Loading…
Type: Business clear filter
Saturday, October 3
 

8:30am CDT

Get Out of the Way: Writing First Person That Pulls Readers In
Saturday October 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
Room 2
First-person POV can create an extraordinary bond between character and reader, but writing "I" doesn't automatically create intimacy. In fact, common first-person habits can unintentionally push readers away. In this practical, craft-focused workshop, literary agent Kelly Dyksterhouse explores narrative distance and the techniques that make first-person narration feel immediate, authentic, and emotionally compelling. Through examples from popular novels, writers will learn how to recognize distancing language, avoid common POV traps, handle description and interiority more naturally, and develop a character voice readers will happily follow.
Speakers
avatar for Kelly Dyksterhouse

Kelly Dyksterhouse

Kelly Dyksterhouse is a literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency.

She represents picture books, middle grade and young adult, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as graphic novels. She also represents illustrators.

For middle grade, she loves books with ensemble casts, books about good kids making bad decisions and then having to get themselves out of it, quests and hijinks, spooky stories and mysteries, and historical novels that feel relevant. For YA, Kelly is looking for much of... Read More →
Saturday October 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
Room 2
  Business

8:30am CDT

Growing Up: Moving from Writing YA to Adult Fantasy
Saturday October 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
Room 3
While YA books chronicle the trials and tribulations of adolescence, writing for adult readers has trials of its own, from exploring a different stage of life, to what content is allowed and expected and, especially for fantasy, making the magic feel 'grown up'. This class will cover a range of topics for those looking to make the switch, or write their first-ever adult fantasy. (Note, while my primary expertise in this regard centers around fantasy, I can and will include topics that cover the differences between the YA and adult genres overall, regardless of genre.)
Speakers
avatar for Sean Fletcher

Sean Fletcher

Sean Fletcher is the award-winning, bestselling author of a number of fantasy series, such as the Savage Wilds, My Dearest Monster, Legacy of Dragons, Heir of Dragons, and more, in addition to forthcoming books whose characters will not give him a moment's peace until they get their turn in the spotlight. When not making up highly-enjoyable lies and putting them down on paper, he's often doing something most people find masochistic, like cyclin... Read More →
Saturday October 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
Room 3
  Business

9:30am CDT

Creating An Online Presence As An Author
Saturday October 3, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am CDT
Room 5
One of the most daunting things for authors in today's world of publishing is how to create an online presence. Whether you're still drafting, already agented, on submission, have a book deal, or are already published, there will be tips, tricks, and suggestions to help you through the process.
Speakers
avatar for Nikki Carrero

Nikki Carrero

Nikki is a literary agent with The Rights Factory and has a background in education and in publishing.

Her love for the written word began when her grandmother brought her to the bookstore as a kid to pick out new books. She's currently looking for adult or young adult fiction in the following genres: mystery, thriller, romance, romantic suspense, magical realism, women’s... Read More →
Saturday October 3, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am CDT
Room 5
  Business

10:30am CDT

Reels, SEO & Carousels, Oh My! Intermediate Social Media Tips
Saturday October 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Room 3
In this class, two social media professionals will teach you not what and when to post, but tips and tools to build your author presence online without wasting all of your time.
Speakers
avatar for Lauren Lanza Osias
avatar for Karoline Chapman
Saturday October 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Room 3
  Business

11:30am CDT

How To Hook An Agent – From The Query Letter Through The Opening Pages
Saturday October 3, 2026 11:30am - 12:20pm CDT
Room 2
From the query letter through the opening pages: An agent must sift through hundreds, even thousands of queries. Learn what makes an effective query letter and how to write a compelling opening for your sample pages. We will discuss how to write a grabby opening while avoiding the dreaded white room and its evil twin, the cliffhanger opening.
Speakers
avatar for Michael Carr

Michael Carr

Michael Carr is a literary agent with the Veritas Literary Agency.

With a strong background in editing and writing, Michael enjoys teaching at workshops and conferences to help develop emerging writers. He is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational French. Before joining Veritas, Michael had professions as diverse as programming simulators... Read More →
Saturday October 3, 2026 11:30am - 12:20pm CDT
Room 2
  Business

2:10pm CDT

The Art Of The Elevator Pitch (Editor's Edition)
Saturday October 3, 2026 2:10pm - 3:00pm CDT
Room 6
An editor-led workshop and deep dive into how editors pitch their books in-house — from editorial board meetings to formal sales presentations — feat. a group activity at the end of the session, "Pitch Wars," in which attendees will split into teams and role play as editors pitching a book internally.

Workshop goals: Offers insight into the kinds of questions editors ask themselves before pitching a book to an editorial board meeting or sales launch, and how this informs our acquisitions process. Authors will walk away from workshop with newfound tips/tricks on how to make your pitch stick and stand out on the publisher's side.
Speakers
avatar for Nicole Luongo

Nicole Luongo

Nicole Luongo is an Associate Editor at Grand Central Publishing (GCP), part of Hachette Book Group. At GCP, Nicole acquires a wide range of edgy, voice-driven upmarket fiction, with a particular emphasis on amplifying marginalized voices.

Her editorial interests include upmarket speculative fiction (especially with a feminist bent); genre-subverting psychological thrillers (think cunning female perpetrators and unreliable narrators); select coming-of-age stories; and satire or dark comedy (she’s a sucker... Read More →
Saturday October 3, 2026 2:10pm - 3:00pm CDT
Room 6
  Business

3:10pm CDT

The Untraditional Choice: Indie Press or Self-Pub?
Saturday October 3, 2026 3:10pm - 4:00pm CDT
Room 2
Lone wolf? Independent spirit? You're not alone! More and more authors begin their publishing careers with something non-traditional. Come learn the whys and why nots of going the indie press or self-published route to publication.
Speakers
avatar for Matthew Rollins
avatar for Shawn Warner
Saturday October 3, 2026 3:10pm - 4:00pm CDT
Room 2
  Business

4:10pm CDT

✅ Long Story Short: Tips On Writing The Synopsis
Saturday October 3, 2026 4:10pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 5
If you’ve struggled to explain your many thousand word book in a few hundred words, you’re not alone! This workshop will cover tried and true tricks on getting the most important story beats into your synopsis.  

Is this your first writers conference? Classes with a ✅ in the title like this one are especially good for newcomers.

Speakers
avatar for Eva Scalzo

Eva Scalzo

Eva Scalzo is the Agency Director and Senior Literary Agent at Speilburg Literary. A lifelong romance reader—ever since discovering Sweet Valley High in the fifth grade—she proudly inherited her grandmother’s collection of vintage Harlequins and never looked back.

She gravitates toward voice-driven YA and romance with heart, humor, and hope—stories where falling in love leads to self-discovery. She loves high-concept premises, lush and escapist settings, sharp banter, and joyful tones that embrace emotional depth. Eva actively... Read More →
Saturday October 3, 2026 4:10pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 5
  Business
 
Sunday, October 4
 

9:00am CDT

Publishing 101
Sunday October 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 5
How publishing works: basic jobs, P&Ls, advances, contracts, royalties, marketing, and publicity.
Speakers
avatar for Kevin O'Connor

Kevin O'Connor

Kevin O’Connor has always worked at the intersection of business and creative. As an agent, Kevin takes on children's projects (Ziggy Marley's Pajammin') and serious adult nonfiction, Who We Are by Jeffery Robinson, with a forward by Tom Hanks.

Kevin is the founding director of The Center for Nonfiction, a Columbia University Community Scholars Project dedicated to helping journalists and scholars understand the formal needs of trade publishers. He is an adjunct professor at NYU and currently working on a maste... Read More →
Sunday October 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 5
  Business

10:00am CDT

The Art of the BookBub Deal
Sunday October 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 1
You have only 24 hours to make your Bookbub Deal a success; will you seize the day or let it go to waste? Learn the do's and don'ts of those hard-to-get spots on the Bookbub newsletter from horror author Russell C Connor, who jumpstarted his publishing career with one.
Speakers
avatar for Russell C Connor

Russell C Connor

Russell C. Connor has been writing horror since the age of five. His short fiction has appeared in such publications as Black Petals Magazine, Alien Skin, Burial Day, Sanitarium, Beware the Dark, and the Stupefying Stories Showcase, as well as the anthologies Roadkill: Tex... Read More →
Sunday October 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 1
  Business

11:00am CDT

Welcome to the Indie Author Trenches
Sunday October 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 1
The independent publishing basics, practical tips, and tricks to help you get your book out into the world.
Speakers
avatar for ChristaCarol Jones
Sunday October 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 1
  Business

2:40pm CDT

How to Self-Publish with Amazon: From Start to Finish
Sunday October 4, 2026 2:40pm - 3:30pm CDT
Room 2
Take the guesswork out of Amazon’s KDP publishing platform with this "start-to-finish" technical walkthrough. We’ll cover everything from interior formatting, cover design, ISBNs category selection, and the final upload process. Perfect for the author ready to take full control of their publishing career and see their book live on the world's largest retailer.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Kimberlee Mendoza
Sunday October 4, 2026 2:40pm - 3:30pm CDT
Room 2
  Business
 

Get help with the event

Contact event planner Event login
View support guides Find upcoming events
Create an event you'd love to attend!
Explore why organizers choose Sched • Success stories
Event App • Event scheduling • Event registration • Event ticketing • Sched forms • Call for papers • Badges • Conferences
© 2026. SCHED LLC - All rights reserved - Helping events since 2008
Meeting Planning Software • Privacy • Terms
Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link

Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.
Friday, October 2
Saturday, October 3
Sunday, October 4
Ballroom
Bookstore
Hilton Garden Inn Atrium
Hurst Conference Center
Room 1
Room 2
Room 3
Room 4
Room 5
Room 6
Room E-F
TBA
  • Book Signing
  • Business
  • Craft
  • Event
  • Panel
  • Read & Critique
  • Skill Level
  • ✅ New Attendees
  • Popular