The road to publication involves understanding what your publishing options are. Writers often have a single-minded dream of selling their projects to traditional publishers and becoming bestselling authors. In reality, there are many other options, and it can be overwhelming to understand where your book would find its best fit in the publishing spectrum. To help you sort this out, writer, editor, and publisher Lisa Diane Kastner will discuss the pros and cons of the five main publishing options today: traditional, small Publishers, self, vanity, and hybrid. Gaining a working understanding of the range of publishing options will facilitate reaching your goal of successful publication.

Many aspiring authors start their book journey without a clear budget. It’s only natural. Most people who want to write a book are so caught up in the challenge of writing that they don’t spend much time thinking about the many things they will likely have to spend money on as they move from idea to published book to promotions. Join writer, publishers, and promoter Joel Pitney as he shares some guiding principles that will frame your decisions about where to spend and where to save.

In this empowering and practical workshop, Brooke Warner guides writers through the often confusing landscape of publishing with one clear message: there is no one right way to publish—only the right way for you. Whether you’re considering traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing, this session will help you understand your options and make decisions rooted in your values, your goals, and your sense of worth. Brooke invites writers to challenge the external metrics of success and embrace the idea that publishing is a birthright not a prize to be earned, but a path to be claimed. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of the publishing world, and perhaps more importantly, a deeper belief in your own readiness to take the next step.

In this lively and informative session, Walter Goodwater from Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing division will share a general overview of the best practices of using KDP. If you are ready to turn your manuscript into a published book and share it with readers worldwide, this session is for you. Whether you’re a first-time author or looking to improve your existing titles, learn practical strategies including how to navigate the KDP platform. Discover insidertips to avoid common pitfalls, and actionable steps to get the most out of KDP. Bring your questions!

When Kevin Carver decided to query his debut novel, he leveraged a little-known tactic called "Account-Based Marketing" or ABM. Join Kevin—a career digital marketer and published fiction author—as he rolls up his sleeves and shares tips and tricks he learned from his hyper-personalized path to publishing. He'll go step-by-step through his process, take questions, and cover real life examples that can help YOU land an agent or a publisher.