Conferences are a great place to pick up tips about the writing craft and marketing. In the past twelve years, I've spoken at dozens of conferences across the country. If you're interested in having me speak or getting references, please e-mail me or use my contact page. You’ll find that I'm a cheap date and a lot of fun!

Here are some presentations I've done in the past

Getting Published

• Lights! Camera! Your Book Proposal
• Publishing 101: How It All Works, and Where You Fit In
• Embrace your Inner Editor

Memoir Writing

• Ethics in Memoir Writing
• Your Life as a Story: Memoir Writing 101
• How to Write a Memoir that Someone Other than Your Mom Will Want to Read: Using Storytelling Principles to Strengthen Your Work and Broaden Your Audience

Novel Writing

• Three Cs of Fiction Writing: Character, Conflict, and Construction
• Fabulous Openings! How to Keep Them Reading Past the First Page
• Your Manuscript: Build It Right!
• Revision: Tips for Diving Into the Wreck
• Building Your Story: Your Blueprint to a Successful Book

Marketing Your Work

• Finding Your Readers Where They Live
• How to Build Better Query Letters and Book Proposals
• Baiting Your Hook (Or, Why You Have to Do the Editors’ Job for Them)
• In the Beginning: Marketing Yourself and Your Work—on the Internet and Everywhere Else
• Was It Something I Said? Ten Things that Make Editors Cringe – and What to Say Instead

Non-Fiction Book Writing

• Book Modeling: If You Write It, Will They Come?
• Nonfiction: The Long Stuff (or Finding Your Sweet Spot)

Getting Started

• YES: Answering the Call to a Writing Ministry
• The Sending Forth: Where in the World Will God Take Your Words?

Magazine Article Writing

• Feature Writing: What Works!
• Personality Profiles and Narrative Nonfiction (or, How in the World Can I Dig Deep in 1,000 Words or Less?)
• Getting Your Articles Published (or, Where in the World Do I Sell It?)
• Writing How-to Articles (or, The How to How-to Workshop)
• Writing Self-Help Articles (or, The Lord Helps Those Who…)
• Nonfiction: The Short Stuff

Self-Publishing

• Hitting the Mark with Sales and Media Kits: How to make your materials work for you in seeking prepublication reviews and articles
• Self-Publishing Secrets Revealed: Selecting a Printer, Finding a Distributor, and Selling Your Book

Devotional Writing

• Inspiring Readers in 175 Words or Less: Writing Devotionals

I am always happy to create something new for your conference... and to participate in manuscript evaluations.