Turn Your Book Dreams Into Publishing Reality at the 2026 ASJA Conference

Have you got a bestseller burning within you that just needs a snappy elevator pitch? Or maybe your passion project could use a reality check from a literary agent?

Perhaps you’d appreciate inside publishing tips, advice on supercharging your book page on Amazon, or insight into writing about sports, food, or spirituality. Or you’d like to hear how an ASJA member’s book became a top Hollywood movie.

You’re in luck: The 12 book sessions at the 2026 ASJA virtual annual conference, Freelancers’ Blueprint: Navigating a Shifting Landscape, are just what you need to supercharge your career as an author whether you’re a rookie, veteran, or somewhere in between. The workshops, panel discussions, and books pitch slam are designed to give you practical advice that you can put to use.

Registration for the 2026 ASJA conference is open now for ASJA members, and opens for nonmembers on Dec. 16. Get information about extra early bird rates (for members only) and other details and sign up here.

Book-Related Sessions at the 2026 ASJA Virtual Annual Conference

Here are a few highlights of the sessions you can look forward to in the conference book track:

Hollywood’s Calling About Your Book. Now What? I told freelancer and book author Jack El-Hai, a former ASJA president, that he should shorten his bio to say, “Got to meet Rami Malek and Russell Crowe.” Even more impressive is why: The actors star in the new film “Nuremberg,” based on El-Hai’s book “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist,” and there’s chatter that they could both get Oscar nominations. El-Hai will talk about how his book became a movie, the challenges he faced along the way, and the things that authors can do to boost their chances of success on screen. If we’re lucky, we’ll hear about his personal encounters with Malek and Crowe on the movie set in Eastern Europe. 

Hit It Out of the Park with a Sports Book. Ready to throw your career a curve ball? Sports books are a fun and potentially lucrative sideline for non-fiction authors. You could chronicle an unforgettable World Series, capture the storied history of your alma mater’s college basketball team, or profile a pioneering athlete. In this session, experienced sports authors and publishing gurus will talk shop with journalist and ASJA member Christopher Klein, author of “Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan, America’s First Sports Hero.” You’ll learn who’s buying, what sells, and how much you can make. 

I’m a Believer: The Inside Story on Religious and Spiritual Books. Never mind what you’ve heard about the publishing industry’s doldrums. There’s a healthy and growing market for religious and spiritual books. In fact, sales jumped by 18% in 2024 alone. ASJAer Lisa Crayton, a veteran journalist, book editor, children’s book author, and member of the Evangelical Press Association, will lead a spirited – see what I did there? – discussion about this booming genre. You’ll hear from publishing insiders and of authors from various traditions about how you can make a difference in the lives of your readers – and a soulful profit.

Feast On This: How to Write and Sell Your Food Book. Join veteran journalist, freelancer, and ASJA member Rebekah Denn, winner of two James Beard writing awards, for a delectable panel discussion about the art and science of writing books about food. What’s selling? Who’s buying? And can you make enough money to keep you and the cat in kibble?

Honing the Pitch Perfect – In Three Minutes or Less. Even if you don’t plan on meeting editors and agents in elevators, it’s still a great idea to distill your book pitch into three minutes or less. This is an especially helpful exercise if you’re looking to take part in the ASJA Book Pitch Slam (see below), which limits pitches to one minute. Publishing strategist and ASJA member Robin Colucci, who’s helped authors land deals with Top 5 publishers, will give you the guidance you need to make your pitch sparkle.

Got a Book Idea? Be Brave and Pitch to a Panel of Agents. Book pitch slams have become a treasured part of ASJA writers conferences over the past 15 years, allowing attendees to get instant reactions from top-notch literary agents. Yes, it’s scary to pitch a book idea in front of a ballroom full of fellow writers or to a virtual audience, especially when you’ve only got a minute to make it matter. But there’s no better way to get feedback from the best in the business. You could even land an offer of representation. New to ASJA pitch slams? Stay tuned for the skinny on how the process works and what you need to do. In the meantime, read tips that former ASJA President Laura Laing shared to help people prepare for the pitch slam at the 2019 annual conference here.

Unleash Yourself and Let the Writing Flow. Has your writerly get-up-and-go gotten up and left? Journalist, book coach, and developmental editor Carolyn Dawn Flynn will teach you to let loose your inner author through six essential practices and five practical tools.

The Other Side of the Bookshelf. Join freelancer Jennifer L.W. Fink, author of “Building Boys: Raising Great Guys in a World That Misunderstands Males,” and a panel of experts for a revealing look at how booksellers and librarians choose which books to put on their shelves. Learn what you need to know to make sure your work gets the spotlight it deserves.

Put Your Amazon Book Page to Work. Veteran book publicist Penny Sansevieri wrote the books, literally, on turning Amazon into a sales machine. In a workshop, she’ll teach you how to use relevancy, keywords, and ads to supercharge your book sales.

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 Randy Dotinga, a former ASJA president, has been a full-time independent writer for 26 years. He specializes in health and medicine, history, books, and the odd and unusual. From 2019-2020, he helped lead a successful effort to reverse state legislation in California that threatened to decimate the ranks of freelance writers and photographers. Dotinga is a board member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and former board member of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists.