Frequently Asked Questions
ABOUT INFINITY PUBLISHING'S
Express Yourself. Authors' Conference

Prepared by Jane M. Martin and John F. Harnish, Conference Co-Directors

• By far, the most commonly asked question by people who attend is, “How do you do it? Other conferences charge much higher registration fees that include only some meals and no lodging. How can your registration fee be far less and include so much more?”

• I’m a starving writer. I have not yet made money selling my books. How can I afford to go?

• So, what’s in it for me? How will attending this conference benefit me and my book?

• What kinds of publishing professionals are invited?

• Will I have the chance to network with other writers?

• Why are some of your current presenters the same ones who presented last year?
  
  
• There must be a catch to this affordable registration fee with an infomercial in here somewhere.
  
  
• What's in the conference bookstore?
  
  
• Why would agents attend an authors' conference when the authors' books are already published?
  
  
• Will attending this conference guarantee that I will sell more books?  
  
  
• Will I have the chance to show my work to others and get feedback?
  
  
• I’m just getting started on my book. Shouldn’t I wait until it’s done? Isn’t that the best time to go to a conference like this?
  
  
• I live in the Philadelphia area. What would this cost me if I don’t stay at the hotel?
  
  
• I have a spouse or writer friend who will attend the conference and share a room with me. Is there a discount for sharing a room?
  
  
• How are the hotel accommodations at the Sheraton?
  
  
• So, once I’m there will I have any more expenses?
  
  
• I live in the Western USA.  Valley Forge is a long ways to travel. Do you have a conference closer to where I live?
  
  
• I have a question about the conference that I didn’t find here. What do I do?
  
  

This is a not-for-profit event that is solely sponsored and produced by Infinity Publishing. The registration fee covers the cost of meals, snacks, beverages, sleeping rooms, meeting room rentals, presenters' travel expenses, and conference materials – without factoring in a profit. Our presenters have graciously waived or reduced their usual honorariums. Our goal is to keep this event as affordable as possible for authors and to deliver more than they expect.

Click here for a slideshow of our 2006 conference in Valley Forge.

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Authors who are serious about selling books need the right tools and the right information to make it happen. You might rather ask yourself, “Can I afford not to?”
Click here for testimonials

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The primary focus of the conference is to help you to learn innovative and cost-effective ways to be successful in selling more books. Among other things, we focus on helping you: Craft an effective quick pitch, use the internet to your greatest advantage, be aware of the legal aspects of writing and book promotion, work effectively with the media, find your place in niche marketing beyond the bookstores, and learn about other topics related to book promotion. We also discuss how you can develop yourself as a professional author and arrive at realistic expectations for your book.

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Editors, proofreaders, book coaches, publicity experts, website designers, cover artists, book designers, marketing gurus, media consultants, agents, and booksellers have all attended our conference as participating professionals. Our invitations are based on the quality of their services, their reputation in the publishing community, and the benefits their participation will provide for attending authors. The opportunity to meet and talk informally with many of the trendsetters in publishing and share ideas with other authors is an important part of the conference. We rarely have a head-table and we encourage presenters to enjoy meals with a variety of different authors. Breaks between seminars and before and after meals provide time for networking and getting to know presenters as well as your fellow authors.

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Yes, indeed! Your weekend will be packed with opportunities to meet and learn from fellow authors, especially if you lodge at the Sheraton. Starting the day with continental breakfast in the bookstore all the way through to the popular “bedtime stories” you will spend the day among authors, many who you’ll find have experienced the same ups and downs that any author does.

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Because they are all good - very good! Experts who present marketing concepts well, interact with attendees, and have a host of fresh ideas for tapping into the benefits of this evolving branch of publishing are asked to return again and again.

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Publishing Marketing Association (PMA) rules prohibit the selling of services in seminars at their events, and this rule applies to all of our presenters. Infinity Publishing does not promote its services at this conference. It does provide a way for participants to gather and share information so they may find their own best way to write, promote and sell their books. Yes, it is that simple.

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Every author attending the conference - including the presenters - has an opportunity to place their book(s) in the conference bookstore. Infinity authors automatically have their books added to the bookstore inventory and royalties for books sold are included in monthly royalty checks. Authors publishing elsewhere must make arrangements before the start of the conference to have their books for sale in the bookstore. We settle-up with authors at the conclusion of the conference, so you could actually leave with cash in your pocket for your books  sold. The bookstore is open to hotel guests, employees and the general public.

Click here for bookstore

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Two words – sales history! Actually, four words – publisher-verified sales history. The author of a book with consistent sales over time is someone an agent is interested in representing. One of the benefits of author-originated publishing is that the author owns all rights to his or her book. Thus, they are free to enter into an agreement with an agent and, in turn, with a mainstream publisher.

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There are no guarantees to any author, with any publisher, about the number of books they might sell. We can guarantee that you will hear from publishing luminaries and leading industry experts about what they know that works. You will learn strategies for finding ways to tap into unique markets and find new buyers. You will have a one-on-one session with the presenter of your choice (with timely registration). You will benefit from the dynamics of spending time with a diverse group of authors and professionals in an open forum and discover ways to measure the true success of your book.

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Participants in the Writers’ Day Workshop will attend a session in which they can have their writing read aloud and critiqued by experts and peers. At the “Express Yourself…” conference, Story Sharing sessions are scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday evenings, and editors are available for one-on-one’s throughout the weekend.

Here is something written by author Susan C. Haley, who attended the conference last year.

“Every writer knows the shadows cast by the thunderstorms of rejection. Most writers also know the feelings of warmth when their work is given some small sunray of positive feedback and the rainbows return. And some are blessed with the pure fragrant joy of having their work lauded as touching the heart, and maybe even the life, of another. What a small bit of time it takes to offer that same flower of sunshine, encouragement, or downright praise back to another. What a small effort is required to make someone else’s plot bloom gloriously within the garden.

     “There should be no competition in the Writers Garden. The more varied the nurtured blossoms, the more vibrant hues in the splashes of color, the more intense the beauty. When you read something that inspires an ‘ahaaa’ moment, causes a tear to meander down your cheek, tickles a memory, shapes a smile on your face, generates a spark of anger that motivates an action, initiates a resolve, or even gently lulls you into a restful sleep, take a moment and send the sower of those words a sunray. Or simply tell a friend. You might make a difference in changing the world. One never knows when the Writers Garden may do just that – one word, one heart at a time.”

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Many authors attending the conferences with an already completed book have remarked that they wished they had attended earlier in the process.  Much of the information you will get involves making your book better and more marketable. 

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The conference registration fee without lodging is $459.

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The fee for the non-writer spouse/guest of the author attending and sharing lodging is $269. The spouse/guest registration includes all meals and they are welcome to sit in on the seminars (space permitting). There's a golf course across from the hotel, a major shopping mall, and Valley Forge National Park nearby. Sharing a room with a friend of yours attending the conference reduces the full package registration cost to $469 with individual one-on-one consultations.

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The Sheraton Park Ridge is comfortably elegant with a wonderful staff. Rooms are especially restful and the food is excellent.

Click here for a link to the Sheraton

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You will need cash for shuttle service back to the airport, if necessary. There is a cash bar before dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, so you'll need a few dollars if you want a mixed drink, wine, or beer. You are responsible for any room service charges charged to your room, paid by your credit or debit card. You'll need cash or a credit or debit card for books you'd like to purchase at the conference bookstore. Professional headshots are available but not included in the cost of registration.

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Yes, we produce a special one-day "Express Yourself…” Authors’ Day preceding the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference each January. Infinity is a proud sponsor of the SDSU conference and many of our presenters participate.

Click here for San Diego conference

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Call our toll-free number, 877-BUY-BOOK or email conference registrar, Alex Hawley at: Alex@Infinitypublishing.com

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