BREAKOUT

SESSION 1

Fiona Kenshole:  How to make your book unputdownable!

Have you ever lost yourself in a book? Together we will look at Emotional Engagement - the secret sauce of writing, and how to craft a story that the reader won't want to put down. We will focus on the first ten pages of your work - how to set up the stakes and gain the reader's trust. How to craft a main character we are invested in. And we'll talk about much plot and backstory is too much? We'll workshop essential skills so that agent or editor will be craving more! Bring your first pages to workshop!

Jen Newens: State of the Children's book Industry: What the Top Editors are looking for Now

A look at what the top editors are looking for in the children's book market.

Craig Martelle: Three Pillars of Marketing

Put your book into as many of the right readers' hands as possible by knowing your genre, knowing where your readers are, and then putting your genre-aligned book in front of the them. Marketing consists of advertising, promotions, and brand. If you're smart enough to write a book, you're smart enough to put it into the right reader's hands.

Jena Benton Lasley: Illustration Book Choices That are Game Changers

Illustrators make so many choices when creating illustrations. Framing one image is a lot different than framing an entire book to create flow. We will look at some traditionally published books from the last few years and some of the creative illustration choices that can be made within different book formats.

10:50 - 11:50am

BREAKOUT

SESSION 2

Room 220

Fiona Kenshole: How to wrangle feedback to get the most out of it!

Great feedback is invaluable for improving your work. But can you tell if the direction you are revising is a good one? And what should you do when you've rewritten the opening so often you've lost your sense of direction. In this session, I'll share some handy hints from decades of giving editorial feedback. We'll talk about how to trust your instincts, how to identify signs that the pace is lagging, and how to find the best place to start your novel. And above all, how to keep your novel true to the story in your heart.

Cat Rambo: Writing Connections: The Relationships between Your Characters

 Elizabeth Pratt: The Ever Changing Publishing Industry: What Success Looks Like

So, you want to be an indie author? That’s great. However, there’s a ton of pitfalls that face authors as they step into the indie publishing arena. Before you hit publish, come learn about all the mistakes you need to avoid from an indie author who has gone from struggling to successful.

 Sandra Kleven: Beyond the Manuscript: Building a Literary Home with Cirque Press

Founded in 2017, Cirque Press has published approximately 60 books by writers from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, employing a hybrid model rooted in relationships rather than mass submissions. Founders Sandra Kleven and Michael Burwell, with associate director Cynthia Steele and assistant Brenda Jaeger, offer authors a collaborative process with personal attention at every stage—from editing to design to promotion. In this presentation, Kleven shares the story of Cirque’s growth, the values that guide it, and real-life examples of how publishing can be more than a transaction—it can be a creative home where writers thrive together.  

12:50 - 1:50pm

BREAKOUT 

SESSION 3

Craig Martelle: Get Out of Your Own Way

The objectives of this session are to identify sources of self-sabotage, learn to face your fears, build confidence in your own abilities, and find and nurture support.

Elizabeth Pratt: When You Need a Literary Agent and How to Obtain One

In this breakout session, we’ll discuss how to determine when you should begin querying literary agents, how to find the agents you should be querying, what the querying process looks like, what you should prepare and expect from a conversation with a potential agent, and more!

Lynn Lovegreen- Book Bans and Libraries 

BREAKOUT 

SESSION 4

 Brooke Hartman: Traditionally Publish Your Book... No Agent Required!

Many authors assume that traditional publishing these days can only happen with the assistance of an agent. Not so! While an agent is certainly helpful, many avenues exist that allow you get your work in front of publishers without agent assistance. In this breakout session, traditionally published author Brooke Hartman will walk you through ways to find publishers and editors on your own, as well as submission tips, and other avenues that can support your traditional publishing goals while you’re a pre-agented author. 

Cat Rambo: TBA Q&A

ARW Panel: Build-A-Character: Constructing a Compelling Character in Any Genre

Character development is an essential element in telling a powerful story. Join members of the Alaska Romance Writers as they demonstrate how to draw from iconic archetypes, personality inventories (IMBT, enneagram, Clifton Strengths), and other methods to create unforgettable characters. From Girl Next Door to FBI Special Agent, we’ll give you the tools to bring your unique characters to life. Appropriate for all levels of writing experience.

Jilleen Dolbeare: Paranormal Women's Fiction: The tropes that are expected, and how to make it marketable

Paranormal Women's Fiction, or fantasy fiction for older women, was begun by 13 enterprising women. They fought to make it a searchable category on Amazon, and many make a living off of the genre. It's small, it can reach into the Amazon categories all the way from women's fiction to romantasy. The secret to breaking into this particular genre is knowing the tropes, and what marketing tricks that can raise your PWF to the top of the indie charts. Those things will be the focus of this session. Bring your trope game, and get ready to write your best book ever!