2025 Workshops

Workshops are being added for this year’s conference and are subject to change. Check back often!

KEYNOTE:
Cindy K. Sproles

One-hour morning General Sessions
How to Kill Your Career Before It Starts with Karin Beery
Forget writing skills and platform—the quickest way to kill your career is to compare yourself to others. With millions of books released each year, it’s easy to do, but it’s not helping you reach your publishing goals. In this class, we’ll take a look at some of the deadliest comparisons and learn how to use them as encouragement instead of condemnation.

Answering the Call—Bringing Pen to Purpose with Michele Chynoweth
Like many writers, Michele Chynoweth has had the dream of becoming an author imprinted on her heart since she was ten years old. Unlike many, life overwhelmed her to the point where that dream got buried underneath a lot of wrongdoing and wreckage. But many years ago, the dream started to tug at her heart again and she wrote her first novel. Still, she fought God’s will for her, selfishly wanting to become rich and famous—and she had to fall and fail a lot of times to become a humble servant. God broke through her stubborn heart and today she is finally in tune with His calling—His will, His purpose, His plan and even His timing—to use her talents to build His Kingdom. She’ll share her journey to becoming a grateful, accepting, loving and yes, successful Christian author, speaker, and book coach now helping others write their own books to glorify God as well.  

OTHER WORKSHOPS
The Writing Tool that Will Refine Your Skill—Devotions with Cindy K. Sproles
The misnomer is devotions are simple to write because they are short. But the truth is, learning to write a devotion properly is the greatest writing tool you can add to your toolbox. In this class, we utilize the hook, book, look, and took method of writing devotions. We’ll discuss aspects that stop the reader from reading and offer tips that draw readers in and provide them with the ah-hh moment that strikes the soul. There is no one right or wrong way to write a devotion, but there are specific elements necessary to make an impact. Learn the dos and don’ts of writing tight and concisely.

The Making of a Page-Turner with Cindy K. Sproles
What makes your reader continue to flip the pages? What does it mean when a reader says, “It’s a fast read?” These are questions every writer needs to answer and understand. In this class, we discuss what a cliffhanger is, the types of cliffhangers (every cliffhanger is not a devasting thing), and how to add them at the end of every chapter. Learn about twists, how they pull the reader to the next page, and how they may even surprise you. If you are writing a novel, this class is a must.

Nonfiction and Such with Cindy K. Sproles
In these sessions, Cindy will touch on all the variations of nonfiction, from how to tell a solid nonfiction story to learning what your voice is and how to stay in your “lane.” Nonfiction can turn dry fast, so we’ll discuss ways to draw in your reader, how to interject emotion and even humor, and finally, we’ll talk about things you may not know unless someone tells you. We’ll put to rest unrealistic expectations and add in setting realistic publishing goals.

Dan Balow will present several workshops including Writing to Men, How to Be a Reader’s Favorite Author, Choosing Your Path to Publication, Building Your Author Platform from the Ground Up, and Effective Proposal Preparation.

Speakers Sell More Books! with Michele Chynoweth
An award-winning Toastmaster as well as a best-selling author, Michele Chynoweth learned early on that speakers sell more books – and then took lessons from pros like Jack Canfield (author of Chicken Soup for the Soul) – to start giving workshops and landing speaking gigs at churches, Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, women’s groups, writers conferences, book festivals and more! She’ll teach you the basics about overcoming your fears, vocal variety, writing a good speech, engaging your audience, even incorporating humor – so that you’ll have them hanging onto every word – and then lining up to buy your books!

Book Marketing 101 with Michele Chynoweth
In addition to being an award-winning published author, Michele Chynoweth has worked in the field of marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, including owning her own marketing firm for 20 years. Her marketing expertise has helped her in her own career as an author, landing her numerous book signings, television and radio interviews, newspaper articles, blog guest appearances and speaking engagements! She will take listeners on an informative journey on how to think like a business, brand yourself, create your own website, engage in social media, write a blog, get radio, TV, and newspaper coverage and much more! She’ll show you how to light the match so you can set your world on fire and increase your exposure – and book sales!

Healing through Writing – Journals, Blogs, Books & More with Michele Chynoweth
Learn how writing down your story—whether through poetry, journaling, blogging or even a memoir or novel—can help you heal from your painful past and inspire you to a new purpose for the future! Best-selling author and inspirational speaker Michele Chynoweth will share her journey which led her to follow a call to write her first novel and find her true purpose, and how her writing has led her on unexpected new paths to help others fulfill their destinies as authors. Learn how you too can find your purpose and engage in a writing practice that will free your mind, heart and soul.

Writing Romance with Karin Beery
Many writers think romance novels are the easiest to write, but nothing could be further from the truth! In other genres, anything is possible, but there’s a formula to romance that must be followed. How can you follow it and still create a unique, captivating story? That’s what makes romance writing so challenging! A good romance needs more than just a boy, a girl, and a kiss. By looking at story structure, characterization, endings, and more, you’ll gain the tools you need to write swoon-worthy romance novels that can help you tap in to a billion-dollar industry.

Working with a Freelance Editor with Karin Beery
In-house editors help clean up a manuscript after an author signs a publishing contract, but how do you get that contract? You need a killer manuscript, and a freelance editor can help. Freelance editors work directly with authors at all levels of the writing process, from formulating ideas to finding those last few typos. But what’s it like to work with a freelance editor? And how can you make the most of your editing experience? This class will help you understand what a freelance editor does, how to find a good one, and how to capitalize on the experience to make sure your manuscript shines.

Website Writing for Novelists (because it’s not the same!) with Karin Beery
Every novelist needs a website, but just because you can write an 80,000-word novel doesn’t mean you should write your own website content. Websites are marketing tools, and marketing-writing rules differ from fiction-writing rules—but they can be taught! Learn the basics of good marketing content to help make the most of your website!

Characters First, An Alternative to Outlining with Karin Beery
Somewhere between plotters (those who outline their stories) and pansters (those who sit and type with no plan), there’s a middle ground for people like me—you want to start with an idea and/or structure, but you’ve never successfully followed an outline in your writing life. This class is for you. Instead of plotting out the story, I’ll show you how to jump inside your characters’ heads to create a solid foundation you can build your novel on. This class is perfect for writers of character-driven fiction (romance, women’s fiction, young adult), but will also help plot-driven novelists strengthen their characters for a deeper reader/character connection.

Self-Publishing – What Is It? Who Should Do It? How Is it Done? with Thomas Murosky (3-day track)
Day One – What is Self Publishing, and Who Should and Should Not Self Publish
“Self-publishing” has meant different things at different points in the publishing industry. We will talk about the changing definitions and determine the best way you can publish your book. Are you cut out for self publishing or should you go the traditional route?

Day Two – Files and Submission Guidelines for Print and eBooks
This workshop covers the various file formats and submission guidelines required to publish your book. We will consider printed books and ebooks and talk about what you need to publish your book or to work with your publisher. We will understand the files you need and what assets you need to collect to publish your book in the event you are hiring out file creation. You will need to consider book covers, ebook files, and interior design files.

Day Three – Distribution Networks, ISBNs, and Selling Your Book
Self-publishing means that you are the one controlling your book from start to finish. We need to understand the various submission requirements (file types, file submission guidelines) for each network, and gather the materials we need to submit our book. We then need to know how we can promote our book, so we will look at the various stores that automatically list our books when they go into the various distribution networks.