Program sessions & Schedule
program
Please note the schedule is subject to change. Please check back closer to the conference date for the final schedule.
8:00 am - 9:00 am
REGISTRATION OPENS
NETWORKING BREAKFAST
9:00 am - 10:00 am
OPENING PLENARY
HOW SHE LEADS
Meet the innovators and disruptors, visionary leaders shaping the future of the industry.
PANELISTS:
MODERATOR:
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
COFFEE BREAK
10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
CONCURRENT SESSION
PRESENTER
THE YEAR IN PUBLISHING
What data tells us about key trends, key shifts and what you need to now from the company behind BookScan.
CONCURRENT SESSION
MANAGING YOUR LIST WITH STRATEGY & INTENTION
How to reshape, rebuild, optimize and even overhaul your list to support your career goals
PANELISTS
MODERATOR
CONCURRENT SESSION
ROUNDTABLES SESSION 1
Intimate, peer-led discussions organized by genre and topic. Please note that you must sign up for a roundtable spot in advance via a link you receive upon registration and availability is on a first come, first serve.
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
CONCURRENT SESSION
BEHIND THE BESTSELLER LIST
A provocative and insider discussion of how bestseller lists are compiled, what authors can do to improve their chance of landing on a list, what they signal, and where their influence begins and ends.
MODERATOR
CONCURRENT SESSION
BOOK COVERS
The panel brings together leading voices in cover design, art direction, editorial, and marketing to examine how a cover moves from creative concept to marketplace. Panelists will discuss the visual elements behind exceptional design, how decisions are shaped by genre, audience, positioning, and sales potential, and why some covers connect instantly while others miss the mark. Through real-world examples, the conversation will reveal how creative vision and commercial strategy come together to create a cover that captures attention, communicates the promise of the book, and helps drive discovery and sales.
CONCURRENT SESSION
ROUNDTABLES SESSION 2
Intimate, peer-led discussions organized by genre and topic. Please note that you must sign up for a roundtable spot in advance via a link you receive upon registration and availability is on a first come, first serve.
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
LUNCH
2:00 pm - 2:50 PM
CONCURRENT SESSION
POWER PAIRS: AGENTS & EDITORS ON HOW THEY COLLABORATE TO SHAPE BOOKS THAT WIN
Agent and editor teams share how they collaborated to bring books to market, offering behind-the-scenes insight into decisions that made the difference
CONCURRENT SESSION
WINNING BEFORE PUBLICATION
Learn the factors that go into optimizing a book’s pre-order campaign, laydown and demand before the sale date.
CONCURRENT SESSION
ROUNDTABLES SESSION 3
Intimate, peer-led discussions organized by genre and topic. Please note that you must sign up for a roundtable spot in advance via a link you receive upon registration and availability is on a first come, first serve.
3:00 pm - 3:50 PM
CONCURRENT SESSION
EVERYTHING BUT THE AUCTION
How do you compete for projects without necessarily bidding the highest? The panel addresses options, preempts and other strategies to get the project you really want, particularly when you don’t have an unlimited budget.
MODERATOR
CONCURRENT SESSION
PROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED
4:00 pm - 5:00 PM
CLOSING PLENARY
CLOSING KEYNOTE TO BE ANNOUNCED
5:00 pm - 7:00 PM
RECEPTION