Traditional Author Weekend Virtual Conference

New to traditional romance publishing or making a comeback? Traditional Author Weekend, Saturday, January 24, 2026, is your must-attend virtual event!

Gain vital insights and tools for navigating the traditional publishing landscape from agents, editors, industry professionals and authors. This special virtual mini-conference welcomes newcomers and those re-entering the traditional publishing scene, ensuring they are equipped for success in publishing their romance novels through traditional avenues.

Ready to land a literary agent or publishing deal? Join us for Traditional Author Weekend, Saturday, January 24, 2026—it’s your path to publishing success!

Bonus: Registrants get lifetime access to all recorded sessions.

Registration Now Open!

$89 RWA Members / $149 Non Members

Register Here For Traditional Author Weekend  2026

Boost Your Romance Author Career with RWA! Join RWA now and save on Traditional Author Weekend registration. Enjoy exclusive benefits like advocacy, community, education, contests, weekly newsletter, a monthly digital magazine, access to archived resources, and discounts on conferences, workshops, and more. Your career deserves this advantage—join today!

Traditional Author Weekend Schedule, Workshop & Speakers

The schedule and speakers are subject to change prior to the event. The Zoom Events platform will list the most up-to-date virtual conference schedule and speakers.

Traditional Author Weekend Recordings

Traditional Author Weekend will be fully recorded, and all registered participants will receive lifetime access to the session recordings.

Traditional Author Weekend 2026 Workshop Descriptions

Acquiring Editors
Join Editors from Kensington and St. Martin’s Press as they offer an inside look at how manuscripts move from submission to acquisition. Learn what catches an editor’s eye, the common reasons projects are passed over, and how today’s market trends shape editorial decisions. Discover what you need to know to position your work for success in a competitive publishing landscape.

Before and After Marketing Tips – Online and Offline
Editor Melanie Billings shares helpful information on Marketing that uses both online and offline techniques. Focus will be on Marketing before, during, and after the publishing process. *** Please note, Melanie is not a marketing expert. Information in this workshop has been acquired from online, personal, and professional resources. Marketing techniques can vary from person to person, and even from genre to genre. All tips and advice from this workshop should be taken with a grain of salt.

Become the Author People Take Seriously Before You Start Marketing
Maite Dalila Rodriguez will guide authors through what comes after the manuscript is done and when you are ready to share. Simple, actionable steps. No jargon, no pressure, no need for a publisher-sized budget.

Digital Hygiene: Cybersecurity for the Rest of Us
Are you safeguarding your digital life? Online security isn’t optional; it’s vital in today’s world. Lisa Rabey will help you discover how to create fortress-like passwords, master password managers, spot sneaky phishing attacks, and build a strong defense against cyber threats.

Don't Pay to Play: Spotting scams before they cheat you
From fake agents to shady “book club” fees, scammers target authors daily. This session, Jessica Snyder will show you how to vet offers, verify credibility, and protect your publishing career.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Ghostwriting
Curious about ghostwriting? Join Agent Latoya Smith-Wharton as she provides answers to the most frequently-asked questions about the business of ghostwriting, covering topics from securing jobs to best interview practices and more!

How to Pitch a Novel: Finding Your Hook
A hook is the special something that makes your book different and makes people want to read it. Use your hook in query letters, pitch events, and marketing. Submit your pitch in advance for live feedback on what’s working and how to make it stronger, or attend to learn from other people's pitches.

Submit your pitch to [email protected] with the subject line Pitching. For this exercise, the pitch should be 75 words maximum. Authors will remain anonymous. For help developing your submission, please see How to Pitch a Novel: shorturl.at/kL0Lu. Kris Bock will critique as many pitches as possible, but those that don't follow the guidelines may not be critiqued.

Live Action Slush
Join us for a dynamic Live Action Slush session, where four prominent publishing company editors will provide real-time critiques in a supportive, educational format. Attendees can submit the first 200 words of their romance manuscript in advance for an anonymous live reading, followed by constructive feedback from our editorial panel. Send submissions to [email protected] with the subject line Live Action Slush.

Researching Editors and Agents: Knowing what to look for before submitting
Agent Scott Eagan will walk authors through the process of identifying exactly what editors and agents are looking for beyond simply genre. Too often, writers simply see “acquiring contemporary romance” but they do not know the specific nuances. There is much more than simply the genre and word count. Each editor and agent likes different things. They have different preferences. Publishers have different voices. Figuring this out before submitting and even before writing a story may reduce the number of rejections.

The Reality of Agent/Author Relationships
Sometimes finding the perfect agent feels like trying to find your new favorite pair of jeans. You scour online, researching the best "fit" only to find hundreds of options, all with different pros and cons, with only just a few that might fit just right. In this interactive workshop we'll give you tips to help you find, build and maintain a "comfortable" author/agent relationship to help you navigate your publishing career.

To Edit or Not - Developmentally Speaking
I want to be published! Do I need to pay for a developmental edit first? In this session Agent and Freelance Developmental Editor Nicky Lovick will answer that question.

What to put and NOT put in your Query
Have a finished manuscript you're ready to send into the world? Querying agents and editors can be stressful. It may feel like you're sending your work into the void. But with a little insight from someone on the other end, you can feel a bit more confident in your query letter. Acquisitions editor Lisa Green from City Owl Press will go through the dos and don'ts of query writing. You might be surprised at some of the common mistakes people make when pitching their work.

Become a 2026 Traditional Author Weekend Sponsor

Platinum ($5,000+)

• Four (4) complimentary registrations to Indie Author Weekend 2026
• Complimentary15-second conference opening and closing banner ads
• Ten (10) 5-second banner ads aired during virtual conference session breaks
• Complimentary full-page ad in digital program with link
• Promotional piece in the RWR (interview)
• Recognition in conference update emails
• Sponsor thank you on RWA social media

Gold ($2,000 - $4,999)

• Two (2) complimentary registrations to Indie Author Weekend 2026
• Seven (7) complimentary 5-second banner ads aired during virtual conference session breaks
• Complimentary full-page ad in digital program with link
• Promotional piece in the RWR (interview)
• Recognition in conference update emails
• Sponsor thank you on RWA social media

Silver ($1,000 - $1,999)

• One (1) complimentary registration to Indie Author Weekend
• Three (3) complimentary 5-second banner ads aired during virtual conference session breaks
• Complimentary half-page page ad in digital program with link
• Recognition in conference update emails
• Sponsor thank you on RWA social media

Bronze ($500 - $999)

• Fifty percent off conference registration
• One (1) complimentary 5-second banner ad aired during a virtual conference session break
• Complimentary half-page ad in digital program with link
• Sponsor thank you on RWA social media

Sponsor This Event

Advertising Opportunities

Showcase your brand to Traditional Author Weekend attendees. Claim a promotional opportunity and boost your visibility.

Digital Program Ad Space (with link)

• Inside Front or Back Cover $250
• Full-page $150
• Half-page $100
• Fourth-page $75

Digital Program Ad Space (without link)

• Full-page $100
• Half-page $75
• Fourth-page $45

Buy one ad space in one digital program and get 25% off one additional ad space of equal size and value. RWA chapters will receive one free full-page ad (with link).

Digital Banner (commercial) Ad Space

• 45-seconds $150
• 30-seconds $100
• 15-seconds $75

Buy one digital banner ad space and get 25% off the purchase of a second digital banner ad space of equal length. RWA chapters will receive three free 5-second banner ads.

Click the button below to complete the Promotional Opportunity Sign-up Form.

Traditional Author Weekend Advertising

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