Workshops and Sessions of Interest to Every Author and Publisher
FAPAcom2022, the annual conference of the Florida Authors and Publishers Association, is scheduled for July 29-30 at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace hotel in Orlando. A hotel group rate discount is available for FAPA members.
Attendees can choose from six 75-minute workshops on Friday afternoon—some for beginners to the publishing industry and some for those who are more experienced. Friday’s workshops will deal with podcasting, cover design and social media.
Saturday’s sessions will feature four topics: Getting into Bookstores, Writing Query Letters and Synopses, Print on Demand, and Illustrations. Sponsors and vendors will be available to answer questions about their products and services.
Craig Pittman, author and environmental journalist, will be the keynote speaker.
Friday evening will feature a networking session on The Veranda at the hotel.
Saturday evening will see the President’s Book Awards ceremony with gold, silver, and bronze medals going to more than 80 authors from across the country.
To register, see the schedule, and make hotel reservations visit https://myfapa.org/fapacon/
FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022
Workshop
1:00 PM – 2:15 PM
What should I know about Audio Books, Podcasting, Video Streaming, and the
Metaverse to Grow your Audience/Business
Speaker | Rosanna Catalano – Chair of The Florida Bar Governmental and Public Policy Advocacy Committee for lawyer lobbyists.
Storytelling and credibility are incredibly important to any author. Audio Books, Podcasting and internet video shows are three mediums that can be used to create a narrative, showcase subject matter expertise, and promote your book. In this session, you will learn why audio books, podcasts and videos are an important marketing tool for your business/brand, what you should consider when using these mediums, and how to get started. You will also learn what the metaverse is, why you should care, and how to position yourself to be ready for it.
Workshop
1:00 PM – 2:15 PM
Starting a Podcast for Authors
Speaker | April O’leary – Author, Publisher and Podcast Host
Podcasting today is one of the best marketing tools every author should have in their toolbox. But how? In this presentation, April O’Leary, Publisher/Author/Podcast Host, will share the ins and outs of publishing a podcast to grow your readership and your influence.
Workshop
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Social Media Marketing 101 For Authors
Speaker | Chris Gibson – Best-selling Author & YouTube Creator
Social Media Marketing 101 – How to leverage all social media platforms This session will be an interactive session to give authors real time experience with all social media platforms. The workshop is to help authors decide the best platform for their work, and apply new social media skills and technology to expand their reach to increase book sales.
Workshop
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Author Brand – It’s All About You
Speaker | Rod Martinez – Author and Speaker
As an author, whether you are self-published or picked up by a traditional publisher, the art of becoming a “brand” is a new one. How do you put your “product (you + your book)” out there for the hungry reading masses? Facebook? Twitter? Billboard sign? “Author Brand” is a comprehensive presentation with tried and true methods including vendors and craft lessons on how and where to find shortcuts to help lower the cost of putting your best foot forward and getting your brand seen.
Workshop
4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Book Formatting A to Z
Speaker | Ginger Marks – Author, Illustrator and Publisher
In this session we will embark on a journey from manuscript to publish ready interior files. You’ll walk away knowing the difference between each format and why you need multiple book formats instead of just one, what tools are available, and what you need, as well as in what order. At the end of this workshop, the participants will be enabled to format their own book in their format of choice.
Workshop
4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Typography: An Overlooked Factor in Book Design
Speaker | John Prince – Author, Graphic Artist and Publisher
Using graphic examples, we will quickly review the basics of typography and then focus intently on using the gender, personality, readability, and visual aspects of type/fonts to overcome and enhance the communication challenges in publishing. The session will concentrate on print and digital media and how each has differing typographic requirements for the designer. Takeaways will include a digital copy of the ebook, “What Type Are You?’ as well as session notes and graphics.
Networking and Reception at the Veranda
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Join us Friday evening for the unofficial kick-off to FAPACON 2022!
Meet new friends, or reconnect with old ones! Have a drink (or don’t), order food (or don’t), but definitely DO come to network and enjoy friends.
SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2022
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
Welcome
Renee Garrison, FAPA President
Featured Session
8:45 AM – 10:00 AM
Airport Stores, Book Stores, Chains: What it Takes to Get on the Shelves
Speaker | Keri-Rae Barnum – Executive Director
What shelves do you want to see your book sitting on?
Quite often the answer is “Costco,” “Wal-Mart,” “Barnes and Noble,” and “My book would be PERFECT for airport stores.” If this is you, this session will teach you what it really takes to get into the military, airport, and chain stores you covet.
Featured Session
10:15 AM – 11:30 AM
Audiobooks-Giving Voice to Your Volume
Speaker | Tom Flanigan – Radio Newscaster
Tom Flanigan works in the news department of WFSU Public Media in Tallahassee, where he’s been since 2006. His broadcast career, mostly in radio, but also including a bit of television, spans almost 50 years. Much of that was in commercial radio, which resulted in his voicing literally thousands of commercials for local and regional accounts, along with extended presentations for various clients. Many of these involved voice characterizations and projecting multiple personalities. More recently, at the behest of a Tallahassee author friend, Flanigan veered into the intricacies of book narration. It’s an endeavor he hopes to keep pursuing.
Featured Session
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
Keynote Speaker Presentation and Q&A
Keynote Speaker | Craig Pittman – Author and Environmental Journalist
Craig Pittman is a native Floridian. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him “the most destructive force on campus.” Since then he has covered a variety of newspaper beats and quite a few natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires and the Florida Legislature. Since 1998, he has covered environmental issues for Florida’s largest newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times. He has won the Waldo Proffitt Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism in Florida four times, and twice won the top investigative reporting award from the Society of Environmental Journalists.
Featured Session
1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Ripping the Lid Off Book Reviewing
Speaker | Colette Bancroft – Author & Publisher
Colette Bancroft, who’s been a book critic for newspapers for three decades, answers some questions: How are books chosen for review? How many books does a reviewer receive and consider? What can help to get your book reviewed — and what can hurt? How has book reviewing changed in the last decade? The answers might surprise you.
Featured Session
3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
Cover Design Uncovered– Book Cover Design ABC’s and What’s the Right Design for Your Book
Speaker | Mike Woodcock – Illustrator & Graphic Designer
The intent of this session is to discuss the basics of design, graphics and your audience in relation to the cover design of your book. We will discuss graphic design ground rules, successful and not-so-successful book covers and walk-through working with a graphic designer/illustrator to execute a successful cover design. This session will include a discussion with authors Jane R. Wood and Kathryn Knight of their newly released book, titled, “Finding Family Treasure”.
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Conference and Book Awards Celebration (Cash Bar)
Cash Bar with Heavy Hors d’oeuvres served at 5:30 PM.
Photo ops available in front of red carpet banners.
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
2022 FAPA President’s Book Award Ceremony and Presentations
Join us for an exciting evening of celebration of the more than 80 finalists who will be receiving either a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Medal for their books.
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM
2022 Winners’ Reception in the Sunroom
We hope to see you there!
