Thank you for registering!
This is the page where you will be able to access all conference sessions – please do not share it with anyone who has not registered for the conference.
Clink on the link to participate in live sessions, or view recorded sessions.
Please note: all times are Eastern; end times are approximate. Most conference sessions will be recorded.
All sessions can be viewed at the times indicated below, or at anytime through December 17, 2021.
All times and sessions are subject to change
Sign ups for virtual meetings is now closed.
If you would like to sign up for an Open mic reading (Thursday Sept 16 from 3:45 – 4:45 PM Eastern) you may do so here.
If you would like to submit a pitch to one of our industry speakers, please email it to brian@publishingincolor.com no later than November 17, 2021 and let me know to whom I should forward it.
Don’t forget to check out the Writing for Your Life Bookstore! There you can learn about many recommended books on writing, marketing, and getting published.
Monday September 13
- 9:00 – 9:30 Eastern: Worship service with Michelle Reyes
- 9:30 – 10:15 Eastern: Cheryl Price (Judson Press) presentation “About Judson Press” – learn more about Cheryl here
- You can view Cheryl’s slides here
- 10:15 – 11:00 Eastern: Cheryl Price (Judson Press) Q&A
- 11:15 – 12:00 Eastern: Keely Boeving (literary agent) presentation “What is an Agent and How Do I Get One?” – learn more about Keely here
- 12:00 – 12:45 Eastern: Keely Boeving (literary agent) Q&A
- 1:00 – 1:45 Eastern: Networking Lunch Break – an unmoderated, informal time for you to chat with other conference attendees
- 2:00 – 2:45 Eastern: Valerie Weaver-Zercher (Broadleaf Books) presentation “Writing as a Christian for the Spiritual but Not Religious Reader” – learn more about Valerie here
- Can Christian writers communicate effectively to non-Christian audiences? If so, how? Using examples from a variety of published books, we will look at various approaches Christian writers can take to writing for readers of other faiths or no faith at all.
- 2:45 – 3:30 Eastern: Valerie Weaver-Zercher (Broadleaf Books) Q&A
- 3:45 – 4:30 Eastern: Jenny Baumgartner and Karen Jackson (HarperCollins) presentation – learn more about Jenny here and Karen here
- Here are the slides from Jenny and Karen
- 4:30 – 5:15 Eastern: Jenny Baumgartner and Karen Jackson (HarperCollins) Q&A
Tuesday September 14
- 9:00 – 9:30 Eastern: Q&A with Justin Phillips about opportunities with The Other Journal: An Intersection of Theology and Culture
- Here is the call for submission for Organizing
- 9:30 – 10:15 Eastern: Pete Ford (Credo Communications) presentation: “How to Get Published: Book Basics for Beginners” – learn more about Pete here
- Brand new to the publishing process? Join Literary Agent Pete Ford for a brief overview of the three primary publishing paths, with a focus on the basic steps to publishing with a traditional publisher, including the role of a literary agent and how to find one. (Target Audience: Aspiring authors with no publishing experience)
- 10:15 – 11:00 Eastern: Pete Ford (Credo Communications) Q&A
- 11:15 – 12:00 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) presentation “Pray Hear Write: A Spiritual Practice for Writing What God Says“- learn more about Jevon here
- You know what God has spoken. But where do you start? What should you write? Who will read it? And how do you get it to them? This Pray Hear Write course is designed to help you learn how to tune into God for His specific plans concerning your call to write, develop a writing plan and practice, and be positioned to connect with a receptive audience. In her more than seventeen years editing and writing best-selling books, Jevon Bolden has found no substitute for getting the right words to the right people than first going to God. This course will help you:
- Overcome writer’s block and feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt
- Cultivate heightened spiritual awareness about what to write, whom to write to, and when to write it
- Develop a strategy for starting, completing, and publishing your work
- Flesh out God ideas and track divine connections
- Take action toward your dreams and stay encouraged throughout the journey
- You are God’s scribe. You have been called to write words that bring life and light to those who read them. Now set yourself to seek Him for all you need to get it written and published. Your most life-arresting book may be just a prayer away.
- You know what God has spoken. But where do you start? What should you write? Who will read it? And how do you get it to them? This Pray Hear Write course is designed to help you learn how to tune into God for His specific plans concerning your call to write, develop a writing plan and practice, and be positioned to connect with a receptive audience. In her more than seventeen years editing and writing best-selling books, Jevon Bolden has found no substitute for getting the right words to the right people than first going to God. This course will help you:
- 12:00 – 12:45 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) Q&A
- 12:45 – 2:00 Eastern: Break
- 2:00 – 2:45 Eastern: Sharon Elliott (Literary agent) presentation “Getting Started as a Professional Freelancer” – learn more about Sharon here
- After the time you spend in this seminar, you will have all the tools you need to begin your professional writing career. Learn about the supplies you’ll need, the paperwork that will make you look like a pro, record-keeping, and much, much more. The time you spend here will increase the time you’ll have to write.
- You can view Sharon’s handout here
- 2:45 – 3:30 Eastern: Sharon Elliott (Literary agent) Q&A
- 3:45 – 4:30 Eastern: Susan Salley (Abingdon Press) presentation “Focusing Your Writing and Brand” – learn more about Susan here
- Susan Salley, Associate Publisher at Abingdon Press, leads you through a publisher’s view of effective ways authors can develop and communicate their intended audience, message, and personal brand in order to create clearer and more appealing book proposals.
- 4:30 – 5:15 Eastern: Susan Salley (Abingdon Press) Q&A
- 8:00 – 9:00 Eastern: Second Tuesdays Writer Discussion Group with Sharon Elliott
Wednesday September 15
- 10:30 – 11:00 Eastern: “How to Heal Our Divides” – book introduction
- If we didn’t recognize it already, 2020 put a spotlight on several serious, deep divides that have had strong negative impacts on our society. Many good books have been written describing these divides and how they came about, or encouraging us to look deeply inside ourselves to discover our own flaws. But there is a lack of illumination on role model organizations demonstrating what to do about it. “How to Heal Our Divides” is a book that lifts up and builds awareness of organizations that are taking real action to heal serious divides – particularly racial and political divides. The book is not an attempt at glossing them over or “making happy” but instead highlights tangible efforts that are actually decreasing divides in practical ways. Learn more about the project here.
- 11:15 – 12:00 Eastern: Barb Roose (literary agent) presentation “Platform 101” – learn more about Barb here
- Platform isn’t everything in landing a publishing contract, but it is an important part of the picture. In this workshop, Barb will explain the three types of platform-building approaches. She will also provide step-by-step instructions, encouragement and lots of resources that will equip you to launch from zero platform and move with intention toward your publishing goals.
- 12:00 – 12:45 Eastern: Barb Roose (literary agent) Q&A
- 1:00 – 1:45 Eastern: What Do You Need As A Writer? – this informal conversation is an opportunity for you to share and discuss the most important kinds of support you need as a writer
- 2:00 – 3:30 Eastern: Brad Lyons (Chalice Press) presentation “Four questions to ask as you create your book” and Q&A – learn more about Brad here
- 3:45 – 4:15 Eastern: Book reading and Q&A: Tonya May Avent – learn more about Tonya here
- 4:30 – 5:00 Eastern: Book reading and Q&A: Lisa Robinson – learn more about Lisa here
- 5:15 – 5:45 Eastern: Quantrilla Ard (literary agent) Q&A – learn more about Quantrilla here
- 7:15 – 8:00 Eastern: JoLanda Rogers (T.A.L.K. Publishing) presentation “One Book: Multiple Streams of Revenue“- learn more about JoLanda here
- Both independent and traditionally published authors often write books that are “more” than just books. Learn what your literary art has the power to become and how one book can create multiple revenue streams.
- 8:00 – 8:45 Eastern: JoLanda Rogers (T.A.L.K. Publishing) Q&A
Thursday September 16
- 9:00 – 9:30 Eastern: an interview and Q&A with Sophfronia Scott, Director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Alma College
- 9:30 – 10:15 Eastern: Taneki Dacres (Vine Publishing) presentation “Birthing Pains of an Aspiring Author – Moving beyond Procrastination, Fear, and Confusion to finally birth your book” – learn more about Taneki here
- How long have you been in the process of writing your book? One year? Three years? Five years? Perhaps even longer? Well, it’s time to finally birth that book. In this session, Publisher and Literary Midwife, Taneki Dacres will discuss the three major pains that keep us from achieving our goal of becoming a published author.
- The handout from Taneki is here
- 10:15 – 11:00 Eastern: Taneki Dacres (Vine Publishing) Q&A
- 11:15 – 12:00 Eastern: Maila Kim (Intervarsity Press) presentation “Marketing 101: An Inside Look Into Book Marketing” – learn more about Maila here
- You wrote the book, now how do you get readers to learn about it? Get an inside look behind the book marketing process. We’ll cover an overall timeline of when you should start thinking about promoting your book and will offer practical steps you can take today to set your book up for marketing success.
- 12:00 – 12:45 Eastern: Maila Kim (Intervarsity Press) Q&A
- 12:45 – 3:45 Eastern: Break
- 3:45 – 4:45 Eastern: Open mic
- 5:00 – 6:00 Eastern: Celeste McCauley (Guideposts) presentation “The Power of the First-Person Inspirational Story: How to Write and Submit stories to Guideposts Magazine and Books” and Q&A – learn more about Celeste here
- Here is Celeste’s handout with the Guideposts submission guidelines. When you submit anything, please mention Publishing in Color and Celeste McCauley. And folks can email Celeste directly at cmccauley@guideposts.org with any questions.
Friday September 17
- 9:00 – 9:30 Eastern: Q&A with author Jeaninne Stokes – learn more about Jeaninne here
- 9:30 – 10:15 Eastern: Porscha Burke (Penguin Random House) presentation on gift products – learn more about Porscha here
- 10:15 – 11:00 Eastern: Porscha Burke (Penguin Random House) Q&A
- 11:15 – 12:00 Eastern: Elizabeth Jackson (Tyndale House fiction) presentation “On Writing Your First Novel: Answers to questions you may have as a debut novelist” – learn more about Elizabeth here
- Whether you’ve just started writing your debut novel or are thinking about it, you might be asking: Is there a particular length my novel should be? Should my book have a prologue? What do editors look for when they are considering a proposal? Should I start working on a website to promote my book now? In this webinar, hear from a fiction acquisitions editor about questions you may have as a first-time novelist and learn about some features of a manuscript that can catch the eye of an editor as they review a proposal from an unpublished author.
- 12:00 – 12:45 Eastern: Elizabeth Jackson (Tyndale House fiction) Q&A
- 1:00 – 1:45 Eastern: Networking Lunch Break – an unmoderated, informal time for you to chat with other conference attendees
- 2:00 – 2:45 Eastern: Joyce Dinkins (Our Daily Bread Ministries) presentation “Writing for Our Daily Bread Ministries” – learn more about Joyce here
- Joyce will share about the writing opportunities with Our Daily Bread VOICES.
- 2:45 – 3:30 Eastern: Joyce Dinkins (Our Daily Bread Ministries) Q&A
- 3:45 – 4:45 Eastern: Elevator pitch practice session
All times and sessions are subject to change