Barb Barnes
Barb is a senior editor at Baker Publishing Group. Prior to this, she was a stay-at-home mom and freelanced as a proofreader and copyeditor. While she works on some nonfiction, fiction is her primary focus. She and her hubby live in the Grand Rapids, MI area.
Kim Childress
Kim is an award-winning editor, author, and product developer specializing in children’s publishing with 30 years’ experience, including editor at HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Zondervan), reviewer for Girl’s Life magazine, and author of hundreds of books and articles for children and the adults in their lives, including Find Your Future in Art and part of Find Your Future in STEAM.
Jessica Crooks
Jessica is a self-proclaimed bibliophile. Her career choices have all involved books and words. She enjoys learning new things, which comes in handy as she indexes material on various subject areas. Her love of words led her into the fields of editing, proofreading, indexing, and writing. She is a trained librarian and records manager.
Sharon Elliott
“Live significantly!” That’s the inspiring message of Sharon Norris Elliott, award-winning author, editor, agent, speaker, and minister. Author of 13 books, she’s associated with several prestigious organizations such as AWSA, ACE, SCBWI, and HSBN.tv; co-director of the WCCW conference; and founder/CEO of AuthorizeMe® Consulting, Coaching, & Editing Firm, and Literary Agency.
Deb Haggerty
Deb is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Elk Lake Publishing, an award-winning, traditional Christian publisher that “Publishes the Positive.” She is a published author, blogger, and professional speaker. Deb’s books are Experiencing God’s Love in a Broken World, with her husband, Roy, and These Are the Days of My Life, her memoir.
Larry Leech
Writing coach of award-winning authors and recently named Senior Editor at Iron Stream Media, Larry J. Leech II has more than 40 years’ experience in the publishing industry. He enjoys helping writers shape their messages and stories. A popular conference speaker, Larry can be found online on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Kelli Sallman
Kelli has freelanced as an editor, writer, and mentor since 2001, specializing in memoir, theological nonfiction, and literary fiction. She earned her ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary and taught creative writing there as an adjunct. A poet, she also publishes a bimonthly arts-and-theology mini journal, Inklings and Inspiration. Learn more at sallmanediting.com.
Thomas Umstattd
As an award-winning speaker, Thomas Umstattd teaches creative people all over the world how to build their platforms, sell more books, and change the world with writing worth talking about. As a podcaster, he hosts the Novel Marketing Podcast, and Christian Publishing Show. He currently serves as the CEO of Author Media.
Craig von Buseck
Dr. Craig von Buseck is an award-winning author and popular speaker. He holds an MA in journalism from Regent University. His book, I Am Cyrus: Harry S. Truman and the Rebirth of Israel won the 2020 Selah Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Truman Award by the Truman Presidential Library. Learn more at vonbuseck.com.
Kelly White
Kelly has edited hundreds of books in nearly every genre for HarperCollins, Kirkus Editorial, Guideposts Books, Callisto Media, and more. Prior to her ventures into book publishing, she was longtime Executive Editor of Girls’ Life magazine. She is an instructor for The PEN Institute and conducts publishing courses at Morgan State University. She is also the award-winning author of The Legend of the Fairy Stones, The Bible Adventure Book of Scavenger Hunts, Outdoor Adventures:Archery, and other books for kids. Learn more at Kelly White, Editor.
James Watkins
Keynote Speaker 2022
Jim is a writer and editor saved by grace. That’s what’s most important—not that his 20 books or over 2,500 articles have won numerous national awards, or that he has worked as a magazine and book editor since his sophomore year in college, or even that he taught writing for fifteen years at Taylor University. And it’s not important that he’s spoken around the world in churches, colleges, and conferences. What is important is that he loves God, his family, writing, mentoring writers, and Chinese food—in that order. www.jameswatkins.com
Faculty is subject to change.