Conference Schedule – 2022 Christian Children’s Conference

Monday October 17, 2022

  • 9:30 – 11:00 AM Eastern: Karen Neumair (literary agent) – learn more about Karen here
    • 9:30 – 10:15 AM Eastern: “Landing a Literary Agent” – Get insider information on how to open the door to traditional publishing with the right representation. Senior Literary Agent Karen Neumair will answer all your questions about literary agents, including how to find the best fit for you and your unique writing aspirations. 
    • 10:15 – 11:00 AM Eastern: Live Q&A
  • 11:15 AM – 12:45 PM Eastern: Naomi Krueger (Beaming Books) – learn more about Naomi here
    • 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern: “Editing and Revising Picture Book Manuscripts” – Get an inside look at the editorial process from Beaming Books acquisitions editor Naomi Krueger. She’ll share how she approaches manuscript edits after acquisition and common pitfalls and issues she encounters in manuscripts again and again. She will also share some best practices for picture book storytelling. This is not a deep-dive on copyediting, proofreading, grammar, or style rules! We’ll be looking at elements of storytelling such as the narrative arc, page blocking, meter and rhyme, and how to write with illustrations in mind. You’ll come away with some practical ideas for how to revise your own manuscript before you even submit it for publication. The focus will be on picture books, but the tips will have crossover relevance to other types of books as well.
    • 12:00 – 12:45 PM Eastern: Live Zoom Q&A
  • 1:00 – 1:45 Eastern: Networking Break
  • 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern: Xochitl Dixon – learn more about Xochitl here
    • 2:00 – 2:45 PM Eastern: “The Christian Writer’s Journey” – Over the years, aspiring writers have asked me about my writing journey. Many times, those writers were really looking for a proven plan to success or secrets of the trade that would get them to their goal as fast as possible. I’ve learned that no two writers can share the same right path, even if they share similar writing goals. However, in The Christian Writer’s Journey, I’ll be sharing six steps that will lead to peace, satisfaction, and purpose-driven success, whether you are interested in self-publishing or traditional publishing.
    • 2:45 – 3:30 PM Eastern: Live Zoom Q&A
  • 3:45 – 5:15 PM Eastern: Linda Howard (Tyndale House) – learn more about Linda here
    • 3:45 – 4:30 PM Eastern: “How to Partner with your Publisher to Market your Book” – More and more, publishers are looking to authors to help share the new about their books. But what can you do that will make a difference? Can you really help your publisher sell books? The answer is yes, and you’ll learn how you can take sales to the next level as you work hand in hand with your publishing team.
    • 4:30 – 5:15 PM Eastern: Live Q&A
  • 5:30 – 6:00 PM Eastern: Q&A with Lizz Enns Petters about her new book – you can learn more here

Tuesday October 18, 2022

  • 9:30 – 11:00 AM Eastern: Glenys Nellist – learn more about Glenys here
    • 9:30 – 10:15 AM Eastern: “Crafting an Excellent Children’s Book Proposal” – What is a book proposal? Why do I need one? How do I write it? Join Glenys Nellist, best-selling author of over thirty titles, as she answers these questions and leads you, step by step, through the process of crafting an excellent children’s book proposal. We’ll cover all the essentials: from the font, to the format, from the framework to the finish. By the end of this presentation, you’ll be able to write a proposal that’s as excellent as your book. (All attendees will receive a downloadable template prior to the presentation.)
    • 10:15 – 11:00 AM Eastern: Live Q&A
  • 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern: Live Q&A with Sarah Efird (aka Refried Bean) to discuss her ​Complete Imaginary Mice Series
  • 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern: Jennifer Grant – learn more about Jennifer here
    • 2:00 – 2:45 PM Eastern: “Eight Weeks to Optimum Creativity” – First published in 1997, Dr. Andrew Weil’s groundbreaking book on integrated health and medicine, Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, has sold millions of copies. In the book, Dr. Weil provides readers with a week-by-week, step-by-step plan to improve and protect their physical health. So…what does this have to do with writing? In Eight Weeks to Optimum Creativity, author and editor Jennifer Grant will suggest a slate of best practices for improving and protecting our creative lives—including ways to take artistic risks, manage and minimize disappointment, eliminate distractions, avoid common manuscript errors, network effectively, craft a workflow document or schedule that works for you, and find joy in your writing. Come to this tip-abundant session, try out Grant’s suggestions and strategies, and then incorporate—long-term—the ones that generate the most ideas, productivity, and energy in your own creative life.   
    • 2:45 – 3:30 PM Eastern: Live Q&A
  • 7:15 – 8:45 PM Eastern: Khristi Lauren Adams – learn more about Khristi here
    • 7:15 – 8:00 PM Eastern: “On Being a Black Woman Author in the Publishing Industry” – In an industry that has long been criticized for having few BIPOC authors, I will expound on my experience as a Black, Christian woman author that is newer to the publishing world having been an author only for the past 4 years. I will also share suggestions for newer BIPOC authors who are interested in becoming a published author and offer any added wisdom from my experience as both a self-published and industry published author.
    • 8:00 – 8:45 PM Eastern: Live Zoom Q&A

Wednesday October 19, 2022

  • 10:00 – 10:30 AM Eastern: Melissa Collier Gepford (Dandelion Marketplace) – learn more about Melissa here
    • Dandelion Marketplace is a platform that provides progressive spiritual formation content for families and communities. Learn more here
  • 11:15 AM – 12:45 PM Eastern: Keely Boeving (literary agent) – learn more about Keely here
    • ​11:15 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern: “What Do the Best Author-Agent Relationships Look Like?” – Landing a literary agent is the first step—but what comes next? What can you expect from your agent, and what is outside the scope of their role? How do you know if your agent is the right fit—and what do you do if they aren’t? Literary Agent Keely Boeving of WordServe Literary walks you through what the best agent-author relationships can look like, and offers tips on pitfalls to avoid and warning signs to heed when it comes to finding the perfect partner for your writing career.
    • 12:00 – 12:45 PM Eastern: Live Zoom Q&A
  • 1:00 – 1:30 Eastern: Q&A with author Dorena Williamson – learn more about Dorena here
  • 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern: Jeannette Larson (Flyaway Books) – learn more about Jeannette here
    • 2:00 – 2:45 PM Eastern: “From Idea to Book: How an Author and Editor Refine a Picture Book Text Together (and More)” – For many creative projects, good collaboration leads to the best outcome. What does that look like in children’s book publishing? How does a writer stay true to a vision while being open to another perspective? What do editors consider in assessing an author’s text? And what about the illustrator? Using Kathleen Long Bostrom’s The Worst Christmas Ever, we’ll explore the genesis of the story, see concrete before-and-after revision examples, and consider how collaboration influences results throughout the creative and production process.
    • 2:45 – 3:30 PM Eastern: Live Zoom Q&A
  • 3:45 – 5:15 PM Eastern: Roger Hutchison – learn more about Roger here
    • 3:45 – 4:30 PM Eastern: “Learning to See” – Please join Roger Hutchison, Christian educator, artist, photographer, and author of eight books including the forthcoming Sparrow’s Prayer (Beaming Books, 2.14.2023) as he explores various grounding practices and strategies that he uses to inspire his creativity and enhance his writing. There is prayerful poetry woven through Roger’s work, a gentle reverence in his tone and posture toward the heartbroken. It’s Roger’s ambition to use art, color, and poetic language to communicate love and promote healing and hope in today’s hurting world. Roger lives with his family outside of Houston, TX.
    • 4:30 – 5:15 PM Eastern: Live Q&A via Zoom
  • 5:30 – 6:00 PM Eastern: Q&A with Sharon Norris Elliott, the new acquisitions editor of a new imprint, Little Blessings Press, a division of Winged Publications – learn more about Sharon here

Thursday October 20, 2022

  • 9:30 – 11:00 AM Eastern: Stephanie Carter (Teleion Books) – learn more about Stephanie here
    • 9:30 – 11:00 AM Eastern: “Life After Publication – Insights on Author Opportunities & Responsibilities After Pub Date” – New authors often assume their work ends when final manuscript edits have been submitted. They soon discover that an author’s opportunities and responsibilities do not end with publication. Join Stephanie for a chat with best-selling author Glenys Nellist to learn more about life after publication. Topics will include book marketing, author website management, book signings and readings, and reader relationships.
  • 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Panel “Creating balance in children’s books” with Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Roger Hutchison, and Patrice Gopo – learn more about Olugbemisola here and Patrice here
  • 1:00 – 1:45 Eastern: Networking Break
  • 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern: Traci Smith – learn more about Traci here
    • 2:00 – 2:45 PM Eastern: “Writing for an Audience of One (or Thousands): What’s the Difference?” – Bestselling author Morgan Housel once said “I’m writing for an audience of one, and that’s me.” He’s sold hundreds of thousands of books. Many bestselling authors say this: they write for themselves. Is it true? In this workshop we’ll talk about who we write for. Do we write to scratch our own itches, or do we write for the world?  In addition to examining our motivations for writing and the audiences we have in mind, we’ll talk about different perspectives for different types of writing. We’ll take a look at different types of writing many authors have going at the same time: writing under contract, writing to build your audience, writing for personal exploration and growth. This workshop will also give a brief overview of writing for hire, ghostwriting, and traditional book contracts. 
    • 2:45 – 3:30 PM Eastern: Live Zoom Q&A
  • 5:00 – 5:30 PM Eastern: Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Jennifer Adams – learn more about Charlotte here
    • Charlotte and Jennifer will discuss their new book “A Book, Too, Can Be a Star: The Story of Madeleine L’Engle and the Making of A Wrinkle in Time”

Friday October 21, 2022

  • 9:30 – 11:00 AM Eastern: Kate Jacobs (Zonderkidz) – learn more about Kate here
    • 9:30 – 10:15 AM Eastern: “Crafting Your First Page” – Think about what goes into the first page of your manuscript and how best to hook your reader. Zonderkidz senior acquisition editor Katherine Jacobs will lead you through examples from published books in order to shed light on how best to craft the first page of your project and set your submission up for success!
  • 10:15 – 11:00 AM Eastern: Live Q&A
  • 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern: Brian Allain – learn more about Brian here
    • Live Zoom “How to Heal Our Divides” book introduction – this new book, the second in the series, lifts up and builds awareness of organizations that are taking real action to heal serious divides – particularly racial and political divides. The book is not an attempt at glossing them over or “making happy” but instead highlights tangible efforts that are actually decreasing divides in practical ways.
  • 1:30 – 2:30 PM Eastern: Open mic
  • 2:45 – 3:45 PM Eastern: Elevator pitch critique groups: Karen Neumair (literary agent) – learn more about Karen here

Friday October 28, 2022

  • 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern: Elevator pitch critique group with Linda Howard (Tyndale House) – learn more about Linda here

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