NSNC 2019 Conference Programs – Registration is Open!
NSNC Executive Director
#NSNC19, Buffalo, NY, June 20-23, 2019
Hotel Block: Hotel Henry Urban, Buffalo
Educational Sessions: Buffalo State College (across the street)
Fellow columnists and bloggers, let’s make more money! Together we affirm our value and worth and form an action plan to diversify our revenue streams. Here’s a look at planned conference programs, thanks to our 2019 Planning Committee: Chris Carosa (2019 Program Chair), Chandra Bozelko, Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, Lisa Smith Molinari, and Suzette Standring.
More programs and speakers to be added, so stay tuned!
 | Keynote Speaker: John Avlon, CNN Friday, June 21, 2019, The Annual NSNC Will Rogers Humanitarian Award |
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 | Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post The Annual NSNC 2019 Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday, June 22, 2019, Awards Banquet |
| Conference Programs: Friday and Saturday, June 21-22, 2019. Read the schedule HERE. |
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 | 8:15 a.m.The Leadership of Columnists and Bloggers Columnists and bloggers are leaders and our work and business should reflect our leadership brands. Syndicated columnist Pam Sherman, founder of the ShermanEDGE™ (Explore, Dream, Grow & Excite), a former attorney, actor, and now global coach and consultant, will kick off the conference with an inspiring and interactive session that will focus on leadership presence, storytelling, and branding to open the door to opportunities and possibilities. An enlightening and lighthearted session for all, with takeaways to help you grow and transform your presence and your career. |
 | The How-To of National Syndication What does it take to get nationally syndicated and paid? Is syndication the holy grail as perceived? It’s no longer enough to be an excellent writer, it’s about branding. What’s your niche elevator pitch? Lisa Glowinski, Director for More Content Now/GateHouse Media, shares how columnists and bloggers with expanded platforms – podcasting, video blogging, YouTube, and other social media – attain national syndication. Get your questions answered during the Q&A time that follows her presentation. |
 | Exceptional Video Columns - The Next Big Thing Video columns are hot, bringing new audiences to online publications. Learn how to create an easy and inexpensive opinion video, and pitch it as paid content to editors. Ryan Lo, founder of Unlabeled Digital Media, and Taylor Nichols-Balk, production assistant, will cover the basics of creating professional videos using a cell phone or consumer camera. Take away tips on correct lighting, what graphics work best, your performance, using a green screen, the best video length for various platforms, such as Instagram, YouTube, and more. Most importantly, get the audio quality right! It’s all here in one program. |
 | Freelancers: Get Published and Paid Through Print and Online Newspapers Discover ways to get featured in major publications, both in print and online. Judy Patrick is the VP for editorial development for the New York Press Association. She will talk about the changing freelance landscape and how those changes offer new opportunities for columnists and bloggers. This session will include practical advice regarding editors, choosing column and blog post topics, social media promotion, filing copy, and getting paid. |
 | Trauma, Trauma Everywhere: Self-Care for the Columnist/ Blogger /Reporter Covering stress and pain regularly takes its toll on a writer, whether it is the personal sharing of old wounds, covering tragedies, or the second-hand trauma of interviewing victims. Columnist Amanda Beam is trained in trauma-informed care. She is also a volunteer legal advocate for the Center for Women and Families. As a survivor of childhood abuse, she will share advice on what to expect from people undergoing trauma or PTSD, and what a writer should do (or not do) when caring for themselves and others. |
 | Why Every Writer Should Give a TED Talk: Presentation, Marketing, and Benefits For You Giving a TED talk cements credibility and promotes recognition as an expert. How does one start? Dave Lieber, Watchdog for the Dallas Morning News, gave a TED talk and reaped a big increase in his paid speaking engagements and earned greater credibility with his readers, especially younger ones. A TED talk is attainable. Dave Lieber details the steps to take and how to make it work it for you. |
 | Profitable Full-Time Authorship – Quit Your Day Job Within three years, Rebecca Regnier put her son through college and quit her TV journalist’s job by becoming a successful fiction author, all without an agent, a major publisher, a small press, or even a self-publishing service. Plan a series, not a single book. A humor columnist and former Emmy Award-winning journalist, Regnier now makes serious money as a “cozy mystery writer” and will share resources, the how-to of finding a profitable genre, the Amazon algorithm, building an audience through newsletters, creating an inventory, managing cover designers, editors, and more. If you love to write, you might also have what it takes. |
 | Ebooks by Columnists and Bloggers: Parlay Your Body of Work Into Profit Would you rather use a self-publishing service for your book project? Get practical advice on ebook creation and best practices by indie authors. One of our most popular presenters in 2018, Jim Azevedo, marketing director for Smashwords, returns to dig deeper into the advantages of ebook self-publishing: a comparison of royalty rates (traditional vs. self-published), how to maximize distribution, positive partnerships, building reader relationships prior to publication, tips on “pre-orders,” pricing strategies, and much more. |
| Getting Read, Noticed, and Understood on Sensitive Topics If you write about modern life, there is no such thing as a non-controversial topic. Discover how to take charge and take the heat when expressing a stand on hot button issues. NSNC member Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Roll Call and award winning journalist, encourages you to add your voice, and perhaps change the narrative. Keep your sanity and the worst of the critics at bay. Yes, there are tips and tricks that may not get readers to agree, but may lead them to grudging respect. |
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 | How to Present Complicated Info to Readers How does a columnist explain complicated systems to the everyday reader? How to use one’s forum for public service? How to present complicated statistics, financial numbers, and other data? David Cay Johnston is a Pulitzer Prize winner, a leading expert in economics and tax issues, and one of journalism’s most exciting authors. The trick is not to bore the reader and to write to a higher mission. He said, “Think strategically, and your columns can shape public debate and people’s understanding of issues.” He will share strategies of his longtime success. |
 | Podcasting 101: Get a Paid Piece of the Pie By 2020, podcast annual revenue is projected to reach more than $650 million. You already produce unique, regular content — and getting a piece of the podcast pie is a lot easier than you think. In this one-hour seminar, Cole and Victor Imperi outline everything you need to know about the podcasting industry, technology, and format to move your content from page to earbud. The Imperis offer a true 360° perspective — they are podcast hosts, podcast producers, and have been featured as guests on major podcasts. |
 | WordPress: What’s New and Useful for You Learn how to showcase your best work. Mike Dang is the editor in chief of Longreads, which has been nominated for three National Magazine Awards and shared a Peabody Futures of Media Award for digital journalism. He's also an editor at WordPress.com and will share some tips on how to put together a beautiful website with Chrissie Pollock, Happiness Engineer with Automattic/WordPress. |
The NSNC Hospitality Suite
Each day we learn, and then we earn a post-dinner evening in our long tradition of fun, camaraderie, and becoming friends. The NSNC will socialize in a luxurious suite at the Hotel Henry Urban. As always, all refreshments are free amid laughter and stories long into the night.
Not a member? Become one and enjoy discounts on the conference and our column-writing contest that launches in January.
Questions? Email me: director@columnists.com
Another great conference is shaping up. Be there!
