Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Linnea Worley on June 7, 2012 at 2:53pm

I've never been to a writer's conference. What exactly happens at one?

Permalink Reply by Regina Y. Swint on June 7, 2012 at 4:43pm

Hi, Linnea!

I've only been to the one  (Backspace), but I'm glad I went.  You get so much information about the writing and publishing business, and from people who have been in the business for a while, as well as  people who are just starting out.  At Backspace, we met agents, authors and publicists who sat on panel discussions, led workshops, conducted critique sessions, and even mixed and mingled with us between the sessions.  I loved it, but I don't have any other conferences to compare with it.

Permalink Reply by Linnea Worley on June 7, 2012 at 4:44pm

Hi Regina :)

They sound interesting! I might just have to find one somewhere nearby. Only problem is I don't have money so I wouldn't be able to pay to get into one.

Permalink Reply by Laura Brennan on June 7, 2012 at 8:17pm

@Linnea: Find one and call well in advance to see if they need volunteers to help run the event.  You'll have to work part of it, but you can usually attend some of the panels and you'll meet people and see the inner workings.  It's a great way to get access when budgets are tight.

Permalink Reply by Linnea Worley on June 7, 2012 at 8:21pm

That's great info! Thanks :D Maybe I'll try that some time.

Permalink Reply by Regina Y. Swint on June 7, 2012 at 4:40pm

I was at the Backspace Writers Conference with Jessica.  I thought it was pretty awesome.  I highly recommend it, if you can fit it into your schedule and budget. There were so many people there at so many different stages in their writing and publishing efforts, the energy they all had and feedback that they offered were amazing.  We met agents, authors, publicists, and of course, tons of other authors.  I think it was a great investment.  We made so many contacts with agents and other authors.  I was pooped at the end of it, but was worth it.

Permalink Reply by Melanie Conklin on June 7, 2012 at 4:42pm

Nice to meet you, Regina! I saw you in Jessica's pics from the conference. You each had that "this is awesome" glow about you.

Permalink Reply by Regina Y. Swint on June 7, 2012 at 5:04pm

Hi, Melanie!
Nice to meet you!  And yes, it was pretty awesome.  I hope others get a chance to check it out, or one like it.  I found that the agents and authors seem to look at you in a different light when you attend conferences.  It seems to let them know that you're serious about the work and getting it out there.  Several of them reminded us to mention in our queries that we met them at Backspace.  Not sure how far that will go, but at least it will get them to read the query.  :)

Permalink Reply by Jessica Vealitzek on June 12, 2012 at 12:35pm

You're right, they did -- several agents independently said they like to know an author is "serious" about learning more about the art and the business by attending a conference. Several agents also said Backspace is their favorite conference.

Permalink Reply by Melanie S. Hatter on June 7, 2012 at 4:56pm

I've been to a few and I always get something out of the experience. Most recently I attended the National Black Writers Conference (I posted about it: http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2ted82ak7g0q7). In addition to the knowledge from the speakers, the interactions with other writers can be very rewarding. Also, getting the chance to meet the various vendors (often small press publishers and authors) gives you great insight into what's getting published and what publishers are looking for. NewPages.com has an almost endless list of conferences across the country.

Permalink Reply by Regina Y. Swint on June 7, 2012 at 5:09pm

Thanks for sharing that info, Melanie.  I'm going to look into the National Black Writers Conference, too.  I love the idea of connecting with other writers, as well as agents and vendors.

Permalink Reply by Lynne Favreau on June 7, 2012 at 4:56pm

Hey Jessica and Melanie, Thanks for sharing.

I too have been riding the conference fence using the excuse that I don't have a finished manuscript yet. Oh, and that whole coming up with the money conundrum.

Nevertheless, I am aiming to attending one next year. I'm considering these (a plus, most have scholarships you can apply for) http://www.yale.edu/summer/writing/, http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/conference/scholarship.html, http://capecodwriterscenter.org/conference/, http://www.middlebury.edu/blwc, http://grubstreet.org/index.php?id=1865

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