dive into the struggles of being a working writer. How does one’s job determine how creative your life can be? How can one find time to write in the trenches of the working life? What are some strategies for finding motivation after a stressful day at work? What are the implications of the “working writer” and the “starving artist” stereotypes and how can we work as a community to break stereotypes surrounding the creative grind? We’ll end with a Q&A, so come with your questions prepared for the panel!

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11:20am – 11:40am Session #12, Writing Track

Speaker, Richard Holliday

“Investing in Yourself: Affordable Tech Solutions to Succeed in Writing”

 

In this presentation, Richard Holliday will give a brief outline of why we, as writers, should look to invest in the writing tools to succeed in a digital world and how these tools can be affordable. He will break some myths about why we should invest in our hobby and passion if we want to take this seriously, but this doesn’t mean costing the earth.

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11:20am – 11:40am Session #12, Writing Track

Speaker, Author D.L. Tillery

“How To Structure and Complete a Short Story”

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In this workshop, you will learn how to structure and complete a short story. Author D.L. Tillery will show you how she goes from the idea and notes to her short story outlining process. She will give you insight of how she schedules writing sessions and more to get the story done and keep it at a short story level. Ready your pens, papers, and keyboards. It's time to craft your short story.

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11:40am – 12pm Session #12, Publishing Track

Speaker, Lauren Wheatley with Nicole Wheatley

“Co-Writing with Another Author”

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We'll be going over the benefits and things to consider when working on a creative project with a fellow author. We'll discuss what our process is, what things work for us, things that we avoid, and finally things that need to be discussed with your writing partner.

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11:40am – 12pm Session #12, Publishing Track

Speaker, Sako Tumi (Cass Voit)

“Websites for Authors”

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What goes into an author’s website? Why do you need one? When should you get one? Why, right now! If social media goes down, you need a hub, and Sako will walk you through a simple site that any skill level can make.

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11:40am – 12pm Session #12, Publishing Track

Speaker, Heather Dewey Pettet with Jenna Writes Romance, PenumbraMine Writing with M.M. Ward, and Coffee, Create, Connect

“Q&A on Working with Freelance Editors”

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Have a question for a freelance editor or ghostwriter? Have you ever wondered how to submit a sample of your work to an editor or ghostwriter? Please join us for a Q&A, and you can find out!

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12pm – 1pm Session #13, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Liz Poder

“The One Mistake in Blurb Writing You Should Never Make”

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Did you know that 80% of selling your book to a new reader happens within the first two lines of your book blurb? Learn what a Headline is, why you absolutely need it, and how to write one in this quick lesson from a professional blurb writer. BONUS: Live chat with Blurb Medic herself! Join in and fix your blurb with me, so that your book can finally get the attention it deserves.

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12pm – 1pm Session #13, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Andy at Easy Graphics

“The Keys to Unlocking KDP Keywords”

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Would you want to get into the boxing ring with Muhammad Ali with one hand tied behind your back? That's exactly what you're doing if you do NOT have a handle on keywords for Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Amazon's publishing side of the business. The majority of self-published indie authors publish their work via KDP. It's also common knowledge that the vast majority of book sales are through Amazon. Having the right keywords should be part of any indie author's strategy to get discovered on Amazon. Suffice to say, your fellow authors in the community will certainly have a keyword strategy and do their utmost to get the attention of potential readers (aka paying customers). Are you ready to skill-up and give yourself a fighting chance to get more book sales?

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12pm – 1pm Session #13, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Julie Zantopoulos with Katlyn Duncan and Amber McManus

“The Best Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills”

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This will be a panel where we discuss the best ways to improve your writing skills between three writers at different stages in their careers and open it to discussion with those who attend. It will be formatted much like our series on YouTube.

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12pm – 1pm Session #13, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Laura Nettles

“Writing Descriptions That Suck Your Reader In”

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How to draw your readers into your world by having your hand crafted environment effect your characters and their senses. (More than just visuals.) Limiting the descriptions to what really matters to the POV character. Descriptions that break cliché, and are world specific. How to expand or contract your descriptions to fit your story length (100 word drabbles to full on novels). Useful for all genera. 

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1pm – 2pm Session #14, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Margaret Pinard

“Organizing for Successful Virtual Community Events”

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I started a channel on Youtube to find a community of like-minded book fanatics, many of whom I hoped would enjoy reading my books. After two years of Booktubing and Authortubing, I have built up the reputation of being organized when it comes to virtual events such as author panels and readathons, leading to author exposure and reader interest. I'd love to spell out how I do this to demystify the process for others looking to replicate that success on their own platforms. From early outreach, strategizing scope and theme, planning and training for materials and equipment, to engineering frequency/consistency and celebrating wins, this can be done by anyone with enough time, patience, and courage. Since these are good skills for authors in general, I think this would be a highly useful panel to authors ready to level up their participation in our community.

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1pm – 2pm Session #14, Publishing Track

Guest Speaker, Katlyn Duncan

“Take Back Your Time: An Author's Guide to Creating Writing and Publishing Systems”

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Every author is busy. Whether you are full time, working a day job, or caring for your family, and trying to publish books, it’s difficult to juggle all the things. Creating systems for every aspect of the writing and publishing process will help you speed through your tasks and offer yourself more time to be creative and successful. In this seminar, you’ll learn how to identify processes within writing and publishing, break them down into repeatable steps, and take advantage of the little time you have.

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1pm – 2pm Session #14, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Tiffany Russell

“Scrivener in 60”

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My presentation will consist of going over how to work with Scrivener in a condensed version. I will touch on how to set up a project, add in a character sketch, and include an outline. I will show how you can use some of the tools available to build out your project and start writing with everything you need right at hand. Some of the other tools we will touch on will be the corkboard view, outline view, labels, and setting word count goals. After attending someone should be able to open Scrivener and not feel intimidated but ready to start writing a basic draft.

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1pm – 2pm Session #14, Writing Track

Guest Speaker, Cory N Davis with Haley Writes

“Dimensional Scenes - Revision Writing Workshop”

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Join us as we deep dive into an early scene in each of our revision projects, detailing what we've changed, why, and how those changes make our scenes more dynamic and engaging for readers. We'll discuss things we look for, from choosing if characters should get the ax, to movement during dialog to create a sense of space and drive. The workshop will include samples of our work in different stages of revision as well as a discussion on why seemingly small details can make or break a scene.

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2pm – 3pm Closing Session

Shanon (S.D. Huston), Jenna O'Malley, with Becca Syme, Tiffany Russell, Julie Zantopoulos, Morgan Lee, Laura Nettles, D.L. Tillery, Haley Stevens, M.M. Ward, Lauren Wheatley, Heather Dewey Pettet, & Natalie Locke

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During this last hour of the writing conference, we’ll explore our favorite parts and how we feel moving forward in our writing lives. Giveaway winners will also be announced.