Superstars Writing Seminars 2025: Full Schedule

9:15am MST

Outlining Mastery: How to Outline Books that Sell (Part 1)

Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST

(Part 1 of 2) How to outline books that sell.

Speakers

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.

Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Arkansas

Skills Day

11:00am MST

Outlining Mastery: How to Outline Books that Sell (Part 2)

Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST

Arkansas

(Part 2 of 2) How to outline books that sell.

Speakers

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.

Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Arkansas

Skills Day

2:00pm MST

Chasing Hollywood (Part 1)

Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST

Arkansas

(Part 1 of 2) In today’s Hollywood the writer is king. Many of today’s hottest movies and TV shows are based on IPs (Intellectual Properties)—aka your published works. NY Times Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars, Rot & Ruin, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Joe Ledger) discusses how to break in; options; becoming Executive Producers; crafting a pitch-deck; dealing with studio execs; and much more. This is the true insiders’ perspective on moving your work from print to screen.

Speakers

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 →

Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Arkansas

Skills Day

3:45pm MST

Chasing Hollywood (Part 2)

Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST

Arkansas

(Part 2 of 2) In today’s Hollywood the writer is king. Many of today’s hottest movies and TV shows are based on IPs (Intellectual Properties)—aka your published works. NY Times Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars, Rot & Ruin, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Joe Ledger) discusses how to break in; options; becoming Executive Producers; crafting a pitch-deck; dealing with studio execs; and much more. This is the true insiders’ perspective on moving your work from print to screen.

Speakers

Jonathan Maberry

Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Arkansas

Skills Day

9:00pm MST

Gaming and Social

Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm MST

Arkansas

Game Time!

Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm MST
Arkansas

Special Event

10:15am MST

Better Cash Management: A Hands On Workshop for Authors — with M&Ms!

Thursday February 6, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MST

Arkansas

Most business owners manage spending based on their bank account balance—but that approach often leads to missed tax payments, unplanned expenses, and a lack of profitability. In this interactive workshop, you’ll participate in a hands-on cash management simulation using M&Ms. See how typical businesses operate, discover why it leads to financial stress, and learn a better system for managing your money with clarity and confidence.

Speakers

Seth C. Norris

Norris CPA LLC

Seth Norris is a CPA with over 12 years of experience in public accounting, serving as a bank CFO, and running his own virtual tax and accounting firm. Married to an author, Seth has a deep understanding of the unique challenges creatives face, making him a trusted financial partner... Read More →

Thursday February 6, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MST
Arkansas

Session

11:30am MST

The Pitfalls of Literary Contracts

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MST

Arkansas

Understanding what to look for in a literary contract is vitally important to writers at all levels. This class focuses on some of the most common pitfalls that an excited writer can overlook with potentially damaging consequences. A keen eye for contracts will save you time and heartache - this class is a perfect way to start.

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 →

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MST
Arkansas

Session

2:00pm MST

Anatomy of a Deal

Thursday February 6, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST

Arkansas

The long awaited call (or email) has come and an editor is sending an offer to buy your book. All publishing houses have a standard 8 or 9 deal terms that will be included in that initial offer.

Speakers

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 →

Thursday February 6, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST
Arkansas

Session

3:15pm MST

Practical Computer Security for Authors

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MST

Arkansas

Black hats hack, white hats secure things, and what you can do to when you're in the middle.

Speakers

JT Evans

J.T. Evans writes fantasy and urban fantasy novels. He’ll dabble with sci-fi and horror in short form as well. He is the former president of the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group and Pikes Peak Writers. When not writing, he secures computers at the Day Job, and plays way too... Read More →

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MST
Arkansas

Session

4:30pm MST

Reversion 101

Thursday February 6, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm MST

Arkansas

What to make sure your reversion clause says so you can revert painlessly... and how to navigate dealing with the contracts department and/or the boss man/woman who does not want to release the book if you don't have the right reversion clause.

Speakers

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 →

Thursday February 6, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm MST
Arkansas

Session

8:30pm MST

First Pages Party

Thursday February 6, 2025 8:30pm - 10:00pm MST

Arkansas

First Pages Party with Chris Manderville and Todd Fahnestock

Speakers

Chris Mandeville

Chris Mandeville is an unrepentant coffee drinker, night owl, and binge writer. She’s been teaching writing workshops for 15+ years, and loves to attend reader/writer events alongside her service dog, Oski. Her publications include nonfiction for writers, as well as short and novel-length... Read More →

Todd Fahnestock

Todd Fahnestock is an award-winning, #1 bestselling author of fantasy for all ages and winner of the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age Award. He is a founder of Eldros Legacy—a multi-author, shared-world mega-epic fantasy series—three-time winner of the Colorado... Read More →

Thursday February 6, 2025 8:30pm - 10:00pm MST
Arkansas

Special Event

8:45am MST

Legacy Planning: The Literary Side

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

Arkansas

You have a successful story, novel, series, universe: does it all fade to black after you pass away? What do you want to happen, and how do you make it happen?

Speakers

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 8:45am - 9:45am MST
Arkansas

Session

10:00am MST

Copyrights 101

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

Arkansas

An intro to why authors need to be aware of how to manage their own copyrights, even if they have an agent or publisher.

Speakers

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.

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

Session

11:15am MST

Tax Myths Costing Authors Money

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

Arkansas

There’s a lot of bad tax advice floating around, and following it could mean leaving money on the table—or worse, committing tax fraud without realizing it. In this session, we’ll tackle common misconceptions about tax deductions for authors, clarify what’s truly deductible, and explore strategies to maximize savings while staying compliant. Learn how to keep more of what you earn—legally and effectively.

Speakers

Seth C. Norris

Norris CPA LLC

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

Session

1:45pm MST

International Rights 101

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

Arkansas

An introduction to international rights — what they are, pros & cons to reserving or granting those rights, the role of international book fairs, and how authors can best make decisions to manage these rights, even if they have an agent or publisher.

Speakers

Kristin Nelson

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

Session

3:00pm MST

Creating Calm Waters and Navigating Personal Finance with Ease

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

Arkansas

Discover essential financial strategies to stop bailing water and instead ride the winds of success when they arrive.

Speakers

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 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Arkansas

Session

8:45am MST

Book Cover Trends

Saturday February 8, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST

Arkansas

What's trending in book covers today? Our panel of illustrators and book cover artists talk shop and design.

Speakers

Jake Clark

I make badass art for badass stories. Full of grit and storytelling, my work is geared to capture attention. Using 3-d modeling software combined with digital painting and other assets, my fully custom creations play with perspective and scale in a way few other covers do.

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 →

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 →

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 →

Saturday February 8, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST
Arkansas

Panel

10:00am MST

Thrillers: Keeping Readers on the Edge of Their Seats

Saturday February 8, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST

Arkansas

Our panel of authors talks about how to build stories with fast-paced action and heart-stopping twists and turns to keep thriller readers coming back for more.

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 →

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 →

Troy Lambert

Troy is the author of over 30 novels, including the critically acclaimed Max Boucher series and the Capital Murders Series, along with several others, including the audio-first shorts, the Solitaire Series. He’s also a ghostwriter and the author of several non-fiction books, includng... Read More →

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.

Saturday February 8, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Arkansas

Panel

11:15am MST

The Genesis of Creation: Where We Get Our Ideas

Saturday February 8, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST

Arkansas

Ideas are all around us, if we know how to see them.

Speakers

JT Evans

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.

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 →

David Weber

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... Read More →

Saturday February 8, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST
Arkansas

Panel

1:45pm MST

AMA: Working with Your Author or Voice Talent

Saturday February 8, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST

Arkansas

Narrator and voice actor Ray Porter has narrated many of bestselling author Jonathan Maberry's stories. Ask them anything about their work or their collaboration!

Speakers

Jonathan Maberry

Ray Porter

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... Read More →

Saturday February 8, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST
Arkansas

Panel

3:00pm MST

A Modern Approach to Collaboration

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST

Arkansas

We've heard often about the many ways authors can collaborate all the way from working in the same house to penpals across an ocean. In this class, join the Plot Geeks as we dig into tools and methods for collaboration that you might not have used before. Our case study features Troy Lambert, a mystery and thriller expert, and CJ Anaya, the queen of romance, coming together to cowrite a thriller romance that combines their skills and authorial voices across two states! They'll talk about plotting, deadlines, software, and building a following by updating their progress weekly on YouTube! Have there been challenges? You betcha! They'll talk about those too!

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 →

Troy Lambert

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Arkansas

Panel

4:15pm MST

Tips from the Editors

Saturday February 8, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm MST

Arkansas

Join in the discussion with professional editors for updates in the industry, dos and don’ts, and insights into the business.

Moderators

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 →

Speakers

Amy Cowan

Amy Cowan, a seasoned professional with nearly a decade of experience in publishing, excels in acquisitions, editing, and financial intricacies. Presently the Publisher at Young Dragons, an imprint of Roan & Weatherford Publishing Associates, she spearheads Children’s and Middle... Read More →

Mia Kleve

MRK'd Up Editing

Mia has been an avid reader since she was a kid, starting with science fiction and fantasy, but soon moving into detective fiction. She’s one of those people who always has a book. She started as a proofreader, but soon moved into line, copy, and developmental editing. She has... 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 →

Adriel Wiggins

Adriel Wiggins provides a variety of services to authors from continuity editing and audiobook proofing to virtual assistant tasks and organizing your business. Find out more at AdrielWiggins.com

Saturday February 8, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm MST
Arkansas

Panel