POTTSTOWN, Pa., Feb. 1, 2024—Since 2013, Realm Makers has been helping writers of fantasy, science fiction, and other fantastical stories find their community and learn their craft from an all-star faculty. Now the Christian-led organization will return to St. Louis, Missouri, for its twelfth annual live conference this July 18–20.

Public registration opened today at RealmMakers.com. Authors can attend in person, staying at the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel for the three-day event. Or they can attend the event remotely on the dedicated RealmSphere social network.

Where:

Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel
191 Westport Plaza
St. Louis, Mo. 63146

and livestreaming on the RealmSphere

When:

starts Thursday, July 18
concludes Saturday, July 20

“At Realm Makers, we’ve been connecting Christian creators for over a decade,” said marketing director JJ Johnson. “Our annual conference provides a supportive space where authors can take their next creative steps. Realm Makers is where authors find not just inspiration, but lasting relationships that fuel their success.”

Connections and keynotes at Realm Makers 2024

At every Realm Makers conference, attendees renew deep friendships with fellow authors while networking with industry professionals. New York Times bestsellers mingle with aspiring creators, giving advice and mentorship, while many authors meet with agents and editors to pitch books. Representatives from general market and Christian publishers attend Realm Makers to find the best new fiction talents.

Three fiction industry veterans will share keynote address duties this July:

Allen Arnold is an author, speaker, and executive producer of content for Wild at Heart, the worldwide ministry founded by New York Times–bestselling author John Eldredge. As the founding fiction publisher of Thomas Nelson, he oversaw the launch of more than 500 novels. He now helps creatives live better stories by helping them pursue their dreams and gifting actively with God. Arnold is the author of five acclaimed books: The Story of With, Chaos Can’t, Waves of Creativity, The Eden Option, and his newest release, Risk the Real.

Carla Hoch wrote the Writer’s Digest book Fight Write: How to Write Believable Fight Scenes. Her blog, FightWrite.net, has been named in Writer’s Digest Top Websites for Writers four years in a row and is a two-time CAN Gold Crown Award winner. Carla is a Writer’s Digest University instructor, a writer for the WD blog, and a correspondent for Rolling Times magazine. She teaches the craft of writing fight scenes as well as the mechanics of fighting for writers. Carla is a world champion jujitsu fighter with experience in almost a dozen fighting styles.

Chris Skaggs is founder and chief operations officer of Soma Games, which makes artistically excellent games for people who may never go to church, but find themselves having fun while pondering eternal things. His related ministry, Soma SoulWorks, produces teaching and podcasts to reach young adult creatives, especially working in arts and entertainment. Chris is an Intel Black Belt recipient and frequent speaker at mobile and game-developer conferences.

Other members of the Realm Makers 2024 faculty:

• Nadine Brandes—YA fantasy author, professional editor
• Amy Michelle Carpenter—publisher of Monster Ivy Publishing
• Shannon Dittemore—YA fantasy author
• Julie Hall, USA Today–bestselling YA paranormal and fantasy author
• James R. Hannibal—military thriller and YA fantasy author
• Rowena Kuo—executive editor, executive producer of Brimstone Fiction
• Steve Laube—literary agent, publisher of Enclave Publishing
• Lisa Mangum—YA novelist, managing editor for Shadow Mountain Publishing
• Donald Maass—Donald Maass Literary Agency founder
• Steve Nedvidek—cartoonist and graphic novel creator
• Kara Swanson—YA fantasy author, Author Conservatory co-founder

At 7 p.m. Friday, July 19, attendees and faculty are invited to celebrate their favorite stories at the Realm Awards banquet. Organizers encourage guests to celebrate their favorite stories in costume. Realm Makers will announce winners in several categories for the best genre novels, audiobooks, and stories released in 2023.

Finally, fans of incredible stories are invited to meet their favorite authors for free at the public Realm Makers Book Festival on Saturday evening, July 20.

Visit RealmMakers.com for more event information, including updated lists of faculty members, conference fees, available classes, and attendance figures.

About Realm Makers: Realm Makers began in 2013, and from small origins has grown to serve thousands of Christian fiction authors online and at annual conferences. Faculty members have included bestselling novelists such as Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee, Brent Weeks, and N. D. Wilson. Realm Makers exists to help creative Christians in their journeys, providing education in craft, connections with industry professionals, and strategies for finding readers who love these kinds of stories. Meanwhile, the Realm Makers Bookstore offers a curated collection of speculative fiction from Christian authors, traveling to events such as homeschool conventions and renaissance fairs.