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The Houston Writers Guild presents

Indiepalooza 2018

October 19 – 20, 2018, Houston

Now is your time to write.

Come connect with other writers and storytellers and sharpen
your writing skills at the most exciting writing event of 2018!
Register Now
Download Event Program

About Indiepalooza 2018

The Houston Writers Guild is bringing you the chance to connect with fellow writers and industry professionals and hone your writing skills. This is an incredible opportunity to get advice, network with others and become a better writer!

Speaker Sessions

Learn industry insights and best practices from some incredible Houston-area writers and speakers.

Breakout Sessions

Let your imagination run wild and collaborate with fellow writers. Get constructive feedback on your writing and learn from others 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 novel?
Register Now

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!
“Just write every day of your life. Then see what happens.” – Ray Bradbury
Meet talented, Houston-area writers just like you!
Register Now

Additional Talks & Speakers

Sandy Lawrence

PR/Social Media 101 Panel Discussion

Oct. 20 — 10:15 AM
A publicist, an International speaker, International bestselling author and creator of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) programs. Sandy is a people person and, with her team, works passionately to take her client’s message to the world to help them break through, get noticed, and be known.

Aimee Ravichandran

PR/Social Media 101 Panel Discussion

Oct. 20 — 10:15 AM
CEO of Abundantly Social. A San Antonio native, Amy holds a Bachelor of Psychology from UTSA. After graduation, she studied social media under Sandy Lawrence and has attended numerous Social Media Examiner webinars about social media marketing and consulting.

Mike Kowis

What Every Author Should Know About Small Business Taxes

Oct. 20 — 11:30 AM
A corporate tax attorney, college instructor, speaker and award-winning author. Mike’s list of nonfiction titles include his debut book about college teaching tips entitled Engaging College Students: A Fun and Edgy Guide for Professors and a self-publishing guide called 14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book.

Andrew Richardson

Storytelling Through Song

Oct. 20 — 3:15 PM
An award winning songwriter with a catalog of over 100 songs, and is currently the president of the Houston Songwriters Association.

His passion for ideas has led him into running workshops and creativity sessions in both the music and corporate world.

D. L. Young

DIY Novel Production

Oct. 20 — 2:00 PM
A Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the 2017 Independent Press Award. His Dark Republic novels are futuristic thrillers set in the aftermath of a failed Texas secession. Juarez Square and Other Stories, his short fiction collection, includes the best of his previously published work.
The event is this October 19 & 20. Time is running out!
Register Now

Melanie Bragg

Creating Mindsets for Success for Authors

Oct. 20 — 11:30 AM
Speaker, lawyer, and the author of Crosstown Park, her debut novel published by Koehler Books. Melanie brings her vast experience of the legal system to her books and explores issues that are relevant to the social culture of today’s world.

Dorci Hill

Chakradance with Dorci: Healing Dance Therapy

Oct. 20 — 2:00 PM
A 3-time Best-Selling Author, Radio show host, Speaker, Expert of Play, Certified Chakradance Facilitator, and President of the Houston Writers Guild. Her belief is that happy people make healthier choices and have loads more fun along the way. (After all, life’s is too short to skip the cake!)

Jessica Wilbanks

Practical Tips for Navigating the Two Streams of Creative Writing

Oct. 20 — 3:15 PM
Author of When I Spoke in Tongues, a memoir about faith and its loss (Beacon Press, 2018). She has received a Pushcart Prize as well as creative nonfiction awards from Ninth Letter, Sycamore Review, Redivider, and Ruminate magazine.

Alan Bourgeois

Authors Revolution: Cost Effective Ways to Market Your Books

Oct. 20 — 3:15 PM
A winner of numerous awards for short stories, books and speaking during his more than 30 year writing career. Alan also creates programs and events that have gained recognition across the country and in many cases are now being copied in local areas.

Ozeal Debastos

Podcasters’ Guide to Building Brand Authority

Oct. 20 — 2:00 PM
Founder of Pod Houston, Houston’s #1 Podcasting Community, and is the host of the podcast No Permission Needed with 200+ interviews and growing! Ozeal’s mission is to empower creatives with a means to create a life on purpose, with passion and permission!
“A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood
Come learn how to improve your writing and get published!
Register Now

Topics & Presentations

  • Creative writing

  • Social media

  • Getting published

  • Marketing for authors

  • Gain confidence as a writer

  • How to hire a good editor

  • Writing communities

  • Screenwriting

  • Blogging

  • Author branding

  • Podcasting

  • Copyright/Trademarking

  • Songwriting

  • Small business and taxes

  • Creating a successful mindset

Pricing &  Registration

Nonmembers receive 25% off the purchase of a Guild membership when they purchase with an event ticket! A $15 SAVINGS!

TIME UNTIL THE EVENT

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

Nonmember Pricing

INTRO + SOCIAL

$25
  • Attend the opening session and networking event on Friday.
Register Online

Saturday only

$150
  • Attend Saturday sessions, keynote, and breakout sessions.
Register Online

Full Event

$175
  • Access to all sessions, speakers and events Friday and Saturday.
Register Online

* PLEASE NOTE: All ticket sales are non-refundable and go to supporting Houston-area arts.

HWG Member Pricing

INTRO + SOCIAL

$25
  • Attend the opening session and networking event on Friday.
Register Online

Saturday only

$135
  • Attend Saturday sessions, keynote, and breakout sessions.
Register Online

Full Event

$155
  • Access to all sessions, speakers and events Friday and Saturday.
Register Online

* PLEASE NOTE: All ticket sales are non-refundable and go to supporting Houston-area arts.

Event Schedule

Day 1 – Friday Evening, Oct 19

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6:30PM

Hotel Ylem

Check in & Onsite Registration

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7:00pm - 8:00pm

Hotel Ylem

Opening Session: Slaying the Dragons Inside of You

By Mary Ann Faremouth

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8:00pm - 10:00pm

Hotel Ylem

Network at Hotel Bar, Book Launch & Award Ceremony

Day 2 – Saturday, Oct 20

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8:00am – 9:00am

Rice University, Ley Student Center

Check in & Onsite Registration

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9:00am – 10:00am

Rice University, Ley Student Center

Keynote: How to Leverage Media for Writers

By Patty Farmer

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10:15am – 12:30pm

Rice University, Ley Student Center

Breakout Sessions, Creative Corner

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1:30pm - 2:00pm

Rice University, Ley Student Center

Breakout Sessions, Creative Corner

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4:30pm - 5:00PM

Rice University, Ley Student Center

Closing Session

Register Now!

Story is powerful. It is the universal language that connects us and makes us feel. It can inspire us and change the way we think. It can transport us to incredible worlds, empower us and even help us through times of hardship. The world needs more stories. And it needs more authors like you. Come join us. Now is your time to write.

Sign Up Today!
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