THE ATLANTA SELF-PUBLISHING CONFERENCE 2026
March 28, 2026
Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center
Atlanta, GA
Schedule of Events
Writing can be a lonely business. But it doesn't have to be. Self-published authors achieve the greatest success when we lift one another up.
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The ASPC offers multiple opportunities to grow through both learning and connections. Below you will not only find a full schedule of educational presentations but also multiple opportunities for connecting with other self-published authors.
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Before the conference we'll give you the opportunity to use our Editor Connection where you will be paired with book professionals for a free sample edit of your current manuscript, and you can use our Professional Connection to have 1-on-1 virtual meetings with cover designers, audiobook producers, and other professionals who can assist you. We'll also invite you to pre-conference virtual events, which will provide the basics of self-publishing. And you'll receive author education e-mails from the time of registration up until the conference with valuable information on writing and publishing.
During the event, you will have a chance to meet many of the authors who are speaking at the event and purchase signed books as well as meet vendors who offer services to self-published authors.
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From the beginning of our day with coffee and conversations, to the vendor area, and our full day of presentations, the ASPC provides ample opportunities for development.
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Learn how to make the most of ASPC with these tips from Kindlepreneur.
$139.00 PRICING FOR ATLANTA WRITERS CLUB MEMBERS and $199 FOR NON-MEMBERS, WHICH INCLUDES ONE YEAR OF AWC MEMBERSHIP. PRICING INCREASES ON NOVEMBER 1, 2025.
DEADLINE TO REGISTER ONLINE: MARCH 27, 2026 at 8:00 PM EST. Walkups at the conference will be welcome (cash or card only, no checks will be accepted).
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No refunds after MARCH 1, 2026.
Included with your registration for the full day of educational talks and networking on March 28, 2026:
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Free sample edit of your manuscript sample
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Free virtual one-on-one meetings about the professional book-related services you're interested in
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Free pre-conference webinars on Self-Publishing 101 topics (file requirements, uploading to Amazon and Ingram, keyword selection, etc.)
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Free ebooks (how to outline, a guide to self-revisions, more)
THE ASPC 2026 LIVE EVENT SCHEDULE
Coffee & Conversations
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Are you an early bird? Do you love coffee as much as we do? Come early to meet and network with other self-published or aspiring authors and start building your own authors' network of support.
Genre Goldilocks: Finding the Sweet Spot Between Passion and Profit
9:00 am - 9:45 am
Are you writing what you love but barely selling copies? Or chasing hot genres that drain your creative soul and still don't pay the bills? Most indie authors get trapped in this painful either/or dilemma. In this eye-opening session, you'll discover the "Genre Goldilocks" method for finding that profitable sweet spot where your natural passions align with hungry reader markets.​
Presented by Brandon Massey, award-winning author
Building an Audience with Free Books
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Free books can make you more money! Giving your books away at no cost may seem counterintuitive for building a successful author career, but that is not always the case. In this talk Lauren Connolly will discuss multiple methods centered around free books that she has used to grow a robust, diverse audience of readers that act as the foundation of her full-time novel writing job.
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Presented by Lauren Connolly, 2025 Georgia Author of the Year for Romance
Put Your Best Face (and Voice) Forward—Building a Brand as an Author
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Forget just a headshot and a tagline. Your brand is how you show up: your voice, your look, your vibe—online and off. You’ll learn the must-have elements of a strong brand, the biggest mistakes to avoid, and why quality audio/video gear matters more than you think (plus what to buy on any budget). You’ll leave with clear, simple steps to upgrade your brand and stand out in a crowded market—starting the moment the session ends.
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Presented by Michael La Ronn, author of 100+ books and YouTube sensation
Lunch on Your Own
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Making Money by Telling Stories: the Financial Side of Running an Author Business
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
Have you published a book that struggled to make back the money you invested in it? Have you hit a wall in finding ways to make profit with a book you’ve written? Do you agonize over what business expenses are worth the cost and which are not? This presentation aims to help with all these questions. Michael will talk through what you can do to ensure you’re making the most you can from every sale. He will talk about profit leaks in your business you might not even notice that eat away at your take-home profit.
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Presented by Michael Webb, bestselling author with books in three languages
The Long Game: How I Turned One Book into 1,400+ Reviews
2:30 pm - 3:15 pm
Want to rack up 1,400+ reviews without a viral moment or blowing your budget? Eliza did it with Unexpected Forever in under two years—and she’ll break down exactly how for you. No gimmicks, no groveling. Just smart, strategic moves: writing a trope-forward, market-aligned story; building buzz with genre influencers (big and small); and running lean Facebook ads with a consistent, pre-release plan. If you’re an indie author ready to stop winging it and start building a sustainable, review-generating system, this session will show you how to make your book the one readers have to talk about.
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Presented by Eliza Peake, bestselling author
Building a Writing Career That Fits Your Life
3:30 pm - 4:15 pm
DL White has been publishing indie Black romance for over a decade, not with viral gimmicks or secret formulas, but with a deep commitment to craft, community, and consistency. She'll share what it takes to build an author career when you're doing most of it yourself—without a huge team, a massive ad budget, or the luxury of writing full-time. This isn't a "here's how to blow up overnight" talk. It's a "here's how to still be here five years from now" blueprint for authors with real-life constraints.
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Presented by DL White, prolific author for more than a decade
THE ASPC 2026 PRE-CONFERENCE VIRTUAL EVENTS
All webinar recordings by Tenesha Curtis, author and creator of Writerwerx University, will be available for unlimited
viewings, and Tenesha will offer "office hours" when she'll be available to answer your questions:
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New Author Bootcamp: Self-Publishing 101
“Self-Publishing 101” provides a broad, low-intensity overview of the self-publishing process. This session will benefit new writers who are considering publishing their work independently by giving them a preview of what to expect as they complete the planning, writing, editing, designing, promotion, and publication processes for their work.
Key points:
· The differences between indie, vanity/”hybrid”, and traditional publishing.
· The benefits of indie publishing.
· How to stay safe from vanity/”hybrid” publishers.
· Book planning.
· Completing a manuscript.
· Editing a manuscript.
· Designing book files.
· Promoting a book.
· Publishing independently.
New Author Bootcamp: How to Plan a Book
“How to Plan a Book” goes over the things to consider and actions to take before starting to write a manuscript. This workshop invites writers to bring their current book ideas (notes, sketches, opening line, etc.) so that they can begin a more formal book planning process during the session if they choose to do so.
Key points:
· How planning makes publishing faster, cheaper, and more profitable.
· Book premise creation.
· The Five Ps of Premise Prep applied to fiction, self-help, and memoir
· Crafting a book premise.
· Creating a 3-point outline.
· Creating a 9-point outline.
· Creating detailed outlines.
· Promoting books during the planning stage.
New Author Bootcamp: How to Write a Book
“How to Write a Book” covers what it takes to see a manuscript through to ‘The End.’
Key points:
· Defining “Done.”
· Word count as a measurement strategy.
· Beat-by-beat writing.
· Methods for prioritizing writing.
· Writing tools.
· Writer support.
· Promoting books during the writing stage.
New Author Bootcamp: How to Edit a Book
In “How to Edit a Book,” student-authors will learn about the various forms of self-revision and professional editing processes that exist so that they can choose the ones that work best for their budget and book development goals.
Key points:
· Self-revisions
· Critique groups.
· Recruiting volunteers.
· Alpha readers.
· Hiring editorial professionals.
· Manuscript evaluations.
· Developmental editing.
· Sensitivity reading.
· Beta readers.
· Line editing.
· Copyediting.
· Proofreading.
· Promoting books during the editing stage.
New Author Bootcamp: How to Publish a Book
“How to Publish a Book” goes over the core steps of uploading a book to a publishing platform such as Kindle Direct Publishing, Draft2Digital, or IngramSpark.
Key points:
· Cover design.
· Book design.
· Preparing a book for sale and distribution.
· Proofreading.
· ARC reviewers.
· Editorial reviewers.
· Promotion preparation.
· Discounts and bonuses.
· Step-by-step walkthrough of the file upload process in KDP.
$139.00 PRICING FOR ATLANTA WRITERS CLUB MEMBERS AND $199 FOR NON-MEMBERS, WHICH INCLUDES ONE YEAR OF AWC MEMBERSHIP.
DEADLINE TO REGISTER ONLINE: MARCH 27, 2026 at 8:00 PM EST. Walkups at the conference will be welcome based on availability (cash or card only, no checks will be accepted).
​
No refunds after MARCH 1, 2026.
Included with your registration for the full day of educational talks and networking on March 28, 2026:
-
Free sample edit of your manuscript sample
-
Free virtual one-on-one meetings about the professional book-related services you're interested in
-
Free pre-conference webinars on Self-Publishing 101 topics (file requirements, uploading to Amazon and Ingram, keyword selection, etc.)
-
Free ebooks (how to outline, a guide to self-revisions, more)
The ASPC is proud to share with our attendees an opportunity to connect with vendors who support self-published authors.
