EDITORIAL TRACK 2026


God's Great Big World: Creating A Publishing Community Reflective of the Kingdom


Adrienne chats with Katara about the landscape of publishing as it relates to diversity. What changes and challenges has Adrienne witnessed in her long publishing career? Why is diversity important? How can editors participate in making publishing look more like God's great big world.


Author

Adrienne Ingrum


Adrienne Ingrum is Vice President and Senior Agent at Serendipity, the highly esteemed Black-owned literary agency. In her long career, she held VP editorial positions at Putnam, Crown/Random House, and the book chain Waldenbooks in the 1980s and ‘90s; led the start-up and publishing team for Black Issues Book Review magazine and served as lead consultant in the development of Black Expressions Book Club in the 1990s and early 2000s; then for 20 years, edited and acquired books on progressive spirituality as senior editor at FaithWords/Hachette, Callisto Media and Broadleaf Books. She’s been with Serendipity for two years and loves bringing authors and editors together.

AI: To Use or Not To Use


Editorial and publishing executives share their positive and negative uses of AI. They share how AI has helped their teams and what we all need to watch out for with the new technology.


Author

Christopher Hudson


Christopher Hudson is the author of 100 Names of God (Tyndale), The Most Significant Teachings of the Bible (Zondervan), and Visual Guide to Prayer (Tyndale). He is the President of Peachtree Publishing Services, a company dedicated to protecting and advancing God's Word by serving publishing partners and the body of Christ around the world as a trusted proofreading and editorial partner for Bibles and Bible-related content.

Author

Olivia M. Cloud


Reverend Olivia M. Cloud is a writer, editor, and ordained minister who serves as a managing and associate editor of curriculum for the R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation in Nashville, Tennessee. She has worked extensively in Christian publishing, creating educational content and presenting video Bible study lessons for the organization.

Editing Is a Superpower


Tips and tools for editing in Christian publishing, covering nonfiction, fiction, and children's books. How to work with authors, editors and writers to produce stellar manuscripts.


Author

Margot Starbuck


Margot (rhymes with "Gogo") Starbuck is a New York Times bestselling writer who has written dozens of books and worked with publishers on hundreds of major publishing projects as a writer, editor, and coach. She's a graduate of Westmont College and Princeton Theological Seminary. Margot especially enjoys writing alongside athletes, entertainers, and overcomers. And she specializes in helping writers get published by equipping them to craft winning book proposals and books.

Using Style Guides: CWM and CMOS


Taylor Swift, AI, and Pangrams, Oh My! What’s New in CWMS5


Author

Kim Tanner


Kim Tanner is passionate about the beauty and power of the written word. She is a senior production editor at Zondervan / HarperCollins Christian Publishing, where she has worked for twenty-three years. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Overview of the Acquisitions Landscapes


What are we seeing in acquisitions: trends, challenges, and how to navigate the tough terrain.


Author

Kathy R. Green


Kathy R. Green is a four-time author and conference speaker whose books have led to interviews on the Atlanta Live, TBN, and Daystar television networks. Kathy is also a publishing consultant, writing conference facilitator, and literary agent with Embolden Media Group. She has 15 years of experience in Christian publishing, specializing in nonfiction inspirational works. Kathy’s agent interests are featured in the September/October edition of Writer's Digest’s “Agent Round Up.”

Editorial Roundtable: Ask Anything


Bring your questions, challenges, and ideas to this interactive conversation with experienced editorial leaders. Submit questions in advance or ask them during the session as we continue discussions from earlier sessions and explore the topics that matter most to today's editors. We'll also hear perspectives from editors representing Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and beyond on what each generation wants the others to know about working together in Christian publishing.


Author

Katara Washington Patton


Katara Washington Patton is the newly appointed Publisher of Urban Ministries, Inc. She was formerly the Executive Editor of the VOICES Collection by Our Daily Bread Publishing. Katara is the author of eight books, including her most recent best-selling book Navigating the Blues: Where to Turn When Worry, Anxiety, or Depression Steal Your Hope (Our Daily Bread VOICES 2022). A publishing veteran, Katara has worked in the editorial and acquisitions departments at Weekly Reader Corporation, Jet Magazine, Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI), McGraw-Hill, The African American Pulpit, The Chicago Defender, Tyndale House Publishers, and Christian Century Magazine. In 2014, she was named Nonfiction Editor of the Year by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). Katara graduated summa cum laude from Dillard University (New Orleans, LA), with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and English. She then earned a Master of Journalism in magazine publishing from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (Evanston, IL). She also received a Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL), where she received the outstanding preaching award. Katara is a native of Thibodaux, Louisiana. She and her husband, Derrick, reside on the South Side of Chicago with their teen daughter.

TRACK LEAD


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Katara Washington Patton

Katara Washington Patton is the newly appointed Publisher of Urban Ministries, Inc. She was formerly the Executive Editor of the VOICES Collection by Our Daily Bread Publishing. Katara is the author of eight books, including her most recent best-selling book Navigating the Blues: Where to Turn When Worry, Anxiety, or Depression Steal Your Hope (Our Daily Bread VOICES 2022). A publishing veteran, Katara has worked in the editorial and acquisitions departments at Weekly Reader Corporation, Jet Magazine, Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI), McGraw-Hill, The African American Pulpit, The Chicago Defender, Tyndale House Publishers, and Christian Century Magazine. In 2014, she was named Nonfiction Editor of the Year by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). Katara graduated summa cum laude from Dillard University (New Orleans, LA), with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and English. She then earned a Master of Journalism in magazine publishing from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (Evanston, IL). She also received a Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL), where she received the outstanding preaching award. Katara is a native of Thibodaux, Louisiana. She and her husband, Derrick, reside on the South Side of Chicago with their teen daughter.

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