Southwest Michigan Writers' Conference

05/13/2026

Here are some pictures from this year's conference. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it a memorable one! Be sure to look for announcements about future events. Feel free to tag yourself if you're in one of the photos!

04/23/2026

One more reminder to sign up for this year's conference if you haven't done so already. We are less than 48 hours away now!

Now in its eighth year, the Southwest Michigan Writers’ Conference will be returning to LTPL. Join us for a full day of writing instruction and networking for new and experienced writers of all kinds.

04/23/2026

Brian Johnston, Adult Services Librarian at Lincoln Township Public Library, will once again be serving as the emcee for this year's conference. Brian is also a freelance writer who has self-published four books and has written for several publications and websites, including as an Opinion Maker columnist for the Herald Palladium newspaper. In 2019, he was one of FanSided's Writers of the Year for his Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball coverage. Last year, he signed a contract with McFarland Publishing for his biography of former star baseball player Vada Pinson, which is currently in production.

In his presentation, "A Matter of Trust: Telling Someone's Life Story," Brian will talk about some best practices for writing a biography and share what he learned from writing one himself. He's looking forward to a great conference on Saturday!

04/22/2026

We are excited that Sylvia Hubbard will be returning as a speaker at this year's conference!

Presentation:
Amazon Trends You Need to Know: New Tools & Platform features that could push your book in the direction you need as a Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Author.

About:
Sylvia Hubbard is an independent dark romance suspense author of over 65 books and the founder of Motown Writers Network. Since 2000, this Detroit award-winning bestselling writer has taught writing, publishing, and marketing all over the United States and Canada. She's looking forward to sharing her over two decades of experience with participants. Visit her table and bring your literary challenges.

Website: www.sylviahubbard.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/SylviaHubbardLitWorld

04/22/2026

The conference is just three days away! Registration closes at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, so be sure to sign up before then, if you haven't already, using the link below. See everyone on Saturday!

Now in its eighth year, the Southwest Michigan Writers’ Conference will be returning to LTPL. Join us for a full day of writing instruction and networking for new and experienced writers of all kinds.

04/21/2026

We are excited that Ashley S. Hattle will be one of this year's conference speakers!

Presentation Title:
What to Do After Your First Draft and When to Ask for Help

Description:
You’ve poured yourself into writing a novel or memoir. You made it to the final page and typed "the end." What now? Explore the world of editing with Ashley S. Hattle at the SWMI Writers’ Conference on April 25. Bring a piece of your writing and challenge yourself to improve it with editing exercises during her talk.

Ashley S. Hattle’s work is published in Nature, INvisible Project, and Spill the Ink magazines and dozens of online and in-print articles. She worked as a full-time staff writer and senior editor for nearly ten years before veering into freelance and fiction. She won two awards for her debut book on cluster headaches, for “Excellence in Education,” and “Advocate of the Year” presented at Brown University. Critics of NYC Midnight writing challenges have hailed short stories by Hattle as “exhilarating,” “ingenious,” and “alluring and evocative.” She is a five-time semifinalist of the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge and lives in Southwest Michigan with her family and a dog who thinks she is a cat.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyshattle/
Website: https://ashleyhattle.com/

04/20/2026

We are excited to host Kristen N. Dobson as one of this year's conference speakers!

Presentation:
The Art of Enchantment: Creating Stories That Hook, Nurture, and Delight Across Generations

"Buckle up as we discuss the key elements of creating stories that spark curiosity, nurture little hearts, and delight readers of all ages. We’ll be dissecting what captivates young readers and encourages repeat reading!

"After 30+ years of teaching writing and a lifetime of reading picture books to a whole houseful of children (and now grandchildren), I’ve seen how stories become the threads that tie generations together. I’m so looking forward to the Southwest Michigan Writers Conference—a place where stories are shared, hearts are stirred, and a little bit of that writing magic gets passed along."

Website: https://kristendobson.com/home/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572371564395

04/17/2026

Lincoln Township Public Library is the proud host of the Southwest Michigan Writers' Conference this year!

Lincoln Township Public Library
2099 W. John Beers Road
Stevensville, MI 49127
(269) 429-9575
Visit us at lincolnlib.org

Hours:
M - Th 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
F - Sa 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays

LTPL serves as the home library for residents of Lincoln, Royalton, and Baroda townships in Berrien County, Michigan.

04/17/2026

Vendor Profile: Elizabeth Rice

What I'll be selling/promoting: Two books co-authored with Pat Commins

"Our first book, 'Irish Immigrants in Michigan: A History in Stories', details the lives, through true stories, of Irish immigrants who settled in Michigan in the 19th century. We have included one true story from each of Michigan’s 83 counties.

Our 2nd book, 'No Shy Colleen', details the true stories of Irish immigrant women and/or their daughters who settled in the United States."

Our socials are through Instagram and Facebook:deirdre.rice

Our email addresses are:
Elizabeth: [email protected]
Pat: [email protected]

04/16/2026

Vendor Profile: Laurie O'Connor Stephans
Peggy's Library Card Publishing

What I'll be selling/promoting:
"I am bringing copies of my first book, 'Once a Prompt a Time: Stories Sparked by Quirky Contest Prompts,' a collection of 44 short stories, ranging from 100-3,000 words and covering a wide variety of genres. All were written for writing contests, so the book is ideal for both lovers of short fiction as well as writers interested in exploring prompted writing."

What I'm looking forward to at the conference:
"I'm looking forward to meeting and sharing the experience with other writers, learning from each other and the sessions, and getting my feet wet in my first experience as a vendor offering my first book to folks in person!"

Website: https://laurieoconnorstephans.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurieOConnorStephans