The Real Scoop on Successful Independent Publishing
July 20, 2024

• What should you look for in a cover designer and an editor?
• What's the difference between KDP and IngramSpark, a short-run digital printer, and an offset printer?
• What is a hybrid publisher?
• What is an author platform, and do you need one?
• What social media platform should you be on?

and more!

Our panel of speakers will include

Leif Beiley grew up surfing and sailing in Southern California, turning his passion for the sea into a successful career as a yacht designer and builder. He has spent years racing and cruising aboard his boats, logging thousands of miles at sea and visiting many countries. His novel, Voyage to Crusoe, was inspired by some of the wild situations and interesting characters he has encountered in his travels. You can follow him on his blog, www.cruisingboatdesigns.blogspot.com, and his website, www.leifbeiley.com.

Sharon Goldinger, owner of PeopleSpeak, is a book shepherd, editor, and publishing and marketing consultant specializing in nonfiction books. With an eye for detail, she leads authors and publishers through the often-complicated publishing process (writing, editing, design, printing, marketing, and distribution). She uses her business, marketing, and editorial experience to help produce exceptional, award-winning books. She also consults with authors and publishers on business strategies, marketing plans, and author platforms. She was “The Answer Lady” for Joel Friedlander’s TheBookDesigner.com blog. She is one of the founding members of the Publishers Association of Los Angeles. For more information, visit her website: www.peoplespeakservices.com.

Sharmyn McGraw is both an author and an artist. She has been painting and making art since she could hold a crayon. She holds a degree in the field of Interior Design. Throughout Southern California, she painted wall murals in children’s rooms and nurseries for many years. She launched her line of hand-painted furniture for children in 1990, showcasing her own animated characters and other beloved children’s characters. Sharmyn ventured into book cover design with AI-generated art a couple of years ago and takes pleasure in the collaborative process of bringing clients’ stories to life. Visit www.sharmynmcgraw.com for more information.

Pamela Sheppard has been selling into the publishing marketplace for decades with Big 5 trade publishers and an array of over 40 medium and small publishers. Adapting to an ever-changing publishing world has been the key to selling those lists of over 1,000 titles a year. A market-smart consultant and developmental editor, she uses the instincts she’s developed for recognizing what the marketplace wants and needs, for identifying competition, and for targeting trends—exactly what writers need to position their books to optimize potential sales. Pam shares her knowledge to help writers communicate and build visibility in a marketplace that is always changing. For more information, please visit www.pamsheppardedits.com.

Dr. Pat Spencer has a lifetime of experience publishing fiction and nonfiction. Her historical fiction novel, Golden Boxty in the Frypan, is published with Pen It Publications. Pat also indie-published A Baker’s Dozen for Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling and Story of a Stolen Girl, an international thriller. Her literary fiction trilogy, Sticks in a Bundle, is prepared for publication. Pat’s short story, A Healing Place, won the 2019 Oceanside Literary Festival. Other short stories and articles are published in online literary magazines and blogs. Pat formerly authored columns in the Press-Enterprise newspaper and Inland Empire Magazine. For more information, visit www.patspencer.net.