2020 FAPA Conference Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Author Steve Berry
Steve Berry will be the Keynote Speaker at this year’s FAPA Annual Conference in Orlando. Steve is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of 20 novels. His books have been translated into 41 languages with 25,000,000 copies sold in 52 countries.
Website: SteveBerry.org
Brenda Spalding
Award-winning Author & Publisher at Heritage Publishing US
1:00 – 2:15 PM – Friday
Choice for the Independent author
Website: www.heritagepublishingus.com
Michael L. Joy
Literary Agent, Author, & Storyteller
1:00 – 2:15 PM – Friday
Catching an agent’s attention 101
Michael L Joy is a graduate of the Stonecoast MFA Creative Writing program and a board member of the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, where he is the co-chair of their annual mystery writing conference, SleuthFest. (SleuthFest.com). He is a professor of English, musician and recovering programmer living in Southwest Florida.
Website: https://www.theseymouragency.com
Tieshena Davis
Best-selling Author and Publisher
2:30 – 3:45 PM – Friday
Think Like a Bookpreneur: Ways to Monetize Your Book Beyond Traditional Sales.
She was recently awarded 2017 Medical Moguls Academy “Faculty of the Year”, honored as Prince George’s County Maryland Top Forty Under 40, and recognized by Examiner.com as “ 2015 Best of the Best in Publishing.
Tieshena’s advice has been featured in The Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Publishers Weekly, Forbes.com and other numerous media outlets. She is a graduate of Yale University’s Book Publishing Executive Program and an active member of the Independent Book Publishers Association.
Website: www.publishyourgift.com
Brian Jud
Author, Book-Marketing Consultant
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM – Friday
How to Sell More Books More Profitably (with no returns)
Brian Jud is the Executive Director of APSS formerly SPAN. He is also the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books. Brian offers commission-based sales of books to buyers in non-bookstore markets.
Website: www.bookapss.org
Chris Gibson
Best-selling Author & YouTube creator
4:00 – 5:15 PM – Friday
Social Media for Authors 101 (Beginners)
Chris lends his experience in publishing and marketing expertise to his clients. Having self-published several of his own bestselling books and creating the businesses that supported them, he is able to create publishing and book launch plans that get his clients the rare top-ranking positions in market places such as iTunes and Amazon.
As well as his early background as an Executive Vice President of Marketing for several Fortune 100 companies, he is also an internationally-known and respected holistic health and lifestyle expert with four bestselling books on effective alternative healing: Acne Free in 3 Days (1,000,000+ copies sold). Chris is a sought-after expert in the self-publishing and e-publishing market and has been regularly featured on television and radio where he shares his direct experiences helping people live healthier lives. He currently has a very successful presence on YouTube and other social media platforms.
Website: www.youtube.com/chrisgibsonlive and chrisgibsonlive.com
Pierre Alex Jeanty
International Best-selling Author & Social Media Influencer
4:00 – 5:15 PM – Friday
Haitian-born Pierre Alex Jeanty, the author of HER., Ashes of Her Love and HIM, is an international best-selling author, publisher, and author consultant/educator who is dedicated to helping people find direction in their relationships through his poetry and inspirational books, as well as helping other authors and publishers thrive in both the writing and online branding industries. His dedication spans free resources for authors, online courses, mentoring programs, and one-on-one consulting.
Pierre became a full-time author in December 2014, launched Jeanius Publishing, LLC in 2016, and created a marketing agency dedicated to helping authors thrive in the self-publishing world in 2020. He is a Facebook marketing expert and influencer on several social media platforms.
Website: pierrejeanty.com
Eddie Price
Award-winning author
8:45 AM – 10:45 AM – Saturday
Take It to Your Readers
Eddie Price is an international award-winning author of historical novels, illustrated children’s books, and a sports history book. A retired history teacher from Kentucky, Price is now in high demand as a speaker/ presenter/ performer. He represents the Kentucky Humanities Council Chautauqua program and Speakers Bureau, performing at numerous historical sites in the United States, Canada, and England. These events provide the perfect platform for selling his books. “Widder’s Landing” and “One Drop–A Slave!” have garnered tens of thousands of readers, and have sold at frontier reenactments, historic encampments, pioneer festivals and national celebrations in state and national parks, historical and genealogical societies, arts councils and museums. His children’s programs with their safety themes are popular in elementary schools throughout several states. Eddie and his wife, Mary live in Hancock County Kentucky. He has two daughters, Sheena and Breanne.
Website: www.eddiepricekentuckyauthor.com
Lorna Owens
Member of the FL Bar Entertainment Section & International Public Speaker
10:15 AM – 11:30 AM – Saturday
Common Legal Issues for Authors and Publishers
Jamaica-born Lorna Owens is a graduate of the University of Florida School of Law and has operated her own law practice since 1993, practicing in the area of criminal law and entertainment law. She has represented major clients in negotiating management contracts, distribution deals, recording contracts, performance contracts, and advised them on advertising and marketing.
Website: LornaOwens.com
April O’Leary
Founder of O’Leary Publishing & Host of the I’m Booked Podcast
Increase Your Sales with Three Simple Book Launch Strategies
April O’Leary is the Founder of O’Leary Publishing and the author of six books. She is committed to creating books that exceed the industry standards for her aspiring authors. Because of her knowledge of the industry trends, and her team of seasoned professionals, their titles frequently achieve top rankings on Amazon. She a member of the Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA) and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and is a judge for their national Benjamin Franklin book awards contest. She is also the host of the I’m Booked podcast.
Website: www.olearypublishing.com
Julia S. Demkowski, MBA, CMC
Founder of the Boot Camp Series – Fitness for Your Business
Success by Design: How to plan for or grow a successful business in the publishing industry.
Julia is a leading business expert and founder of the Boot Camp Series – Fitness for your Business. Her 30 years of professional experience includes strategic planning, financial and business analysis, organizational development, and executive coaching. She helps business owners and executives discover the fastest path to Productivity, Efficiency, and Profits.
She combines her MBA and over 30 years of professional experience to teach business owners and executives to develop and implement strategies for improved performance, growth, and profitability. She also is a trusted adviser to companies seeking effective strategies to streamline business operations, control cost, eliminate waste, and successfully manage by objectives.
Julia currently serves as a Director, Institute of Management Consultants USA and is Chapter Treasurer and past Program Chair for IMC National Capitol Region (IMC NCR).
Website: www.stanfordmc.com