Continuing Sessions
Five hours each of in-depth teaching!
Thursday & Friday: 11:15 – 12:15 and 3:15 – 4:15
Saturday, 11:15 – 12:15
Choose one Continuing Session from the nine below!
CS1 – Going Indie? You CAN Publish Your Book Professionally – Dianne E. Butts
Dianne has written and independently published more than 25 fiction novellas, both historical and contemporary romance, under the pen name F. Tilly Brownne. Click here for full bio.
Session 1: Publishing independently means making a lot of decisions—so let’s get informed. It’s best to create a book proposal or business plan for yourself first. We’ll discuss the two competing worlds of books: Amazon vs. IngramSpark. Why and how it’s best to publish in both, separately and simultaneously.
Session 2: Write the best book; get it written. Ways to self-edit before seeking an editor. Copyright registration. Then, Print books and Ebooks.
Print: Formatting with Atticus, Vellum, Kindle Create.
Ebooks: Kindle Unlimited exclusivity vs. going Wide. Draft2Digital. Kobo. Libraries.
Session 3: Book covers: where to get them at a decent cost for both print books and ebooks. ISBNs and barcodes. Prime real estate: back cover copy. Formats for Amazon and IngramSpark. IngramSpark vs. D2D Print. Barnes & Noble print.
Session 4: What you will need to upload: Blurb/descriptions, keywords, price (vs. cost). Decisions you’ll make while uploading—options, best practices. Additional options: Hardcovers, large prints, audiobooks, translations.
Session 5: Marketing: before and after you publish. Blogs and podcasts. Images for social media. Ads: Amazon, Facebook, Bookbub. Paid newsletters. Hybrid publishers that will do some or all of this for you and wise questions to ask.
CS2 – Craft a Winning Book Proposal in Five Hours (Almost) – Dr. Sharon Norris Elliott
Dr. Sharon is the author of 20 books and founder/CEO of the successful AuthorizeMe® Literary Firm offering book development, personal consulting, coaching, writing masterclasses, and, of course, the literary agency. Click here for full bio.
Dr. Sharon will guide participants through her winning book proposal template. She will explain as participants draft each section. Depending on how much of the manuscript is already written, the “Almost” is there because several of the more involved sections will be fully explained and at least started, but they could need some homework time to complete. This continuing session is for the absolute newbie to the experienced writer preparing to pitch a new project.
CS3 – Content Marketing – Jason William Karpf
Jason is acquisitions editor/marketing manager for Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. and marketing professor at Christian universities.Click here for full bio.
Jason will present a deep dive into content marketing—today’s hot trend in marketing communications. Learn how content marketing strives to inform and entertain in its own right, building connection/community, and leading more people to your books. Jason will guide you through building your own content marketing plan.
You say you’re a writer, not a marketer? Content marketing is happening now, and it’s made for storytellers like you!
CS4 – Build It! Writing Nonfiction Books That Matter – Janet McHenry
Janet is the author of 27 books—including the bestselling PrayerWalk. Click here for full bio.
Novelists and memoirists may write by the seat of their pants, but nonfiction writers carefully structure their books. This continuing session will teach you how to design a Christian living book, devotional, Bible study, gift book, and memoir—from the big picture idea right down to paragraph structure—so that your book(s) will change others’ lives.
CS5 – Speaking Masterclass – Linda Evans Shepherd
Linda is an award-winning author, sought-after speaker, and the founder of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). Click here for full bio.
Are you called to speak but unsure how to begin—or how to strengthen your message? In this multi-session masterclass and practicum, you’ll gain the confidence, clarity, and spiritual grounding to step into your calling with purpose. We’ll explore:
• The Call to Speak – hearing and confirming God’s invitation
• Message Development – finding your topic and the core message God gave you
• Presentation Structure – outlining for clarity and flow
• Storytelling with Impact – using personal stories to connect and inspire
• Serving Your Audience – balancing truth, inspiration, and takeaway
Each participant will create and deliver a 5-minute talk in a warm, encouraging setting. Whether you’re a beginner or growing communicator, this masterclass will equip you to speak with both power and purpose—for the One who called you.
If you have discovered how to be more than one place at a time, please write a how-to book. It will be a bestseller! If not, use the last 4-1/2 months of this year for an intensive learning experience by purchasing access for only $59 to over 100 hours of video replays of all 9 continuing sessions, 9 learning labs, 54 workshops, 7 panels, and 7 keynotes. After the conference, the cost is $89. The video replays can only be purchased by our conferees.
CS6 – Growing Your Craft: How to Increase Your Impact – Tim Riter
Tim is the author of 14 books, a pastor for over 20 years, and a university professor of both composition and communication. Click here for full bio.
Four aspects of craft allow writers to be heard amongst the millions of options to read. In this continuing session, Tim will focus on Changing Minds, or persuading your readers; Knowing the Rules to understand the basics of grammar and conventions; Breaking the Rules to transcend the boundaries; and Audience Orientation and Clarity to sharpen the focus of your writing. You can expect your more skilled and powerful writing will draw in your readers.
CS7 – Called to Clarity: Writing Biblical Truth for a Confused Culture – Rhonda Robinson
Rhonda is an award-winning author, speaker, and managing editor for Focus on the Family’s Parenting and Marriage web content. Known for combining conviction with clarity, she has written hundreds of articles on the social, political, and parenting issues shaping our culture. Rhonda and her husband, Mike, have recently been commissioned as Colson Fellows. Click here for full bio.
Session 1 – Discern the Moment: Seeing the Cultural Lie Beneath the Issue
Before we can answer today’s issues with biblical truth, we must learn to recognize the worldview beneath the conversation. This workshop will help writers identify the cultural lies, human longings, and biblical truths at the heart of the issues they feel called to address.
Session 2 – Anchor the Truth: Building a Biblical Foundation for Your Message
A message rooted in biblical truth needs more than a verse attached to an opinion. This workshop will help writers discern the spiritual battle behind the issue, define the truth at the center of your message, and guide the reader to restoration.
Session 3 – Shape the Message: Writing with Courage, Clarity, and Compassion
Become audience aware. Biblical truth must be handled with both conviction and care. This workshop will equip writers to shape messages that are clear, courageous, and compassionate.
Session 4 – Reach the Reader: Writing for Influence Without Losing Integrity
Writers who want to impact culture must understand how readers think, search, skim, question, and respond. This workshop will help writers craft strong titles, thought-provoking openings, structure, and takeaways that leave the reader pondering truth.
Session 5 – Called to Restoration: Writing That Calls Readers to Courageous Action
As Christian writers, we are called to do more than point out what is broken. We are called to help readers see what is true, pursue what is good, and join in God’s work of restoration. This session will equip writers to move from commentary on issues to discovering their part in God’s redemption story.
CS8 – Writing Fiction: Learn the Craft that Keeps a Story Afloat – PeggySue Wells
PeggySue is the award-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of more than 100 books: 60 titles written for clients, and nearly 50 titles of her own. Click here for full bio.
Writing fiction is less like following a map and more like sailing the high seas—full of unexpected currents, hidden reefs, and the occasional buried treasure. In this continuing session, you’ll learn the craft that keeps a story afloat: creative characters, pivotal plots, sensational settings, and dynamic dialogue that carry readers from the first page to the last. Consider this your chart and compass for the journey ahead.
Pivotal Plots and Creative Characters – Plot is what happens to the characters in your story. Weave your unique spin on the nine original plots involving characters as memorable as Scrooge, Jack Sparrow, Katniss Everdeen, Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and Scarlett O’Hara. Create your own larger-than-life, believable personalities who live beyond the end of the story.
Sensational Settings and Point of View – From nearly invisible to as active as a main character, setting is a story’s time, place, mood, and nuance. A three-dimensional backdrop combined with point of view is the difference between a character being a killer or a king.
Well Said – Great dialogue is quoted for generations. Here are the do’s and don’ts of effective dialogue including styles of speech, clue words, transitions, what to do with profanity, and what words should never appear in your dialog. Fill your story with conversations that are clever, concise, and crucial.
CS9 – How to Grow Your Writing Career – Karen Whiting
Karen is the author of more than 30 books and a writing/marketing coach. Click here for full bio.
Adapt great systems, effective strategies, and develop new ideas to expand what has worked for you. Discover how to leverage your successes and continue growing as a writer. You’ll learn how to:
1. Raise your professional level and profile. Practice what professional authors do differently. Adapt systems to track submissions, marketing, opportunities, and more. Use best practices to position yourself for agents, editors, media, and influencers
2. Network to create momentum, build relationships, increase speaking engagements, and open doors.
3. Create the best social media bulk messages in minutes on Canva to schedule a month+ ahead.
4. Transform rejections and setbacks into strategic progress.
5. Build an article platform that helps garner book contracts, increase visibility, and sell more books.
This continuing session will help you move from simply writing to building a clear path toward publication, visibility, and long-term success.
