Superstars Writing Seminars 2025: Full Schedule

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8:45am MST

Collaborating With Experts

Friday February 7, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST

Multi-genre author Jonathan Maberry and scientist Ronald Coleman chat about how they collaborate on the science aspects in some of Maberry's bestselling novels.

Speakers

Ronald Coleman

Ronald Coleman is a scientist and author from San Diego, California. He has a PhD in Biology from The Scripps Research Institute. He’s consulted as a scientist on projects for television, film, and novels. He has notably contributed to Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger novels where... Read More →

Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was produced as a Netflix original series. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST
White River I

Panel

8:45am MST

The Economics of Self-Publishing

Friday February 7, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST

Amphitheater (EPR)

Our panel of self-pub experts gets down into the nitty gritty of how to launch an indie career without breaking the bank.

Speakers

Chris Kennedy

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... Read More →

Mark Leslie Lefebvre

Mark has worked in the book industry since 1992, published more than thirty-five books, and is a pioneer in digital publishing. Past roles include President of Canadian Booksellers Association, Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations and Director of Business Development, and... Read More →

David Sherrer

David Sherrer is a lifelong gamer and story teller, and is the Marketing Director of Chenoweth Press and Lead Game Designer of Chenoweth Games. His debut card game "Cat Magic: The Game" released in 2022 and was funded on Kickstarter within hours of launching.

Jeanette Strode

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... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST
Amphitheater (EPR)

Panel

10:00am MST

The State of Traditional Publishing

Friday February 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST

Amphitheater (EPR)

Editors and agents from the trad-pub world talk about what they think 2025 is going to bring to the industry, and how to navigate the rest of the year.

Speakers

Anne Fonteneau

Anne began at Blackstone Publishing in 2001 and quickly became Head of Retail Sales, significantly boosting sales. By 2008, she was managing Digital Sales, leading to rapid sector growth. Her innovative leadership as Chief Sales Officer has been key in adapting strategies in the dynamic... Read More →

Kristin Nelson

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... Read More →

Cherry Weiner

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... Read More →

Toni Weisskopf

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.

Friday February 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Amphitheater (EPR)

Panel

10:00am MST

Using Social Media in Your Book Marketing Strategy

Friday February 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST

White River I

Social media marketing isn't just about Facebook ads anymore. Learn from our panel of gurus about social media strategies that have worked for them or their clients.

Speakers

Z.S. Diamanti

Z.S. Diamanti is the award-winning author of the Stone & Sky series, an epic fantasy adventure and Guard in the Garden, the first book in the Fables of Finlestia cozy fantasy series. He attended college forever and has far too many pieces of paper on his wall. He’s a USAF veteran... Read More →

Cindy Gunderson

Cindy Gunderson is a voice actress and award-winning author. Since she has commitment issues, she writes both sci-fi and fantasy, as well as contemporary romance and women's fiction under the pen name, Cynthia Gunderson.

James Hunter

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... Read More →

Lydia Sherrer

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... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST
White River I

Panel

11:15am MST

Diversity and Inclusion in Publishing

Friday February 7, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST

White River I

Including a wide variety of characters and viewpoints can be incredibly validating for writers and readers alike. Learn from our panel why diversity and inclusion matters.

Moderators

Jayrod P. Garrett

Jayrod P. Garrett (they/them) is a storyteller with an MFA in English: Creative Writing from the UNR. They have published work with the League of Utah Writers and currently work on poetry, novels, editing, and storytelling projects. They live in northern Utah with their spouse and... Read More →

Speakers

Chaz Kemp

I have been a professional illustrator for 25 years and I've done hundreds of book covers, interior illustrations and posters for clients in dozens of industries. In that time, I've studied marketing, branding and business. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge with the Superstars... Read More →

Michael La Ronn

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... Read More →

Lisa Mangum

Lisa Mangum is the Managing Editor for Shadow Mountain. She is also the author of four national best-selling YA novels, several short stories and novellas, and the nonfiction book Write Fearless. Edit Smart. Get Published. She regularly teaches at writing conferences. She lives in... Read More →

David R. Slayton

David R. Slayton (he/him) grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding fantasy novels with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now he writes the books he always wanted to read. His epic fantasy, Dark Moon, Shallow Sea, won... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST
White River I

Panel

11:15am MST

Patreon

Friday February 7, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST

Amphitheater (EPR)

Learn from our panel of Patreon pioneers on how and why you should consider launching a Patreon for your fans.

Speakers

Chuck Gannon

Dr. Charles E. Gannon‘s best-selling books have won the Dragon Award, the ALA Choice Award (Outstanding Book), the Compton Crook Award, and have been nominated for four Nebulas. He is best known for the Caine Riordan series of hard sf novels, which have all been national best-sellers... Read More →

Lydia Sherrer

James Artimus Owen

James Artimus Owen is part artist, part writer, and all heart. He has written and illustrated the Mythworld series, two dozen Starchild comics, available as The Twentieth Anniversary Nearly-Complete Essential Starchild, The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (and coloring books... Read More →

Clark Rowenson

Fascinated by magic since pine cones could be fireballs, C. R. Rowenson (Clark) is an award-winning author, blogger, and writing coach that studies magic building like others study oil-painting. His prime directive is to help storytellers craft and repair unforgettable magic systems... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)

Panel

1:45pm MST

Live Editing and Q&A

Friday February 7, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST

White River I

Editors answer all your editing questions while showing (not telling) the editing process, live.

Speakers

Joshua Essoe

Joshua Essoe is a full-time editor who’s edited for NYT bestsellers, like David Farland and Piers Anthony, along with hundreds of independents. His books on writing, funded in just hours on Kickstarter cover the most-common issues he sees in fiction writing. Find him teaching at... Read More →

Lisa Mangum

Friday February 7, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST
White River I

Panel

1:45pm MST

The Future of AI in Publishing

Friday February 7, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST

Amphitheater (EPR)

AI isn't just a plot device; it's already here, there, everywhere. How will impact publishing in the next year or two? Our panel discusses ideas and theories, as well as real-world implications.

Speakers

Chuck Gannon

James Hunter

Nick Thacker

I'm a USA Today Bestselling Author, with over 40 thrillers published to my name. I run Book Career In A Year, helping authors reach the next level.

Toni Weisskopf

Friday February 7, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)

Panel

3:00pm MST

Mystery: Keeping Readers in Suspense

Friday February 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST

White River I

A panel of bestselling writers pick apart the puzzle of keeping readers mystified—but hooked.

Speakers

Marc Cameron

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... Read More →

Casey Cowan

Casey brings thirty years of expertise in journalism, publishing, and design to his work as a graphic designer, reporter, and publisher. His career began with a foundation in graphic design, where his creative vision shaped countless projects across various industries. In 2013, Casey... Read More →

Laura Hayden

An early reader, Laura exhausted the children’s section of her local library by age ten. At that point, she switched to adult mysteries and science fiction and never looked back. Trained as an engineer, she continued to write “for fun” until one day, she decided to write “for... Read More →

Jonathan Maberry

Friday February 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
White River I

Panel

3:00pm MST

Panel: Writers of the Future

Friday February 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST

Colorado

Writers of the Future was launched in 1984 by L. Ron Hubbard to provide a means for writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and had some of the biggest names in SF&F as its judges, which continues to this day. Join Writers of the Future and WotF judges as they discuss the backstory to Writers of the Future as well as what it has meant to the SF&F community.

Speakers

Kevin J. Anderson

Kevin J. Anderson is one of the founders of Superstars, a #1 international bestselling author known for his work in the Dune, Star Wars, X-Files, Batman and Superman universes. He is also publisher of WordFire Press, and director of the Publishing Masters Degree program at Western... Read More →

Rebecca Moesta

Rebecca Moesta (pronounced MESS-tuh) is a freelance editor, co-publisher at WordFire Press, and bestselling author. She writes SF/F and nonfiction books for writers, both solo and with her husband, Kevin J. Anderson. Her work includes novels in Star Wars, Star Trek, and Buffy the... Read More →

Mark Leslie Lefebvre

Todd McCaffrey

New York Times Bestselling Author Todd J. McCaffrey has over sixty books in print including eight in the classic Dragonriders of Pern® series. He holds degrees in art and engineering, is a licensed pilot, and an Army veteran.

John Goodwin

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... Read More →

Emily Goodwin

Emily has been involved with book publishing since 2007, including the international Writers & Illustrators of the Future Contests. She is the producer for the Writers of the Future annual Achievement Awards and the online writing workshop. She is involved in community activities... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Colorado

Panel

3:00pm MST

Writers Beware

Friday February 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST

Amphitheater (EPR)

Our panel of expert agents and authors talk about some of the gotchas that writers should look out for, when seeking a book deal or licensing their work.

Speakers

Kevin Ikenberry

Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek, bestselling science fiction and alternate history author, and teacher. With more than twenty-five novels published in multiple universes under his belt, Kevin continues writing stories uplifting the power of the human spirit in difficult... Read More →

Craig Martelle

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.

Kristin Nelson

Cherry Weiner

Friday February 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)

Panel

8:00pm MST

Romance: A Hot Genre That Keeps Getting Hotter

Friday February 7, 2025 8:00pm - 10:00pm MST

Colorado

The hottest genre in the market is still romance! Learn from our panel of romance writers how to amp up the steam between your characters while keeping the genre fresh.

Speakers

C.J. Anaya

C. J. Anaya is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author and writes teen and young adult fantasy romance. However, she tends to tell stories within the genres she loves to read. So you can find her sweet romantic comedies of the billionaire variety under the pen name Cynthia... Read More →

JanaLee Brown

Jana S. Brown has been involved in publishing as an Author, Editor, Presenter, slush reader, executive secretary, and marketer for nearly 30 years. She is the acceptance editor for Book Cave and an editor and author coach specializing in self-publishing. She writes the weird and the... Read More →

Lindsay Flanagan

Lindsay Flanagan is an award-winning editor with an MA in English and Creative Writing.Her debut novel, AnnaGrey and the Constellation, was published by Young Dragons Press in August 2023, with two more books about AnnaGrey slated for publication in 2024 and 2025.She’s edited for... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 8:00pm - 10:00pm MST
Colorado

Panel