A Two-Day Insider Publishing Intensive for Serious Nonfiction Authors
July 16–17, 2026 | Live Online
Most nonfiction books succeed or fail before the manuscript is finished.
Not because the writing is weak—but because early decisions quietly narrow their future.
Positioning.
Proposal framing.
Publishing path.
Market assumptions.
Structural clarity.
Once those decisions are made, they are expensive and difficult to reverse.
Author Roadmap is a two-day deep dive into how the nonfiction publishing industry actually evaluates books—before a contract is ever offered.
This is not a writing motivation workshop.
It is not a marketing seminar.
It is rare access to the people who decide which books move forward—and why.
Inside the Publishing Conversation You Rarely Hear
Across two days, you’ll learn directly from:
- A VP of editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers
- An associate acquisitions director at North Atlantic Press
- A former executive editor at Harvard Business School Press
- A leading literary agent
- A publishing contract expert
- A publishing futurist
- A book production founder
- Multiple publishing CEOs in a live roundtable
These are professionals who evaluate, acquire, negotiate, produce, and position nonfiction books every day.
They will speak candidly about:
- Why strong proposals are declined
- What editors quietly look for but rarely articulate
- How agents assess author potential
- Where authors undermine their own projects
- How publishing houses evaluate risk
- What makes a book stand out in a market producing over 3 million titles per year
- What clauses in contracts can shape your long-term revenue and rights
- How AI should and should not be used in the writing process
You’ll hear not just what publishers say publicly, but how decisions are actually made internally.
This Is For YOU If You Are . . .
- Actively developing a nonfiction book idea or manuscript
- Considering traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing
- Writing a book tied to your professional authority or thought leadership
- Revisiting a manuscript that needs sharper positioning
- Serious about long-term credibility and impact
Many participants are consultants, executives, coaches, founders, and professionals who want their book to strengthen—not dilute—their reputation.
What You’ll Walk Away With
By the end of Author Roadmap, you will:
- Understand how publishing decisions are truly made
- Recognize early red flags that can derail a strong idea
- Clarify which publishing path aligns with your goals
- Evaluate trade-offs with informed awareness
- Approach agents, editors, and contracts with greater confidence
- Think like a publisher before you commit like an author
This workshop helps you avoid costly missteps and move forward with strategic clarity.
Two Days. Twelve Expert Sessions.
Day 1 (Thursday, July 15, 2026): Crafting the Manuscript
8:30 am–3:00 pm Pacific Time (11:30 am–6:00 pm Eastern Time)
Introduction to the Roadmap
The Reality of the Nonfiction Marketplace in 2026, and What This Workshop Will Equip You With
Todd Sattersten
Publisher at Bard Press and bestselling author
Session Details
Coming Soon.
Crafting a Winning Book Proposal
What Publishers Ask for and What They’re Really Asking For
Jeevan Sivasubramaniam
Vice president of editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Session Details
This session is on crafting winning book proposals. It looks beyond what publishers say they want in their book proposals to uncover what they’re really looking for in your proposal.
About the Presenter
Jeevan Sivasubramaniam is the VP for Editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers. His first job was in legal documentation publishing thirty-three years ago and it nearly drove him insane. Thankfully what followed after (and eventually ending up at his first-choice publisher) saved him.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeevansivasubramaniam/
Email: [email protected]
The Power of Clarity
Stripping Away Complexity for a Sharper Focus
Shayna Keyles
Associate director of acquisitions at North Atlantic Books
Session Details
Attendees will learn how to write clear, direct text without compromising individual voice. The presentation will cover things like paragraph structure, sentence length, and in-text transitions.
About the Presenter
Shayna Keyles is the Associate Director of Acquisitions at North Atlantic Books. Shayna has specialized in nonfiction writing for the past ten years, including how-to manuals, cookbooks, professional self-help, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and more. Outside of work, Shayna can be found getting to know their neighbors, block printing, experimenting in the kitchen, playing tabletop games, and exploring anything explorable.
LinkedIn: @shaynakeyles
Because Story Dominates
How to Properly Use Anecdotes, Cases, and Narratives to Engage
Zach Gajewski
Developmental editor and writer, former editor at McGraw-Hill
Session Details
You’ll Learn:
- Why to incorporate stories and narratives into nonfiction
- What types of stories to use and when
- Where to find and how to develop stories
About the Presenter
Zach Gajewski is a developmental editor and ghostwriter who has spent his career helping authors craft outstanding, award-winning books.
Starting at academic and trade book producer MTM Publishing, Zach learned the ins and outs of editorial management and production before moving on to McGraw-Hill Professional, where he developed, acquired, and edited trade and professional titles.
He’s collaborated with multiple bestselling authors, thought leaders, journalists, professors, and first-time authors, and books he’s edited have been featured on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and USA Today bestsellers’ lists.
Zach is drawn to thought-provoking works, focusing on ideas both big and small, that give insight into the world and provide advice to help us lead fuller, better lives.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharygajewski/
Website: http://www.zachgajewski.com
AI and Your Soul
Using AI the Right Way to Help You in Your Writing
Rebecca Bultsma
AI ethicist and writer
Session Details
So you’re staring at ChatGPT, wondering if using it makes you a “real writer” anymore. Or maybe you’re avoiding it entirely because you’re convinced it’ll steal your manuscript and sell it to the highest bidder. Or perhaps you’re somewhere in between—curious but terrified, intrigued but ethically queasy.
Good. That means you still have a soul.
Here’s what nobody’s telling you: AI won’t steal your soul, but using it wrong might make you feel like you sold it. The difference? Understanding what these tools actually do (spoiler: not magic) and deciding what feels right for YOUR writing practice.
This session examines many authors’ middle ground between ‘AI will help me’ and ‘AI will destroy my work.’ We’ll explore the questions that keep you up at night – about manuscripts and privacy, about what counts as “your” writing, about which tools actually matter versus which ones are just noise. We’ll talk about why AI ethics isn’t some abstract philosophy but rather a practical framework for making decisions that let you sleep at night.
Most importantly, this isn’t about converting you to anything. It’s about giving you a framework to think through these choices yourself. Because whether you decide to embrace AI, reject it entirely, or find some complicated middle ground, that decision should come from clarity, not confusion.
Your stories – messy, human, imperfect – matter infinitely more than any technology ever could. This session helps you protect what’s sacred about your writing while being realistic about the world we’re living in.
Come for the practical perspective. Stay for the permission to feel however you feel about all this. Leave knowing your path forward, whatever that looks like.
About the Presenter
Rebecca is an international keynote speaker on AI, an adoption and usage strategist for major organizations, companies, and institutions, a researcher on the subject, and a writer herself. She is known for bringing clarity without evangelism, practical wisdom without pressure, and permission to choose your own adventure with technology. Her goal is to help writers maintain their integrity, voice, and yes, their souls, regardless of which tools they choose to use or avoid.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-bultsma/
Website: https://www.rebeccabultsma.com/
Substack: https://substack.com/@rebeccabultsma
Three Million Titles a Year
How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Saturated Marketplace
Kirsten Sandberg
Editor in chief at Blockchain Research Institute, former executive editor at Harvard Business Publishing
Session Details
This session is less about standing out and more about tuning in to the conversations you want to join and positioning the ideas you want to share. In this session, we’ll walk through an approach to analyzing and entering the markets for your work.
You’ll Learn:
- Takeaway
About the Presenter
Kirsten is a veteran writer, editor, and researcher. She began her publishing career in advertising and sales at an imprint that’s now a part of Elsevier. She moved through editorial development, marketing, and acquisitions at HarperCollins, then served for over a decade as an executive editor at the Harvard Business Review Press. Of Kirsten’s recent work, bestselling author Don Tapscott wrote, “We approached the best book editor we knew . . . and asked her to edit our book proposal. She did a spectacular job, and our collaboration was so effortless that we asked her to be a full-time member of the book team. . . . She helped us to bring the story to life.”
Day 2 (Friday, July 16, 2026): Getting Published
8:30 am–3:00 pm Pacific Time (11:30 am–6:00 pm Eastern Time)
What No One Warns You About
Five Red Flags for Yourself in Writing
Jeevan Sivasubramaniam
Vice president of editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Session Details
This session alerts authors around five red flags as they write their book that prior awareness can help avoid before they write themselves into a corner.
About the Presenter
Jeevan Sivasubramaniam is the VP for Editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers. His first job was in legal documentation publishing thirty-three years ago and it nearly drove him insane. Thankfully what followed after (and eventually ending up at his first-choice publisher) saved him.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeevansivasubramaniam/
Email: [email protected]
Publishing Options and Trade-Offs
Traditional, Hybrid, or Self-Publishing? Pros and Cons of Each
Thad McIlroy
Principal of The Future of Publishing and founding partner in Publishing Technology Partners
Session Details
This session will explore how traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing differ from each other and the pros and cons of each for nonfiction authors.
About the Presenter
Thad McIlroy is a publishing technology analyst and author based in San Francisco. His site, The Future of Publishing, provides in-depth coverage of book publishing industry trends, currently focusing on the intersection of AI with book authoring and publishing.
He is a contributing editor to Publishers Weekly, covering artificial intelligence, digital innovation and publishing startups. McIlroy’s latest book, The AI Revolution in Book Publishing: A Concise Guide to Navigating Artificial Intelligence for Writers and Publishers, was published in a revised edition in May, 2025.
A well-established expert in the technology and marketing issues surrounding publishing technology, he has authored a dozen other books and over 400 articles. McIlroy is also a founding partner in Publishing Technology Partners.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thadmcilroy/
Website: thefutureofpublishing.com
Speak to My Agent
What Literary Agents Can and Will (and Can’t and Won’t) Do
Wendy Keller
Literary agent and founder of Keller Media
Session Details
You’ll Learn:
- If you really need/want/will ever get an agent
- How to find agents who are more likely to say yes to you and your book
- What an agent does for authors and what we cannot do
- How to dramatically increase your chances of getting representatin . . . and a publishing contract
About the Presenter
Wendy Keller has been a literary agent since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Her agency Keller Media ONLY represents nonfiction—business, science & self-help—by exceptionally qualified authors. Keller Media has placed ~2,000 rights deals worldwide, including 19 New York Times bestsellers and 11 international bestsellers. Wendy actively represents speakers worldwide and often trains people to turn their expertise into speaking, coaching, course, or consulting revenue. The agency’s focus in the last three years has been primarily on placing its speakers into paid engagements, selling rights for existing clients, and managing international rights deals for publishing houses.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellermedia/
Website: http://www.KellerMedia.com
Contract Capitulations and Clauses
What to Look Out For in Your Publishing Agreement
Neal Maillet
Editorial director at Berrett-Koehler Publishers, former editor at Wiley, and former CEO of Timber Press
Session Details
Since Johannes Gutenberg entered the first publishing contract in 1449, book publishers have had plenty of time and opportunity to think up clever ways to stack the deck in their favor. We’ll help you understand how copyright, royalties, and the publishing process works so that you don’t give away more than you need to or more than you mean to!
About the Presenter
Neal Maillet has worked in publishing for forty years, beginning when he took a pay cut from waiting on tables to be an editorial assistant at Bantam/Doubleday. The highlight of his career was riding the elevator with editor Jacqueline Onassis. Though he has worked mainly as an editor, he also served as Publisher of Timber Press when it became a division of Workman Publishing. He has negotiated book contracts for more than 700 books.
From Final Manuscript to Finished Book
The When, Where, and Why of Why It Takes So Long
David Peattie
Founder of BookMatters Production Company and publisher at Whereabouts Press
Session Details
Attendees will get an overview of the editorial and production process, with a focus on why certain steps take as long as they do, and in what order. Dave Peattie will review some of the pitfalls to avoid, as well as ways to make sure stays on course, on time, and on budget. For rush projects, he’ll discuss the best ways to determine which shortcuts are worth it, and which ones may come back to bite you.
About the Presenter
David Peattie (he/him) has been in book publishing for 45 years. He is the owner of BookMatters Publishing Services and Whereabouts Press. He has consulted on-site with various publishers, including Sierra Club Books, Lonely Planet, and University of California Press. He is a long-time board member of Publishing Professionals Network. His hobbies include dog walking, biking, and cocktails, but not at the same time.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-peattie-36a8043a/
Websites:
https://bookmatters.com
https://whereaboutspress.com
https://pubpronetwork.org
Publisher Roundtable
Four Publishing House CEOs Discuss the Future of Nonfiction and What You Should Know
Steve Piersanti
Founder and CEO of Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Tim McKee
Publisher and CEO of North Atlantic Books
Todd Sattersten
Publisher of Bard Press and bestselling author
Matt McKay
Cofounder and publisher at New Harbinger Publications
What Makes Author Roadmap Different
Most writing events focus on:
- Productivity
- Craft improvement
- Marketing after publication
Author Roadmap focuses earlier—where the consequences are greater.
Instead of asking, “How do I write this book faster?”, we help you ask:
- What kind of book am I actually writing?
- How will it be evaluated before publication?
- What assumptions am I making too early?
- Which decisions are difficult to reverse later?
- How can I structure this book so it stands out in today’s market?
You will leave thinking like a publisher—not just writing like an author.
Workshop Format
- Two full live online days (hosted via Zoom)
- Each day will run 8:30 am–3:00 pm Pacific Time (11:30 am–6:00 pm Eastern Time)
- 12 expert-led sessions
- Live Q&A at the end of each session
- Optional breakout conversations
- Access to all session recordings for 3 months (through October 31, 2026)
In addition:
- 2 participants will be randomly selected to receive a one-hour private consultation on their book idea, manuscript, or proposal ($250 value).
- All registrants will receive a complimentary digital copy of the bestseller Get to the Point! Second Edition.
Registration & Pricing
Early Bird Registration: $449
Through May 31, 2026
Standard Registration: $499
June 1 – June 30, 2026
Full Registration: $549
Beginning July 1, 2026
Registration includes full access to all sessions and recordings.
Seats are limited to maintain discussion quality.
You may also be interested in . . .
BookPlan, our companion event to Author Roadmap
Author Roadmap covers everything you need to know to get from idea to published book.
BookPlan, an online workshop we host every spring, picks up where Author Roadmap leaves off, covering how to market, publicize, and sale your book once it’s published.
BookPlan Add-Ons
(available when you register for Author Roadmap)
Watch the 12 Best Sessions from BookPlan 2023–2025
Available instantly.
Watch on-demand from now through October 31, 2026.
Price: $50 ($150 value)
Session List:
- What Is the ROI of a Business Book?
- Identifying Your Core Audiences and Honing Your Message
- Give Away 90% of Your Book: Added Value Marketing and You
- How to Plan Your Book So You Have Cheerleaders Ready to Promote It
- List Building Made Easy: Get Results from Other People’s Lists
- Explode Your Visibility and Grow Your Email List with Virtual Summits
- Your Book, Your Brand: Master Canva for Powerful Promotions
- Creating Authentic Connections With Short-Form Video—Without Burning Yourself Out
- Beyond the Book Launch: Choosing the Best Approaches, and Sustaining Your Approach for Lasting Impact
- Beyond the Bookstore: Bulk Buys, Bestseller Lists &Building a Brand Empire
- Social Media Basics for Authors: Demystifying the Social Experience
- Authentically Social: Break Through by Being You!
Register for BookPlan 2026
Live online workshop on April 22–24, 2026.
Includes live presentations, Q&As, mastermind groups, and networking sessions, plus access to session recordings for 3 months afterward.
Price: $199 ($349 value)
Session List:
- Laugh Your Way to Launching Your Book (Opening keynote by Adam Christing)
- Practical AI for Authors: Tools, Ethics, and Smarter Workflows
- Write the Book, Gather the Readers: How Nonfiction Authors Build Demand and Book Sales Before Publishing
- 5 Ways to Write Your Book with Marketing In Mind
- Why Publicity Still Matters—and How to Make the Most of It
- The How-Tos of Driving Bulk Sales
- Designing Effective In-Person Author Events
- Boost Your Books & Brand on LinkedIn
- From Page to Stage: How to Turn Your Great Book into a Compelling Speech
- Building Pre-Launch Buzz and Securing Preorders
- Metrics That Matter: Using Data to Make Better Marketing Decisions
- Podcasting for Authors: Getting Booked & Being Brilliant
- Create Real Connection Online: Presence, Belonging, and Engagement That Moves People
- Marketing for Introverted Authors
- Monetizing Your IP with Training, Workbooks, and Other Cool Stuff
- Just Start Trying Things: My Many Experiments in Marketing Books and Engaging Readers (Closing keynote by Adam Kahane)
See session and event details on our BookPlan page.
About BK Authors, Inc.
Author Roadmap is presented by BK Authors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to authors helping authors to create a world that works for all.
We believe that well-positioned nonfiction books can meaningfully influence individuals, businesses, and nations, creating positive change at all levels of society.
Frequently Asked Questions
Additional questions? Email us at [email protected].
Ready to Make Smarter Publishing Decisions?
If you are serious about writing a nonfiction book that strengthens your credibility and long-term impact, this workshop will give you rare insight before you commit further time and resources.