The Piedmont Publishing Symposium
The Piedmont Publishing Symposium is organized by Clemson University Press, Hub City Press, University of North Georgia Press, and University of South Carolina Press. This event will be held at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, May 20-21, 2026. During the two days of programming, we will offer multiple sessions appealing to different constituencies: academic writers, non-academic writers, publishing professionals, and students and recent graduates who want to know more about publishing.
Read a participant’s write-up of her experience at the 2025 Piedmont Publishing Symposium here.
Registration is now open! Purchase Tickets
Schedule:
Day 1
8:30 am Registration
9:15 am Introduction and Welcome
9:30 am Session 1 [Students] Publishing Programs: Are they worth it?
Dawn Durante (UNC Press)
Maliea Ruby (University of Tennessee Press)
Kate McMullen (Hub City Press)
Amanda Rosa (Hub City Press)
9:30 am Session 2 [Publishers] Accessibility in digital publications
Ana Bichanich (USC Press)
Michelle Wallen (UNC Press)
Corey Parsons (UNG Press)
Emily Hills (Virginia Tech Publishing and Press)
10:30 am Coffee Break
11:00 am Session 3 [Authors] [Publishers] Copyright and Intellectual Property in PublishingDrew Griffin (Clemson University Press)
Elizabeth Adams (UGA Press)
John Morgenstern (Emory University)
Jayne Stevens (Layman Group)
SPONSORED BY THE LAYMAN GROUP
11:00 am Session 4 [Authors] Southern Literature
Kyler Campbell
Scott Gould
Meagan Lucas
P.M. Raymond
SPONSORED BY THE USC PROVOST’S OFFICE
12:00 pm Lunch Break
1:30 pm Keynote:
Anne Trubeck: Publishing as a Creative Act
3:00 pm Coffee Break
3:30 pm Session 5 [Authors] Student-led publishing: Atheneum Press as a case study
Alli Crandall (Atheneum Press, Coastal Carolina University)
Students from Atheneum Press, Coastal Carolina University
SPONSORED BY ATHENEUM PRESS
3:30 pm Session 6 [Publishers] Printing
Craig Ragsdale of Martin Printing in Easley, SC
Sallie Gold of TruColor Printing in Greenville, SC
Lucinda Schell (Ingram Lightning Source)
Reception at Hub City Bookshop
Day 2
9:00 am Session 7 [Authors] Self-publishing
Gloria Aragon
Kelly Durham
Dakota McElhinny
9:00 am Session 8 [Publishers] Lessons from starting a small press
Annette Flavel (Lucky Rabbit)
John Burbage (Evening Post Press)
Lib Ramos (Good Printed Things)
Anne Trubek (Belt)
10:00 am Coffee Break
10:30 am Session 9 [Publishers] The business of publishing
Kourtnay King (Layman Publishing)
Michael McGandy (USC Press)
Meg Reid (Hub City Press)
10:30 am Session 10 [Authors] Author-driven marketing
Alexa Bigwarfe (Women in Publishing), moderator
Mary Martha Green
Gary Machlis
Otis Pickett
11:30 am Final remarks
