Speakers

The industry of self-publishing is a delicate balance of both business and craft. As self-published authors, not only do we need to tell a captivating story, but we also need to know how to find and keep readers.

The ASPC brings to you authors to help you unlock the secrets of success in both realms.

LAUREN CONNOLLY
2025 GEORGIA AUTHOR OF THE YEAR FOR ROMANCE

Presenting: Building an Audience with Free Books - How giving your books away can build an audience to support your career

Lauren Connolly is the award-winning—including the 2025 Georgia Author of the Year for Romance—author of contemporary and magical romance stories. She’s lived among mountains, next to lakes, and in imaginary worlds. Lauren can never seem to stay in one place for too long, but trust that wherever she’s residing there is a dog who thinks he’s a troll, twin cats hiding in the couch, and bookshelves bursting with stories written by the authors she loves.

Website - https://www.laurenconnollyromance.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/laurenconnollyromance/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenconnollyromance

HER PRESENTATION:

Building an Audience with Free Books - How giving your books away can build an audience to support your career

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. Whether you’re about to publish your first book or you have a large catalogue, this presentation can help you find fans who will stay with you for years to come!

Audience Takeaways:

Gain a new perspective about the role of free books in your business plan.
Learn multiple audience-building strategies that are concrete and easy to implement.
Discover affordable tools and platforms that support author audience growth.

MICHAEL LA RONN
AUTHOR OF 100+ BOOKS & YOUTUBE SENSATION

Presenting: Put Your Best Face (and Voice) Forward—Building a Brand as an Author

Michael La Ronn has published nearly 100 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He built a writing career publishing while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings. Visit his fiction website at www.michaellaronn.com and his resources for writers at www.authorlevelup.com.

YouTube: www.youtube.com/authorlevelup

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorlevelup

HIS PRESENTATION:

Put Your Best Face (and Voice) Forward—Building a Brand as an Author

"You need to build an author brand." You’ve heard this a thousand times—but where do you even start?

In this engaging session, bestselling author Michael La Ronn breaks it all down—what branding really means for authors today, and how to do it right. 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). Michael shares real stories of how building his brand opened doors, landed opportunities, and grew his readership. You’ll leave with clear, simple steps to upgrade your brand and stand out in a crowded market—starting the moment the session ends.

Audience Takeaways:

Learn the core elements every author brand must have.
Avoid the biggest mistakes that sabotage authors.
Discover why your webcam and mic matter—and the best gear for every budget.

BRANDON MASSEY
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR

Presenting: Genre Goldilocks: Finding the Sweet Spot Between Passion and Profit

Brandon Massey is an award-winning horror and thriller novelist born in Waukegan, Illinois, and raised in Zion, a suburb north of Chicago. He sold his first short story in 1996 to a speculative fiction magazine and self-published his debut novel Thunderland in 1999. After selling several thousand copies independently, Kensington Publishing signed him to a contract and republished the novel in 2002. His works frequently incorporate elements of horror, suspense, and the supernatural, often set in and around Atlanta, Georgia and the Deep South. Massey currently lives with his family near Atlanta, Georgia, and operates his own independent publishing company.

Website: https://www.brandonmassey.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbrandonmassey

HIS PRESENTATION:

Genre Goldilocks: Finding the Sweet Spot Between Passion and Profit

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. You'll walk away with practical research tools, warning signs that you've chosen the wrong niche, and real-world case studies of how small genre pivots can transform struggling authors into consistent earners. Whether you're pre-published and paralyzed by choice or already published but not seeing the sales you deserve, this session will give you the clarity to make genre decisions that fuel both your creativity and income.

Audience Takeaways:

1. Learn the "Genre Goldilocks Formula" - A systematic approach to identify where your

writing passions intersect with profitable market opportunities.
2. Master Market Research - Practical tools and methods to evaluate genre viability while

maintaining your creative excitement and authenticity.
3. Recognize the Red Flags and Green Lights - Clear warning signs when you've chosen the wrong genre, plus indicators that signal you've found your sustainable sweet spot.

ELIZA PEAKE
BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Presenting: The Long Game: How I Turned One Book into 1,400+ Reviews

Eliza Peake is a bestselling author of high heat, emotionally angsty sports romance and dark cowboy romance under another pen name. She runs her own publishing imprint as well as Plot & Profit, where she helps indie authors with plotting their novels as well as the marketing and business side of authorprenuership. You can also find the backlist from her popular podcast “The Misfits Guide to Writing Indie Romance” on Spotify and Apple Music.

Website: https://elizapeake.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizapeakeauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliza.peake.9

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elizapeakeauthor

HER PRESENTATION:

The Long Game: How I Turned One Book into 1,400+ Reviews

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.

Audience Takeaways:

Write for Reviews (Without Selling Your Soul) – How to craft and position a book that naturally earns reviews by aligning with reader expectations, genre trends, and emotional payoff.
Influencer Outreach on Any Budget – How to connect with genre-aligned influencers (even micro ones!) to build buzz before and after launch.
Sustainable Strategy > Burnout – How I used $10/day ads and a consistent pre-launch plan to grow visibility and reviews without burning out.

MICHAEL WEBB
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BOOKS IN 3 LANGUAGES

Presenting: Making Money by Telling Stories: The Financial Side of Running an Author Business

A Kennesaw resident, epic fantasy author Michael Webb spent his school days locally at Harrison High, Georgia Tech, and Berry College. He always enjoyed reading with a passion for fantasy and YA books. It wasn’t until he turned 40 years old that he decided to try his own hand at creative writing.

His debut book, the Last Shadow Knight, published in 2021, and the series has gone on to sell nearly 200,000 copies across English, German, and Italian translations. He enjoys creating stories with adventure, twists, sword fighting, and characters you can root for. Since 2021, he’s published a total of 10 books across 3 series.

Website: https://www.michaelwebbnovels.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwebbnovels

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelwebbnovels

HIS PRESENTATION:
Making Money by Telling Stories: The Financial Side of Running an Author Business

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 explore various ways of making money with your books that you might not have considered. Michael will also talk about profit leaks in your business you might not even notice that eat away at your take-home profit.

Audience Takeaways:

How to maximize your profit with every book sale.
What are “other” avenues to earn money.
Identifying recurring costs that can eat into your author income.

DL WHITE
PROLIFIC AUTHORS FOR MORE THAN A DECADE

Presenting: Building a Writing Career That Fits Your Life

DL White has been publishing indie Black romance for over a decade while maintaining a full-time career. With 20 published novels and a dedicated readership built through consistency rather than viral moments, DL has proven that sustainable success doesn't require quitting your day job or working around the clock. She specializes in practical systems for time-constrained authors and advocates for redefining success in publishing beyond industry hype and unrealistic expectations.

Website: BooksbyDLWhite.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/BooksbyDLWhite
Instagram: Instagram.com/Author_DLWhite
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/booksbydlwhite.com

HER PRESENTATION:

Building a Writing Career That Fits Your Life

In a space where the loudest voices are selling six-figure dreams, this session is for the writer who's still building a writing career brick by brick.

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.

Audience Takeaways:

Master Your Writing System
Learn the exact time-blocking and minimum viable writing habits that let you publish 2+ books per year while working full-time, without sacrificing sleep or sanity.
Build Revenue-Generating Relationships
Discover the specific community-building tactics and reader engagement strategies that create loyal fans and steady sales without becoming a social media content machine.
Design Your Sustainable Success Model
Create a personalized definition of success that aligns with your actual life, energy, and goals, then build systems to achieve it consistently over years, not months.

$119.00 EARLY-BIRD PRICING FOR ATLANTA WRITERS CLUB MEMBERS and $179 FOR NON-MEMBERS, WHICH INCLUDES ONE YEAR OF AWC MEMBERSHIP. PRICE 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).

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)

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