Schedule – Friday, August 22nd, 2025
7:00 – 10:30 AM • Breakfast
Killer Nashville Network Breakfast
– Free to Those Staying at Embassy Suites (Atrium)
– $19.99 for Those Not Staying at Embassy Suites (Atrium)
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM • Registration
Registration Desk (Atrium) and Bookstore (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea) open to receive incoming consignment books
8:00 – 8:10 AM • Welcome
Welcome to Killer Nashville 2025 & Introduction of Former Killer Nashville Guest of Honor
– Clay Stafford, Founder Killer Nashville
8:10 – 8:30 AM • Keynote
Welcome Keynote Speech
8:35 – 8:55 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
9:00 – 9:20 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
9:00 – 9:45 AM • Panels & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
– The Importance of Research for Fiction and Non-Fiction / Research Techniques for Authenticity (Chestnut)
– Writing Humor in Mysteries (Birch)
– Plotting by Cornerstones (Oak)
– The Roads to Publishing: Various Routes (Maple)
– Presentism: Writing Historicals for the Modern Reader (Hickory)
– Understanding Surveillance and Countersurveillance (Sycamore)
– Writing the Urban Mystery (Redbud)
– How to Create an Audiobook (Poplar)
– The Right Way to Get an Agent (Williamson)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 1 - Advance Registration Required
10:00 – 10:20 AM • Agent / Editor Critiques
10:00 – 10:45 AM • Panels & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
– Public Speaking for Writers (Sycamore)
– Learning from True Crime (Chestnut)
– Book Blogs and Tours (Birch)
– The Perfect Setting (Oak)
– Crafting the Perfect Package: Cover Design, Blurbs, Descriptions (Maple)
– Marketing for Authors Allergic to Social Media (Hickory)
– Multi-Agency Investigations and Task Forces: Who Is Who in the Zoo? (Sycamore)
– Writing the Supernatural (Redbud)
– Amazon, Facebook, and BookBub Advertising (Williamson)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 2 - Advance Registration Required
11:00 – 11:20 AM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
11:30 AM – 1:10 PM • Networking Lunch
Killer Nashville Networking Lunch
– Free to all paid attendees with ticket
11:35 – 11:45 PM • Presentation of Agents & Editors
12:00 – 12:20 PM • Keynote
Friday Lunch Keynote Speech
Free to all paid attendees with lunch ticket (Birch/Chestnut)
12:30 – 1:10 PM • Guest of Honor Interview
Clay Stafford Interviews Guest of Honor (Birch/Chestnut)
1:20 – 1:40 PM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
1:50 – 2:35 PM • Panels & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
– Seven Drafts (Chestnut)
– Developing Series Characters (Birch)
– Writing True Crime (Oak)
– An Overview of the Military (Maple)
– Writing the Mystery (Hickory)
– Writing the Police Procedural (Sycamore)
– Writing Noir (Redbud)
– Publicizing Your Book in an Ever-Changing Media Landscape (Poplar)
– Crafting Killer Query Letters (Williamson)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 3 - Advance Registration Required
1:50 – 2:10 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
2:50 – 3:40 PM • Panels & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
– Writing the Short Story (Chestnut)
– The Magic of Editing (Birch)
– Unique Marketing Ideas That Really Work (Oak)
– 7 Tips for Writing Successful Scenes (Maple)
– Intelligence/Counterintelligence: Good Guys vs. Bad Guys (Hickory)
– The Long Game: Tips for Staying Enthusiastic While in the Middle of Your Book (Sycamore)
– Creating Solid Character Backstories (Poplar)
– Different Types of Edits Explained (Williamson)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 4 - Advance Registration Required
2:50 – 3:10 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
3:50 – 4:40 PM • Panels & Agent Roundtables
Panels & Breakouts
– Character Motives and Psychological Profiles (Chestnut)
– Writing Fast (Birch)
– Using Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power to Create a Villain (Oak)
– Making Self-Publishing a Successful Venture (Maple)
– Inside the CIA 2.0 (Hickory)
– Writing Like a Pantser (Sycamore)
– Writing Nonfiction (Redbud)
– Time Management for Writers (Poplar)
– Create Your Best Author Bio (And Draw in Your Reader) (Williamson)
Agent / Editor Roundtable 5 - Advance Registration Required
3:50 – 4:10 PM • Agent / Editor Critiques
5:00 – 5:20 PM • Book Signings & Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Authors Book Signing
– Killer Nashville Bookstore – Free and open to the public (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea)
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
5:20 – 8:00 PM • Dinner
Dinner on your own
5:20 – 5:40 PM • Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
5:30 – 7:00 PM • Open Bar
Killer Nashville Open Bar
– Free to Those Staying at Embassy Suites (Atrium)
– Bar Tab for Those Not Staying at Embassy Suites (Atrium)
5:40 – 6:00 PM • Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques
Agent / Editor Manuscript Critiques – Advance Registration Required
6:00 PM • Registration Closes
Registration Desk (Atrium) and Bookstore (Magnolia/Iris/Azalea) close