Registration open for 12th annual EPICon Electronic Publishing Conference

Registration open for 12th annual EPICon Electronic Publishing Confe Posted by: "Zetta Brown" zetta@zettabrown.com   zwb70 The 12th Annual EPICon™ Goes Colonial [Williamsburg, VA] The high-tech world of ePublishing is buzzing today as EPICon™, hosted by EPIC - Electronically Published Internet Connection™, opens registrations for their 12th annual industry convention. The convention will be held March 10th-13th, 2011 at the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel and Convention Center in Colonial Williamsburg. With workshops and events of interest to a range of literary genres as well as the business of ePublishing, early reports of guest speakers include a class on writing love scenes by NY Times Bestseller Angela Knight, a two-hour class on hostage negotiation by veteran police officer Michael Woodcock, and more. Two-time EPICon™ convention chair Lisa Brennan-Webb states, "I'm personally biased. I think Virginia always offers us the best deal for a convention. Take our convention hotel rate, for instance. A standard room is only $109 per night, single or double occupancy, and a suite is only $129. The staff of the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel are experts at providing excellent service and a seamless presentation." EPICon™ is admittedly one of the best values in industry conventions around. Early EPIC member registrants this year (those who register before October 31st, 2010) will pay $190 for the three-day convention, and non-members will pay just $30 more. The cost includes most meals from the Thursday evening mixer through the Sunday morning breakfast. In addition, the convention has special rates for family members who are just eating convention meals but not attending classes, middle school through college students, teachers attending the convention, and even a deal for three-day passes into the historic district. Co-chair for the convention, Brenna Lyons, shares: "One thing you can count on at EPICon™ is a motto coined by the early committees: 'No rubber chicken!' We go out of our way to accommodate as many food requirements as we can, and there are very few we can't work with. And unlike some other industry conventions I've attended, there is no scrambling for a seat at a meal. If we have 150 people registered, we set 150 plates. But if only 140 people eat that meal, so be it. Whether or not they eat it, we set it. If the meal isn't buffet style, there are choices for the meal. How many conventions promise that?" In addition, Lyons promises a "surprise meal" this year to be announced in a later announcement. Brennan-Webb imparts that she hopes to make this year's EPICon™ even more publisher/agent friendly than previous years. "We have a full list of promo opportunities available for our industry attendees, just as we do for our author and artist attendees. We're hoping to encourage interaction beyond the usual pitch sessions and publisher panels, to convince publishers, agents, and writing groups to hold social hours and meet and greets at the convention." That's not the only change this year. As an ePublishing group, the committee was very happy to learn that the Woodlands Hotel and Convention Center offers free Wi-Fi in all hotel rooms and meeting rooms, making it easy for "hooked-in" attendees to attend to business on site, to announce winners in their three premiere contests, and to keep a finger on the pulse of life back home more effectively. "Not only that," Brennan-Webb adds, "as an educational group, it fits our non-profit aims that all profits from the hotel and the historic site passes goes to support the Colonial Williamsburg educational efforts." EPIC's commitment to the environmental friendliness found in eBooks and the ePublishing industry can be seen in their approach when it comes to distributing convention materials. Brennan-Webb continues: "In the past, we've had some complaints about an ePublishing group using paper binders for all the handouts. People have to stuff these into suitcases and carry them home on the plane. Multi-ring binders can weigh quite a bit, and with everything else people tend to collect at a convention and more stringent airline rules about luggage, something different is required. This year, we're offering the binder on CD in various eBook formats and a printed schedule only. It's easier to carry home. It's less paper waste, less printing, and people with their laptops on site can load the class notes in and take the laptop to classes with them. Overall, it's a much more 'green' option for us." When asked if this convention is just for published authors, the committee is quick to point out that EPICon™ is for everyone. Lyons explains: "We invite published, unpublished, industry members, from everything from NY conglomerate publishing to indie press, self-published, agents, editors, publishers, cover artists, hardware and software developers, distribution channels, and even teachers that want to take information back to their students and integrate it into their classes. Teaching and networking are two of our central goals at EPIC. "The classes are varied and range from what published authors need to know all the way down to learning and developing more skills in the craft of writing. We have a little something for everyone." Registration for the 2011 convention is open now at http://www.epic- conference. com The 12th Annual EPICon™ is using technology to its full advantage and it carries over into the registration process as well. Brennan-Webb urges attendees to register early for the best prices. "We've made it as easy as possible. In addition to the phone numbers to register for the hotel and to arrange for the airport shuttle, all registration forms are electronic this year. You can do everything from planning your hotel to registering a spouse for the meal-only options and from buying a pass to the historic district to choosing your meals online." Contact: Lisa Brennan-Webb, Convention Chair Email: epiconchair2011@ yahoo.com http://www.epic- conference. com # # # # # EPIC – Electronically Published Internet Connection™ was established in 1997 and is a non-profit, professional organization for published and contracted eBook and print authors. EPIC's goal is to provide a strong voice for electronic publishing—the major publishing marketplace of the future. -- Zetta Brown Editor-in-Chief, LL-Publications http://www.ll- publications. com Get our newsletter! http://www.ll- publications. com/newsletter. html