The Christy Award Art of Writing Conference

November 6, 2026 | 12:00–5:00 PM

Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel
Nashville, Tennessee

ADD-ON | BEYOND THE BOOK: GET TO KNOW THE AUTHORS RECEPTION | 10 am
Network with the authors at this morning event! Sign up on the registration form.

Grow your craft. Deepen your insight. Connect with the heartbeat of Christian storytelling at The Christy Award Art of Writing Conference—a focused, high-impact afternoon designed for writers, storytellers, and publishing professionals.

A Conference with Purpose: Curated by Laura Wheeler, Senior Acquisitions Editor at Thomas Nelson Fiction / HarperCollins Christian Publishing, this year’s conference brings together industry expertise and practical guidance in one information-packed experience. Through four thoughtfully designed sessions, attendees will explore key “pulse points” shaping today’s Christian fiction landscape—equipping you with the tools, perspective, and inspiration needed to move your writing and publishing journey forward.

Who Should Attend? Aspiring and established authors - Storytellers seeking to refine their craft - Publishing professionals and industry insiders - Anyone passionate about the future of Christian fiction

Join Us: Whether you’re developing your first manuscript or navigating the evolving publishing world, this conference offers meaningful insights and valuable connections.

Session One:

State of the Industry: What's Changing, What's Selling, and What You Can Do About It

Panel moderated by Laura Wheeler

The Christian fiction marketplace is shifting—and the authors who thrive will be the ones who understand why. This panel of publishing professionals opens with a data-driven look at the current state of Christian publishing, drawing on the latest market research to map what's actually moving books today. From there, the conversation gets practical: how platform sales really work, what authors can do to actively support their books, and why audio is the format no one can afford to ignore. Whether you're traditionally published or exploring indie paths, you'll leave with a clearer picture of the industry landscape and concrete next steps for your own author education.

Laura Wheeler

Laura Wheeler is the senior acquisitions editor of Thomas Nelson Fiction, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. With over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry, she specializes in editing fiction across a wide range of genres—including romance, Southern fiction, women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction—helping authors bring compelling stories to readers. Laura lives in Louisville with her husband, two children, and one very good canine boy. Outside of work, she is happiest baking French pastries, playing nerdy board games, sharing laughs over a meal with friends, and (of course) getting lost in an excellent novel.

Session Two:

AI and the Christian Author: Ethics, Opportunity, and a Rapidly Changing Landscape

Panel moderated by Jeff Crosby, ECPA President

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the publishing landscape faster than anyone predicted—and for many authors, it's raising as many questions as it eyebrows. This panel brings together diverse industry voices to cut through the noise with clarity and hard-won wisdom. What can AI legitimately help you do? Where are the ethical lines—and why do they keep moving? What do you need to know to protect yourself legally and act with integrity as a creative? This session is about being informed, staying anchored in your values, and navigating a fast-changing landscape with wisdom.

Jeff Crosby

Jeff Crosby is the president of ECPA and an organizational leader and writer who has spent more than four decades working in the world of words and ideas through roles in bookselling and book publishing. He is the author of "The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts" (Broadleaf, 2023), "World of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading" (Paraclete Press, 2025), and the editor and compiler of "Days of Grace Through the Year" (IVP, 2007), a collection of meditations drawn from the work of bestselling author Lewis B. Smedes. He is currently at work on "The Spirit in the Sky: Popular Music and the Search for Transcendence" (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2026). His previous written work has appeared in numerous publications including CRUX, Conversations Journal, Living Lutheran Magazine, Urban Faith, Books & Culture, Christian Retailing, Publishers Weekly, Together (UK) and ExploreFaith.org.

Session Three:

Soul of the Writer, Heart of the Story: Writing Fiction That Reaches Every Reader

Panel moderated by Laura Wheeler

The metrics are loud. The algorithms are relentless. And somewhere in the middle of it all, there's a writer trying to create something that actually matters. This session begins with the writer and asks what it takes to stay spiritually and creatively whole in an industry that never stops measuring. From that foundation, the conversation moves into craft: how do you write fiction that carries deep conviction without losing readers who don't share your faith? What's the difference between a story that illuminates and one that lectures? How do you make those choices at the level of character, scene, and structure? This is a session for authors who believe their stories are for something—and want to write them in a way that proves it.

Laura Wheeler

Session Four:

Fix That Manuscript: Inside the Author-Editor Relationship

What actually happens when an editor gets their hands on your manuscript—and how do the best author-editor partnerships improve the work without making it smaller? This Q&A session pulls back the curtain on the editorial process with real manuscript pages, real edits, and a real conversation between an author and editor who have done this work together. You'll learn the difference between different levels of editing and walk away with a clearer understanding of what to expect—and how to get the most—from your editorial relationships.

We thank the following organizations for their promotional support: