Apply to Speak at the 2025 LDSPMA Conference

Thank you for your interest in presenting at the annual conference of Latter-day Saints in Publishing, Media, and the Arts (LDSPMA)! We are always searching for quality speakers from a wide diversity of backgrounds who can inspire and instruct our members.

Conference Details

• The dates and location for the 2025 LDSPMA Conference are not confirmed, but it will likely be the first, second, or third weekend of October at a venue in Utah County. The conference consists of several parts:
  • September–October:
    • Preconference virtual classes. These are 50-minute Zoom presentations to a live virtual audience and are included as part of the conference package.
  • Thursday:
    • Deep-dive, 4-hour workshops
  • Friday–Saturday:
    • 50-minute breakout sessions in 8 tracks:
      • Fiction Writing (including how to get published or self-publish)
      • Nonfiction Writing (including how to get published or self-publish)
      • Musical Arts
      • Visual Arts (including graphic design, illustration, and fine art)
      • Media (including podcasting, short video content, and screenwriting)
      • Editing, Design, and Production (sessions meant for editors, designers, etc.)
      • Marketing
      • Business, Leadership, Finance, and Entrepreneurship (skills for creatorpreneurs and small business owners)

Breakout sessions and preconference classes are recorded, with the recordings and slides made available to attendees for several months following the conference.

What We Are Looking For

See our 2024, 2023, and 2022 list of sessions for an idea of the kinds of topics we seek to offer.

• We want a blend of sessions that cover the craft/how-to side, sessions that cover the business/production/marketing side, and sessions that cover the faith/mindset/ethics side of the creation and publication process.
• We also seek for a blend of beginner, intermediate, and advanced topics.
• We are also looking for sessions that address topics related to diversity, inclusion, and global reach (as they apply to specific tracks).

High-quality sessions usually have the following:

• Specific, expert, and actionable information
• Examples drawn from your career and work
• Illustrative metrics and data, where possible
• Advanced information for those already familiar with the basics of the topic
• Tie-ins to principles and doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as appropriate
• Engagement with the audience through questions, exercises, humor, etc.
• Handouts listing specific resources or takeaways (if applicable)

What We Are NOT Looking For

• General inspirational sessions that are not relevant to a particular track (see list above)
• Turning the session into an infomercial on your latest workshop/program/book
• Generic information or advice that has been said before or that is easily findable on the web
• Reading text off of a slide deck for your entire presentation
• Advice that is vague, general, basic, outdated, or unstructured
• Slides that have small type, excessive text, or poor color contrast

Benefits of Speaking

As compensation, speakers receive free access to our conference, including the keynote sessions, breakout classes, lunches, pitch sessions, and networking opportunities. With over 80 other presenters, panelists, and other experts at the conference, attending is a wonderful way to connect with peers or potential collaborators.

Speakers also will receive free or heavily discounted offers for program ads, hallway exhibit tables, and tables at the Mass Book and Media Signing, as well as the opportunity to sell their books through the Conference Store.

Expectations of Presenters

Breakout session presenters are expected to:

• In the months before the conference, share about the LDSPMA Conference through word-of-mouth, email, or social media. (We will provide each speaker with a general-purpose media kit and with social media graphics specific to their session.)
• At least three weeks before, pre-record themselves delivering their presentation (such as through a webcam and screen capture software). (Pre-recording significantly simplifies the work for our camera and media team to get recordings available for each session.)
• Submit slides in advance to be posted alongside the session recording after the conference
• Deliver a high-quality, professional session at the conference.

Note: Preconference classes are recorded live when they are given. Thursday workshops are not recorded or pre-recorded.

Speaker/Session Proposal (for 2025)

We recommend typing your answers in a separate document and pasting them into this form, in case there is an issue with the form submitting.

To submit multiple session proposals, fill out the form multiple times.

If you encounter difficulties with this form, please email the requested information to info@ldspma.org.

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Name *

First

Last

Email *

Phone *

How did you hear about our conference/organization?

This proposal is for a . . .

• Preconference virtual session or in-person breakout session (50 min)
• Thursday Deep-Dive workshop (4 hours)

Only available virtually

• Check here if you are ONLY available virtually

Proposed title & subtitle of session: 5–20 words (be highly descriptive of the topic)

Hint: Boring but descriptive (“Seven Key Cover Design Principles”) is better than clever but vague (“Crafting Classy Covers”)

Indicate which track this topic best falls under

• Fiction Writing (including how to get published or self-publish)
• Nonfiction Writing (including how to get published or self-publish)
• Visual Arts (including graphic design, illustration, and fine art)
• Musical Arts
• Media (including podcasting, short video content, and screenwriting)
• Editing/Design/Production (sessions meant for editors, designers, etc., NOT for authors)
• Marketing
• Business/Leadership/Finance/Entrepreneurship

Session description (30–70 words): Include a specific list of topics that the class will cover.

Narrow and specific is better than broad and vague.

Your bio (30–70 words): Lead with your main qualification(s) for teaching on this topic. Write in the 3rd person.

Additional Information (for our internal use)

What previous presentation or speaking experience do you have?

If there are any videos or audio recordings of prior presentations you've given, include the URLs here (e.g. a YouTube link, a podcast link, a link to a publicly shared Google Drive document):

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