In her most recent role at Simon & Schuster, Mara was Publisher of Simon Pulse and Aladdin Books managing a large high performing team and over saw everything from the day-to-day operations, drove business development and provided strategy for long term growth. At OR/M, Mara led the Publishing team, managed and grew the catalog of titles and the partnerships on which OR/M first began. She also worked with Business Development to identify publishers to add to the Ignition program.

Former college professor, Dr. Eddie Gamarra now consults selling stories and building brands. He was VP, Literary Affairs at Nickelodeon & Awesomeness. Also a Literary Manager/Producer at The Gotham Group representing screenwriters, directors, animators, authors, illustrators, & publishers. Clients included NYT best-selling storytellers as well as Oscar, Emmy, Annie, Caldecott, Newbery, & Geisel winners/nominees. As Executive Producer, he worked on The Maze Runner trilogy which grossed almost $1 Billion dollars. He also EP'd Jerry Spinelli's iconic Stargirl for Disney+ and Henry Selick's Wendell & Wild with Jordan Peele for Netflix. Education: BA, Vassar; MA, NYU/Tisch; MA/PhD, Emory.

Lindsay Jones is the CEO and one of the co-founders of DropCap, a global rights marketplace for independent authors that’s revolutionizing the way agents and editors discover exceptional books. Having spent ten years in self-publishing operations, Lindsay saw first-hand how many opportunities were closed to authors that had independently published their books. She co-founded DropCap in 2018 with the mission of helping indie authors reach a global audience through foreign rights licensing.

Mindock is an award-winning author of six poetry collections, two translations into Romanian and Serbian, and three chapbooks. Her poems have been published and translated into twelve languages. Publications include: Ibbetson, Gargoyle, The James Dickey Review, Growth: Journal of Literature, Culture, & Art (Macedonia), Unlikely Stories, Lily Poetry Review, KGB Lit to name a few.
Gloria was the Poet Laureate in Somerville, MA in 2017 & 2018.

Meg has been part of the book manufacturing industry for 27 years. During that time, she has worn many hats including roles in marketing/sales, production management, prepress, print production, advertising, creative direction, and book cover design.

Meg enjoys guiding authors and publishers of all sizes through the intricacies of the printing process to produce a beautifully printed finished product.

Amy Rivers is an award-winning novelist, as well as the Director of Writing Heights Writers Association. Her psychological suspense novels incorporate important social issues with a focus on the complexities of human behavior. Amy was raised in New Mexico and now lives in Colorado with her husband and children. Amy now has over 90,000 instagram followers.

Becky Parker Geist is the Founder and CEO of Pro Audio Voices, a Portland-based company serving clients internationally. They typically work with rights-holders who may feel challenged in navigating the unknowns of audiobook & podcast production, distribution and marketing, helping them create an exceptional audio experience, get it out there and reach more people, all while staying in control.



In 2023, Pro Audio Voices launched AMPlify Audiobooks—The Equitable Audiobook Platform—a game-changer in the industry. AMPlify Audiobooks provides authors with the high royalties and control they deserve but that other platforms fail to deliver. It also gives audiobook listeners a way to significantly increase their impact with their purchasing dollars and to connect with the creators.



Becky has been serving as the President of Bay Area Independent Publishers Association for about ten years. She hosts the podcast Audiobook Connection – Behind the Scenes with the Creative Teams, which has over 225 episodes. She’s also authored 5 published books, the most recent being her first novel: The Left Turn: Two Lives Worlds Apart, first in the Split Universe Series.

Jarred Weisfeld started his career as a Production Assistant for Vh1, where he pitched and sold a show to rap sensation Ol' Dirty Bastard and subsequently became ODB's manager. From there he created and produced television shows for Vh1, MTV, Spike TV and Nickelodeon. Recently Jarred has served as Executive Producer on "Gone Too Soon" which was seen in over 50 Countries, "Charlie Sheen: Hollywood Blackbook," and "Chasing Gaga as well as The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story ." Jarred currently serves as CEO of Objective Entertainment, a full service literary agency. Jarred is currently the President of Start Publishing, a publisher of high quality titles in a variety of niches; including science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, and advice how to. Mr. Weisfeld has overseen the acquisition of over eight publishing companies. Start now has a backlist of over 6,000 titles and is distributed by Simon and Schuster.

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is the Chief Content Officer for LibraryPass, and former publisher & marketing director for Writer’s Digest. Previously, he was also project lead for the Panorama Project; director, content strategy & audience development for Library Journal & School Library Journal; and founding director of programming & business development for Digital Book World.

Executive Director of the Audio Publishers Association;
Publisher of AudioFile magazine; Executive Director of PubWest;
and a Publisher of her own audio book business

Her specialties include audiobooks, audio publishing industry, library market, digital strategy, marketing, and podcasts.

How does audio affect print book sales?, what are the trends? Best practices & selling to specific markets.

Warren Frazier joined the firm in 1992. His primary focus is on fiction, but he has an interest in particular areas of nonfiction including technology, history, world affairs and foreign policy. He is the agent for Joyce Carol Oates, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller THE ACCURSED; Adam Johnson, author of New York Times bestseller THE ORPHAN MASTER’S SON and winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in fiction; Jess Walter, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller BEAUTIFUL RUINS; Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler, author of THE STAR OF ISTANBUL; G. Willow Wilson, author of ALIF THE UNSEEN, finalist for the Flaherty-Dunnan Prize for First Fiction; and Frederik Logevall, author of EMBERS OF WAR: The Fall Of An Empire and the Making Of America’s Vietnam, winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in history. He is a graduate of Princeton University and a father of two young children.

Host of Small Business Digest and is heard regularly commenting on politics nationally on national news shows. Has founded author groups who do not charge members. His latest book is Ruler of the Seas from Brick Tower Press; he co-authored seminal book on marketing to small business, The Janus Principle, Focusing Your Company On Selling To Small Business. Earlier in his career, he won a National Press Club award for best consumer story as leader of Income Opportunities magazine which was owned by Essence Communications. He has previous senior management and editorial experience with Thomson-Reuters, McGraw-Hill and Informatics in both the editorial and marketing functions. He holds BA, MA and MBA degrees from New York University.

Olczak manages the marketing and is the publisher for the Independent Press Award and the NYC Big Book Award magazine. Olczak is a career-long publishing professional, and earned his Master's Degree in Marketing Management in Book and Magazine Publishing from New York University.   
Olczak started in the 90's working with book & magazine publishing, and has personally worked with thousands of books, and hundreds of publishers and authors on how to position their book and create successful marketing plans including: Penguin Random House; Simon & Schuster; Readers Digest; Scholastic; Inner Traditions; Macmillan; St. Martin's Press; Weldon Owen; Workman; Chelsea Green; Abbeville (art books); American Express Publishing; Berrett-Koehler (Nonfiction); Charlesbridge (childrens); Chronicle Books; SOHO Publishing (Crime/Mystery); Candlewick (childrens); Dark Horse Comics; Harvard Business Press; Journalstone (Horror); Kensington Books (Young Adult/ Romance); Microcosm Publishing; New Harbinger (Psychology/Mental Health); North Atlantic Books (MBS/Cook/lifestyle); Sterling (Publishing arm of Barnes & Noble); Parragon; Osprey (Military); Vertical Inc. (Manga/Lit); Oceanview (Mystery);  Viz Media (Manga); etc.

Kate Orsini is a popular American actress and writer, and now screenwriter and consultant. The lady is known for her appearance in “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “Reality Queen!”. Kate bubbly and fun personality is just the beginning. Authors! Would your book be a killer film? Why pay someone else to write what you know best? Material Girl offers a unique consulting experience in page-to-screen adaptations. We actually read your novel first. We become experts on your voice. Then, through a series of check-ins, we help you nail screenplay structure, visual storytelling, and dialogue for film; to ensure that your content makes its transition from page to screen in your voice- and on your terms.

Jessica Powers is publisher of Catalyst Press (www.catalystpress.org), an independent traditional and hybrid publisher with three imprints--Catalyst, Flare, and Powers Squared. An award-winning author of 9 books for children and young adults, a freelance editor, and professor of writing in UTEP's MFA program,

Trelstad empowers authors and publishing-related businesses to thrive in the ever-evolving world of books.

Lee Woodman, known as an award-winning public radio producer at the Library of Congress, and a film and multimedia producer at the Smithsonian Institution, Woodman has used the power of words and images to educate and enlighten broad audiences.

Book marketing consultant and author coach. I spent 5 years at HarperCollins helping authors promote their books and build their brand. I've worked on hundreds of book launches, including multiple New York Times bestsellers, spanning across multiple nonfiction and fiction genres.

​I understand the complexities of the publishing industry and thrive in creating unique strategies for authors to promote their books.

With his popular 2016 US presidential run as a science candidate, bestselling book The Transhumanist Wager, and speeches at institutions like the World Bank, BMW World, and the United Kingdom’s Parliament, Zoltan Istvan has spearheaded the effort to transform transhumanism into a thriving worldwide phenomenon. He is often cited as one of the leaders of the radical science movement.

Zoltan began his career at National Geographic, covering conflict zones. He writes on technology, ethics, and AI issues for media like The New York Times and Newsweek. He is also the original author of the now crowdsourced Transhumanist Bill of Rights, which was published in Wired magazine.

He has philosophy degrees from Columbia University and the University of Oxford.

Before founding the innovative Book Bale, Shahid Mahmud built a strong foundation in finance and publishing. He pursued a successful career in investment banking, specializing in fixed income and derivatives. As Senior Investment Officer for the City of San Diego, Shahid managed a $4 billion portfolio, implemented an active management strategy, and introduced the City’s first-ever options program. In recognition of his contributions, November 7, 2005, was declared "Shahid Mahmud Day" in San Diego by the acting mayor. In 2006, he shifted his focus to his passion for books, founding Arc Manor, a respected science fiction and fantasy publisher that has worked with esteemed authors like Nancy Kress, Katherine Kerr, Harry Turtledove, and Robert A. Heinlein. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to create Book Bale, a community-driven eBook platform offering affordable access to books and connecting readers with authors through exclusive events while guaranteeing at least 60% of membership fees are distributed to member authors and publishers.

Spreading the Word – Writing Companion Pieces

Your book has just been released, or is scheduled for publication and it needs friends who will help tell your story. Companion pieces such as essays or reported articles, are good friends. They can amplify your book and message. The more material out there in different publications covering a range of topics, the more you’ll generate interest in your book. Nail down the themes, and submit to the big-name publications, or venues with specific audiences.

Morgan Baker’s memoir, Emptying the Nest: Getting Better at Goodbyes is about reinventing yourself, learning how to handle loss, and emerging from depression. She has written companion pieces for Modern Dog, Grown & Flown, The Bucket, Boston Parents’ Paper, and more. She teaches at Emerson College (and on Zoom). She is also the managing editor of The Bucket.

50 year veteran in shipping books. had written and re-written the rules of logistics, especially during the Covid years that turned the shipping industry upside down. Freight forwarding expert for publishers and printers globally.

I have worked in book publishing, public relations, and marketing for three decades, having helped thousands of authors, from first-time, self-published writers to New York Times best-selling authors, including Dr. Ruth, Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Mark Victor Hansen, and Comedian George Wallace. A published author and an award-winning blogger, I have spoken before Book Expo America and numerous writers conferences, including ASJA, IBPA, Thrillerfest, Romantic Times, Cape Cod's Willamette Writers Conference and Sarah Lawrence Writers Institute . The Writer, IBPA's The Independent, and other industry publications have published my articles on book marketing. I love and passionately respect the written word and hold free speech to be our most cherished right . Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I lived in South Florida for seven early adult years, but now reside in Westchester. I love books, dogs, kids, chocolate, the movies, and the Mets...in that order. Check out my site at https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/

Brian Jud is an author, book-marketing consultant, speaker, seminar leader, television host and president of Premium Book Company that sells books to non-bookstore buyers on a non-returnable, commission basis.

Brian is the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books (Without Worrying About Returns) This is the ultimate do-it-yourself guide to selling your books to non-bookstore buyers in large quantities, with no returns. He also wrote Beyond the Bookstore (a Publishers Weekly® book), a primer on non-bookstore marketing.

Brian has also written and published five titles on career transition that are distributed internationally. He is a prolific writer of articles about book publishing and marketing. He is the author of the eight e-booklets with Proven Tips for Publishing Success and the contributing editor to the monthly newsletters, Book Marketing Matters, The Sales Informer, The Authority and Bound to Sell.

Returned to The NY Times Media Group to manage the book category of advertising in all Times properties (Book Review, the Daily, Magazine, e-newsletters, podcasts, etc.)
Recipient of the Chairman's Sales Excellence Award 2013

Co-Chair of multiple Employee Resource group working on diversity and inclusion since 2012

Roku TV platform/ SelectBooks
Platform program on Roku TV for access on multiple streaming services, an Independent Press Publisher with national distribution; provides expert authors with a hybrid / partner publisher model.

Strong marketing professional skilled in Copywriting, Web Content Writing, Publicity, Proofreading, and Editing.