Breakout Session #4

Book Design for Your Author-Published Book: Key Tools, Processes, and Decisions for Maximum Impact and Appeal with Torrey Sharp

This session for self-publishing authors takes an in-depth look at the essential tools, creative processes, and critical decisions that shape the way books are packaged. Learn how to craft compelling design briefs, choose the right designer, and effectively balance aesthetic appeal with market demands. Don’t miss the chance to transform your understanding of what makes a book cover succeed in capturing the imagination of readers.

Book Fairs 101: Why Attend, What to Expect, and How to Make the Most of Your Visits with Lionel Bender

Book fairs and conferences where publishers and others exhibit their products are great places for you to advance your career. This workshop will give you lots of hints, tips, and advice to maximize your opportunities at these events.

From Picture Books to Panels: a Graphic Novel Workshop for Illustrators with Sharee Miller

Making the leap from picture books to graphic novels? In this session you can learn everything you need to know, from writing a script to crafting a pitch!

From Picture Books to the Big Screen: How 32 pages can become a Billion Dollar Franchise with Eddie Gamarra

From Charlie Brown to Otis the tractor, characters created by authors and illustrators have long been an important part of the film and TV business. This workshop will explore how and why picture books have been the source material for an incredible number of critically-acclaimed and commercially successful movie and TV adaptations over the years. We will discuss how Hollywood execs vet material for adaptation, how franchises are built across these different media, and then brainstorm what storytellers can consider when creating their next book.

How to Strategically Craft Reels to Promote Your Book with Erin Lee

Receive step-by-step guidance on how to craft an engaging reel for your book. In this hands-on workshop, author Erin Lee will provide step-by-step guidance on how to create engaging promotional reels to promote your book and boost sales. Please come with 2 or 3 niche-specific videos ready in your camera roll for practice purposes.

Illustrating Stories Digitally: From Concept to Final Artwork with Juanita Londoño

In this workshop, participants will learn how to develop a final illustration using Procreate and how to use value, color and composition. 

New Nonfiction: Approaching Nonfiction Topics in Exciting and Sellable Ways with Candace Fleming

Nonfiction is getting harder and harder to sell these days. Gone are the birth-to-death biographies, and string-of-fact texts. Instead, editors are looking for nonfiction books that exist no place else -- books that approach a subject creatively, with unusual perspectives and unique structures. This session will provide ideas for reconsidering your research material, thinking out of the box about presentation, and ultimately rising above the rest.

Plot Paradigms for Pansters with Janet Fox

If you struggle with the “muddle in the middle” of your story, or you scramble to discover where your story goes next, you may be an organic writer who rejects the idea of structure – yet you need it. As a (slightly reformed) organic writer /pantser, Janet Fox has developed a way to look at structure that still feels free. This presentation will give the audience solid takeaways that blend organic and planned writing techniques

School’s In: Writing for the Educational Market with Nikki Shannon Smith

Writing for the educational market is a great way to learn, supplement your income, get books into young hands, build an audience, and… have fun doing what you love. But how does it all work? In this session, Nikki Shannon Smith will discuss types of educational publishing, pros and cons, how to break in, and provide a list of resources.