Our keynote speaker for Young Author's Day is New York Times and bestselling author, Jason Reynolds, the 2020 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Reynolds is the author of thirteen books for young people, including his most recent, Look Both Ways: A tale told in Ten Blocks. 
An inspiring speaker, we were all moved to tears.

Before you can write a great pitch you must know your story inside and out. Join William Kenower, author of the nonfiction books, Fearless Writing and Write Within Yourself, and author coaches as he helps demystify the art of pitching your story to agents, publishers and friends.

This discussion will include several ideas on how to organize your writings and why it is important to stay focused on your career as much as your writing. The class will also cover how to stay motivated to write and how to continue to produce. Finally, we’ll talk about six specific things that will help you stay in the game.

Before you can write a great pitch, you must know your story inside and out. Answer questions in preparation for writing your pitch and you're off to a great start. Join New York Times best-selling author Gerri Russell and her author coaches as she helps demystify the art of pitching your story to agents, publishers, and friends

There are magazines, newsletters, websites, and newspapers that cover literally every subject you can imagine. These venues need material daily to continue publishing. Think of the magazines you read and love, and the subjects you know and understand, and start putting the two together. Whether your interest is in craft-making and fiber products, or electronics and software there are general and niche markets that need content. This session will discuss the details required to enter into the market of writing for the many publications and websites looking for content: which ones should you approach, what do they need, how do you contact them, and how much do they pay.

Join Brit Bennett, New York Times best-selling author of The Vanishing Half and The Mothers for a keynote speech. Born and raised in Southern California, Brit Bennett graduated from Stanford University and earned her MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan, where she won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction as well as the 2014 Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers. She is a National Book Foundation "5 under 35" honoree, and her essays are featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Jezebel.

Join agents and editors as they talk about industry trends and tropes.

Two debut novelists talk craft, querying, finding agents and publishers: What they learned during their debut years, and everything in between. Noelle Salazar and Jamie Pacton met at PNWA back in 2013, when they were both unagented, unpublished authors. Now, Noelle is a USA Today bestselling author, and Jamie has published several young adult and middle-grade novels to popular and critical acclaim. Join them for an honest look at how they write their stories, their long journies to publication, and what they've learned along the way. This session will include a Q&A at the end.

The synopsis. The source of dread for many authors is actually one of the most versatile tools in the author’s toolbox. From plotting to marketing, a concise synopsis can help an author hone their story to the basic elements that will entice readers to say those magic words, “I want more.” But how does one condense an entire novel into 850 words? By channeling your inner Tony Stark, that’s how.

Today's publishing marketplace is more competitive than ever. It has become a pay-to-play arena, but that doesn't mean authors can afford to neglect the basics. This marketing workshop features three experienced publishing professionals, each of whom will address one aspect of Practical Marketing. USA Today best-selling author Jacki Delecki will share lessons learned, mistakes to avoid, and unexpected successes. Indi publishing coach Amy Atwell of Author E.M.S. offers tips ahnd strategies to optimize your eBook files and store metadata for organic growth and sales. Author project manager Maria Connor of My Author Concierge reveals how having a plan and being organized can maximize resources and profits.