Express Yourself...™ Authors’ Conference
September 27 - 30, 2007
Sheraton Park Ridge, Valley Forge, PA
From our first very successful Authors' Conference Infinity Publishing has assembled noted publishing professionals. We extend invitations to presenters who are directly involved in originating and developing new concepts in book publishing, distribution, and marketing. We invite presenters who will gladly invest time in talking individually with conference attendees about their books. We rarely have a banquet head table so you might find yourself enjoying a meal while talking informally with a presenter or keynoter seated across the table from you.
Yes, we do have several presenters who are invited back each year because they continue to have exciting new concepts to share. Many of these concepts are presented for the first time, using Infinity's annual Express Yourself...™ Authors' Conference as a platform to explain insightful developments of book marketing ideas and expanding avenues for distribution. All of our presenters are very familiar with ever-evolving publishing models, so you won't hear a rehashing of "how it was always done" stuff. The publishing business is changing in ways that benefit authors, and our presenters are in touch and in tune with the trends that are reshaping the book publishing industry today.
We are always on the lookout for potential presenters with fresh ideas that will provide direct benefits to attending authors. However, we avoid those with big egos who demand high honorariums, in favor of maintaining an affordable registration fee for participants. As always, our goal is to assemble a highly diverse group of publishing experts who will provide participants with timely, accurate, and exciting information on how to promote and market their books more successfully.
Speakers and Presenters |
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Dave Lieber knew he wanted to be a newspaper columnist when he was a 14-year-old boy reading the great newspaper writers of the 1960s and 70s in Manhattan, where he grew up. Thirty-six years later, living his dream, he is The Watchdog columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A rare investigative columnist, he uncovers wrongdoing in business and government. Before moving to Texas, he worked for a decade as a staff writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer. He graduated from U. of Pennsylvania with a degree in American Civilization. His company, Yankee Cowboy Publishing, recently celebrated the sale of the 10,000th copy of Dave’s latest self-published book, The Dog of My Nightmares: Stories by Texas Columnist Dave Lieber. “That’s a lot of books to sell out of the back of your Texas SUV,” Lieber jokes. Dave is motivated by the belief that every writer can fulfill his or her writer’s dream. He teaches how to conceptualize and create books that sell. He also helps writers understand the many details of publishing their own books, so they can enjoy fun and profit. Dave is most proud of his role as founder of one of North Texas’ largest children’s charities, Summer Santa Inc., which operates with no paid staff or physical office yet helps thousands of children each year with summer camp scholarships, back-to-school clothing and school supplies, summertime toys and free medical checkups. The National Society of Newspaper Columnists presented Dave with the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award as the U.S. newspaper columnist who did the most to help his community. |
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Eric Kampmann entered book publishing through an entry level sales position at the Viking Press in 1970. He became Assistant Sales Manager there and then in 1974 moved on to St. Martin’s Press as Sales Manager. In 1977 Eric moved to Simon & Schuster as National Sales where he focused his energy on building a sales organization that could deal with the significant sales growth at S & S. In 1980, he was promoted to the position of Vice President, Director of Sales. Eric has worked with independent publishers since 1981, first as the President of Kampmann & Company, then as one of the architects that engineered National Book Network’s growth in the early 1990’s. Eric is one of the three original founders of Midpoint which shipped its first title in February 1996. From the beginning Midpoint has concentrated its efforts on helping independent publishers build successful publishing programs in the trade marketplace. Midpoint has worked with several national bestsellers. Midpoint currently works with over 275 independent publishers. Many of Midpoint’s largest publishers have worked with Midpoint for ten years or more. Eric is the author of The Book Publishers Handbook: The 7 Keys to Publishing Success published by Beaufort Books in June 2007. Eric has also taught book publishing courses at Harvard, Columbia, Hofstra and New York University. He has served on panels at PMA University, SPAN, and other venues |
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He worked on books written by such bestselling authors as: David Baldacci, Michael Connell, Alice Sebold , Malcolm Gladwel, James Patterson, and Tiger Woods. Jerry now spends his time writing, teaching, and speaking with writers about the importance of understanding the marketplace for selling books and the business of publishing. His commitment is to provide essential information writers need for achieving success, and his goal is to help writers become successfully published authors by educating them about the business of publishing and revealing the secrets of the largest booksellers and publishers in the world.
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Dan Poynter is an author of more than 102 books, has been a publisher since 1969 and is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). He is an evangelist for books, an ombudsman for authors, an advocate for publishers and the godfather to thousands of successfully-published books. His seminars have been featured on CNN , his books have been pictured in The Wall Street Journal and his story has been told in US News & World Report. The media come to Dan because he is the leading authority on book publishing. Dan travels more than 4,000 miles each week to share, inspire and empower writers, publishers and professional speakers through keynotes and seminars. Some of his books are Writing Nonfiction, The Self-Publishing Manual, The Skydiver's Handbook, The Expert Witness Handbook and The Older Cat. Dan shows people how to make a difference while making a living by coaching them on the writing, publishing and promoting of their book. He has turned thousands of people into successful authors. His mission is to see that people do not die with a book still inside them. See his Para Publishing website at http://ParaPublishing.com |
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Melanie Rigney is the owner of Editor for You, an editing and evaluation service that is proud to count Dan Poynter and many Infinity authors among its more than two hundred clients since the business's inception more than three years ago. Melanie was the editor of Writer's Digest magazine for five years and earlier in her career served as managing editor of Advertising Age magazine. She also worked for Thomson Financial Publishing, Macmillan Computer Publishing, and United Press International. Her memoir, currently titled The Apostles He Sends, will be released in October by Liguori. She lives in Arlington, Virginia. | |
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Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. Her company researched, developed and implemented the first comprehensive Internet publicity campaign called The Virtual Author Tour. Penny began her career in the publicity, book marketing, and literary field over 15 years ago. During that time she has been an author, freelance writer, publicist, and instructor. She has been instrumental in creating several highly successful marketing and publicity campaigns for author events and book launches. Penny is also President and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. and has developed and implemented countless marketing and publicity strategies. She has worked with such high profile clients as world renowned psychic and ghost buster, Jane Doherty, Jac Flanders (of the original Fantastic Four) and Tammi Menendez, wife of Erik Menendez and the first eBay auction of a Princess Diana gown (lot "9" from Christie's New York ). Her clients have been featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, The Bridal Guide, National Public Radio, MSNBC, and many others. Penny's diverse background enables her to bring a multitude of talents to the table as well as a myriad of marketing techniques. Penny recently signed a three-book deal with a mainstream publisher: Morgan James Publishing, to re-release From Book to Bestseller and Get Published Today as well as publish her upcoming book, Striking Internet Gold. Penny is Editor for the e-newsletter "The Book Marketing Expert," which has a subscriber base in excess of 4,000. You can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.com |
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Jeniffer Thompson is president of Monkey C Media, a full design house offering web and print design services. Monkey C Media is known for their innovative designs and unparalleled website creation and makeover programs. Mrs. Thompson is also a freelance lifestyle writer in the San Diego area; she has worked in the publishing industry for more than 12 years and offers consulting services for authors and Web site analyses. Her highly anticipated book: Website WOW; How to turn your Web site into your most powerful marketing tool will be available in the Spring of 2007. For more information, visit Monkey C Media at www.monkeycmedia.com. |
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Tonya M. Evans-Walls, Esq., is the managing attorney of a Philadelphia-based law firm that concentrates in the areas of entertainment law (literary, music and film), intellectual property (copyright and trademark), estate planning, and municipal finance. She is the co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Sports, Entertainment and Art Law Committee, and an adjunct professor at York College of Pennsylvania. She is also a nationally recognized speaker who presents to various audiences regularly on publishing and intellectual property law and estate planning issues. Tonya is also a performance poet and writer, and the author of numerous books, including Copyright Companion for Writers, Literary Law Guide for Authors: Copyright, Trademark, and Contracts in Plain Language, Seasons of Her and SHINE! Her latest title is Contracts Companion for Writers (June 2007). Her short story, "Not Tonight" appears in an anthology titled Proverbs for the People, published by Kensington. Tonya attended Northwestern University on a four-year tennis Visit Tonya at www.legalwritepublications.com or her award-winning
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Bonnie Neubauer is the author of Write-Brain Workbook, 366 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing (Writer’s Digest) and the inventor of Story Spinner, a handheld tool/toy that generates millions of creative writing exercises. Her playful workshops spark creativity and build writing practice momentum for writers and aspiring writers. If you are currently in need of a writing boost, visit www.BonnieNeubauer.com and click on Story Spinner Online where you will find gazillions of free creative writing exercises to get your pen moving. In her spare time Bonnie likes to invent games; hunt for fossils, Indian artifacts, and minerals; go to library book sales; and picnic in the car with her husband. Her agent is in the process of pitching a follow-up book of creative writing exercises titled, Take Ten, Ten Hundred Writing Exercises to Build Momentum in Just Ten Minutes a Day. She is certain the publisher will shorten the title!! Bonnie can be reached via her website, www.BonnieNeubauer.com. |
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Brian Jud is an author, book-marketing consultant, seminar leader, television host as well as founder and president of Book Marketing Works, LLC. Brian created Book Central Station (www.bookcentralstation.com) where publishers can find rated lists of suppliers to help them publish and market your books. Brian is the author of Beyond the Bookstore (a Publishers Weekly book) and The Marketing Planning CD-ROM describing new ways to sell more books profitably to special-sales buyers. He is also the editor of the Book Marketing Matters newsletter on special sales topics. With Netsuite, he developed and introduced the Special-Sales Profit Center, the web-based, targeted-marketing system that helps deliver incremental sales and profits. Brian is the author of the Proven Tips for Publishing Success series of eight books published by R. R. Bowker. He has also written and self-published five books on career transition that are distributed internationally. Brian is the host of the television series The Book Authority and has aired six hundred and fifty shows. In addition, he is the author, narrator and producer of the media-training video program You're On The Air. He also wrote and published the books It’s Show Time and Perpetual Promotion. These describe techniques for authors to get on and perform on television and radio shows. |
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Lauren Hidden is the founder and owner of The Hidden Helpers. Hidden and her associates provide ghostwriting, editing and related services to fiction and non-fiction authors, as well as business and promotional writing to entrepreneurs nationwide. In addition to the many books Lauren has edited for her clients, she has co-authored two books: Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros and Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow a Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice. Lauren is an active member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and serves as Managing Editor for IVAACast, the association’s online magazine. She also serves a Director on the Board of the Central Pennsylvania Association of Female Executives. Lauren also enjoys blogging about virtual assistance, writing, editing, and related topics on her two blogs: http://www.hiddenhelper.com/blog and http://www.entrepreneurialfreedom.com/blog. For more information, visit The Hidden Helpers on the web at http://www.hiddenhelper.com |
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Over the course of the past seven years, published author and snack chip connoisseur Chris Master has transformed himself from a graphics greenhorn into a cover design powerhouse with over 2500 book covers under his belt. In the past year, Chris has taken on the bold new challenge of indoctrinating his chatty design assistant Ivan to the Infinity process. An apologetic butcherer of the Spanish language, Chris enjoys quoting The Simpsons and playing Wii bowling … poorly. His dislikes include people who talk in movie theaters, people who deliberately spoil plot twists, and people who insist on adding an “s” to his last name. When not obsessing about the television show Lost, Chris strives to sell copies of his own book, Tiny Cracker Zoo, though he inevitably gets distracted by his feverish zeal for toy robots in disguise. In spite of his torrid, ongoing love affair with his abundant collection of Transformer toys, Chris has been blissfully married to his beautiful, patient, and vastly smarter wife Marianne for 5 years. Chris is survived by his scheming cats Gandalf, who is also smarter than he is, and Lady Penelope Von Meow-meow, who simply isn't. | |
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In a world void of light, hope, and punctuation skills, a figure has emerged. Her name is… Caryn Elizabeth Search! As a college student, Caryn (pronounced “Ka-ren,” not “Car-o-lyn” or “Cor-ine”) decided it was time to leave the safety net of university life, where she had resided comfortably for 6 years, and venture out into the big, beautiful world of book publishing. Armed with her English degree, Caryn boldly kicked down the front door of Infinity Publishing and proclaimed, “I am here to ease your suffering of poor grammar and comma splices. I will show how to differentiate between ‘there, they’re, and their’ and I will show you a land where misspellings are a thing of the past! I implore you — follow me!” Five years later, Caryn (again, that's “Ka-ren”) continues her mission, holding the position of Fearless Leader of the Editing Department. When she is not saving the world from incorrectly-used quotation marks and apostrophes, Caryn (“KA-REN”), a graduate student, enjoys a peaceful life with her much-adored dog, Lucy, who uses perfect grammar, and her husband of three years, Todd, who speaks… good. | |
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Mary Ann Masur, PCC, CPCC is a performance optimization expert and a certified, professional business coach with over 20 years experience optimizing team dynamics and organizational efficiencies in various industries. An accomplished speaker, consultant and writer Mary Ann assists those “overwhelmed at the helm” and helps them maximize their leadership ability and potential. She is the principal of Synergy Consultants <http://www.synergy-consultants.net/> , an organization focusing on developing people to be effective and fulfilled. Mary Ann works with companies and individuals to find balance in their lives, improve relationships and strengthen teams, feel more confident and powerful, grow their business, and set a vision for their lives and implement action. She is the author of Leadership Tips: 52 Weeks to Business and Personal Success, and contributed to Inspiration to Realization: Real Women Reveal Proven Strategies for Personal, Business, Financial and Spiritual Fulfillment, Volume III. Her articles have been featured in The Baltimore Business Journal, Smart Woman and The Daily Record. A Baltimore resident, she has held leadership positions with various community organizations. The Daily Record honored Mary Ann as one of “Maryland’s Top 100 Women.” | |
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Emily Lawless is a graduate of Villanova University, with a degree in communications and a certification in journalism. She helped to develop Grief & Loss magazine for launch before coming to Infinity Publishing as copyeditor. She grew up in Durham, NC, and lived for several years in the beautiful city of Charleston, SC. In addition to reading, her hobbies include riding her two horses, finding new ways to entertain her two dogs, cooking Southern-style cuisine, writing fiction and nonfiction, and learning about just about every topic under the sun. | |
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Cover designer Ivan Carter grew up in Philadelphia, PA and is an avid fan of the Eagles and Philly Cheese steaks. Ivan earned his degree in Graphic Design from Arcadia University in 2005, and was the chancellor of the student government and the student representative on the board of trustees in 03’ and 04’. To balance his life and his craving for cheese steaks, Ivan practices multiple forms of martial arts – currently Praying Mantis Kung Fu. In his free time, Ivan also enjoys playing video games and the guitar. Before joining Infinity Publishing in May of 06, Ivan worked in design with Safeguard Business Systems in Lansdale, PA and a small design firm The Printed Word. Ivan continues to pursue his love of art, and plans on continuing his education in this area. | |
Participating Professionals |
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Photographer Chad Thompson will be offering professional headshots at this year’s Express Yourself Author’s Conference in Valley Forge. Thompson has an eye for detail and a command of lighting that gives him the ability to show his subjects at their very best. Thompson shoots professionally for Outdoor and Lifestyle magazines in California, Arizona and Oregon. He is also a co-founder of Monkey C Media a full-service design house offering web and print design, and photography services. Monkey C Media is known for their innovative designs and unparalleled website creation and makeover programs. For more information, visit Monkey C Media at www.monkeyCmedia.com and Chad Thompson at http://artcrisis.org. |
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Award-winning writer/artist Judith Trustone, is the Director of Sagewriters, which has so far published seven books of literary merit written by prisoners, families, victims, advocates and progressive Corrections professionals. Her “Healing with Words” model is a powerful tool for organizations. Judith designs “Justice” programs for high schools and also hosts an internet radio show, “Healing Justice.” |
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Cheryl Kaye Tardif is the author of three successful novels: The River, Divine Intervention, and her latest and Amazon.ca bestseller, Whale Song, which New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice says is "a beautiful, haunting novel." Cheryl's novels have received rave reviews from newspapers, magazines and industry standards such as Booklist and Midwest Book Review, as well as numerous film inquiries. Whale Song (published by Kunati Books) is now being read by several Canadian and US film companies, including some from Hollywood. Cheryl began as a self-published author and recently crossed into the realm of traditionally published. Her energetic combination of marketing, advertising and promotional initiatives have led to having the "highest, most consistent sales during book signings" for two years in her area, according to bookstore managers. Her creativity and drive inspired her to be the first Kunati author to organize a month-long virtual book tour. Cheryl's online marketing strategies have made her a sought-after source of information for aspiring and published authors. She has presented at a number of conferences, schools, libraries and special events, and draws on her past experience working as a motivational speaker for a well-known international company. For more information on Cheryl Kaye Tardif or her novels, please see: |
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Michael Kleiner Michael Kleiner is an award-winning sportswriter and public relations practitioner, known for his enthusiasm, aggressiveness, creativity, initiative and successful placements. Michael has operated his own public relations and web site design business in Philadelphia since 1999 focusing on authors and small businesses. In 2003, he received the Home-Based Business Advocate Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration for Philadelphia; Pennsylvania; and Region III (PA, DE, MD, VA, WV, DC), as well as The Communicator Award of Excellence for Feature Writing, its highest distinction and an international award. His free-lance articles have appeared in Norway at your service, The Norseman and Olympian, and his press releases have been used as models by reporters. Beyond the Cold: An American's Warm Portrait of Norway is Michael's first published book, tracing the development of his affinity and affection for Norway, its culture and people although he is not of Norwegian descent. It begins when he lived in Norway with his family at age 11 and blossomed through return trips as an adult, a period spanning four decades. Being a writer was Michael’s goal from a young age and he pursued it early on in his first visit to Norway, as he penciled his first book, Wendell the Football. Michael is completing a two-year term as President of the Mt. Airy Business Association and lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Lisa, and soon-to-be 8-year old boy-girl twins, Matthew and Devra. |
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Beth Mansbridge
Beth resides in St. Augustine, Florida where she is an active member of that city’s Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. She is also a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association of New York. She participates in two writers’ groups and volunteers her services to several nonprofit organizations. Her passions include her husband, two cats, family, reading, photography, astronomy, the arts, health, and current events. |
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LinDee Rochelle, lifelong poet and essayist, found motivation in a 1994 magazine article, “Writing Life Begins at 40.” After raising twin boys, she took that statement to heart and drew on her early, academic journalism background to solicit writing for regional magazines, and created Penchant for Penning, a writing/editing/public relations service (www.PenchantForPenning.com). Thriving on versatility, Rochelle’s diverse articles have featured antiques, food, off-road recreation, architecture, and business. LinDee went on to found Women Writers of the Desert, which evolved into the online source, Women Writers Worldwide (www.WomenWritersWorldwide.com). Rochelle co-edited Love in Bloom, the writers’ club anthology (Infinity, 2005) and began working in publishing, assisting both emerging and established authors. Unique people-jobs such as Desert Jeep Tour Driver, Commercial Photographer for San Diego Harbor tours, and Media Supervisor for the Arizona State Fair continue to fuel her imagination, blending keen observational skills and insights with inherent talent and natural curiosity. Rochelle’s dance instructor mother instilled in her a love for the arts and nurtured her on stage and off from the tender age of three. “I write,” says Rochelle, “with a general love for all that is beautiful in life and a specific interest in painting a picture with words. I invite readers to follow my adventures and explore them on their own terms.” Rochelle’s writing perspicacity may have waned had it not been for a creative mother, complete with egg carton lamps and a penchant for the metaphysical. Education is certainly not all academic... |
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Carol Roberts is owner and president of Roberts Indexing Services, specializing in back-of-the-book indexing for trade books, scholarly books, technical manuals, periodicals, and textbooks.All the portents of an indexing career were present even in her youth: entire evenings spent beating her dad at Scrabble; grappling with the Sunday crossword puzzle; library page as first after-school job. Along the way, she picked up a few degrees (BA in math and philosophy and two MAs in philosophy -- long story) and had the usual odd assortment of jobs: waitress; perfume factory assembly-line worker; insurance claims adjuster; sewing instructor; proofreader; editor. As you might expect, it was her work as an editor that led her to indexing. That was over 14 years and some 600 books ago. Carol would say she has one of the best careers in the world. Sure, you folks get to write books, but she gets paid to read them! One week she'll be indexing a book on rescuing pets during Hurricane Katrina, the next week itll be a book on Greek vase painting. She also gets to work with some great people, editors and authors from all over the country. Her clients include Princeton University Press, Getty Publications, The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Cleveland Clinic Press, New World Library, University of Pennsylvania Press, and University of California Press, to name a few. Carol is a member of the American Society of Indexers and was on its Board of Directors for six years. Her other indexing "duties" over the years have included giving talks and workshops on indexing (to both indexers and nonindexers), teaching indexing, and ASI committee work. She loves sharing her knowledge of indexing and helping authors sell more copies of their book by adding a smashing index. Lest you think Carol is perpetually hunched over her keyboard, she also enjoys tennis, playing with her puppies Darwin and Daisy, vegetarian cooking, bird watching, ballroom dancing, and photography. http://www.RobertsIndexing.com
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Participating Authors |
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Lois W. Stern Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery - Things You'll Never Learn From Your Plastic Surgeon Infinity Publishing, October 2006 www.sexliesandcosmeticsurgery.com |
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Susan C. Haley Rainy Day People - A Novel - Infinity Publishing, November 2005, revised, July 2006. Rainy Day People, Audio version, Spoken Books Publishing, July, 2007 www.sucarha.com |
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Authors' Conference Co-Directors |
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Jane M. Martin is a respiratory therapist, teacher, and the author of Breathe Better, Live in Wellness: Winning Your Battle Over Shortness of Breath. Jane is a conference co-director and an author's advocate for Infinity Publishing. Ms. Martin's stories and articles have appeared in regional and national publications. Jane is known for her down-to-earth story writing style, revealing the essence of successful and inspiring pulmonary patients. She is known, as well, for her teaching and written articles showcasing her unique ability to distill complex information into understandable and useable methods to improve the health and quality of life for pulmonary patients and families. She is the founder and director of www.BreathingBetterLivingWell.com. Jane holds degrees in education, language arts and respiratory care.
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John F. Harnish John’s involvement in various aspects of creating, writing, publishing, and marketing spans over four decades—from letterpress to high-speed digital presses. His work has been successfully self-published, traditionally published, and most recently he’s authored three books published under author-originated publishing agreements. He is currently working on My Book’s Published – Now What Do I Do??? scheduled for release soon. John enjoys a life long love affair with the creative process and thrives on a creative challenge. His magic smart paper from eons ago is in advertising design. As a Marketing Consultant, Harnish was involved in start-up operations and new product introductions such as ATMs and the Pulsar watch. After completing his service in the US Air Force he did free-lance commercial art and grew a client base to support an advertising design firm he started in 1967. John is the recipient of several awards from the Philadelphia Direct Mail Club, as well as the prestigious Gold Mail Box from the Direct Mail Association – now the Direct Marketing Association. He developed creative campaigns to launch the first Pulsar digital watch and first use of the ATM. As Special Projects Director of Infinity Publishing, John initiates innovative programs and negotiates enhanced distribution, and writes the monthly Authors’ Advocate Newsletter and the Authors’ Gazette. He is co-director of Infinity’s annual “Express Yourself…” Authors’ Conferences. He is a popular speaker and a noted expert on the POD/A-OP revolution gaining in popularity in the publishing industry and wide acceptance with booklovers.
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