| Friday, August 1st, 2014 | ||||
 8:30 am - 3:30 pm | Writer's Digest Pro [More Info] Kristen McLean, Book Futurist, CEO, Bookigee Phil Sexton, Publisher, Writer's Digest Jon Fine, Director of Author & Publisher Relationships, Amazon.com Porter Anderson, Journalist/Speaker/Consultant in Publishing Michael J. Sullivan, Author Larry Kirshbaum, Senior Literary Agent, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency Matthew Baldacci, Vice President of Marketing, Scholastic Trade Publishing Kristin Fassler, Director of Marketing, Penguin Random House Tim Grahl, Founder, Out:think | |||
| 8:30 am - 11:30 am | Agent Boot Camp: Crafting the Perfect Query Letter (Additional Fee Required) [More Info] Kate McKean, Literary Agent, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency | Agent Boot Camp: How to Hook an Agent on your Middle Grade or Young Adult Novel: From Concept to Query and Beyond (Additional Fee Required) [More Info] Molly Jaffa, Literary Agent, Folio Literary Management | Agent Boot Camp: Opening Pages: What Agents Are Looking for When They Read Your Work (Additional Fee Required) [More Info] Marisa Corvisiero, Founder, Corvisiero Literary Agency | |
| 11:30 am - 2:30 pm | Agent Boot Camp: Think Strategically! How to Determine the Publishing Plan that's Right for You and Your Work (Additional Fee Required) [More Info] April Eberhardt, Literary Agent, April Eberhardt Literary | Agent Boot Camp: Writing the High-Concept Novel: How to Create a Premise That Sells (Additional Fee Required) [More Info] Paula Munier, Senior Literary Agent and Content Strategist, Talcott Notch Literary Services | Agent Boot Camp: How to Build Authentic & Compelling Characters (Additional Fee Required) [More Info] Gina Panettieri, Literary Agent, Talcott Notch Literary | |
| 3:40 pm - 4:30 pm | Pitch Perfect (Session for Pitch Slam/Basic Conference PACKAGE registrants only) [More Info] Chuck Sambuchino, Editor/Writer, Writer's Digest Books | |||
| 5:00 pm - 5:50 pm | Kickstarter Presents: Strategies for Successfully Crowdfunding Your Book [More Info] Maris Kreizman, a publishing community manager, Kickstarter Margot Atwell, Publishing community manager, Kickstarter Michael Malice, Author, Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il | The Google+ Advantage: How and Why Authors Should Incorporate Google+ into Their Platforms [More Info] Kiffer Brown, Founder, Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media | Ask the Editors: Fiction [More Info] Millicent Bennett, Senior Editor, Simon & Schuster Patience Bloom, Senior Editor, Harlequin Books Chris Russell, Associate Editor , Viking Penguin, Penguin Group USA | How to Write a Page Turner [More Info] Paula Munier, Senior Literary Agent and Content Strategist, Talcott Notch Literary Services |
| 6:00 pm - 6:50 pm | Panel: Expanding Your Brand with Co-Writers [More Info] Jeremy Robinson, Author, Secondworld, Pulse, Instinct, Threshold Sean Ellis, Author, Fortune Favors, Into the Black, Dodge Dalton on the High Road to Oblivion Kane Gilmour, Author Robert Swartwood, Author, The Serial Killer's Wife | Networking for Writers: The Most Important Skill You Never Knew You Needed [More Info] Mare Swallow, Founder and Executive Director , Chicago Writers Conference | Ask the Agents [More Info] Chuck Sambuchino, Editor/Writer, Writer's Digest Books Kate McKean, Literary Agent, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency Roseanne Wells, Literary Agent, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Dawn Frederick, Literary Agent, Red Sofa Literary John Rudolph, Literary Agent, Dystel & Goderich | The Secrets of Selling First-Person Pieces [More Info] Susan Shapiro, Journalist/Author/Professor, The New School, New York University Daniel Jones, Editor, Modern Love |
| 7:00 pm - 7:50 pm | Opening Keynote: Have I Read Anything You've Written?: Granting Ourselves the Permission to Face the Blank Page [More Info] Dani Shapiro, Author, Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life and Devotion | |||
| Saturday, August 2nd, 2014 | ||||
| 8:00 am - 8:50 am | Sponsor Session - How George Clooney will Help You Become a Famous Author for Free [More Info] Clint Arthur, World’s Leading Expert on Creating Celebrity for Authors, ClintArthur.com | |||
| 9:00 am - 9:50 am | A Smooth, Sweet Finish: Revising for Publication [More Info] Aine Greaney, Writer and Essayist | How to Sell Your First 1,000 Copies [More Info] Tim Grahl, Founder, Out:think | You Have Three Pages to Win Me Over: Essential Advice for Your Opening Pages [More Info] Jacquelyn Mitchard, Author/Editor in Chief, Merit Press | Writing from Personal Experience [More Info] Nancy Davidoff Kelton, Author |
| 10:00 am - 11:00 am | Fifty Shades of Publishing: All the Ways You Can Publish a Winning Book [More Info] April Eberhardt, Literary Agent, April Eberhardt Literary | 10:00 am - 11:00 am - Pitch Slam Session 1 [More Info] | Your Book’s Business Plan: How to Prepare Yourself and Your Book Idea for Publishing Success [More Info] Nina Amir, Inspiration-to-Creation Coach/ Author/Coach/Editor/Speaker, CopyWright Communications | Working the Muddle Out of Your Middle [More Info] Cheryl St. John, Author/Instructor, WRITING WITH EMOTION, TENSION & CONFLICT |
| 11:10 am - 12:10 pm | Panel: Marketing Strategies for Independent Authors [More Info] Jon Fine, Director of Author & Publisher Relationships, Amazon.com Kristen McLean, Book Futurist, CEO, Bookigee Michael J. Sullivan, Author Dan Blank, Founder, WeGrowMedia | 11:10 am - 12:10 pm - Pitch Slam Session 2 [More Info] | Write a Winning Proposal in 48 Hours and Sell Your Book [More Info] Ryan G. Van Cleave, Author | Creating Suspense: 13 Techniques for Making Your Readers Sweat [More Info] Jane K. Cleland, Author |
| 12:10 pm - 1:30 pm | Lunch on your own and Exhibits | |||
| 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | Panel: Methods to the Madness! The Latest, Coolest Developments in Indie Publishing [More Info] Amanda Barbara, Vice President, Pubslush Dan Dillon, Director of Product Marketing, Lulu Keith Ogorek, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Author Solutions - a Penguin Random House company Dara Beevas, Co-founder/Creative Director, Wise Ink Creative Publishing Seth Dellon, Director of Product Development , PubMatch Jeremy Greenfield, Editorial Director, Digital Book World | 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm - Pitch Slam Session 3 [More Info] | All Kidding Aside: How I Became a Published Author and What You Can Learn from My Experience [More Info] Joe Nelms, Writer Sean Ellis, Author, Fortune Favors, Into the Black, Dodge Dalton on the High Road to Oblivion Jeffrey Somers, Author Kristopher Jansma, Writer, Unchangeable Spots of Leopards Julia Fierro, Author, Cutting Teeth Kelly Braffet, Author, Save Yourself | What Your Reader's Brain Really Craves [More Info] Lisa Cron, Author/Instructor, UCLA Extension Writers' Program |
| 2:40 pm - 3:30 pm | Advanced Metadata: How It Can Improve Your Sales [More Info] Kristen McLean, Book Futurist, CEO, Bookigee | Goodreads: The Platform That Can Make Your Career [More Info] Michael J. Sullivan, Author | Panel: From Essay to Book Deal [More Info] Susan Shapiro, Journalist/Author/Professor, The New School, New York University Maria Andreu, Writer/Speaker Daniel Jones, Editor, Modern Love Kenan Trebincevic, Author, The Bosnia List Kathleen Nishimoto, Literary Agent, William Morris Endeavor Kimberly Perel, Literary Agent, Wendy Sherman Associates | Take Off Your Pants and Write! The Benefits and Pitfalls of Pantsing vs. Plotting a Novel [More Info] Jeffrey Somers, Author |
| 3:40 pm - 4:30 pm | Panel: Getting Real about Self-Publishing [More Info] Jeremy Robinson, Author, Secondworld, Pulse, Instinct, Threshold Kane Gilmour, Author Robert Swartwood, Author, The Serial Killer's Wife Judith Gille, Founder and Owner, Mercantile and City People’s Garden Ember Reichgott Junge, Attorney | Panel: Independent Bookstores - Your Secret Weapon [More Info] Emily Pullen, Store Manager/Bookseller, WORD Bookstore Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, Co-Owner/Events Coordinator, Greenlight Bookstore Lena Valencia, Frontlist Buyer, The POWERHOUSE Arena Michele Filgate, Writer/Indie Bookseller/Events Coordinator, Community Bookstore Douglas Singleton, Buyer and Literary Journal Curator, McNally Jackson Books Margot Sage-EL, Owner, Watchung Booksellers, Montclair, NJ Dan Cullen, Senior Strategy Officer, American Booksellers Association | Ask the Editors: Nonfiction [More Info] Cara Bedick, Senior Editor, Harlequin Nonfiction Meg Leder, Executive Editor, Perigee Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Michelle Howry, Senior Editor, Touchstone books Leah Miller, Editor, Crown Archetype | Setting and Description: Where Are We and How Much is Too Much? [More Info] Reed Farrel Coleman, Author |
| 4:40 pm - 5:30 pm | Central Keynote: The Rules of Writing and When To Break Them with Harlan Coben [More Info] Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling Author, SIX YEARS, STAY CLOSE, LIVE WIRE, CAUGHT, LONG LOST and HOLD TIGHT | |||
| 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm | Cocktail Reception and Exhibits - Sponsored by Lulu | |||
| Sunday, August 3rd, 2014 | ||||
| 9:00 am - 9:50 am | Writing as a Business (and the Business of Writing) [More Info] Dan Hampton, New York Times Bestselling Author, Viper Pilot, Lords of the Sky, and The Mercenary | Blog Your Way to a Book Deal: Build Visibility, Boost Authority and Become an Author Post by Post [More Info] Nina Amir, Inspiration-to-Creation Coach/ Author/Coach/Editor/Speaker, CopyWright Communications | YOU SHOULD REALLY WRITE A BOOK: How To Write, Sell, and Market Your Memoir [More Info] Regina Brooks, Lead Agent/President, Serendipity Literary Agency | 7 Steps to Stronger Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels [More Info] Gabriela Pereira, Creative Director and Instigator, DIY MFA |
| 10:00 am - 10:50 am | The New Model of Publishing: Combining Traditional & Partnership Publishing for Success [More Info] Kristen Harnisch, Author, The Vintner's Daughter | Getting into the Act: Turn Your Readers into Your Marketers [More Info] Gina Panettieri, Literary Agent, Talcott Notch Literary | Thrillers, Killers, and Fanboys: How to Succeed as a Writer by Knowing What Not to Do [More Info] Barry Lyga, New York Times Bestselling Author, I Hunt Killers, Boy Toy, Hero-Type, Blood of my Blood | Once More with Feeling: How to Ensure that Your Books Become Reader Favorites [More Info] Cheryl St. John, Author/Instructor, WRITING WITH EMOTION, TENSION & CONFLICT |
| 10:50 am - 11:10 am | Exhibit Break | |||
| 11:10 am - 12:00 pm | Darling, You’re Making a Scene: How to Build Your Fiction the Right Way from Page One Onward [More Info] Aine Greaney, Writer and Essayist | Panel: Hello, Is This Thing On? How to Raise Your Voice, Get Heard, and Get Noticed [More Info] Clint Arthur, World’s Leading Expert on Creating Celebrity for Authors, ClintArthur.com Barry Lyga, New York Times Bestselling Author, I Hunt Killers, Boy Toy, Hero-Type, Blood of my Blood Shari Stauch, Founder, www.WhereWritersWin.com Nina Amir, Inspiration-to-Creation Coach/ Author/Coach/Editor/Speaker, CopyWright Communications Carl Pritzkat, Vice President of Business Development, PWxyz (PublishersWeekly and BookLIfe) Robin Cutler, Senior Independent Publisher Manager - IngramSpark , Ingram Content Group Inc. | Dirty Little Secrets: Learn How the Publishing Industry Really Works in Order to Become a More Successful Author [More Info] Phil Sexton, Publisher, Writer's Digest | The Art of Distraction: Using Red Herrings to Create Suspense [More Info] Jane K. Cleland, Author |
| 12:10 pm - 1:00 pm | Closing Keynote: The Writers Journey: A Personal Story of Persistence, Publishing, and a Love of the Craft [More Info] Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling Author, The Prodigal Son, A House Divided, The Perfect Marriage | |||
