FAPA Con '26 Speakers
David Cancio
The Business of Art: An Author’s Guide to Profit Through Promotion
David Cancio, COO of Asturian Book Company, guides authors and writers through the process of promotion with one’s book and brand, demonstrating how to stand out and move forward in the market.
David N. Cancio, COO of Asturian Book Company, was born in Miami, Florida in 1991, and has lived in Florida and North Carolina, where he graduated from NC State in 2013. Native in English and Spanish, he also speaks other languages, including Portuguese, German, and Italian, giving a natural aptitude for sale, and Client Success, where he's dedicated himself for the last ten years. He is quite the Funcle, and in his spare time reads, is a movie buff, and loves traveling and sports.
Eli Blyden
Navigating the Publishing Industry Now
Join Eli Blyden on a journey as he charts a course to seamlessly navigate the complicated and often confusing, murky waters of book publishing. Be prepared to explore the modern marvel and movement of the industry, the editor’s direct connection or bust, the respect and resolution of AI, and how to leave formatting, cover design, and printing to the pros while maintaining control of your work.
Eli Blyden, known as Eli The Book Guy, is dedicated to empowering and transforming authors into cool, confident publishing authorities. After years of supervising an art department, marketing for large corporations, freelancing, and managing a large-scale printing and publishing company, a deep soul-
search led to one word: give. Having overcome a childhood stutter, his passion for education and excellence developed into a full-service book publishing brand. For more than two decades, authors and organizations have partnered with Mr. Blyden to navigate the salty sea of publishing their books.
Mark Anthony Mainardi
Elevator Buttons: How to Develop Your Elevator Pitch
If you’ve ever struggled to sum up your story in thirty seconds, you’re not alone. In this hands-on workshop, Mark Manardi breaks the elevator pitch into clear, practical steps. Learn how to press the right buttons so your pitch lands, draws people in, and leaves them wanting more. By the end, you won’t just have a stronger pitch—you’ll have the confidence to deliver it.
Mark Anthony Mainardi holds a degree in Psychology from the University of South Florida. His career spans psychotherapy, public speaking, business development, and marketing. He is a published author and poet, as well as an accomplished actor who has performed on both coasts. Now based in the Tampa Bay area, he is currently working on his first long-form fiction novel.
Humberto Cancio
Reading Between the Lines: A Lawyer’s Guide for Authors and Publishing Contracts
Humberto Cancio, Jr. Esq., CEO of Asturian Book Company, takes authors, publishers, and other industry professionals through the ins and outs of publishing contracts, providing the vital information in what to look for, what to avoid, and what to press on in signing the right publishing contracts.
Humberto Cancio, Jr. Esq., CEO of Asturian Book Company, was born in Cuba in 1953 and immigrated to the US when he was six. At twelve, he moved to Spain, where he attended the American School of Madrid before attending Duke University. After graduating in 1975, he then attended the University of Florida, where he attained his JD, and has practiced law for over forty-five years (AV Preeminent Rated). Humberto is married to Alicia and has four children: Veronica, Jorge, David, and Amanda, and three grandchildren.