Dating back to the dawn of moveable type, Christians have always been leaders in spreading book content around the world. Since the Reformation, Christians have been on a mission to get Christian truth into the hands of everyday people. Now, in an age of unprecedented market, ideological, and theological challenges, we steward the same legacy. Join us for two days to hear from world leading experts, as we consider where we have been in the industry, where we are now, and where we are headed. Sign up to attend, sign up your teams, and send your best editorial professionals to consider together how we can bring these ideas to bear on acquiring great content, developing great content, and engaging the discourse in a manner that is both savvy and pleasing to God.
Author, pastor,
and speaker
Session 1
Every book begins with a great idea. And often those great ideas are generated, and cultivated, far away from the doors of a publishing company. By the time a great idea becomes a great book proposal, and a book proposal becomes an email attachment from their literary agent, editors enjoy a sacred stewardship and enter into the creative process. How can we become trustworthy stewards of great ideas that belong to others?
President, Ethics & Religious Liberty
Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
Session 2
The world is changing rapidly, though the gospel is not. So the strangeness of the gospel is becoming ever more apparent. As evangelical Christian publishers, how is the ground shifting beneath our feet? In what ways might we be more surefooted than ever?
Editorial Director, Baker Books
and creator of Book Proposal Academy
Back by popular demand!
Session 3
One of the biggest challenges acquiring editors face is acquiring the books they’re most passionate about. Few experiences are more deflating than investing a lot of time, emotion, and energy into a project only to see it land with a different house. We can’t win every project, but what can we do to improve our chances? In this session you’ll learn over twenty practical tips including how to transfer your enthusiasm to your colleagues, a simple way to maximize the effectiveness of a book proposal, what to do when an author has a small platform, a stress-reducing framework for presenting your books to your team, and much more.
Marketing Manager,
B&H Academic and Word Search/LifeWay,
speaker, and author
Session 4
Without curiosity an editor cannot develop great content. We wouldn't know how to interact with the world around us—politics, media, art, entertainment, science, and so much more simply fly past or overwhelm us. Without curiosity we could never discover deep things, deep connections God tucked below the banal surface of life, and between the lines of text we develop. How can we become more curious?
Writer, speaker,
and artist
Session 5
Some say the American context is changing. Others are saying Americans, by virtue of increased connection to one another, and therefore coming into closer proximity with the world, are becoming more aware. Regardless, the world has a lot to process. Join this conversation about the importance of listening to new—whether they are truly new, or just new to you—narratives, in order to intersect with the world in a helpful, neighbor-loving way.
Dean of the School of Theology & Missions
and Professor of Theological Studies,
Union University
Session 6
The greatest innovation in our industry was not social media or desktop publishing. The most significant player in the history of our field was not a megachurch pastor or a publishing executive. The greatest movement of Christian history did not occur in the past 100 years. In order to properly frame the current state of the industry, we must look back to the dawn of the age of moveable type, Johannes Gutenberg, Martin Luther, and the Reformation of the sixteenth century.
Literary agent,
Wolgemuth & Associates
Session 7
Undoubtedly, the role of literary agents in publishing is something every editor will encounter at some point. Editors and agents, when they work together, have the ability to take front list successes to become back list classics. But myths and misconceptions confront authors and publishers who enter Christian publishing regarding the value agents can bring. What is the true value of agenting in the world of Christian publishing?
Trade Books Publisher,
B&H Publishing Group
We thank the following companies for their support of the industry and this event:
For more information on sponsoring this event, contact [email protected]