speaker-photo

Justine Manzano

Speaker & Moderator
Justine Manzano is the geeky author of the geeky YA series Keys & Guardians, and geeky YA novel Never Say Never. Known as a Professional-Life-Ruiner-By-Antagonist, Justine’s fiction is tough on the outside and sweet on the inside, like an M&M or a hard candy with a gooey center, delivered with sass and snark. Also a freelance editor, Justine also serves as an Editor-in-Residence at WriteHive, a role which includes co-hosting the Word Nerd Cafe podcast and has also led to her serving on the board of the non-profit organization. An activist at heart, Justine is also the Director of Operations of the I Know Why She Stayed Initiative. She lives in Bronx, NY with her husband, teenage son, and beloved puppy. She can usually be found at her website; www.justinemanzano.com, or all the usual social media haunts. If you’ve looked in all these places and can’t find her, she’s probably off reading fanfiction. She’ll be back soon. She never takes off her many hats for too long.
5:30PM - 7:00PM EDT

Friday July 10th

How to Choose an Editor

It takes a village to publish a book, but finding the best people for your village is hard. Join our panel of editors as they discuss what you should look for in an editor, red flags to avoid, and how to know when an editor is right for you. (Moderator: Justine Manzano)

6:00PM - 7:00PM EDT

Friday July 10th

Amena's Top 10 Cybersecurity Recommendations

Cybersecurity auditor and consultant Amena Jamali will provide some easy ways to increase authors' and creatives' cybersecurity online. In this unstable world, digital security is becoming trickier. These are her Top 10 recommendations to help combat rising risks. (Moderator: Justine Manzano)

8:30PM - 10:00PM EDT

Saturday July 11th

Planning the Past: How to Create a Successful Prequel

Have you ever wondered how your characters got to where they are? Well then you might consider writing a prequel! But how do you tell a new story while maintaining consistency with the one that's already set in stone? Join our panel of prequel-writing authors to explore how to plan and write the perfect story-before-the-story. (Moderator: Brad Lee)

11:30AM - 1:00PM EDT

Sunday July 12th

Steering Fiction Away From Abusive Characters (featuring Authors Against Abuse)

Depictions of abuse and violence against women and children are everywhere. In stories, in the media, in both our lives and escape mechanisms. Join K. J. Harrowick, Justine Manzano, and Kasey Rogers of Authors Against Abuse in this panel discussing the pitfalls of abuse in fiction and strategies for writers to avoid reinforcing this narrative. (Moderator: AJ "Poppy" Alexanders)