Welcome, writers! Come hear speakers and meet exhibitors from all areas of the publishing world, discuss your own work, and earn rewards while supplies last.

If you're an aspiring writer hoping to be published, then you won't want to miss this free speaker event!    Authors will present and share practical advice from their own writing and publishing journeys. Meet fiction, nonfiction, and children’s authors and publishers at exhibit tables and browse their books. Refreshments will be available.   Sponsored by Friends of the Boca Raton Public Library.   See the speaker and exhibitor schedule below.

Reserve a seat to receive an email reminder, but drop-ins welcome.  

Speakers schedule:

EVAN GRAVER

10:15-10:45 AM

My Knucklehead Journey Through Self-Publishing

Evan Graver walks you through the good, the bad and the glitchy—from editing the rough draft to selling direct.
 He says that if a knucklehead like him can do it, so can you!

Evan Graver is a U.S. Navy veteran and Florida-based author of the Ryan Weller thriller series, the John Phoenix covert-ops series, and the Stuntman novels. He also runs a direct-to-consumer reader experience alongside major retailers and hosts the Plot Recon podcast.

JUDITH LEVY

11-11:30 AM

Confessions of a Best-selling Author

When Judith Levy walked into a major New York publisher’s office with an idea, she’d never written before. Not only did she get the book published, but it rocketed to #2 on the New York Times best-seller list. Hear about Judith’s wild ride and how for her, writing the book was the easiest part of the journey.

Judith Levy is the best-selling author of Grandmother Remembers, which has sold over four million copies, and 12 other books. Her latest is Great-Grandmother Remembers. Formerly a professional singer and news reporter on WPBF in Palm Beach, she won the Media Award for the State of Florida.

BECKA MCKAY

11:45 AM-12:15 PM

Ten Tips for Publishing Your Work in Literary Magazines

Publishing in literary magazines is a great way to flex your literary muscle and make important connections. Becka McKay explains how to find success in this sometimes overwhelming world.

Becka Mara McKay is a poet and translator. She directs the Creative Writing program at Florida Atlantic University, where she is faculty advisor to the student-run literary magazine Swamp Ape Review.

LAURIE FRIEDMAN

1-1:30 PM

Five Steps to Writing a Great Children's Book

Writing a great children’s book is easier when the task is broken down into manageable pieces. Best-selling author Laurie Friedman guides you through the phases of creating truly compelling work.
Laurie Friedman is an author, ghostwriter, lecturer, book coach, and memoirist. She has published or ghostwritten over 300 picture books, easy readers, chapter books, and novels for young readers. Visit www.lauriebfriedman.com.
 

MARIA ELENA ALONSO-SIERRA

1:45-2:15 PM

Stay Sane Marketing Your Work in an Insane Industry

Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra presents her tried-and-true marketing strategies and provides links to sites where she has successfully marketed her own self-published books.

Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra is a Miami-based, award-winning and best-selling author of mystery, intrigue and love, with a twist. She has worked as a dancer, singer, journalist, and teacher of literature.

CHRISTINE BELLERIS, HCI

2:30-3 PM

Book Publishing in the Age of Amazon, Social Media and Short Attention Spans

Book publishing has changed faster than the speed of Wi-Fi. Get an insider’s perspective on how companies make decisions about what to publish—and how shifting consumer tastes and habits inform these choices.

Christine Belleris is the editorial director at Health Communications, Inc. (HCI), a non-fiction book publisher with South Florida roots best known for the original Chicken Soup for the Soul series and the New York Times bestsellers Adult Children of Alcoholics, A Child Called “It” and many more.

NEIL PLAKCY

3:15-3:45 PM

Ethical Uses of AI for Authors

Neil Plakcy is back at the library—with up-to-the minute information on how authors can ethically use AI at all stages of their work, from writer’s block to character descriptions, pitches and beyond.

Neil Plakcy is the award-winning author of more than 70 novels, most recently the Shamus finalist Bless Our Sleep, set in 1968 Miami Beach. He is a retired professor at Broward College. www.mahubooks.com. https://plakcy.substack.com/subscribe

Exhibitors:

Author and Publisher Tables Meet & Greet Schedule

1:00-4:00 PM

Speakers will also be exhibiting at tables at the event including:

MOLLY ROMAN (Alessia's Nest) Archway Publishing

LEON WEISSBERG (A Great Miracle Happened Here) ltwconsultants.com

GATEKEEPER PRESS (Self-publishing company) gatekeeperpress.com