GET READY FOR TORONTO, OCT 18-19

GET THE FULL EFFECT

KANSAS CITY

AUG. 9 - 11

Why come just for the Summit? We've got a whole weekend of exciting and educational events planned!

  • HUGE EDUCATION!

    Expert Speakers

  • PITCH MEETINGS!

    Incredible Opportunities

  • NETWORKING!

    Meet Other Authors

THE MAIN EVENT

CATCH FOUR INCREDIBLE SEMINARS
PLUS CHOOSE TWO IN-DEPTH WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 9:00AM - 5:00PM

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: 

ADAM WALLACE, NYT BESTSELLING Author

ABOUT ADAM: 

Adam Wallace is a New York Times Bestselling author of titles such as How to Catch a Unicorn, How to Catch a Yeti and others. After over 500 rejections and going through every type of publishing, Adam now writes full time and enjoys afternoon naps most days.


Adam has sold over 7 million books, visited 500 schools and libraries, 800 markets and festivals, and taken more naps after all of that!

SEMINAR: JOURNEY TO OVER 7,000,000 COPIES SOLD

Join Adam Wallace as he takes you on his journey from self-publishing, to hybrid publishing, flat fee publishing and finally traditional publishing, from over 500 rejections to new York Times Bestseller lists. 


Adam will cover the pros and cons and ins and outs of all of this, things he has done that have worked, things he has done that have failed dismally, and everything in between!


Adam will also briefly talk about school visits, different ways you can generate income from your books, and also his philosophies on writing in general, and writing for children in particular.

JASON WANG

Executive director, private wealth & investments

ABOUT JASON:

Jason is  an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley's Private Wealth department, specializing in guiding  entrepreneurs grow and preserve their business and wealth. 


Prior to his role in Morgan Stanley, Jason was in Citigroup where he managed a book of over 1 billion dollars with clients in different industries. 


SEMINAR: RAISING FUNDS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS 

This is a Summit first! Part game show, part presentation, Jason will lead a lively, engaging and hugely educational session to help you level up your pitches to potential investors and find new ways to raise funds in order to grow your publishing business. 


Wrapped in what's sure to be the first of many sessions in our "BookTank" format, Jason will hear real pitches from indie authors from our audience, scrutinizing their pitches and using them as actual examples to showcase what to do and not do when going out to generate investor interest. He'll also be providing expert advice on how to best use the funds you raise in the most beneficial ways for reaching publishing success. 


Crystal Swain-Bates

Author & Entreprenuer 

ABOUT CRYSTAL:

As the founder and CEO of Goldest Karat Publishing, Crystal has sold over half a million books, earning her recognition as a leader in HER field.


Her groundbreaking work has been featured in a range of media outlets, from Forbes and CNN to Essence, as well as in nationally televised Amazon commercials and on popular television shows.


SEMINAR: FROM MANUSCRIPT TO MARKETPLACE

Everyone has a story to tell - each and every one of us has a story inside us that's waiting to get out; But only a few will commit that story to paper and create a manuscript from it. It's a big commitment and a high hurdle to overcome.

And of those talented few who prepare their story to become a book, only a fraction will turn their books into a brand and create a product that is ready for the mass market. Crystal will give you an in-depth look at how to bring a successful book to the public, market it properly, and sell it at scale. \

For profit-focused authors, this will be a enlightening and motivational session that you're not going to want to miss!


VINCENT PEPPE

MEDIA LAW ATTORNEY

ABOUT VINCENT:

Vincent is a media and technology attorney, representing authors, publishers, literary estates, and more. 


He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and Brooklyn Law School and is the recipient of the ASCAP Nathan Burkan Award for excellence in copyright law.  


SEMINAR: PROTECTING YOUR BOOKS AND BRAND

Your story is your own. It's personal, it's important, it's something that you've brought to life and very likely have a strong emotional connection to. So it's not surprising that one of the biggest fears authors have is their stories being stolen by someone else. 

Legally protecting your IP (intellectual property) may be more complicated than you think. If you don't fully understand it, you could be leaving yourself vulnerable to having your creative stolen right out from under you. This highly important session will give you the knowledge you need to properly protect your story, your characters and your brand.


WORKSHOP ONE

CHOOSE EITHER: 

BROOKE VITALLE

Bestselling Author & Professional Editor

WORKSHOP

Crafting, Writing and Editing a Successful Story

SERENA LI 

Entrepreneur and Sales Expert

WORKSHOP

Mastering Sales Funnels to Sell to Retail Stores 

WORKSHOP TWO

CHOOSE EITHER: 

CLAY ANDERSON

Bestselling Author & Professional Editor

WORKSHOP

Cover Design, Typography and Formatting to Increase Sales

JED DOHERTY

Bestselling Author & Professional Editor

WORKSHOP

Media Training: Increasing Your PR and Pitching the Media with Confidence

THE PITCH MEETINGS

YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PITCH YOUR BOOKS & INCREASE SALES
SCHEDULE YOUR 5-MINUTE PITCH MEETING
SATURDAY, AUG. 10 9:00AM - 5:00PM

MARTY FLANAGAN

President of APG Sales and Distribution

PITCH MEETING

APG is one of the country's largest book distributor. If they decide to represent you, it can open new doors at Barnes & Noble, Target and other retails, as well as schools, libraries and other buyers, taking your business to warp speed!

YOBE QIU

Entrepreneur 

PITCH MEETING

Want your titles included in school book fairs across the country? Yobe's expanding network of schools is a great way to reach anxious young readers, their teachers and their parents. Pitch her your books for possible inclu

THE WELCOME EVENT

NETWORK WITH YOUR FELLOW AUTHORS
LIVELY "ASK AN INDIE AUTHOR ANYTHING" SESSION
FIRST DRINK IS ON US, ALONG WITH LITE BITES  
FRIDAY, AUG. 9, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

Jay Miletsky

Author, entrepreneur 

ABOUT JAY:

After writing 12 business books for large, traditional publishers, Jay switched gears and jumped into the children's book market as an indie author. Six years later, he has sold over 500,000 units, and still growing. 


Jay also owns the IAPC, helping hundreds of other authors publish their books, and...oh! He also runs these Summits! 

WELCOME EVENT: NETWORKING AND Q&A SESSION

The Welcome Event has proven to be one of the most fun parts of the Summit weekend. For a couple of hours, we'll have a lounge to ourselves where everyone can casually mingle and network with their fellow authors and get to know other success-minded storytellers. 

Along with this, Summit host and indie author, Jay Miletsky, will lead a spirited (and some times raucous!) "Ask an Indie Author Anything" session, where he'll take any and all questions related to his successful publishing journey. 

Oh, and don't worry about being too sober - the first mug of beer or glass of wine is on us, along with an array of light appetizers.

THE BRUNCH EVENT

ONE FINAL, INCREDIBLE PRESENTATION
DELICIOUS, GOURIMET BRUNCH BUFFET & DRINKS  
SUNDAY, AUG. 11, 10:00AM - 12:00PM

Stephen Michael

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & VP OF AUDIO, WOLF ENTERTAINMENT

ABOUT STEPHEN:

Stephen plays a crucial part in driving the expansion of Wolf Entertainment's podcasting division, managing both the operations and development of an increasingly diverse array of original fiction and true-crime audio series. He operates from the company’s Los Angeles offices.


His background includes producing content for Gizmodo Media and as an exec. producer at Bare Knuckle Media.

BRUNCH EVENT: TAKING YOUR BOOK TO HOLLYWOOD!

Wolf Entertainment is celebrated for its exceptional storytelling across television and digital platforms. The company’s portfolio includes the iconic "Law & Order" franchise, among other successful series such as the "One Chicago" and "FBI" trilogies. As Stephen brings Wolf into the podcasting market, and seeks out children's titles for consideration, he'll share with you the most important and valuable aspects of books that producers look for. This exclusive session will you an inside track for launching your stories into media beyonf printed books!

At the same time, you'll enjoy an expansive, gourmet brunch buffet from some of Kansas City's finest chefs, and have you last opportunity to socialize and network with Summit presenters and other indie authors as we round out our whirlwind weekend and close out our fourth summit in spectacular fashion!

WHAT ATTENDEES SAY ABOUT PAST SUMMITS

"I've spent over a decade attending conferences with the SCBWI, the IBPA, and other organizations. The ones put on by the IAPC are my favorite by far! Sign up if you haven't already. These will be the most informative and actionable programs you can attend."

- Katy Otey, Author

"I attended the Nashville Summit and I can tell you that it completely revolutionized the way I approach my book writing business!"

- Cheryl More Johnson, Author

"The IAPC Nashville conference altered the course of my author career for the better. Invest in yourself... sign up!"

- Nocola Williams, Author

"I attended the summit for the first time & what a treat to hear the best of the best in our industry speak on how they started to where they are today was encouraging to say the least. All the speakers were great but a few stood out to me that really makes you think...I highly recommend if you can’t travel to attend they offer live online as well."

- JoAnn Dickinson, Author

"Boy oh boy did I learn a lot!! Thank you so very much! I’ve met new friends because of this summit experience."

- Tricia Stone-Shumaker, Author

"Cannot say enough great things about this Summit. From the presentations and the workshops, to finding new friends who are on this same journey with me...the Summit added so much value to my self-publishing experience. Game changer!"

- Nicole Burton, Author

"I echo everyone's sentiments - the summit was packed with good content and good people! Can't wait for next year!

- Ariane Mendez Erickson, Author

"Man oh man… can we talk about how AMAZING the Summit was? This is the first conference I’ve attended where I left feeling inspired, ready to take action and also full of new knowledge! Kudos Jay Miletsky and team. VERY well done"

- Yvette Manns, Author

"Amazing Summit Jay Miletsky! Great speakers, and lots of takeaways! Thanks to all organizers and all the hard work!"

- KeKe Lee, Author

"Thanks again for organizing the event. It was the fist conference I’ve been to where I was actually able to pay attention all day! 😂 Valuable info! Great speakers!"

- Margy Locke, Author

"Yay! I really enjoyed it! I’m sure it was not easy throwing a large event like this. Big kudos to you Jay Miletsky and everyone who made it happen. It was very inspiring and invigorating!"

- Katrina Liu, Author

"I’m an aspiring author, no further than a few words on paper, and attended virtually but found this summit more helpful than I could have imagined! I really got so much from this."

- Wendy Ward, Author

"The Summit was awesome from the virtual perspective! We were glued to the computer screen, enjoyed every speaker thoroughly and made lots of virtual attendee friends. What a warm and wonderful set of people all around! And we are all linked by the love of writing! How great is that! Looking forward to the next summit! "

- Linda Calabro, Author

"What an amazing experience! I arrived feeling I was possibly out of my wheelhouse and shouldn’t be there and left educated, inspired, and ready to rock n roll. Thank you!!!!"

- Lauren Rush Boden, Author