Conference preview – Different Routes to Book Publishing

The content of next week’s virtual conference will be a mix of newsmaker and craft improvement sessions. We wanted to give you an in-depth look at some of the sessions that will be presented – and available to conference registrants right from the comfort and safety of their own homes. 

Different Routes to Book Publishing – Saturday, June 27, 2020
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (EST)


In today’s market, authors have three major avenues for getting their book published: using a traditional publisher, hiring a publishing service, or self-publishing. In this session, three experienced authors share their perspectives on the different routes to book publishing to help you decide which path is best for your manuscript. 

They’ll cover:

  • Pros and cons of each book publishing route
  • Prerequisites for engagement
  • Roles and responsibilities involved
  • Expected royalty/payout structures

Session Speakers

Colleen Miniuk

Colleen Miniuk is an ex-software engineer who fled Intel Corporation in 2007 to pursue a meaningful life as a full-time outdoor photographer, writer, publisher, instructor, and speaker. Her credits include National Geographic calendars, Arizona Highways, AAA Via, National Parks Traveler, On Landscape, and a broad variety of other publications. She has served three times as an Artist-in-Residence with Acadia National Park. She authored the award-winning guidebooks, Photographing Acadia National Park: The Essential Guide to When, Where, and How and Wild in Arizona: Photographing Arizona’s Wildflowers, A Guide to When, Where, & How (1st and 2nd editions) as well as the instructional ebook, Seeing the Light in Outdoor Photography (1st and 2nd editions). She also writes a weekly advice column called “Dear Bubbles.” Colleen leads photography workshops and all-women photography workshops (called “Sheography™”) through her own company, CMS Photography, as well as for numerous camera clubs, national-level organizations, conferences, and private clients.

Matthew Miller

Matthew L. Miller is director of science communications for The Nature Conservancy and editor of the Cool Green Science blog. He is the author of the book Fishing Through the Apocalypse, published by Lyons Press, and a recipient of the Jade Award, the highest conservation writing honor of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. A lifelong naturalist and outdoor enthusiast, he has covered stories on science and nature around the globe. Matt previously served as director of communications for the Idaho program. He is an avid hunter, angler, distance runner and mammal enthusiast. He lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife and young son.

Kris Millgate

Outdoor journalist Kris Millgate spent a decade in TV news before starting Tight Line Media in 2006. With a quarter-century of multimedia storytelling, Millgate traverses the country in search of dynamic topics. She researches issues thoroughly then translates core elements via video, photo and words with credibility that demands an audience. Tight Line Media productions tour with film festivals, win outstanding honors and rank among National Geographic’s Top 10 Wild to Inspire list. As producer, writer, videographer, photographer, certified drone pilot, editor and gear hauler, Millgate engages in every project with inspiring enthusiasm and unmatched intensity.

Moderator, Emily Stone

Emily Stone is an OWAA board member who has been teaching kids of all ages outdoors for most of her life. As the naturalist/education director at the Cable Natural History Museum in Cable, Wisconsin, Emily writes a weekly “Natural Connections” column published in more than a dozen local and regional newspapers and compiled into two books. Her next four books will be for kids!

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