Indie Author Weekend
 You can’t miss Indie Author Weekend—a two-day virtual self-publishing conference on October 16–17, 2026, designed to ignite your indie author potential! Whether you're starting your journey to self-publish a romance novel or a seasoned author looking to level up, this event connects you with key industry experts who’ll provide straight answers to propel your career forward.
Your golden ticket to self-publishing success awaits.
Bonus: Registrants get lifetime access to all recorded sessions.
Registration Fees
- Members: $99 / Non-Members: $149
Indie Author Weekend Registration Scholarships Are Now Open!
RWA is now accepting registration scholarship applications for Indie Author Weekend. Members and non-members are welcome to apply. Applications must be submitted by September 11, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. All applicants will be notified of their application status on September 18, 2026. Submit Scholarship Application Here
Boost Your Romance Author Career with RWA! Join RWA now and save 10% on Indie Author Weekend registration. Enjoy exclusive benefits like advocacy, community, education, contests, weekly newsletter, a monthly digital magazine, access to archived resources, and discounts on conferences, workshops, and more. Your career deserves this advantage—join today!
Schedule*
Friday, October 16, 2026
| 2:00 PM Central Time |
Welcome from RWA President |
| 2:30 – 3:30 PM |
- Author Case Study: a $100k Month
- The Best Practice of Bestselling Indie Authors
- Create, Connect, Grow: Social Media for Romance Authors
- How to Get More Book Reviews
|
| 3:45 – 4:45 PM |
- How to Rock Your Launch - A Pre to Post Guide to Launching Your Book
- NetGalley and Booktrovert for Discoverability
- From Idea to The End: The Three-Part System That Helps Writers Actually Finish Their Books
- The Silent Conversation: Decoding the Visual Tropes in Book Covers
|
| 5:00 – 6:00 PM |
- Habits and Systems to Set You Up for Success
- Beyond the Stacks: Setting Up Speaking Engagements at Libraries
- Terms of Service Are Your Business
|
Saturday, October 17, 2026
| 9:00 - 10:00 AM |
- Beyond Coming Out: Expanding the Emotional Range of Queer Friction
- Swipe Write
- Beyond Craft: 10 Hidden Marketing Techniques That Can Make Your Romance Novel Unforgettable
|
| 10:15 – 11:15 AM |
- Comp Titles and Keywords: Publishing Like A Boss
- Reader Magnet to Read Through: Build a Funnel That Helps Sell the Next Book
- 5 Paths to Finishing Your First Draft
|
| 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM |
- Queer Joy Is Not the Absence of Conflict
- Back that Book Up: Five Strategies for Backlist Promotions
- Easy Formatting with Vellum
|
| 1:00 – 2:00 PM |
- Circulate! Getting Your Books into Bookstores and Libraries
- Writing for Narration: How to Make Your Book a Joy to Read Aloud
- Wrote the Book? The Next Step Isn’t Marketing
|
| 2:15 – 3:15 PM |
- Dithering About Direct Sales
- Business Continuity - Plan. Prevent. Recover
- Creating Multiple Steams of Income As a Writer
|
| 3:30 – 4:30 PM |
- Stop Trying to Do All the Things: A Marketing Framework for Overwhelmed Indie Authors
- Secrets of a Bestselling Amazon Book Page: Why Your Page Isn't Converting (and How to Fix It)
- Don't Launch to Crickets: Your First Two Years as an Author Roadmap
|
| 5:00 – 6:00 PM |
4 Indie Authors will Host an Ask Us Anything |
* Subject to change.
|
