Kick off your conference experience with these 13 virtual classes, held over Zoom from September 7 to October 12, 2023.
Each class will consist of a 1-hour presentation (including time for Q&A). Afterward, anyone who wants to can stay on the call for 20 minutes of networking with fellow class attendees. We will divide up into breakout rooms to introduce ourselves, make friends, and share additional thoughts on the session topic.
We encourage you to look through the class schedule now, pick out the 3–4 sessions that most interest you, mark them on your calendar, and complete the Zoom meeting registration for them.
At the beginning of each week from September 11 to October 9, we will send out a reminder email to all attendees about the classes for that week. If you register for a specific class, we will resend you the meeting link several hours before it starts.
These classes will be recorded, with the recording posted to this page within 2 business days. Recordings will be available to all conference registrants through February 2024.
Program Your Mindset For Success
Monikah Ogando
Time: Thursday, September 7, 6:00–7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Any creator in any field.
Have you ever wondered why we all seem to regularly sabotage our success? Why we trip on the finish line, fall short of our potential, and fail to allow God to fully use us as His instruments? Join us as we explore the psychological processes that get in our way—and show you how to get around the obstacles so you can be a more effective servant of God.
Bio: Dr. Monikah Ogando is CEO/Founder of CEO Mastery, an executive development firm working with leaders who want to elevate brand position, engage their people, and increase profits while honoring their true purpose.
A two-fold TEDx speaker with a finance background and doctorates in psychology and comparative religions, Dr. Monikah is an authority in building sustainable, leveraged, and profitable enterprises. She matches data with dharma, results with relationships and leadership with service.
The ABCs of Freelance Writing: How to Get Started, Land Clients, and Build Your Business
Stacey L. Nash
Time: Saturday, September 9, 10:00–11:20 am Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Beginning freelance writers.
Learn to utilize your research and writing skills to build a consistent income with freelance writing. Get tips on finding your niche(s), setting up your LinkedIn profile, and landing that first client with professional pitches and samples.
Bio: Stacey L. Nash is a freelance writer published on SI.com (Sports Illustrated), PopSci.com, Bobvila.com, Greatist.com, PsychCentral.com, MSN.com, and more. In her eight-year freelance career, she’s done everything from co-authoring a book to ghostwriting policy pieces. She loves the variety freelancing brings and enjoys helping other writers get their start in the business.
Best-Kept Secrets of the LDSPMA Conference
Jeremy Madsen
Time: Tuesday, September 12, 6:00–7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: All LDSPMA conference attendees, especially first-time attendees.
The LDSPMA Conference is more than keynotes and breakout sessions. In this orientation, we’ll give an overview and answer questions about the many “secrets” of the conference this year, including the expanded interactive session offerings, the virtual classes, and the networking opportunities. We’ll also discuss tactics for maximizing your learning, networking effectively, and finding the spiritual side of the conference. If time permits, we’ll cover some behind-the-scenes of the conference production process.
Bio: Jeremy Madsen handles the logistics and operations for LDSPMA and has spent over 300 hours helping to plan each aspect of the 2023 conference. With the rest of his time, he is a husband, father, editor, writer, songwriter, and scholar. Instead of wearing many hats, however, he wears many capes.
When Do I Need to Look for an Editor?
Kyle Lund
Time: Thursday, September 14, 6:00–7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Writers who are preparing to send a manuscript out on submission. This could include both beginner and intermediate writers.
Learn about the writing process and at what point you know that you’re ready to get professional help or send your manuscript off to publishing houses. Each writer has a different path to publication, but there are certain milestones that every writer needs to experience. Learn more about the writing process and which path is best for you, along with tools and resources to help you get there!
Bio: Kyle Lund is the editor-in-chief of Cedar Fort Publishing and Media and oversees the production of 100 books a year. Before that, he worked as an assistant to the editor-in-chief, a freelance editor, a copywriter, a content creator, an ESL teacher, and a high school English teacher. He is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where he studied English, creative writing, and politics.
The Modern Publishing Landscape
Bret Newton with Friesen Press
Time: Saturday, September 16, 11:00 am–12:20 pm Mountain Time
The publishing industry today looks much different than it did a decade ago. In that time, self-publishing has outgrown its longstanding “vanity” stigma and become a viable publishing option for many writers. The traditional publishing industry has also experienced great changes and just isn’t what it used to be, even for those who have found success within the system. This class will advise authors on how to successfully navigate the modern publishing landscape. We’ll discuss the general publishing options of traditional publishing, DIY, and assisted self-publishing—how it all works and the logistics of moving your book from the computer screen to the bookshelf.
Bio: A publishing consultant for over 8 years, Bret brings passion and authenticity to his role as a publishing consultant with FriesenPress. His dedication to seeing his authors succeed has helped over 1,000 authors achieve their dreams of publishing their works. In his spare time, Bret enjoys musical theatre and being out on a lake with his paddle board.
FriesenPress is the world’s only 100% employee-owned publishing services provider. Since 2009, they have helped thousands of authors publish over 8,000 titles. FriesenPress offers professional editing, design, distribution, and promotional support to those seeking to self-publish their books.
Creating a Podcast for a Latter-day Saint Audience
Kurt Francom
Time: Tuesday, September 19, 6:00–7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Intermediate and experienced podcasters
The podcasting industry continues to grow, and more and more Latter-day Saints are tuning in. In this session, you’ll learn how Kurt Francom has found success in reaching a Latter-day Saint audience and connecting them with content they want more of. He’ll answer questions such as, what content fails in the Latter-day Saint market? How do you grow a Latter-day Saint audience? How do you transition an audience into a community?
Bio: Kurt Francom is the founder and executive director of Leading Saints. He manages the day-to-day efforts of Leading Saints and is the host of the podcast. Kurt graduated from the University of Utah in 2008 with a degree in business marketing. He ran a web development company for five years before focusing on Leading Saints full-time. Kurt has helped build the Leading Saints podcast to half a million monthly downloads.
How to Tell If Your Book or Product Idea Will Make Any Money (If You Build It, Will They Come?)
Trina Boice
Time: Friday, September 22, 6:00-7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Beginners
You think your book or product idea is brilliant, but will anyone else agree enough to buy it? In this class, we’ll look at the hard data in the marketplace to determine profitability before you even write the first chapter! You’ll learn how to do keyword research using tools and techniques that help you make your decision about market demand and viability quickly and accurately.
Bio: Dr. Trina Boice is a #1 bestselling author of thirty-one books and was named the California Young Mother of the Year in 2004, an award which completely amuses her four sons. She teaches online for BYU and Arizona College of Nursing, in addition to creating online courses for professional development at LifelongLearningEducation.com. She’s a movie critic at MovieReviewMom.com and has a daily podcast called “Daily Inspirational.”
(Register for the Zoom meeting now to get the meeting link. We’ll resend the link to all Zoom registrants several hours before the event.)
In Defense of Writing Slowly
Katherine Cowley
Time: Tuesday, September 26, 6:00–7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Authors of all experience levels.
Many talented writers teach how to write huge daily word counts, but what if their techniques don’t work for you? Or what if the idea of writing 5,000 to 10,000 words a day leaves you stressed and discouraged, and wondering if you should be a writer at all? This class discusses techniques for writing slowly yet effectively, time management, maintaining forward momentum, staying motivated, and career planning for slower writers.
Bio: Katherine Cowley is the author of three novels, including The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, which won a Praiseworthy Award and was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Katherine loves history, chocolate, and traveling, and she has taught writing classes at Western Michigan University. She lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with her husband and three daughters.
Four Keys to Writing an Inspirational Nonfiction Book
Michelle Wilson
Time: Thursday, September 28, 6:00–7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Beginning and intermediate writers
Do you have something to say but don’t quite know how to say it? Join Michelle Wilson as she shares four keys to writing the inspirational nonfiction book you have inside you and takes you from a powerful concept to a polished product you can be proud of.
Bio: Michelle Wilson is an author of inspirational nonfiction with Deseret Book and Covenant. She is active in the LDS writing community, serving on the LDSPMA, Storymakers, and American Night Writers Association (ANWA) conference committees, as well as sharing light on various platforms such as LDS Living, Deseret Book’s Seek, and The Liahona Magazine. She’s also a wife, mom, and grandmother.
Taming the Inner Perfectionist: Turning a Potential Enemy into Your Ally
Suzy Bills
Time: Tuesday, October 3, 6:00–7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Editors of all skill levels
Session Description: Perfectionist qualities can help you be good at your craft but can also lead to paranoia and poor performance. In this session, you’ll learn strategies that you can apply to overcome the fear of failure and work toward a high level of accuracy. As a result, you’ll enjoy your work more, perform better, and avoid the stress that makes editors wonder why they ever got into the business.
Bio: Suzy Bills is an editor, author, and faculty member in the editing and publishing program at BYU. She’s owned a writing and editing business since 2006, working with clients to publish everything from books to dissertations to technical manuals. She loves sharing her skills with others, whether through teaching, helping authors get their thoughts on paper, or fine-tuning their writing. Her book The Freelance Editor’s Handbook was published in 2021.
Writing Meaningful and Memorable Songs
Shawna Edwards
Time: Thursday, October 5, 6:00–7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Beginning, intermediate, and advanced songwriters
We’ll walk together through the end-to-end process of songwriting—from blank page to finished release—and discuss strategies for finding inspiration, constructing a good hook, writing meaningful and memorable lyrics, and saying what you really want to say.
Bio: Shawna Edwards is a late-blooming Christian songwriter. She graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in Media Music after returning to finish her degree at the age of 45. Shawna put her first song on YouTube in 2010, hoping to share her faith in Christ with a few people. Her channel now has over 37 million views, and her songs have been performed in churches, cathedrals, Christian schools, and homes in over 100 different countries.
Understanding Fair Use and Copyright in Your Writing
Jonathan Kirsch
Time: Tuesday, October 10, 6:00-7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Authors and writers interested in understanding fair use and copyright opportunities and constraints.
Do you wonder if you should quote that song or use that paragraph from someone else’s writing? Understanding copyright law and fair use is essential if you are to be a published author. Join author, critic, and copyright attorney Jonathan Kirsch for a fun and thorough exploration of what every author should know about copyright and fair use.
Bio: Kirsch earned a B.A. degree in Russian and Jewish history from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a J.D. degree from Loyola University School of Law. He formerly served as adjunct professor on the faculty of New York University’s Professional Publishing Institute and has contributed to Newsweek, The New Republic, Los Angeles magazine, and Publishers Weekly, among other publications. He is also the author of thirteen books and a book critic.
(Register for the Zoom meeting now to get the meeting link. We’ll resend the link to all Zoom registrants several hours before the event.)
First-Time Attendees Networking Session
Hosted by the LDSPMA Community Committee
Time: Thursday, October 12, 6:00-7:20 pm Mountain Time
Intended Audience: Those attending the LDSPMA Conference for the first time, or those who want to get a jump on making friends.
Attending a conference for the first time can be lonely or even intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. In this networking session, meet and get to know other first-time LDSPMA attendees, so that by the time you walk in the doors of the BYU Conference Center, you already have a dozen friends!
(Register for the Zoom meeting now to get the meeting link. We’ll resend the link to all Zoom registrants several hours before the event.)