2012 Schedule

Watch for updates as we fill in specific details about the conference and special presenters in the coming weeks.

2012 Schedule

2:30 - 4:00 p.m. - Special Early Bird Session

"The Long Road to the First Book: One Writer's Story"
(Aspinall-Wilson Conference Center)

Presenter: Teresa Milbrodt 

The rules to the publishing game are constantly changing, as are the routes to getting your first book in print.  Writer and editor Teresa Milbrodt will share her personal publishing journey, including an analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of large presses, small presses, and self-publishing.  She will also provide a step-by-step guide to publishing an e-book for Amazon's Kindle.

4:00 – 6:00 p.m.: On-Campus Room Check-In
(Chepita Residence Hall)

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.: Registration and Reception

7:30 – 9:30 p.m.: Evening Reading (Aspinall-Wilson Conference Center)

Join us for a special reading by our featured nationally acclaimed authors, poets, and screenwriters.

Friday, July 27

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: Keynote (Taylor Hall)

10:00 – 12:00: Parallel concentration sessions No. 1

Genre fiction/nonfiction session -- (Taylor Hall)

POETRY SYMPOSIUM -- (Taylor Hall)

For more details, visit our sister site devoted to this Symposium, formalversemfa.org.

Screenwriting session -- (Taylor Hall)

Publishing -- (Taylor Hall)

Presenters: Anne Hillerman and Don Strehl

12-1 p.m.: Lunch (on us)

1:00 – 2:00: Keynote (South Conference Room)

2:00 – 4:00: Parallel concentration sessions No. 2

Genre fiction/nonfiction session -- (Taylor Hall)

POETRY SYMPOSIUM -- (Taylor Hall)

For more details, visit our sister site devoted to this Symposium, formalversemfa.org.

Screenwriting session -- (Taylor Hall)

Publishing -- (Taylor Hall)

"Promoting and Marketing your First Book"
Presenter: Teresa Milbrodt

Regardless of whether you publish a book independently or with a small or large press, much of the work to market and promote a book now falls to the writer.  Author and editor Teresa Milbrodt will explain the many roles she has played in launching her books, from engaging in web-based strategies to face-to-face selling.  She will also discuss ways to get the most bang for your low-budget book tour buck.

4:00 – 5:00: Panel Discussion with Agents, Editors, Book Packagers on state of industry (South Conference Room)

(Dinner on your own)

7:30 – 9:30: Evening Reading (Aspinal-Wilson Conference Center)

Join us for a special reading by our featured nationally acclaimed authors, poets, and screenwriters.

Saturday, July 28

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: Keynote (South Conference Room)

10:00 – 12:00: Parallel concentration sessions No. 3

Genre fiction/nonfiction session -- (Taylor Hall)

POETRY SYMPOSIUM -- (Taylor Hall)

For more details, visit our sister site devoted to this Symposium, formalversemfa.org.

Screenwriting session -- (Taylor Hall)

Publishing -- (Taylor Hall)

"Publishing Coffee Chat"

Bring your coffee mugs and all the publishing questions you've been mulling over for the past weeks/months/years.  This coffee chat will feature three pairs of writers, editors, and publishers who will each give their own take on the most important trends and issues in the publishing industry.  Following their discussion, we'll have a thirty-minute Q & A session. 

12-1 p.m.: Lunch (on us)

Afternoon panel and break-out sessions below will all take place in the newly renovated Taylor Hall.

1:00 – 2:00: Panel on Publishing Tips & MS Etiquette (Taylor Atrium)

We gather our guest professionals to  offer their guidelines and thoughts on pitching and submitting your work, including Q&A.

2:00 – 5:00: Pitch, read, pitch, read...
(See sign-up schedules at the conference for times, places.)

• Concurrent pitch sessions (Taylor Hall)
• Concurrent ms critiques (Taylor Hall)
• Concurrent open mic for conference attendees - 5-minute limit per speaker (Taylor Welcome Center)
  

(Dinner on your own)

7:30 – 9:30: Evening Reading (Aspinall-Wilson Conference Center)

Join us for a special reading by our featured nationally acclaimed authors, poets, and screenwriters.

Sunday, August 1

7:00-9:00 a.m.: On-campus room check-out

10:00 a.m.: For those of you not catching flights or starting home early, we'll hold informal "brunch debriefings" (Dutch treat) of the conference by genre. Talk to the following during the conference to find out more:

• Mainstream/Genre -- Larry Meredith
• Poetry -- David Rothman
• Screenwriting -- Jack Lucido