Author Expo Panels
Patricia Raskin/Tony Jones (10:30 AM – 11:30 AM)
Panel Title: Promoting Your Book Through Podcasts
Market: Authors who want to engage and attract listeners to their book and share their voice with potentials readers of their books
Workshop Description: According to Edison Research, 112 million Americans have listened to a podcast, up 11 percent from 2016. 67 million Americans listen to podcasts monthly, up 14 percent in one year. 42 million Americans listen to podcasts weekly, representing 15 percent of the total US population. Podcast listening growth is steady, with 10 to 20% increases each year.
Patricia Raskin and Tony Jones will show you how to create a compelling podcast to attract readers to you and to your content so that they won’t wait to buy your book. Topics include podcast content, how to make your podcast compelling, key elements of successful podcast production, and marketing the finished product.
Bio: Patricia Raskin is an award-winning radio producer and business owner. President of Raskin Resources Productions, Inc., Patricia is a veteran radio broadcaster and podcast host, producer and coach. Her programs can be heard on Cumulus Broadcasting’s WPRO, VoiceAmerica.com, iTunes and stitcher.com
Tony Jones, podcast technical producer and podcast host and producer, has music podcasts breaking the “Top 20” charts, and hosts “The Tony Jones Show” on iTunes.
Steve Porter (10:45 AM – 11:30 AM) – panelists Marie Force, Mike Squatrito, Satin Russell
Topic: Publishing
Description: Recent innovations such as print-on-demand publishing and the explosion of e-books have transformed the publishing landscape, opening the door to thousands of emerging writers young and old. But for those entering the industry for the first time, the publishing industry can be a confusing and intimidating business. Join authors and publishers Marie Force, Mike Squatrito, Satin Russell and Steven R. Porter as they discuss and explore a variety of topics that will help new authors find their own path. Topics to be covered include traditional versus indie publishing, the role of e-books, the importance of marketing, and even where the future.
Marie Force – Keynote Address, Her Writing Journey (11:45 AM – 12:45 PM)
Topic: Keynote
Description: Join Rhode Island native and bestselling romance author Marie Force as she takes us on her personal writing journey, from her modest upbringing in Middletown, RI to the New York Times bestsellers list.
Marie Force is the bestselling author of more than 50 contemporary romances, including the Gansett Island Series and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books. In addition, she is the author of the Butler, Vermont Series, the Green Mountain Series and the erotic romance Quantum Series. All together, her books have sold 6 million copies worldwide.
Judith Glynn (1:10 PM – 2:00 PM) – panelists Linda Carvelli, Kelly Kittel, Deborah Tillinghast and Mary Catherine Volk.
Topic: Writing a Memoir
Description: The craft of memoir writing requires introspection, honesty, clarity of message and sheer guts to get the story on paper. There’s no telling how many begin the process but due to the enormity of telling a personal story, few finish. The five Rhode Island memoirists on this panel also stared at a blank page when they began. Would they hurt family members? How to find the time to write? What’s the fine line between an autobiography and a true memoir? Was their story a boring? But most important for any memoirist is to confront the truth and come out of the memoir having learned from the experience as told to others.
Eric Crook – ARIA Member Forum (1:30 PM – 2:30 PM)
Topic: Open Mic
Description: Sit back, relax, listen and enjoy as a up to a dozen different Rhode Island authors take the microphone to share short excerpts from their own original works. Enjoy bits of poetry, prose, fiction and non-fiction in an amazing array of subjects and genres. Anything goes!
Tabitha Lord (2:15 PM – 3:00 PM) – panelists Heather Rigney, Sean Faye Wolf, Mike Squatrito and A. Keith Carreiro.
Topic: SciFi/Fantasy
Title: Geek Out!
Description: Whether you are a science fiction and fantasy fan or an aspiring writer yourself, this panel is sure to be a crowd pleaser! Join local authors for a discussion on all things wondrous and weird. Where do these writers find inspiration? How do they bring authenticity into the fictional worlds they create? Would they rather fight zombies, aliens, or dragons? Pick their brains about everything from writing habits to fan fiction, and hopefully learn a thing or two about good storytelling.
Lynne Heinzmann Workshop (2:45 PM – 3:45 PM)
Writing a Historical Novel: Fact vs. Fiction
Presented by Lynne Heinzmann, MFA in Creative Writing and Winner of the Fairfield Book Prize for Frozen Voices (a historical novel about the 1907 sinking of the Steamship Larchmont: New Rivers Press, 2016)
Writing a historical novel requires a careful balance between fact and fiction. The addition of real-life characters and events may benefit your novel by adding a layer of credibility. However, these same historical people and occurrences come with their own narrative baggage, preconceived ideas in the reader’s mind, which may conflict with the tale you are trying to tell.
In this workshop, we will cover the following topics:
- An examination of some popular novels that are works of historical fiction,
- A discussion of the pros and cons of including real-life history in novels, and
- A hands-on workshop showing a few ways to include historical people and events into your fiction.
Please bring your laptop computer or paper and pen to use for the hands-on portion of the workshop.
Diana Ruggiero (3:15 PM – 4:00 PM) – panelists Dr. Michael Battey, Will Hanson, Alison O’Donnell
Topic: Writing Humor, Satire & Parody.
Panel Title: Humor Me: Something Funny In the State of Literature
Description: Do you think there are too many books about doom and gloom out there? Do you want to use your pen to tickle your readers? If you write humorous fiction, non-fiction, or parody that sits somewhere in between, this is the panel for you.
Heather Rigney (3:50 PM – 4:30 PM)
Title: Be A Book Promotion Beast – Two Female Authors Tell All
Description: Join Award Winning Authors Tabitha Lord and Heather Rigney as they discuss the ins and outs of throwing a kick-ass book launch, how to master social media promotion, and making your brand be all it can be.
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