Let’s get right to the point: most writers’ conferences are expensive. With fees ranging from $200 to $500 or more, plus the cost of travel and lodging, conferences represent a major career investment for writers who choose to attend them. Yet, many writers believe conferences pay dividends beyond the improved skills gained from workshops and the chance to meet influential members of the publishing community. "Attending a conference is the best thing I ever did for my writing career," freelance writer Lyne Royce says. "That conference validated me as a writer more than any other experience I've ever had."

If you plan to invest in a writers’ conference, you owe it to yourself to squeeze every penny of value out of it. Here are some tips to help you maximize your investment.

Understanding the main conference types, and how to spot a good one, helps you quickly separate the blue chips from the junk. Then you can move on to more fully analyze specific conferences to find the real jewels.

A traditional writers’ conference offers a combination of workshops, networking opportunities, and guest speakers, although each provides a unique mix of these elements. The Southwest Writers Conference, for example, has a sterling reputation for providing a solid mix of useful workshops, plenty of networking time with agents and editors seeking new writers, and speeches by well-known authors. A traditional conference of this caliber is almost guaranteed to be worth every dollar invested.

Some traditional conferences target a specific genre. Their lower cost combined with narrowly-focused programming can represent a great value for writers in those genres. "The majority of conferences I attend are affiliated with the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators," said author Peggy Tibbetts. "SCBWI has a tendency to keep their prices quite reasonable, especially on the regional level." If a group like this doesn’t sponsor the conference, check the workshops to determine if they’re skewed toward a specific genre. Obviously, a mystery writer won’t get much value out of a conference geared toward romance writers.

AuthorsVenue brings a fresh approach to conferences, placing the emphasis on networking among advanced writers, editors and agents. "While we haven't bypassed workshops altogether, we have found that writers who have ‘been around the block’ so to speak, whether published or not, get as much, if not more, value from networking than from workshops," explains Stephanie Dooley, Director of Enchantment Events, a division of AuthorsVenue. If your primary purpose in attending a conference is to sell a proposal or manuscript, this type of workshop may be well worth the investment.

A few conferences offer nothing but the chance to hear writers read from their works. These conferences provide the least bang for the buck.

Do you want to develop your skills? Are you interested in finding an agent to represent you? Would you like a one-on-one manuscript evaluation? Do you primarily crave time to talk with other writers? Looking for a diversified portfolio of activities, with a little of everything to sample? Even if you’ve attended conferences in the past, take a moment to determine what you really want to achieve this time.

"My conference goals have changed over the years. I started out going to writer's conferences to hear authors and editors speak, and learn about new trends in the market," said Tibbetts. "These days, with two books published, I go to network with other writers, promote my work, and meet editors and agents." Pin down exactly what you want to get out of a conference, then plan accordingly.

Sharpen your pencil and rev up your analytical skills to glean key information about prospective conferences. Using the internet, word of mouth recommendations, or information from your local writers’ group, send away for brochures from several conferences that interest you. As you peruse the information, keep your goals in mind.

If you want to improve your skills, make sure the conference offers workshops that correspond to your requirements. "I choose workshops that relate to my current needs as a writer, whether it's promotion, characterization, genre, or where my weaknesses are," said author Richelle Putnam.

If you aim to network, make sure the conference allocates sufficient blocks of time for you to meet and chat with folks individually. If it doesn’t but you still want to attend, consider volunteering. "I blew off four workshops to put in extra time volunteering at the registration desk," Royce said. "Volunteering allowed me to meet people I might not have met otherwise and gave me more of a chance to exchange business cards."

While you have the conference brochure in hand, use a highlighter to mark every dollar sign you see. Don’t make the mistake of flipping to the "conference fees" page and thinking you’ll find the total cost there. Many conferences offer extra services for an extra fee, and this information might be scattered throughout the brochure. The Maui Writers Conference, for example, offers one-on-one time with agents at a cost of $40 per ten minutes. Many conferences, such as the Southern California Writers Conference, offer an advance critique and consultation service at fees ranging from $25 to $50. Calculate the cost of the add-ons you’re interested in and write the total conference cost on the cover of the brochure. This will make it much easier to compare the true, overall cost of various conferences.

Most conferences offer "early bird" discounts on their fee, and plane tickets almost always are cheaper if purchased well in advance. Check the conference brochure or website to find out which hotels offer attendees discounted room rates and book your room as early as possible.

Once you’re registered, start preparing your materials. If your conference allows or encourages you to bring works in progress (check their guidelines or e-mail them to find out), polish up that proposal or the first few chapters of your novel and make a few copies of it. Definitely make sure you have plenty of business cards. Spreading these costs over the months before the conference takes the sting out of the expense.

To fully maximize your investment, remember that a conference isn’t really over when you go home. Like compounded interest, the personal connections you make at a conference can add ongoing value to your investment. But it’s up to you to do the reinvesting. A few weeks after the conference, send "it was a pleasure to meet you" notes to all the editors and agents you met. Better yet, send a query letter. Be sure to mention specifically where and when you met them and what the two of you spoke about.

Does this personal touch make a difference? "Absolutely," says author Larry Greenly. "I've met several editors, publishers, and agents [at conferences] who now know me by both sight and name.  If I call them, I'm not just an unknown person. It's definitely advantageous to be a known quantity."

Without a doubt, attending a writers’ conference can be an expensive proposition. It can also be one of the most worthwhile experiences of a writer’s career. By putting some thought into the process and planning ahead, you can easily recoup the cost of your investment many times over.

Elizabeth Hanes is "America's Favorite Unknown Humorist."  Visit her website at http://www.elizabethhanes.com/ and read some of the funniest parodies on the 'Net!

Sponsored links

Ring binders

 

Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer!

How to find a book publisher

Home

Text on this site Copyright © 1998-2007 Absolute Write, all rights reserved.
Please contact the authors if you'd like to reprint articles on this site.  All copyrights are retained by original authors.  And plagiarizers will be rounded up, handcuffed, and stuck into a very small and humid room wherein they must listen to Barney sing the "I Love You, You Love Me" song over and over again.

writers writing software