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October 5 & 6, 2019 | Houston, Texas

Where Houston Area Creators Connect.

Learn from published professionals, connect with other creators and share your passion. Fiction, screenwriting, podcasting, video, poetry—whatever your interest, come join us!
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What is Indiepalooza?

This is the annual event for Houston-area writers and creators to connect. Hosted every year by the Houston Writers Guild, Indiepalooza is your chance to connect with other local artists, creatives and industry professionals.

This year, we’re expanding our program to celebrate creators of all backgrounds and mediums, and explore topics across all writing disciplines. Whether you’re a screewriter, poet, podcaster, songwriter, YouTuber, or novelist, there’s something for you at Indiepalooza.

This is an incredible opportunity to get advice, network with others and become a better writer!

Check out Indiepalooza in 16 seconds

What is Indiepalooza?

This is the annual event for Houston-area writers and creators to connect. Hosted every year by the Houston Writers Guild, Indiepalooza is your chance to connect with other local artists, creatives and industry professionals.

This year, we’re expanding our program to celebrate creators of all backgrounds and mediums, and explore topics across all writing disciplines. Whether you’re a screewriter, poet, podcaster, songwriter, YouTuber, or novelist, there’s something for you at Indiepalooza.

This is an incredible opportunity to get advice, network with others and become a better writer!

Check out this 16 second video to see what’s in store!

Why you should attend

Speaker Sessions

Learn industry insights and publishing tips from some incredible Houston writers and speakers.

Breakout Sessions

Let your imagination run wild and collaborate with other creators. Get constructive feedback on your writing and learn in working sessions designed to improve your writing.

Connect with Others

Connection is at the heart of the entire event. Meet other writers and storytellers that share your interests and will support your success.

“You can make anything by writing.” – C. S. Lewis
Ready to improve your craft and finish your writing?
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Featured Talks & Speakers

Mary Ann Faremouth

OPENING SPEAKER

Slaying the Dragon Inside of You

Oct. 19 — 7:00 PM
Founder and CEO of Faremouth and Company. She was the 2016 PRESIDENT of Houston Independent Personnel Consultant Group, is a member of the NASPD, NAPCA, the National Association of Personnel Consultants, and is also a highly regarded speaker and writer. Her articles can be found in various industry related publications and she is now an award winning author. Her book, Revolutionary Recruiting, won the Texas Authors Best Book Cover and Best NonFiction Education & Self Help Book awards.

Patty Farmer

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

How to Leverage the Media for Writers

Oct. 20 — 9:00 AM
Award-winning Marketing & Media Strategist, International Speaker, Radio Host, Magazine Publisher, Event Producer and Best-Selling Author specializing in Marketing & Business Growth Strategies. She has created a network of 100,000 + connections while teaching thousands of entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and convert in less time and make more money while designing the lifestyle they want to live. Patty has been seen on the covers of magazines such as Accomplish, Unleash Your Bold, Be the Boss, Women Who Mean Business and EXPERTpreneur.

Fern Brady

Are You Ready to Publish Your Story?

Oct. 20 — 11:30 AM
Founder and CEO of Inklings Publishing. She began her professional life as a foreign correspondent and taught for 15 years in Alief ISD. She has published numerous short stories, two children’s picture books, a couple of poems, and is excited about the upcoming release of her debut novel, Vidden United, which will be book one in her Alliance in Peril Series. She is an active member of the Houston Writers Guild, where she served as CEO for four years, and is also a member of Texas Authors Association, Blood Over Texas and Romance Writers of America.

Julie Maloney

Living the Writer’s Life in Today’s Market

Oct. 20 — 10:15 AM
Founder/director of Women Reading Aloud, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting women writers. She is a trained workshop leader in the Amherst Writers and Artists Method and holds an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her book of poems, “Private Landscape,” was published by Arseya Press, and her poems have appeared in many journals, such as Tiferet, WomenKin, Paterson Literary Review and others.

Her debut novel, “A Matter of Chance,” will be published by She Writes Press in April 2018.

Sam Alexander

The Basics of Author Branding

Oct. 20 — 10:15 AM
Sam works with authors at Greenleaf Book Group to help them understand how they can stand out in the crowded book market and engage with their audience to build a following.
He comes equipped with a variety of brand-building and marketing experience—from creating advertising campaigns for Sprint, MasterCard, and United Healthcare to working with celebrities like Steve Harvey and Colin Kaepernick on their brand strategies.
Sam earned a BS in Advertising from the University of Florida, and he actually enjoys assembling IKEA furniture. Really!

Talks & Speakers

Judith Briles

Texas-Sized Strategies for Author Success

Based on her best-selling book, How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers, & Boo-Boos, Dr. Judith Briles will have you scratching your head (why didn’t I do that?) to promising yourself that “tomorrow” I will start doing this ….and being inspired and motivated to reaching for the publishing stars with total confidence. Get ready to have some fun along with Judith as she shows you—anything is possible with the Texas-Sized 7 Strategies for Author Success.

Dr. Judith Briles, the award-winning and best-selling author of 37 books, including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Publishers, The CrowdFunding Guide for Authors & Writers, and How to Avoid Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers and Boo-Boos. How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech, was released in 2018 and When God Says NO released in 2019.

Sally Swanson

Can You Survive?

“You have the tools. You have the talent. You are on your way to the next great American novel. Right?”

Sally Swanson shares her personal story on the ultimate quest for survival. As an author of six books, she anticipated attending book signings and then selling the rights to Netflix for a new paranormal series. She discovered a marathon of business-related activities that were time consuming and had nothing to do with putting a pen to paper. Just when she thought she’d made it, a heavy-handed editor changed her work and might as well changed the byline too; the end result was a disjointed journey through time rather than a love story that transcended lifetimes.

What do you do when you’ve poured your heart into your work to have it defiled? Self-publish!

Sally Swanson, CFRE, is the executive director of the Houston Public Library Foundation. She first published a science fiction/romance trilogy in 2002 through Renaissance eBooks and later published her Ghost Lovers series under her own company, Farlight Publishing, established in 2005.

Ozeal Debastos

Host of No Permission Needed

Ozeal is a podcaster, brand strategist, founder of Pod Houston and the Ozeal Consulting Group. He’s the host of the No Permission Needed podcast which has garnered over 800k downloads and voted one of the top business marketing podcasts by several publications online. When he is not behind the mic, he is hosting events and helping people learn about the power of voice and storytelling.

Mike Kowis

U.S. Copyright Law: Info for Writers, Artists and Other Creatives

Many authors, artists, and other creative people are concerned that their works might be stolen and used without their permission (a.k.a. “copyright infringement”). While infringement of a book or other work is relatively rare, it does happen.

So how does a creator protect her work? Is copyright registration required? How long is a work protected under U.S. Copyright law?

These and many other practical questions will be answered during this informative talk.

Mike Kowis is a corporate tax attorney, college instructor, frequent speaker, and local author. His award-winning titles include a self-publishing guide for aspiring authors (14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book), a book marketing guide for authors (Smart Marketing for Indie Authors), and an amusing college teaching guide (Engaging College Students: A Fun and Edgy Guide for Professors).

Roger Leslie

Trust Your Journey

Artists in any medium become attuned to inspirations that transform possibilities into accomplishments. To amplify your intuitive voice, you can develop rituals and disciplines that speed your progress. From setting clear goals to meditating to recognizing fateful detours, you can clarify and claim your own path to success.

Award-winning author, publisher, editor, and writing coach Dr. Roger Leslie is a scholar in the fields of education, as well as film history. His bestselling works include inspirational self-help, teaching and librarianship, fiction, biography, and movie reference.

Margo Catts

Mind the Gaps: Finding the Most Important Part of Your Message

Any outline tends to hit the main points and leave the details pretty thin in between. But while you may have your eye on those high points, your audience won’t care what they are unless you carry them there by connecting to shared emotion and experience. In this session we’ll deconstruct successful examples to learn how to identify and provide the kind of content that will help your audience connect with your message without bogging it down.

Margo Catts is a writer, editor, blogger, and passionate traveler. Originally from Los Angeles, with deep roots in Colorado, she is recently repatriated after living in Saudi Arabia, and is a contributing author to the anthologies ONCE UPON AN EXPAT and LIFE ON THE MOVE. Her debut novel, AMONG THE LESSER GODS, was released in 2017 and she is wrapping up work on the second.

Topics & Presentations

  • Creative writing

  • Social media

  • Getting published

  • Marketing for authors

  • Gain confidence as a writer

  • Fiction & Nonfiction

  • Writing communities

  • Screenwriting

  • Blogging

  • Author branding

  • Podcasting

  • Copyright/Trademarking

  • Songwriting

  • Small business and taxes

  • Creating a successful mindset

Event Pricing

Members

Creative Workshops

Sunday, Oct 6
$35
  • In-person workshop and critique groups to get feedback on your writing
  • Get writing advice from industry experts
Get Tickets

Main Event

Saturday, Oct 5
$110
  • Keynote
  • Expo access
  • Breakout sessions
  • Speaker sessions
  • Networking opportunities
Get Tickets

All Event Bundle

Saturday + Sunday
$135
  • Event kickoff
  • Creative networking social
  • Sunday workshop access
  • Keynote
  • Expo access
  • Breakout sessions
  • Speaker sessions
  • Parking included
Get Tickets

Indiepalooza 2019 Starts In

Day(s)

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Nonmembers

Creative Workshops

Sunday, Oct 6
$50
  • In-person workshop and critique groups to get feedback on your writing
  • Get writing advice from industry experts
Get Tickets

Main Event

Saturday, Oct 5
$125
  • Keynote
  • Expo access
  • Breakout sessions
  • Speaker sessions
  • Networking opportunities
Get Tickets

All Event Bundle

Saturday + Sunday
$165
  • Event kickoff
  • Creative networking social
  • Sunday workshop access
  • Keynote
  • Expo access
  • Breakout sessions
  • Speaker sessions
  • Parking included
Get Tickets

Students & Seniors

Sunday Workshop

Sunday, Oct 6
$30
  • In-person workshop and critique groups to get feedback on your writing
  • Get writing advice from industry experts
Get Tickets

Main Event

Saturday, Oct 5
$40
  • Keynote
  • Expo access
  • Breakout sessions
  • Speaker sessions
  • Networking opportunities
Get Tickets

All Event Bundle

Saturday + Sunday
$65
  • Event kickoff
  • Creative networking social
  • Sunday workshop access
  • Keynote
  • Expo access
  • Breakout sessions
  • Speaker sessions
  • Parking included
Get Tickets
“Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse
Meet other Houston-area creatives.
Get tickets

Event Schedule

Day 1 – Saturday, Oct 5

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8:30 - 5:30

Rice University, Ley Student Center

Keynote Speaker

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8:30 - 5:30

Rice University, Ley Student Center

Educational Sessions, Resource Connections

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8:30 - 5:30

Rice University, Ley Student Center

Exhibitors & Sponsors Showcase

Day 2 – Sunday, Oct 6

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Rice University, Ley Student Center

Writing Workshops