Skip to Content
Registrations Closed

Self-Publishing Panel: What We Wish We Knew

Hear from expert self-publishers who've done the work and reaped the benefits. We'll show you the ropes and bare our battle scars!

Add to calendar:
Outlook Google Agenda
Self-Publishing Panel: What We Wish We Knew

Self-Publishing Panel: What We Wish We Knew

Hear from expert self-publishers who've done the work and reaped the benefits. We'll show you the ropes and bare our battle scars!

Pricing
Tuition Assistance and Policies
See more
Cancellation & Other Policies
See more
Registrations Closed

About

Do you want to self-publish your book but you’re not sure where to start? Are you new to self-publishing and not sure where to go next? Or are you a seasoned indie who needs to know you’re not alone in your trials and tribulations? No matter where you are in your self-publishing journey, this panel will remind you that you’re in good company.

Our moderated panel includes five authors who write in eight different genres, a TikTok sensation/New York Times bestseller, all levels of self-publishing experience, and a willingness to reveal how the sausage is made.

We’ll talk about the many hats self-published authors wear, how to get started, and how to avoid the biggest traps and pitfalls of the industry. Along the way, they’ll share their own fears and foibles, talk about why they chose “indie” over “trad,” and help you celebrate the freedoms and joys of being in charge of your own bookish destiny.

Class Policies

Ages 14 and up are welcome.

Instructor
Serena Bell

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes romantic comedies with small towns, big hearts, hot nights, and all the feels. Serena’s 20-plus books have earned many honors, including a Romance Writers of America finalist spot, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance. When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband, two book-loving kiddos, sewing machine, and stash of dark chocolate.

Instructor
Jen Pitts Scheiderman

Jen Pitts Scheiderman is a lifelong mystery reader who turned her obsession into writing cozy mysteries of her own. When she isn’t plotting fictional murder and mayhem, she’s chugging coffee, traveling, reading, and enjoying life with her husband, children, and two cats in the Pacific Northwest. www.jenpittsauthor.com

Instructor
Mark Jenkins

Mark Jenkins is a British-American author of speculative fiction. He is an outdoor enthusiast, swimmer, bass player, and philomath. He has completed seven Ironman triathlons and climbed volcanoes in the Cascades. His love of nature and adventure is woven into his sci-fi and fantasy tales.

Instructor
Emily Rath

Emily Rath is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of fantasy and romance. Emily started her career as an indie author, self-publishing books with little more than a hope and prayer. Now, on Amazon alone, she’s had over 600 million pages read of her books. Her works have been translated into 14 languages and counting.

Instructor
Coral Moore

Coral Alejandra Moore writes character-driven stories of connection and triumph. She enjoys conversations about genetics and microbiology as much as those about vampires and werewolves. All of her books are kissing books. She earned an MFA in writing from Albertus Magnus College and is an alum of Viable Paradise XVII. She has been published by Diabolical Plots, Lightspeed Magazine, and Mermaid's Monthly. She has edited fiction for Constelación and Solarpunk magazines. In the gaming industry she has worked for Asmadi Games and Kobold Press. Along with the rest of the Dream Foundry, she won the Ignyte Community Award for outstanding effort in service of inclusion and equitable practice in the speculative genre. She lives in Washington with the love of her life where she rides motorcycles, raises chickens, and drinks all the coffee.

Instructor
Eliana West

Eliana West, recipient of the 2022 Nancy Pearl Award for genre fiction, crafts tales featuring characters and communities that reflect the diversity of our world. Weaving together elements of love and hope, she creates stories that grip readers from the very first page and are filled with poignant moments that both tug at heartstrings and leave readers spellbound. Perhaps it’s her love of Jane Austen that draws Eliana to write about small towns, close-knit communities, and both found families and the complex dynamics of the families into which we're born. Eliana loves stories that bring people from different backgrounds together through the common language of unconditional love and acceptance. When she’s not writing, you’ll find Eliana adventuring with her husband, wandering the back roads in their beloved vintage Volkswagen Westfalia, affectionately named Bianca. Don’t be surprised if those back roads lead to a vineyard.

Related Events

Check out other events you might be interested in!

See All
Story Island Writers’ Conference
Story Island Writers’ Conference

Aspiring genre fiction writers can level-up their craft, demystify publishing, and build community.

November 05, 2027

Story Island Writers’ Conference
Story Island Writers’ Conference

Aspiring genre fiction writers can level-up their craft, demystify publishing, and build community.

November 13, 2026

Woodworkers' Monthly Presentation: Coll Thrush
Woodworkers' Monthly Presentation: Coll Thrush

Author Coll Thrush will discuss his new book, "Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific." Free!

May 09, 2026

-*