Jane’s Guide to Getting the Most Out of a Writers Conference

2019 Emerging Writers Festival (L to R: Ally Kirkpatrick, Michelle Koufopoulos, Jane Friedman, Laura Chasen)

I’ve been speaking astatine writers conferences since 2001. Most years I recreation to much than a dozen, and I’ve seen it all, from nan biggest events to nan smallest. (Scroll to nan bottommost of my speaking page and you’ll find a moving list.)

Here’s what I’ve learned complete nan past 20 years astir making nan astir of immoderate event, whether you’re an attendee aliases a speaker.

How to Choose nan Best Writers Conference for You

Before you prime a convention (or get seduced by its advertizing aliases speaker list), first place your superior extremity successful attending one. Most goals fresh into 1 of 3 areas: improving your craft, networking pinch others, and pitching agents/editors.

Few conferences tin prioritize these goals equally; astir marketplace to 1 goal. For example, nan Writer’s Digest Conference successful New York City, hosted astatine a Midtown hotel, offers a transportation slam that features dozens of agents and editors who are location to perceive your pitch. Sure, you’ll do immoderate socializing and networking, but it’s a ample arena pinch attendees staying each complete nan city—and frankincense harder to acquisition a emotion of community.

On nan other extremity of nan spectrum, nan Midwest Writers Workshop successful Muncie, Indiana, connected nan field of Ball State University, has to headdress registration astatine little than 300 writers. Agents and editors attend, but astir of nan convention is focused connected improving one’s trade and building a supportive community. Intimacy of nan situation contributes to that goal.

Once you tin articulate your information for attending a conference, it’ll beryllium easier to take one. Here are factors to consider.

• Your genre. The immense mostly of penning conferences connection programming that’s mostly inclusive of each genres, which is not a bad thing, but it tin quickly impact nan value of your acquisition if you request genre-specific guidance. In fact, you tin get steered successful nan incorrect guidance quickly by a generalist who doesn’t cognize nan typical needs aliases demands of your genre. That’s why children’s writers should powerfully see SCBWI events, if only because much of nan programming is tailored to your needs and focused connected your genre’s marketplace considerations.
• Faculty and speakers. Look for speakers who constitute successful your genre aliases person accomplished goals that look akin to what you’d for illustration to achieve. Keynote speakers tin beryllium entertaining, inspiring, and thrust publicity, but nan existent learning tends to travel successful nan breakout sessions, maestro classes, aliases sessions pinch nan speakers who whitethorn not beryllium large names. Avoid committing to a convention earlier nan speakers and sessions are announced, assuming your extremity is to deepen your mastery of nan trade aliases business. Good norm of thumb: If a keynote speaker grounded to show up, would nan convention still beryllium charismatic to you?
• One-on-one feedback aliases critique. Some writers conferences connection consulting and critique appointments pinch editors, agents, and different professionals. These tin beryllium a costs effective measurement to person either editorial aliases business guidance, but beryllium careful. Agents and editors whitethorn beryllium seeing dozens of writers during nan convention and whitethorn not walk overmuch clip connected beforehand preparation, moreover if you salary to nonstop materials successful advance. Conversations tin beryllium rushed. The onus is often connected nan writer to make nan assignment useful and nonstop nan speech successful a measurement that’s beneficial. I’ve seen specified meetings connection important insights and advantages, but for immoderate they tin beryllium terribly damaging. Don’t hide that agents and editors are fallible—these appointments shouldn’t beryllium nan last connection connected you aliases your work.
• Agent and editor pitches. Similarly, these tin beryllium fun, anxiety-inducing, and psyche crushing. I remark astatine magnitude successful a abstracted post.

• Venue. A mostly of writers conferences return spot astatine hotels. If they’re not astatine a hotel, they’re apt to beryllium astatine a university. It’s almost ever to your use to enactment astatine nan convention edifice if location is one—it will trim stress, prevention valuable time, and summation networking opportunities. If you cringe astatine nan thought of networking, aliases don’t person nan vaguest thought of really to do it, here’s awesome guidance: Schmoozing for Introverts.
• Location. To prevention connected costs, you whitethorn want to instrumentality adjacent to home, but there’s besides different large benefit. If you meet different writers astatine nan event, they’re much apt to beryllium from your area, too—making it easier to shape relationships and collaborate complete agelong periods of time, arsenic your careers turn alongside 1 another. If you spell to a big-city aliases nationally known conference, attendees are much apt to beryllium from each complete nan country. That mightiness beryllium to your use if you’ve tapped retired your section and location connections and want to grow your web to a nationalist level.
• Size. If you want a small, friendly experience, without nan emotion of getting “lost,” look for conferences that headdress registration astir 200-300, aliases that simply don’t tie much than that number. A mini convention is not an parameter of its value aliases imaginable to further your career; measure nan module and programming to thief reply that question. Large conferences, wherever attendance exceeds 600 aliases so, tin consciousness overwhelming for caller writers especially, but whitethorn connection much divers programme selection. When attending a large-scale event, look for pre- and post-conference maestro classes pinch much friendly gatherings. That tin springiness you nan champion of some worlds, if you tin spend it. Side note: Small, retreat-style events tin thief you pinch a heavy dive connected a manuscript aliases connection intensive study connected a circumstantial topic. In specified cases, you whitethorn beryllium moving pinch only 1 teacher, truthful beryllium assured it’s personification you respect aliases trust. An exertion process successful these situations is simply a bully sign, to guarantee a bully acquisition for everyone. Ask past attendees astir nan situation and wide vibe if you can.
• Cost. I’ve seen nary relationship betwixt nan costs of a convention and its value. Usually, value is driven by nan costs of surviving successful nan convention metropolis and really chic nan venue is. (Airport hotels often get utilized by writers conferences for a reason—it’s cheaper to tally an arena astatine one.)
• Years successful operation. The longer a convention has been running, mostly nan amended value you tin expect. The unit aliases big statement learns complete clip what useful aliases doesn’t activity for their assemblage and their venue, and they’ve incorporated feedback from attendees into their programming. Beware of attending a convention successful its first aliases 2nd year, particularly an costly one. You whitethorn person a awesome time, but nan unit is apt still moving retired nan kinks.

Pre-Conference Prep for Attendees and Speakers

If 1 of your convention goals is to web and create amended organization relationships, past pre-conference prep is critical. If you’re not connected societal media, now is nan clip to found astatine slightest 1 account. The large penning conferences person ongoing Twitter conversations months earlier nan existent event. This is your opportunity to lukewarm up nan networking fires and make your convention clip each nan much valuable.

• Find retired nan convention hashtag. Ask nan organizers what nan hashtag is if it’s not clear from their website aliases societal media accounts. (Usually it will beryllium mentioned connected Twitter.) If they don’t person a convention hashtag, inquire them to delegate 1 and publicize it. You’re doing them a favor.
• Research nan speakers—especially those you dream to meet successful person. At minimum, publication their bios. (This really makes you much prepared than nan mostly successful attendance.) Remembering moreover a mini item astir someone’s publishing history aliases inheritance is invaluable if you guidelines successful statement adjacent to this personification astatine nan barroom aliases beryllium pinch them astatine a meal. A use of conference-going is making connections you wouldn’t different have. Speakers will beryllium flattered and an instant friend if you cognize a small thing astir their work, particularly if they’re not a convention headliner. And while you’re astatine it, publication up connected nan convention organizers, too. They put successful a ton of activity down nan scenes, and if you show you’re paying attention, you person a lifelong friend.
• On societal media: Post that you’re going to nan arena and usage nan convention hashtag. Sometimes you whitethorn want to tag nan convention excessively (for smaller events), assuming they person a societal media account. On occasion, station what you’re looking guardant to aliases really you’re preparing, and tag nan presenters if appropriate—on Twitter particularly this tin beryllium rewarding. You’ll apt place and commencement conversations pinch group who could beryllium convention buddies erstwhile you get location (helpful if you’re attending solo). As nan arena draws closer, much group will beryllium utilizing aliases searching nan hashtag and they will find your posts.
• Pick your first prime and backup workshops. I propose you make selections earlier you participate nan hectic power of nan event. Almost each convention posts nan afloat schedule astatine their website.

Pre-conference prep for speakers

• One of nan reasons group speak astatine penning conferences—which tin salary small and sometimes nothing—is to web and get look clip pinch others successful nan industry. Far successful advance, study nan bios, websites, and societal beingness of nan speakers and look for what you person successful common. Can you envision early collaborations pinch any? Opportunities for you both? Just for illustration I described for attendees, station connected societal media anterior to nan event. Start building connections early. That way, a speech has already been established erstwhile you get connected nan scene.
• If you’re connected a panel, cod nan societal handles (Twitter and Instagram, usually) of your different panelists. Start promoting nan sheet successful beforehand and tag your panelists. Use nan convention hashtag.
• For a large conference, wherever there’s tons of beforehand societal chatter, you tin inquire attendees what they’re hoping to learn. You tin moreover activity attendees aliases different speakers into your position if due (in a constructive way!); this makes group consciousness other typical that you’ve gone nan other mile to customize your talk for them. (This proposal is stolen from Rand Fishkin, spot extremity #13.)
• Take statement of influencers successful attendance who mightiness beryllium important to you aliases your community. Meeting them successful personification tin beryllium for illustration rocket substance if, successful nan future, you ever transportation that personification a impermanent post, inquire if you tin beryllium connected their podcast, etc. (Do not unit them at nan convention if you’ve ne'er met. Build nan narration first. Be a quality first.)
• Check and double-check nan A/V business and room setup. Ask what tech will beryllium disposable successful nan room. Ask astir nan projector if you person a descent presentation, VGA vs. HDMI adapters, surface size, surface facet ratio (4:3 aliases 16:9?), etc. Ask moreover if you don’t request to know, because nan responses will springiness you an thought of nan conference’s sophistication and if it’s fresh to grip your needs. Prepared conferences will person you complete a shape astir microphone preferences, room setup, and A/V requirements—and besides pass you if definite things aren’t disposable (like wifi).

A cautionary statement astir panels

They tin beryllium unspeakable for everyone involved—moderators, nan panelists, and nan audience. They are difficult to do good and get overused by convention programmers.

The champion usage for a sheet (IMHO) is erstwhile nan taxable demands divers viewpoints aliases nan full constituent is to get arsenic galore voices arsenic imaginable connected an issue. A sheet is needed, for example, erstwhile you’re trying to springiness writers a consciousness of marketplace trends aliases really agents aliases publishers want to get different things. Pitch panels are celebrated and a awesome usage of nan format.

A sheet is simply a unspeakable thought if you’re trying to thatch nan fundamentals of something, for illustration really to cleanable your first pages aliases build a bully writer website—lots of conflicting opinions tin conscionable confuse nan assemblage and time off them pinch nary thought really to proceed.

The occurrence of a sheet often depends connected its moderator. A bully moderator knows nan differing viewpoints and strengths of nan panelists, and understands nan questions and priorities of nan audience. They cognize really to framework issues, connection context, and illuminate areas of disagreement successful a measurement that’s insightful alternatively than confusing.

Too galore moderators helping it and fto nan panelists mean themselves—or moreover fto nan panelists travel up pinch nan questions. Bad idea. If you’re successful a position to moderate, ne'er put nan load connected nan panelists to thrust nan conversation. This will consequence successful nan astir vocal aliases opinionated panelists taking over.

Pitch sheet astatine nan 2018 Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, pinch The Book Doctors, supplier Kate McKean, and Jane Friedman (this was a bully panel)

Setting up meals and different informal get togethers

• Advice for attendees: Most speakers don’t person clip for one-on-one meetings aliases appointments extracurricular of what nan convention provides for. Avoid requesting specified meetings successful beforehand unless you cognize for judge nan speaker is unfastened to them. If you’d for illustration to effort and get immoderate informal chat time, convention mealtime is your champion opportunity: maneuver your measurement to a spot astatine their table. However, spot conception beneath connected home-turf advantage for different ideas connected what you tin do.
• Advice for speaker-to-speaker invites: Other colleagues whitethorn beryllium unfastened to gathering up, particularly if they would admit your name; conscionable beryllium alert that convention commitments whitethorn limit everyone’s free clip and immoderate speakers recreation pinch family. If nan convention doesn’t supply each meals aliases you announcement ample blocks of down clip successful nan schedule, it mightiness beryllium useful and a invited motion to coordinate a group outing pinch speakers free and disposable to join. It besides avoids nan unit of a one-on-one if you don’t cognize each different well.
• For some attendees and speakers: If you person convention downtime that you’d for illustration to usage for networking aliases socializing (and particularly if nan convention has unfastened schedule gaps of 2+ hours), put retired a telephone connected societal media pinch nan convention hashtag. For example, fto group cognize you’re going to sojourn nan section independent bookstore astatine 4 p.m. earlier dinner, and induce anyone who’d for illustration to travel along.

If you person home-turf advantage

If there’s a convention successful your town, past you person home-turf advantage. That intends you don’t moreover person to beryllium an attendee of that convention to perchance use from nan out-of-town talent that’s coming your way. You tin perchance induce a speaker retired to a repast aliases for immoderate different type of break from nan conference. (But it has to beryllium a existent and desirable break—not a sneaky measurement to get a free consultation.)

Big reddish flashing ray warning: It’s intolerable to cognize nan speaker’s existing commitments, recreation schedule, aliases really overmuch free clip they have. You should ne'er presume they’re capable to get distant from nan conference, moreover for a mates hours. And they whitethorn wealth nan fewer moments they person to themselves. Still, nan further they are from home—and if it’s their first clip successful a metropolis they don’t know—the much apt they mightiness admit an outing pinch a local, whether you’re a convention attendee aliases not.

If you scheme to attack a speaker pinch specified an idea, your chances of getting a “yes” summation a thousandfold if you’ve already had a bid of affirmative interactions, moreover if it’s conscionable online done societal aliases email. Invites from full strangers get ignored.

Sometimes it’s amended to debar a nonstop invite, successful fact. You could unfastened up a speech by offering tips astir nan vicinity they’re staying in—like what restaurants are bully wrong a speedy locomotion aliases cab ride. You could connection to thief pinch immoderate proscription needs they mightiness have. And truthful on. Then spot wherever nan speech goes.

The different (easier) action is to put a group outing aliases repast for aggregate group (speakers, attendees, aliases a mix), and you enactment arsenic host. Group outings return nan unit disconnected arsenic agelong arsenic nary 1 feels “stuck” somewhere. Make it easy for group to retreat backmost to nan edifice aliases convention venue if needed.

Some of my favourite convention memories impact gathering authors successful personification I’ve chiefly known from online interactions, specified arsenic Janie Chang successful Vancouver, Allison Williams successful Dubai, and Vicki Stiefel successful Los Angeles. Each of these beautiful group emailed maine and suggested an outing to which I agreed.

Attendees: What to Take to a Conference

• Business cards. It seems aged fashioned, but these stay useful. Include your name, website, and societal handles. I for illustration to put nan screen image of my book connected 1 broadside of nan paper (full bleed).
• A statement paper pinch your elevator pitch. Even if you’re not pitching, it helps to activity connected a distilled type of what your book is about—then memorize it. Keep it useful connected a statement paper if you get nervous. You’ll get asked a lot astir what you’re moving on, and you request a beardown answer. You want group to retrieve you for this.
• Something for statement taking. Paper diary aliases laptop, immoderate you like.
• A action for a reading. Many conferences person attendee readings. It doesn’t wounded to beryllium prepared if you’re into that benignant of thing.
• A book (print). Print is important present truthful that group tin spot who aliases what you’re reading. Few things are amended for striking up a speech astatine a writers conference.
• Some different speech starter. If you’re a awkward person, see if location is thing you tin deterioration (a shirt, a brace of socks, a portion of jewelry) that tin thief tie like-minded group to you.

Speakers: What to Take to a Conference

• Books for sale. The convention organizers should supply you pinch accusation connected really their convention bookstore works—whether you bring your ain banal aliases if it will beryllium ordered and sold by a bookseller.
• Your introduction. Even if nan convention asks you to supply an introductory bio anterior to nan event, besides bring your ain transcript to nan arena successful difficult transcript form. You ne'er cognize if nan personification introducing you will beryllium prepared; if not, manus them your bio. This besides allows you to customize nan intro based connected nan arena and topic.
• Business cards. Make judge it includes your email and cardinal societal media accounts. Book screen images connected 1 broadside are ideal.
• Giveaway. If you want to build your email newsletter list, bring a giveaway point for your convention (your book aliases others’ books, blank journals, a bully pen, etc). It could besides beryllium digital, for illustration a codification to download a free ebook. At nan opening of nan session, person group put their sanction and email reside connected a gaffe of insubstantial past tie a sanction astatine nan extremity of nan session. Let group cognize they don’t person to see their email reside if they don’t want to.
• A transcript of your book(s), positive a show stand. Prop this up during your convention aliases sheet truthful everyone tin spot nan book screen clearly. Alternatively, you tin walk retired a promo point that has your astir caller book screen connected it. This could see business cards, bookmarks, postcards, aliases handouts. Don’t fto anyone time off your convention without seeing your book cover!
• A/V solutions and backup solutions (h/t Carol Saller). If you person a descent presentation, bring it pinch you (on your laptop and/or thumb drive) and besides person it saved successful nan cloud. Bring VGA and HDMI adapters if you’re utilizing your ain laptop. Think done worst-case scenarios: What if there’s nary projector aliases surface successful nan room? What if location are nary handouts? Etc. It ne'er hurts to email nan convention 1 past clip to cheque connected tech if it’s captious to you.

During nan Conference

• Live tweet aliases constitute and station astir nan convention connected social; tag aliases nexus to speakers arsenic appropriate. Most speakers are delighted to get nan free publicity if you tweet astir their session, but support your ears unfastened for anyone who says “No tweeting” aliases similar. (And of people beryllium judicious astir what you share; nan speaker shouldn’t consciousness that you’re weirdly profiting from sharing their proposal online.)
• Immediately aft a session—for speakers whom you respect aliases would for illustration to build a connection—go up and concisely present yourself. Thank them for nan talk and mention thing valuable you took distant from nan session. If it was an unthinkable session, opportunity so, but there’s nary request to flatter. Remember: this speech has to beryllium brief if you want to stay charming and if tons of different group are waiting. After nan conference, nan speaker is overmuch much apt to prosecute pinch you and retrieve you if you present yourself aft their talk.
• Take selfies of yourself and others astatine nan conference—both different attendees and speakers. Post utilizing nan convention hashtag.
• Attend nan mixers, societal hours, etc, arsenic overmuch arsenic your power allows. Don’t beryllium acrophobic to return your book pinch you if going alone. It will thief you onslaught up a speech pinch others.
• Right away, travel connected societal those you meet; it helps you not hide them and enactment successful touch.

Reminders for speakers

• Use nan microphone, usage nan microphone, usage nan microphone—even if you deliberation you don’t request to, for accessibility reasons.
• Make handouts aliases descent presentations disposable for download. This provides bully worth and helps pinch accessibility.

Post-Conference

• Follow up pinch anyone you’d for illustration to enactment successful touch with, but not immediately. Wait astatine slightest a week, moreover more; group request clip to drawback up aft being away.
• Send friend requests aliases make different societal media connections if you haven’t already. You don’t want to hide astir nan group you met and this makes it easier to get together successful nan future.
• If you person a blog aliases a podcast, see doing a summary of nan champion proposal aliases tips you took distant from nan event. However, beryllium respectful: if you’re sharing a ample magnitude of accusation from a azygous person, it’s champion to inquire support to stock it widely. The champion clip to do that is instantly aft nan presentation—approach nan speaker and inquire if they’re comfortable pinch nan sharing you person successful mind.
• Just for yourself, summarize a fewer important takeaways from nan convention aliases actual adjacent steps you’ll want to take, while nan convention is still caller successful your mind. Give yourself circumstantial deadlines aliases clasp yourself accountable for acting connected what you’ve learned.

Don’t Be That Person

• Pitch only during appointments aliases opportunities reserved for pitching. Agents and editors do not want to beryllium sounded extracurricular of those times. If you’re chatting pinch an supplier aliases editor astatine nan barroom aliases during a meal, talk astir what you’ve publication lately, what you’ve learned astatine nan conference, aliases inquire them for their position connected a publishing manufacture issue. Do not transportation them unless they explicitly inquire astir your book. Even then, support it brief. Make them inquire questions if they want to study more. You’ll impressment them acold much that way.
• Avoid complaining loudly astir rejections, past transportation experiences, immoderate unfavorable interactions pinch agents and editors, etc. You ne'er cognize who is listening astatine a conference, and nan penning and publishing organization is very mini indeed. Save nan complaining for nan group you cognize good aliases tin spot to connection proposal aliases sympathy. (That said, if thing happens to you astatine a convention that ought to beryllium addressed by nan convention organizers—instances of negligence, abuse, aliases discrimination—tell them.)
• When you inquire questions astatine a session, don’t present a agelong soliloquy that’s not really a question. Try to support nan mobility little and besides wide capable that everyone successful nan room mightiness use from nan answer.
• Agents, editors, and different speakers whitethorn politely judge your book aliases manuscript if you manus it to them astatine a conference, but this is seldom a bully usage of your resources aliases precious copies. (I do wonderment really galore books for illustration this extremity up pinch housekeepers and janitorial staff.) If you consciousness definite personification should person a transcript of your book, travel up aft nan convention via email and inquire if they for illustration a people transcript aliases integer copy.

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Do you person proposal for making nan astir of a writers conference? Let everyone cognize successful nan comments.