Paths to Publishing (CLE)

The path from aspiring writer to published author requires tenacity, intention, and planning. The prestige and support structure offered by traditional publishers continues to be a desirable path for many writers. Yet, with the proliferation of professional, low-cost printing options and the ubiquity of e-books, self-publishing is on the rise and here to stay. No matter which path they choose, authors need to build a team around them, to ensure long term success. Attendees will learn the benefits and pitfalls of the many paths to publishing from industry experts, authors, publishers, and more.

This course is approved by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education for a maximum of one and a half (1.5) hours of general credit.

REGISTER AND RECEIVE A COUPON FOR 10% OFF AT PARNASSUS BOOKS

All attendees will receive a 10% off coupon good at Parnassus Books for the day of the event. Valid for in-store purchases only. Restrictions apply.

Moderator

Mike Bzozowski, Business Affairs Counsel

Mike Bzozowski Esq. is the Business Affairs Counsel for HarperCollins Christian Publishing in Nashville, TN. He focuses on intellectual property, corporate law, and contract management. He attended law school at the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University and is a licensed attorney in Tennessee and New York. He is originally from New Jersey and in his spare time, he reads and studies Italian with his wife, who is an acquisitions editor at HarperCollins. He is currently reading Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe and the Britney Spears memoir.

Panelists

Aaron Rogge, Author

Aaron Rogge writes genre-spanning novels that combine dark humor and low fantasy. He has self-published three novels with another under development. He also writes a monthly satire column called “The Inglewood Evening Dispatch,” in which the quixotic Hector Fogg navigates the absurdities of modern Nashville. His work on the Dispatch has earned him the unofficial title of “Poet Laureate of the Nashville SubReddit.” In Aaron’s daily life, he is a licensed civil engineer and the president of the Tennessee Stormwater Association, a non-profit focused on protecting and improving the quality of Tennessee’s waterways.  He is the owner of a dog, the husband of a wife, the father of a daughter, and a citizen of Nashville, in whichever order is most important at any given time.

Jenny Baumgartner, Literary Editor

Jenny Baumgartner is an Executive Editor at Hachette Nashville. For twenty-five years, Jenny has partnered with talented, bestselling, and award-winning authors of nonfiction, fiction, and gift books. Prior to joining Hachette, she was a senior acquisitions editor with Nelson Books at HarperCollins Christian Publishing where she acquired and edited Chad Robichaux’s Saving Aziz; Rachel Hollis’ Girl, Wash Your Face; Kerri Rawson’s A Serial Killer’s Daughter; Rachel Held Evans’ Inspired; and Michelle Williams’ Checking In. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and PhD coursework in linguistics, has taught publishing courses at writer’s conferences and English at colleges and universities. She savors being a single mom to twin teens while drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Lauren Thoman, Author

Born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Lauren Thoman now lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two children, in a chaotic household that includes a fluctuating number of rescue and foster dogs, and a somewhat alarming quantity of fish. Her speculative mystery I’ll Stop the World was selected by six-time Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling as the first debut novel to be released under her eponymous imprint, Mindy’s Book Studio.  I’ll Stop the World was published on April 1, 2023. Prior to publishing her debut novel, Lauren’s pop culture writing appeared in numerous online outlets including Parade, Vulture, and Collider. When she's not writing, she's probably on the hunt for tacos or coffee, poking around her flowerbeds, or buried underneath a pile of dogs.

Margaret Riley King, Literary Agent

Margaret Riley King is a partner and literary agent in WME’s global book division representing a roster of bestselling and award-winning authors in all areas of fiction and nonfiction. Her clients include Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, Sue Monk Kidd, Austin Channing Brown, Chloe Benjamin, Dani Shapiro, Jeannette Walls, Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks, Ann Leary, Meg Waite Clayton, Caroline Randall Williams, Jenna Kutcher, Nadia Bolz Weber, Valarie Kaur and Rachel Brathen, among others. She works across all areas of the company to secure publishing opportunities for WME clients in sports, talent and lifestyle, including deals for LeBron James, Halle Berry, Miranda Lambert, Lizzo, Kristin Cavallari, Michael Symon, Jessie James Decker and others.  She splits her time between her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, and New York City.