How StoryBrand Inspires Publishers and Writers

Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and every year helps more than 3,000 leaders clarify their message. Combined, Don's books have spent more than a year on the New York Times bestsellers list. His books include: Blue Like Jazz, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and Scary Close. Don is widely considered one of the most entertaining and informative speakers in the world. His audiences are challenged to lean into their own story, creatively develop and execute the story of their team, and understand the story of their customers so they can serve them with passion. Don's thoughts on story have deeply influenced leaders and teams for Pantene, Ford/Lincoln, Zaxby's, Chick-fil-A, Steelcase, Intel, Prime Lending and thousands more.

About Donald Miller

Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and every year helps more than 3,000 business leaders clarify their brand message. Combined, Don's books have spent more than a year on the New York Times Bestsellers list. His books include: Blue Like Jazz, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and Scary Close. Don is widely considered one of the most entertaining and informative speakers in the world. His audiences are challenged to lean into their own story, creatively develop and execute the story of their team, and understand the story of their customers so they can serve them with passion. Don's thoughts on story have deeply influenced leaders and teams for Pantene, Ford/Lincoln, Zaxby's, Chick-fil-A, Steelcase, Intel, Prime Lending and thousands more.

Mythbusters: Publishing Edition

With all the confusing—and sometimes conflicting—advice about writing careers and publishing, it’s sometimes hard to know what to believe. We’ve polled editorial and marketing staff at large and small Christian publishing companies to get their thoughts on ten common questions submitted by authors at all points in their career. This session will take you through the data and sort myth from fact, along with a detailed handout breaking down information about everything from publisher etiquette to sales trends to the future of the genre as a whole.

About Amy Green

Amy Green has been the Senior Fiction Publicist at Bethany House Publishers since 2013. Her typical day might involve planning book tours, handling media requests, interacting with reviewers, answering author questions about marketing, and other tasks designed to introduce readers to great books. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Professional Writing and was excited to find a job with a publisher whose books she’s loved since childhood. You can find her running Bethany House’s social media and blogging every Thursday at bethanyfiction.com—feel free to stop by and comment anytime!

Learning from the Masters

Have you ever wondered how to make your stories stand out or develop the “fresh and original” voice editors are always looking for? Sometimes to create something new, you have to return to something old. This session will give practical tips to contemporary writers by examining classical fiction, answering questions like, “What about these timeless characters captured our imagination?” and “How did these authors weave beautiful redemptive truths into their writing so seamlessly?” By joining with the great Christian creatives who have gone before us, authors can add depth to their stories and celebrate where Christian fiction is going next.

About Sarah Arthur

Sarah Arthur is the author of over twelve books ranging from bestselling devotionals to critical engagement with literature. Her most recent release is A Light So Lovely (Zondervan, August 7, 2018), a spiritual memoir of Madeline L’Engle. A graduate of Wheaton College and Duke University Divinity School, she's a founding board member of the annual C.S. Lewis Festival and served as writer-in-residence for the Frederick Buechner Writers Workshop at Princeton Theological Seminary. She's also the preliminary fiction judge for the Christianity Today Book Awards, through which she grades on a L’Engle-inspired curve. She can't wait till her two little boys are old enough to be read aloud A Wrinkle in Time.

Difficult Topics, Happily Ever After and Hope

This panel of authors will share their thoughts on how to connect effectively with today’s reader. Are there any topics that turn audiences away? How do you deal with negative feedback from readers…or editors? What are the best ways to include spiritual truth without seeming heavy-handed or preachy? Our panel of experts will give specific, practical advice from their varying perspectives.

About Jerry Jenkins

Jerry B. Jenkins is the author of more than 195 books with over 70 million copies sold. Most known as the writer of the Left Behind series, he has had 21 titles reach the New York Times bestseller list, 7 debuting at number one. His writing has appeared in TIME, Reader’s Digest, Parade, Guideposts, Writer’s Digest, and dozens of other magazines. Jerry has written biographies with Hank Aaron, Walter Payton, Nolan Ryan, Bill Gaither, and many others. He also assisted Billy Graham with his autobiography, Just As I Am, which Jerry considers “the privilege of a lifetime.” Jerry teaches writing through his Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild at JerryJenkins.com.

About Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano is the RITA® award-winning author of Five Days in Skye and London Tides as well as the Celtic fantasy series The Song of Seare (as C. E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.

About Charles Martin

Charles Martin is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of 13 novels. He and his wife, Christy, live in Jacksonville, Florida. Learn more about him at charlesmartinbooks.com. Facebook: Author.Charles.Martin Twitter: @storiedcareer

About Joanne Bischof

Joanne Bischof writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. Her 2016 novel, The Lady and the Lionheart, received an extraordinary 5 Star TOP PICK! from Romantic Times Book Reviews and was the recipient of the 2017 Christy Award, Carol Award, and INSPY Award for Historical Romance. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her three children and is currently working on a new two-book series for Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins Christian (releasing 2018). You can find her online at www.joannebischof.com.