Anne's career at Blackstone Publishing began in 2001. Rising rapidly, she became Head of Retail Sales, where her leadership and strategic initiatives led to a fourfold sales increase in just five years. In 2008, Anne transitioned to managing Digital Sales, propelling the sector to rapid growth due to her innovative approach. This success paved the way for her eventual role as Chief Sales Officer, where she continues to excel by adapting to the dynamic marketplace and leading her team to develop new strategies that strengthen relationships with customers and partners. Outside of her professional life, Anne's French heritage enriches her personal interests, particularly in sharing French cuisine with friends. Her deep understanding of the publishing industry is enhanced by her cultural insights and academic background, making her a key player in Blackstone's success.

Dr. Charles E. Gannon is best known for his multiple best-selling and award-winning Caine Riordan hard sf series and Dragon-nominated Vortex of Worlds epic fantasy series. He has written in or collaborated with many authors in their own universes: Ring of Fire (Eric Flint), Black Tide Rising (John Ringo), Starfire (White & Weber), Honorverse (David Weber), Known Space (Larry Niven), and War World (Jerry Pournelle). His awards include the Dragon, ALA Choice, & Compton Crook and he has been a finalist for the Nebula four times and the Dragon three times. Earlier in his career, he was a TV writer/producer and writer/designer for GDW games.

As a Distinguished Professor of English, Gannon received five Fulbrights, and his book Rumors of War & Infernal Machines won the 2006 ALA Choice Award for Outstanding Book. He is a frequent subject matter expert for national media venues (NPR, Discovery, etc.) and for various intelligence and defense agencies.

Gannon has five children (four living) and lives Annapolis, Maryland.

Born and raised in Australia. Came to American when I married a Brooklyn boy.  I worked for one of the biggest Literary Agents in NY until he fired me and then his clients took two years to convince me to open my own agency by sending me authors and their manuscripts. I handle all genres and subgenres of adult fiction.

A Webster Award winner and three-time Dragon Award finalist, Chris Kennedy is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author, speaker, and small-press publisher who has written over 65 books and published more than 500 others. Get his free book, “Shattered Crucible,” at his website, https://chriskennedypublishing.com. A retired naval aviator, he uses his experience to give authenticity to his military science fiction stories.

Called “fantastic” and “a great speaker,” he has coached hundreds of beginning authors on how to self-publish their stories at a variety of conferences, conventions, and writing guild presentations. He is the author of the award-winning #1 bestseller, “Self-Publishing for Profit: How to Get Your Book Out of Your Head and Into the Stores.”

Chris lives in Coinjock, North Carolina, with his wife, Sheellah, and is the holder of a doctorate in educational leadership and master’s degrees in both business and public administration. Follow Chris on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ckpublishing/.

Craig Martelle is a million-selling author of Sci-Fi and Thrillers. He runs the Successful Indie Author series of author-help videos, books, and group.

Craig Martelle is retired from the Marine Corps, spending time both as enlisted and as an officer. Then he went to law school, took his law degree into business consulting where he became a business diagnostics specialist and leadership coach. He retired from that at age 52 because he was away from home way too much. That’s when he started writing full time and has not looked back since.

Damon Courtney is the creator and CEO of BookFunnel, an ebook delivery service for authors and publishers. Though he would like to be a highly successful indie author, he can only lay claim to publishing a single fantasy trilogy that he does really like, despite its lack of sales. But self-publishing three novels did lead to the creation of BookFunnel, so he’s got that going for him. As a lifelong software engineer, Damon is an expert in just about everything technical and can offer unique insight on publishing as it relates to software and technology. Our lives as authors cannot survive in this new world without software, so that makes Damon feel really important.

David Sherrer is a born storyteller and has been an obsessive gamer ever since he was seduced by Magic the Gathering at the tender age of fourteen. He has alternately owned a gaming store, street performed for a living, and survived eleven years in the soul crushing world of telecommunications. He lucked out by marrying a force of nature who was determined to making living off writing, and has since escaped his 9-5 to become the Marketing Director and Lead Game Designer of Chenoweth Press. His debut card game "Cat Magic: The Game" released in 2022 and was funded on Kickstarter within hours of launching. David considers himself an Atlantan, but currently lives in Louisville, KY with his family, feline overlords, and a mountain of board games that he swears he actually plays.

David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1952. Weber and his wife Sharon live in Greenville, South Carolina with their three children and “a passel of dogs”.

With a blue-collar, science-fiction loving father, a college English teacher mother (who also owned her own ad agency in the 70s), and a life-long love for history, he was clearly predestined to perpetrate a whole host of military science-fiction (and fantasy) novels and anthologies.

Previously the owner of the small advertising and public relations agency he took over from his mother, has written science fiction full time for thirty years. He is probably best known for his Honor Harrington series, from Baen Books, and his Safehold series, from Tor.

James Hunter is a full-time Inkslinger and the bestselling author of Vigil Bound, Rogue Dungeon, Shadowcroft Academy, Discount Dan, and the litRPG epic Viridian Gate Online! In addition to writing, James also runs Shadow Alley Press, a publishing company that specializes in LitRRP, Gamelit, and Progression Fantasy.

James is also a former Marine Corps Sergeant, combat veteran, and pirate hunter (seriously). He’s also a member of The Royal Order of the Shellback—’cause that’s totally a real thing. And a spaceship captain, can’t forget that. Okay … the last one probably isn’t true. When not writing or spending time with family, James occasionally finds time to eat and sleep.

During the last 8 years as COO of Shadow Alley Press, Jeanette’s learned a lot about Indie Publishing. It takes persistence, a dedicated team, and big goals and dreams. Since 2016, she’s worked with numerous authors on these exact things. Helping them to narrow down their goals and make them achievable. Along the way she’s become a specialist with Amazon advertising, Facebook advertising, email marketing, and business strategy.

It's Jeanette’s passion to help others find their path and begin to walk it. If you're lost on your author journey, she’d love to help you rediscover your dreams and take some steps to get you back on the path that will take you to them.

She can help you:

• Make a release plan
• Decide which book to focus on next
• Get your advertising under control (or started)
• Grow your mailing list
• Figure out exactly what you need to be able to go "full-time"

Jeanette has spoken at numerous writer and fan events:

• Superstars Writing Seminars (2018, 2019, 2022)
• 20Booksto50K events (2018, 2019, 2021)
• Dragon Con (2019)

Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it.

Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.

All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.

jim-butcher.com

John Goodwin, President Galaxy Press, has been involved with book publishing since 1986, publishing the fiction works of bestselling author L. Ron Hubbard which includes the Writers of the Future anthology. He is also host of the award-winning Writers and Illustrators of the Future Podcast.

JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of 51 novels, 165 short stories, 16 short story collections, 27 graphic novels, 160 short stories, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include the Joe Ledger thrillers, Kagen the Damned, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. Several of his works are in development for film and TV. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, and others. His comics include Black Panther: DoomWar, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Bad Blood and many others. His Rot & Ruin young adult novel was adapted into the #1 horror comic on Webtoon and is being developed for film by Alcon Entertainment. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine.

He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com

Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek and retired Army officer.  As an adult, he managed the U.S. Space Camp program and served in military space operations before Space Force was a thing. He’s an international bestselling author, award finalist, and a core author in the wildly successful Four Horsemen Universe. His fifteen novels include Sleeper Protocol, Vendetta Protocol, Runs In The Family, Peacemaker, Honor The Threat, Stand or Fall, Deathangel, Fields of Fire, and Harbinger. August 2022 will see the release of his alternate history novel The Crossing from Baen Books.  He is an Active Member of SFWA, the International Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors (IASFA), International Thriller Writers, and SIGMA – the science fiction think tank.

Kevin J. Anderson has published more than 175 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers.

He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as unique steampunk fantasy novels Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, written with legendary rock drummer Neil Peart. His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series, the Wake the Dragon and Terra Incognita fantasy trilogies, the Saga of Shadows trilogy, and his humorous horror series featuring Dan Shamble, Zombie PI.

He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs.

Kristin established Nelson Literary Agency, LLC, in 2002 and over the last two decades, she has represented over fifty-five New York Times bestselling titles and many USA Today bestsellers. Her clients include Shelby Van Pelt, Hugh Howey, Jamie Ford, Marie Lu, Stacey Lee, Ally Carter, Josh Malerman, Richard Chizmar, Swati Teerdhala, Sherry Thomas, Scott Reintgen.

Malerman’s Bird Box is a Netflix movie starring Sandra Bullock and Trevante Rhodes. In 2023, the first season released of Howey’s Silo on Apple+ TV based on his novels Wool, Shift, and Dust. Season 2 will release in fall 2024. Her goal as an agent is simple: she wants every client of hers to make a living solely from writing and 95% of her clients do just that.

She is currently looking for literary/commercial novels that tackle timely issues or complicated relationship dynamics, high concept, character-driven novels with one foot squarely in genre, absolutely delightful and emotional engaging novels that can be read over and over again, character-driven novels in the thriller, speculative or science fiction and fantasy realm, historical novels that feature a narrative voice and story that is under-represented in history, young adult novels that pack a serious or a delightful emotional punch.

When she is not busy selling books, Kristin plays tennis, pickle ball, and golf. She also enjoys playing Bridge (where she is the youngest person in her club), and can often be found hiking in the mountains with her husband.

Lisa Mangum has worked in publishing since 1997. She has been the Managing Editor for Shadow Mountain since 2014 and has worked with several New York Times best-selling authors. While fiction is her first love, she also has experience working with nonfiction projects. Lisa is also the author of four national best-selling YA novels (The Hourglass Door trilogy and After Hello), several short stories and novellas, and a nonfiction book about the craft of writing based on the TV show Supernatural. She has edited several anthologies about various magical creatures, pirates, and food for WordFire Press. She regularly teaches at writing conferences, including hosting a writing weekend in Capitol Reef National Park through UVU. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy.

Lydia Sherrer is the award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author of the Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus universe of books which have sold over three-quarters of a million copies worldwide. She has also published the TransDimensional Hunter series with NYT bestselling author John Ringo, and has written for multiple anthologies.

New York Times bestselling author Marc Cameron has written short fiction for The Saturday Evening Post and Boys’ Life Magazine. He’s the author of thirty books—Westerns, Jericho Quinn Thrillers, Arliss Cutter Mysteries featuring a deputy US marshal based in Alaska, and seven Jack Ryan novels for the Tom Clancy estate.

A retired Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, he holds a second-degree black belt in jujitsu and is a certified law enforcement scuba diver and man-tracking instructor. His career focused primarily on dignitary protection and fugitive operations. As a member of the US Marshals Service rural Tactical Tracking Unit, Marc routinely tracked lost hikers, hunters, and fugitives in the vast Alaska bush. Originally from Texas, Marc is an avid outdoorsman, sailor, and adventure motorcyclist.  He and his wife have lived in Alaska for twenty-six years.

Mark Leslie Lefebvre’s first story appeared in print in 1992, the same year he started working in the book industry. Under the name Mark Leslie he has published thrillers and fiction, paranormal non-fiction, and anthologies. His books about writing and publishing appear under the name Mark Leslie Lefebvre. His industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Board Member of BookNet Canada, Director of Author Relations for Rakuten Kobo, Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital and Professional Advisor for Sheridan College’s Creative Writing and Publishing Honours Program.

Mark lives in Waterloo, Ontario and can be found online at www.markleslie.ca.

Michael La Ronn (also known as M.L. Ronn) has published over 100 science fiction & fantasy novels and self-help books for writers.

Michael also runs the award-winning YouTube channel “Author Level Up,” with over 40,000 subscribers and 2 million views. Writer’s Digest voted the channel one of the “Best Resources for Writers” in 2020.

Michael devoted himself to the writing life in 2012 after a near-death experience, writing 10 to 12 books per year despite working a demanding full-time job as an insurance executive, raising a family, and attending law school classes in the evenings. His productivity methods are so effective that his YouTube subscribers have accused him of being a cyborg in disguise (he pleads the fifth).

For more information on Michael’s books, visit his fiction website at www.michaellaronn.com and his resources for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.

Nick Thacker is the USA Today Bestselling Author of action-adventure thrillers and mysteries. He writes and speaks about the future of books and publishing and is the founder of numerous author-centric businesses, including Book Career In A Year and Author.Email. He lives in Colorado with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.

Ray Porter is a multiple award winning narrator with over 500 titles. His narration of “Project Hail Mary” garnered 2021 Audie awards for Best Science Fiction and Audiobook of the Year. In addition to being the voice of Darkseid in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”, he can be seen in numerous films and TV shows and has lent his voice to various video games and animated shows. He has stories published in two anthologies and most recently has a story in Weird Tales magazine. He resides in Los Angeles and drives his son to hockey practice. A lot.

Rebecca Moesta (pronounced MESS-tuh) is the bestselling author of many science fiction and fantasy books, both solo and in collaboration with her husband, Kevin J. Anderson.

Her solo work includes novels in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Junior Jedi Knights series, short stories, nonfiction articles, and ghost writing, as well as editing anthologies.

With Kevin, she wrote the Crystal Doors trilogy, fourteen Young Jedi Knights novels, six novelizations of movies and games, lyrics for two Roswell Six rock CDs (ProgRock Records), a Star Trek graphic novel (DC/WildStorm), two Star Wars pop-up books, the original graphic novel Grumpy Old Monsters (IDW), and Million Dollar Professionalism for Writers (WordFire Press).

With June Scobee Rodgers, PhD (Founding Chairman of the Challenger Centers for Space Science Education), Rebecca and Kevin developed and wrote the Star Challengers series of novels in order to teach STEM principles and promote interest in science and technology among middle grade students.

New York Times Bestselling Author Todd J. McCaffrey — “a modern master of the craft” — has over 2.5 million words in print in 40 books including 8 in the classic Dragonriders of Pern® series, 6 in the epic space opera Canaris Rift series, 3 in the Steam World series, and two in the middle grade LA Witch series (with more to come).  Besides collaborating with the late SFWA Nebula Grandmaster, Anne McCaffrey, Todd has also collaborated with the award-winning Winner Twins, producing twenty books in the epic steampunk fantasy quick-read Twin Soul series, as well as The Magpie’s War — the first book in the Pan’s Children series.  He is the author of numerous shorter works including two collections — The One Tree Of Luna and Dare To Be Mighty. He grew up in science fiction and fantasy, earning his first typewriter when he was twelve. He holds degrees in art and engineering, is a licensed pilot, and an Army veteran.

Toni Weisskopf is an American science fiction editor and the publisher of Baen Books. She has been nominated four times for a Hugo Award. She has won the Phoenix Award, the Rebel Award, and the Neffy Award for best editor.