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Annual Conference September 8-11, 2022 Saint Louis, Missouri

To order individual workshops, click HERE. You can purchase ALL the workshops below, and will have immediate access to the MP3 files after your order is completed.

Agent Panels

• Agent Panel 1: Rachelle Gardner, Julie Gwinn, Ali Herring
• Agent Panel 2: Kristy Cambron, Linda Glaz, Steve Laube, Barb Roose

Continuing Education

• CE 01: Writing Historical Fiction that Appeals to the Modern Reader presented by Jody Hedlund - o Discover the kind of historical reading experience the modern reader is looking for. Learn tricks for brainstorming ideas in order to have way more than you can use. Simplify the research process to allow extra time for the actual writing. Craft the story with easy-to-use techniques. Create toe-curling romantic tension that is still appropriate in a historical context. Increase production and output while maintaining quality content.
• CE 02: How to Write Real Romances presented by Beth Vogt - In this interactive workshop, award-winning author Beth K. Vogt delves into four key storytelling elements to help you write REAL romances. We’ll discuss both your main and subplot characters, as well as weaving in emotion and your spiritual thread.
• CE 03: Writing in the Romantic Suspense/Thriller Suspense/Mystery Genres presented by Lynette Eason - Have you always wanted to write a story that kept your readers so engrossed they were willing to give up sleep to find out what happened? Then come join me as I share the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the past fifteen years so you can do the same.

Early Bird Session

• Early Bird Session with James Scott Bell - James Scott Bell guides you through deepening and widening your book so it turns browsers into readers and readers into fans.

Keynote Address

• Keynote Address 1 with Liz Curtis Higgs
• Keynote Address 2 with Liz Curtis Higgs

Post Conference Session

• Post Conference Session with Allen Arnold - To be a successful author, we’ve come to believe time is short and we’re behind. So we search for the magic formula for success as we burn the candle at both ends—from comparing daily word counts to being on social media 24/7. But it isn’t sustainable. We burn bright…only to burn out. We don’t need you exhausted. We need you present, rested, and creative. That’s how stories with an eternal spark are born. Publishing veteran, writing coach, and creativity author Allen Arnold reveals a better way to approach the stories you’re writing and the Story you’re living.

Publisher Spotlights

• Spotlight on Bethany House Publishers
• Spotlight on Guideposts Publishing
• Spotlight on HarperCollins Christian Publishing
• Spotlight on Sunrise Publishing
• Spotlight on Tyndale House Publishers

Workshops

• WS 01: First Round Fiction Edits Using Story Structure presented by Janyre Tromp - Structure is key to a successful novel. In this workshop twenty-year veteran editor and novelist Janyre Tromp discusses how to use structure to edit your manuscript like a developmental editor.
• WS 02: Unleash Your Writing Superpowers presented by Tosca Lee - Join Tosca Lee for a pens-out workshop designed to help you discover and leverage your writing strengths in order to craft your best writing ever
• WS 03: Landmines in Your Book Contract presented by Steve Laube - A deep dive into actual clauses found in book contracts that are not author-friendly and why.
• WS 04: Writing to Connect with Reader's Emotions presented by Carrie Turansky - Writers are told to show not tell, but how do you show characters’ emotions without naming them? Bring your work in progress to this hands-on workshop where you will learn how to convey emotions and raise the impact of your story. Discover how to give your readers a powerful emotional experience as they read your novel.
• WS 05: De-Perplexing Proposals presented by Cynthia Ruchti - If the words proposal or synopsis are stress-producers for you, fret no more. In this Practical with a capital P workshop, you'll discover how to create, reconstruct, or polish your proposal and take the perplexing out of the picture.
• WS 06: Be the 10% presented by Hallee Bridgeman - Agents and editors say that 80%-90% of the submissions they receive aren’t even able to be edited to the point of publication. If you consider that the “best” an author has to submit is what is sent to agents and editors, and that each author believes his or her work is worthy of publication and that a contract is going to result from that submission, then it’s fair to assume that 80%-90% of all self-published books probably weren’t ready for publication. Hallee teaches authors to “Be the 10%”.
• WS 07: Subtext How to Say a lot Without Saying Much at All presented by Betsy St. Amant Haddox - Author Betsy St. Amant invites writers to join her "between the lines" as they learn what subtext is, when to use it, and what effect it has on characters--as well as on readers.
• WS 08: How to Make Money in Publishing presented by Susan May Warren - Join USA best-selling, RITA award-winning author Susan May Warren as she teaches you how to make money in publishing. We’ll talk innovative strategies to create income streams and books that find and woo new readers and ultimately charm them into buying every book you publish. Topics include planning, marketing, execution and mindset on growing your business as an author. For published, hard-working authors who want to build a business and eventually buy a second home in Florida.
• WS 09: Biblical Fiction presented by Angela Hunt - Angela Hunt, author of nineteen historical novels about biblical characters, will discuss how to research and write what is commonly known as “biblical fiction.” She will stress the importance of remaining true to Scripture and the historical record, while writing a story that surprises readers while remaining plausible, if not probable.
• WS 10: Are You Ready for Hybrid presented by Rachel Hauck - Inexperienced hybrid author, Rachel Hauck, and a New York Times bestseller, got schooled in the world of indie publishing the last 2 years. In this workshop she'll share her experience and vast wisdom of this ever-changing publishing world. Whether you're traditionally published or straight indie, yet with an eye for the grass on the other side of the fence, this session is for you.
• WS 11: Characters We Love to Love presented by Pepper Basham and Cara Putman - Learning how to develop excellent characters by studying some of the best literary/movie characters is a great tool for writing growth. Authors Cara Putman and Pepper Basham join forces to dissect historical and contemporary beloved (and not so beloved) characters to discuss why they have become memorable and how we, as authors, can learn from them.
• WS 12: Making the Sale presented by Janice Thompson - The book is written and edited. You’ve decided a traditional publishing route is the one for you. But you’re a little fuzzy on what that process looks like. This session will give you all of the tools you need to navigate the process of pitching and selling your book to a traditional publisher—from query to contract and everything in-between. Learn the “business” of publishing before you ever pitch that book.
• WS 13: From Story to Manuscript to Published presented by Carrie Stuart Parks - This presentation is designed to help aspiring authors to master tools and techniques to help them move from that original concept to a finished novel.
• WS 14: Different Types of Publishing presented by Cynthia Hickey - A class taking you through the pros and cons of each: Traditional vs. Indie and tips on how to succeed in whichever path you choose.
• WS 15: The Changing Landscape of Fiction Publicity presented by Jeane Burgess - Fiction publicity is always changing and evolving, and sometimes it is hard to keep track of everything you can utilize to promote your book. In this workshop. Jeane will discuss the changing landscape of publicity, highlighting both the things you must do, and the things that you may choose to do. You will walk out of this workshop encouraged and energized to move forward in promoting your book, whether that be through your publisher, with a free-lance publicist, or on your own.
• WS 16: Killer or Kisses presented by Pepper Basham and Cara Putman - How to ramp up the tension in your story…one way or the other.
• WS 17: Building Metadata in EBooks presented by Hallee Bridgeman - Ebooks are basically electronic code. Tapping her cyber-security husband’s experience and intellect, Hallee shows how to build metadata in the background of your ebooks to help them become much more discoverable among the millions of other ebooks out there.
• WS 18: Overcoming Fear and Protectionism - The Art of Audacity presented by Tosca Lee - Fear. Every writer contends with it on a regular basis. It shows up as perfectionism, watered-down writing, and sometimes creative paralysis. Join Tosca Lee for a pens-out workshop designed to banish fear to the fringes as you move forward with your most authentic and best bold storytelling.
• WS 19: Deep, Deep, Deeper POV presented by Linda Glaz - Is it trendy, unnecessary, or it the industry onto something?
• WS 20: Pros, Cons, and Tips for Writing a Series vs Stand-Alone Novels presented by Deborah Raney - Having written mostly stand-alone novels for most of my writing career, recently writing 5-book and 3-book series back to back has made me explore the pros and cons of writing a series vs. writing stand-alone novels. Both have their place and both have advantages and disadvantages. This class will take a look at all the angles, plus offer tips for writing each.
• WS 21: I'm Published. Now What? presented by Pepper Basham and Cara Putman - Join authors Cara Putman and Pepper Basham, as they discuss what to expect after the “birth” of your book by relating personal stories, heart-struggles and disappointments, as well as varied publishing formats they’ve used to navigate the publishing road post contract.
• WS 22: Maintain a Killer Platform presented by Janice Thompson - This fast-paced session from multi-published author Janice Thompson will give you all of the tips and tricks you will need to both develop and maintain a killer platform. Connect with your readers. . .and stay connected!
• WS 23: 8 Pillars of Resilience presented by Joseph Courtemanche - This course will present authors with eight pillars of resilience that can be the downfall or strength of characters, including the author. Based on scientific research conducted for the HEROES program, and currently presented in the highly acclaimed NAVIGATING ADVERSITY course, it's a snapshot of things you can do to make life better/difficult for your writing.
• WS 24: Hook Your Readers With a Complex Plot presented by Lisa Phillips - Learn how to spark the interest of agents and editors by mining story ideas for complication and conflict gold, how to utilize your unique voice in story creation, and ultimately keep readers up all night to finish the story.

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