Frankfort, KY, April 11, 2026
Writer’s conferences and workshops are widespread around the U.S. because there are a plethora of authors. According to Kate Snyder, owner of The Plaid Elephant, a children-focused bookstore in Danville, Kentucky, four million books were published last year. Of those, only a half million were through publishing companies. The rest were self-published. I wonder how many self-published books were by people who know about editing, cover design, and other aspects that make a book a good read.
This was the fifth conference organized by the Bluegrass Writers Coalition. (I joined last summer; membership is free). The format was a keynote speaker, one morning concurrent session (I went to a panel on “Research, The Foundation of Your Non-fiction Masterpiece.) It was followed by a fantastic lunch and two concurrent sessions in the afternoon. (I went to “Mastering Online Marketing” with Matt Jones and Shelf Appeal: How to Catch a Bookseller’s Eye” with Kate Snyder.) It wrapped up with an hour-long Q&A with all the panelists and speakers.
Matt Jones of Tulsa, Oklahoma, led a session on online marketing.
The presenters at the Q & A session held the last hour of the conference.
Throughout my career in museums and parks, professional development has been critical. Getting a degree is NOT the end of education; it’s a time to transition to non-formal learning. It behooves (I love that word!) anyone who wants to live a full life to keep their gray matter active. Stop learning, and the slow decline of life is sure to begin.