Experts List

BookCAMP magazine publisher, which addresses authors and publishers' challenges of book publishing.

Olczak is a career-long publishing professional, Master's Degree in Marketing Management in Book and Magazine Publishing from New York University. His experience includes Independent Press Award, NYC Big Book Award; Publishers Weekly; National Business/Lifestyle Magazines (FORTUNE, Money, Delta, United, and 14 others); helped New York Magazine create its sister visitor publication IN-New York Magazine. Forecasting, budgeting, excellent sales, marketing and event track history. Motivated by "the challenge" & building businesses to succeed.

Book marketing consultant and author coach. Aryn spent half a decade at HarperCollins, helping authors promote their books and build their brand. Aryn worked on hundreds of book launches, including multiple New York Times bestsellers, spanning across multiple nonfiction and fiction genres.

Aryn understands the complexities of the publishing industry and thrive in creating unique strategies for authors to promote their books.

Becky Parker Geist is the Founder and CEO of Pro Audio Voices, a Portland-based company. They work with rights-holders who may feel challenged in navigating audiobook & podcast production, distribution and marketing, helping them create an exceptional audio experience, get it out there and reach more people, all while staying in control.

In 2023, Pro Audio Voices launched AMPlify Audiobooks—The Equitable Audiobook Platform—a game-changer in the industry. AMPlify Audiobooks provides authors with the high royalties and control they deserve but that other platforms fail to deliver. It also gives audiobook listeners a way to significantly increase their impact with their purchasing dollars and to connect with the creators.

Working with Bethany Brown from The Cadence Group is a great way to receive comprehensive book consulting services. Bethany guides authors and small presses through the publishing process. The Cadence Group specializes in producing high-quality, professionally designed, and budget-friendly books to compete in today's market.

Brian has worked in book publishing, public relations, and marketing for three decades. He has helped thousands of authors, from first-time, self-published writers to New York Times best-selling authors, including Dr. Ruth, Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Mark Victor Hansen, and Comedian George Wallace.

Brian Jud is an author, book-marketing consultant, speaker, seminar leader, television host and president of Premium Book Company that sells books to non-bookstore buyers on a non-returnable, commission basis. Brian is the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books (Without Worrying About Returns) This is the ultimate do-it-yourself guide to selling your books to non-bookstore buyers in large quantities, with no returns.

Is your book a movie? What steps do you need to take to make it so? In this session, seasoned veteran Eddie Garmarra, known for The Maze Runner (2014), Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), and Actress and writer Kate Orsini speak directly to process.

​Don't miss it, May 3rd at 1pm, only at BookCAMP 2025

Former college professor, Dr. Eddie Gamarra now consults selling stories and building brands. He was VP, Literary Affairs at Nickelodeon & Awesomeness. Also a Literary Manager/Producer at The Gotham Group representing screenwriters, directors, animators, authors, illustrators, & publishers. Clients included NYT best-selling storytellers as well as Oscar, Emmy, Annie, Caldecott, Newbery, & Geisel winners/nominees. As Executive Producer, he worked on The Maze Runner trilogy which grossed almost $1 Billion dollars. He also EP'd Jerry Spinelli's iconic Stargirl for Disney+ and Henry Selick's Wendell & Wild with Jordan Peele for Netflix.

Sponsor of the Independent Press Award as well as the NYC Big Book Award for the past nine years, and journalist. Host of the www.theGABTALKS.com podcast show, which can be found on the YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/Independentpressawardspringnycbigbookawardfall as well as dozens of streaming services including, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple, Google, Amazon, Pandora, etc.

Gloria Mindock is editor of Červená Barva Press. She is an award-winning author of six poetry collections, two translations into Romanian and Serbian, and three chapbooks. Her poems have been published and translated into twelve languages. Her recent book, Grief Touched the Sky at Night (Glass Lyre Press, 2023), won the NYC Big Book Award, and the Independent Press Award. The book went on to win five other awards besides being a finalist twice, long listed and a few honorable mentions.

Recently, Gloria received the Sam Cornish Award for contributions as an international publisher, activist, and poet whose unflinching eye bears witness to atrocities inflicted on people around the world, from the New England Poetry Club.

Gloria was the Poet Laureate in Somerville, MA in 2017 & 2018.

Gwyn works with Bethany Brown from The Cadence Group, and helps authors and small presses with design services. The Cadence Group specializes in producing high-quality, professionally designed, and budget-friendly books to compete in today's market.

Jessica Powers is publisher of Catalyst Press (www.catalystpress.org), an independent traditional and hybrid publisher with three imprints--Catalyst, Flare, and Powers Squared. An award-winning author of 9 books for children and young adults, a freelance editor, and professor of writing in UTEP's MFA program, Powers has midwifed almost a thousand books for writers through a variety of publishing paths. She recently founded Maverick Independent Book Review (www.maverickindependentreview.com), a book reviews service for indie authors. She lives in Texas with her son.

Julie Trelstad is a seasoned publishing strategist with over three decades of experience spanning traditional publishing, digital innovation, and author success. As the Head of US Publishing for StreetLib and manager of Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books' marketing and excerpt program, she bridges the gap between traditional and digital publishing. Her career highlights include managing the Architectural Graphic Standards Franchise, pioneering digital rights management strategies, and founding her own press.

Drawing from her comprehensive industry experience, Julie now helps experienced authors transform their publishing journeys into sustainable businesses. Through her consultancy, Paperbacks & Pixels, she provides strategic guidance that empowers authors to navigate the evolving publishing landscape with confidence.

Her unique perspective combines deep traditional publishing knowledge with forward-thinking digital strategies, making her a valued voice on the future of publishing and author success. Julie is particularly known for challenging conventional industry wisdom and advocating for reader-centric, outcome-based approaches that help authors create sustainable careers in publishing.

Kate Orsini is a popular American actress and writer, and now screenwriter and consultant. The lady is known for her appearance in “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “Reality Queen!”. Kate bubbly and fun personality is just the beginning. Authors! Would your book be a killer film? Why pay someone else to write what you know best? Material Girl offers a unique consulting experience in page-to-screen adaptations. We actually read your novel first. We become experts on your voice. Then, through a series of check-ins, we help you nail screenplay structure, visual storytelling, and dialogue for film; to ensure that your content makes its transition from page to screen in your voice- and on your terms.

​​An accomplished actress, https://www.kateorsini.com/credits, Kate Orsini, on screen, she’s been, among other things, Maria Bello’s ex, Robert Patrick’s nemesis, Hank Azaria’s nemesis, Hayden Panettiere’s lawyer nemesis, Gina Rodriguez’ yuppie nemesis, Ed Begley Jr.’s angry daughter, Malcolm McDowell’s daughter...

Shakespeare on stage, Chekhov on film, and her own material, culminating in the zoom episodic she’s just co-written and starred in, “The Corona Dialogues,” for which she just won Best Actress at The Indie Fest Awards. Coming soon to a sofa near you (um, Hulu).

Platform program on Roku TV for access on multiple streaming services, an independent press publisher with national distribution; provides expert authors with a hybrid / partner publisher model.

Strong marketing professional skilled in Copywriting, Web Content Writing, Publicity, Proofreading, and Editing.

Lee Woodman, known as an award-winning public radio producer at the Library of Congress, and a film and multimedia producer at the Smithsonian Institution, Woodman has used the power of words and images to educate and enlighten broad audiences.

She is the author of the “Scapes” poetry series and winner of 2023 IPA, Independent Press Award, for Distinguished Favorite in Poetry. Her other awards include: the 2020 William Meredith Prize for Poetry, the 2021 Atlantic Review International Poetry Competition Merit Award, and First Prize in Poetry and Prose Contest for Carve Magazine 2022. Her essays and poems have been published in Poet Lore, Tiferet Journal, Zócalo Public Square, Grey Sparrow Press, The Ekphrastic Review, vox poetica, The New Guard Review, The Concord Monitor, The Hill Rag, Naugatuck River Review, and The Broadkill Review. A Pushcart nominee, she received an Individual Poetry Fellowship from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities FY 2019 and FY 2020, and a Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellowship in March 2022. Her poetry collection, Mindscapes, was published by Poets’ Choice Publishing in 2020, Homescapes in 2020 by Finishing Line Press, Lifescapes by Kelsay Books in 2021, Artscapes by Shanti Arts in 2022, and Soulscapes by Shanti Arts in 2023. Woodman has been a featured guest on numerous radio shows and podcasts, including The Authors Show, Goodnews Broadcasting, Rodger Nichols, Steve Maggi, and Cyrus Webb. She has just signed her contract for her sixth poetry collection, Colorscapes.

Lindsay Jones is the CEO and one of the co-founders of DropCap, a global rights marketplace for independent authors that’s revolutionizing the way agents and editors discover exceptional books. Having spent ten years in self-publishing operations, Lindsay saw first-hand how many opportunities were closed to authors that had independently published their books. She co-founded DropCap in 2018 with the mission of helping indie authors reach a global audience through foreign rights licensing.

In her most recent role at Simon & Schuster, Mara was Publisher of Simon Pulse and Aladdin Books managing a large high performing team and over saw everything from the day-to-day operations, drove business development and provided strategy for long term growth. At OR/M, Mara led the Publishing team, managed and grew the catalog of titles and the partnerships on which OR/M first began. She also worked with Business Development to identify publishers to add to the Ignition program.

Meg has been part of the book manufacturing industry for 27 years. During that time, she has worn many hats including roles in marketing/sales, production management, prepress, print production, advertising, creative direction, and book cover design.

Meg enjoys guiding authors and publishers of all sizes through the intricacies of the printing process to produce a beautifully printed finished product.

Before founding the innovative Book Bale, Shahid Mahmud built a strong foundation in finance and publishing. He pursued a successful career in investment banking, specializing in fixed income and derivatives. As Senior Investment Officer for the City of San Diego, Shahid managed a $4 billion portfolio, implemented an active management strategy, and introduced the City’s first-ever options program. In recognition of his contributions, November 7, 2005, was declared "Shahid Mahmud Day" in San Diego by the acting mayor. In 2006, he shifted his focus to his passion for books, founding Arc Manor, a respected science fiction and fantasy publisher that has worked with esteemed authors like Nancy Kress, Katherine Kerr, Harry Turtledove, and Robert A. Heinlein. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to create Book Bale, a community-driven eBook platform offering affordable access to books and connecting readers with authors through exclusive events while guaranteeing at least 60% of membership fees are distributed to member authors and publishers.

HF Group specializes in high-quality book production tailored to meet the diverse needs of publishers and authors. With state-of-the-art printing technology and a commitment to craftsmanship, HF Group offers both soft cover and hard cover binding options with customizable formats. Whether you're producing a limited edition or a large print run, the HF Group team ensures every project is completed with precision and care. HF Group will help bring your stories to life!

With his popular 2016 US presidential run as a science candidate, bestselling book The Transhumanist Wager, and speeches at institutions like the World Bank, BMW World, and the United Kingdom’s Parliament, Zoltan Istvan has spearheaded the effort to transform transhumanism into a thriving worldwide phenomenon. He is often cited as one of the leaders of the radical science movement.

As an entrepreneur, Zoltan has started several businesses, including his wineries, which span three continents. He lives in San Francisco with his physician wife and two daughters. He has philosophy degrees from Columbia University and the University of Oxford.