. . .Dozens of Authors
. . .Thousands of Readers
. . .All Under One Roof

June 10-12, 2011
Houston, Texas, Crowne Plaza Hotel (Downtown)

Get Signed  ●   Get Published  ●   Get Publicity
 Friday, June 10, 2011 - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1700 Smith St., Houston, TX
In Conjunction with the National Black Book Festival

If you are serious about taking your book(s) to the next level, this is the conference for you.

Top book industry experts share information and strategies on how to make your literary breakthrough and turn your existing or future book(s) into a bestseller!

Testimonials from the 2010 Literary Breakthrough Conference

"The Breakthrough Conference was a much needed refresher for me.  I gained a new perspective on marketing my books. The presenters were so informative and accessible."
    -- Sophie Jones, author of Twisted Lies and Twisted Lies 2

"[T]he Literary Breakthrough Conference was a professional, informative “goldmine” of literary and publishing resources.  It was a great networking pool of reputable literary agents, marketing professionals and publishers.  It is a 'must attend' for aspiring and established authors."
   -- Norma Jarrett, author Sunday Brunch

"As a new author, I obtained such invaluable knowledge about the inter working of how the literary world operates as well as helpful marketing tools to propel my project to the top.  I can't wait to attend next year's conference."
  -- Bernita Edwards, author

Conference includes three powerful sessions, lunch and a closing reception. Literary Breakthrough Conference sessions are as follows: 

●  Book Publishers:   Hear from editors at major publishing houses on what they are looking for in a book proposal; how they determine which author and which books to publish; and how they determine whether an author receives a 2-book deal or a 5-book deal. 

●  Book Industry Agents:  Hear from influential book agents on how to locate and identify the best agent for you; submit your book proposal; and how much of a book advance a first-time or repeat author should expect. 

Conference registration fee includes all sessions, lunch and closing reception.

Early bird registration fee (due by Dec. 31, 2010):
ONLY $249/person - Pay full amount here

Standard conference registration fee (after Jan. 1, 2011):
$297.00/person - Pay full amount here

Pay for your registration in 3 convenient payments of $99.00 each and make your first payment of $99.00 here.

• First payment due by Sept. 30, 2010; second payment due by Dec. 31, 2010; final payment due by March 31, 2011.  After Sept. 30, 2010, two payments must be made.  After Dec. 31, 2010, full payment is due.
• Forms of payment:  Visa, M/C, Am Ex, Disc, Paypal, Check or Money Order – Use registration form here:  http://www.nationalblackbookfestival.com/breakthroughreg.pdf
• Participating authors at NBBF receive a $20.00 discount off conference registration.  Author must already be registered for NBBF to receive the discount.  Use registration form to apply discount.
• All fees are nonrefundable
• Payable to:  National Black Book Festival, 13533 Bammel N. Houston Rd., Houston, TX  77066
• Space is limited; reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Hotel accommodations available at Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Call (713) 739-8800, Ext. 44.  Ask for National Black Book Festival room block.

Tickets may be purchased for the conference luncheon or reception separately here for those who do not wish to attend the entire conference:

Literary Breakthrough Conference Luncheon Ticket (1:00 p.m.)
ONLY $50.00 Each

Literary Breakthrough Conference Reception Ticket (7:00 p.m.) 
ONLY $60.00 Each

Book Publishers Session
9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Malaika Adero, Vice President and Senior Editor of Atria Books (Simon & Schuster), is also founder of Up South, Inc., an organization that promotes and presents authors and artists. A writer as well, she has authored books, essays and poetry.
 

Vickie Stringer, CEO of Triple Crown Publications, is the queen of urban novels. After writing her first novel, she sold thousands of copies independently and subsequently launched Triple Crown, one of the largest urban fiction publishers.

Book Marketers/Promoters Session
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

J. M. Benjamin is CEO of A New Quality Publishing, a New York-based firm which specializes in urban fiction.  J. M. has utilized guerrilla marketing and grassroots techniques to sell thousands of books, vital information for self-published authors and budding publishing firms.  Some of the company's successful titles include Dutch: The Sequel and Heaven and Earth.

Pam Perry is the Chief Visionary of Ministry Marketing Solutions Inc. and the nation’s premiere Christian literary PR Coach.  She has worked with clients such as TD Jakes, Bill Winston and Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook. She is an online media strategist working on movies like “The Secret Life of Bees” for Fox SearchLight films.

Luncheon Keynote Speaker
1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Bestselling Author, Movie Producer
ReShonda is the national bestselling author of 18 books. Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, is being made into a movie of which she is Executive Producer and actress Regina King is the director.

A former television and radio news reporter, ReShonda has been in the journalism business for more than two decades. Currently, the co-host of From Cover to Cover literary talk radio show and an editor for the Houston Defender Newspaper, ReShonda has worked as an anchor and reporter for NBC, ABC and FOX television stations in Beaumont, TX, Oklahoma City, OK and Houston, TX.  She left her job at FOX News in Houston in 2007 to write full-time.

Book Agents Session
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Maxine Thompson is a literary agent, writer and editor.  As a literary agent, she has brokered more than 60 book deals for herself and other authors.  Several of her clients' books have been Black Expressions Book Club selections.
 

Regina Brooks is the founder and President of Serendipity Literary Agency LLC. Equally at home in the technical world of engineering as in the literary world of writing and editing, Ms. Brooks has over a decade of experience in senior positions at major publishing houses including John Wiley &  Sons Inc. and the McGraw-Hill Companies.

Janell Walden Agyeman is a veteran in the New York publishing industry circles and a native of Kansas City, Missouri.  Among her past and current clients are Tananarive Due (science fiction and fantasy author), Sharon Draper (Coretta Scott King Literary Award winning author) and syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts Jr.  She runs the Miami branch of the Marie Brown & Associates Literary Agency.

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