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Escape the Catch 22: Attend a Writers Conference
If you are trying to get published, you probably know what it’s like to be stuck in the familiar Catch 22 For Writers: You have to BE published in order to GET published. Editors and agents don’t spend much time going through their slush piles of queries and manuscripts looking for that fresh voice. While some writers do get their first big break this way, it’s becoming harder. What’s an aspiring writer to do?
Writers Conferences are terrific tools for honing your writing craft and for networking with other writers, published authors, editors, and agents. You can attend workshops on everything from writing a query letter to getting your book on Oprah. Larger conferences usually have morning tracks which are like multi-session classes on certain topics. Whether you are a novelist or a freelance magazine writer, chances are good that there will be workshops that are just what you need to grow in your writing area.
Bigger conferences also offer an added bonus: opportunities to connect with editors and agents. See, these publishing professionals do want to find that fresh voice or potential next bestseller. They just have learned that all too often, that “wow factor” is absent from their slush pile. Culling a slush pile and sending out rejection slips takes a lot of time, too.
At a conference, they can arrange fifteen minute appointments with authors, listen to a verbal pitch, and then decide whether to say no, or to request a proposal. Plus, they get to meet you face to face and get a better feel for the passion you bring to your project. I’ve returned home from conferences with as many as four requests for book proposals from different editors or agents. This is a huge advantage because then you have the right to put on the envelope “Requested Material” and this can help keep you from vanishing into that slush pile.
The biggest objection about conferences that I hear from writers is “But I can’t afford that!” Good point. Conferences can be expensive. The ones I attend each year cost me about $1000 each, including airfare, lodging, meals, etc. You want to attend Maui Writers Conference? (I do!!!) It’s going to cost a bit more than that.
I know it’s hard. I attended my first conference five months pregnant with our second child. We lived in a mobile home and could only afford one “well-loved” car. The only year I had to skip my conferences was the year that my husband was unemployed and we were scrambling to pay the utility bills each month. I know there are situations like that when you truly cannot afford a conference. Most years, we’ve saved and made purchasing decisions that allowed me to go. We are not wealthy, but we’ve committed to building my writing business. Now that I am published, I can pay for conferences out of my writing income, and that is a fabulous feeling.
Thing is, are you aiming to be a career writer, or is it just a hobby? Hobby writers probably don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on conferences. Hobby writers are probably not going to get books and lots of articles published, either. Career writers should be willing to invest some money into developing their business. Would you try to open a restaurant with no capital investment? Of course not. As writers, we’re lucky we can open up shop on a shoestring budget, but it’s unrealistic to think we can meet our business goals without investing money into that business.
What’s the reason editors and agents are willing to meet with writers at a conference? They know that if you are willing to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars to attend, then you are serious about pursuing the craft and business of writing. They respect that, and, in turn, give you their time and attention. I am one of many published authors who got their agent or editor contacts through attending writers conferences.
The best way to get published is to be a GREAT writer. But part of that is being a savvy business owner. Writers conferences help you do both. Making the financial sacrifice and investment to attend a writers conference is a smart move for any serious writer.
My Favorite Writers Conferences:
Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference—Mount Hermon, CA
American Christian Fiction Writers National Conference—Location varies
Other Writers Conference Listings:
Conference Listings from Sally Stuart (mostly Christian, some General Market conferences)
Shaw Guides To Writers Conferences (mostly General Market, some Christian)
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