Five Ways Of Thinking About A Writers’ Conference

Five Ways Of Thinking About A Writers’ Conference

1. Do I have enough contacts with readers and other writers?

Hint: The answer to this is always no.

Can I afford the time and money to attend this conference?

2. Budget – where is the conference located? Are there alternative ways to get there? How do those stack up against your budgets of a) time and b) money? How does the conference conflict with other events in your life?

3. Budget – once you arrive, where will you stay and what will you eat? How do those alternatives stack up against your budgets of a) time and b) money? If money is short, how can you save money? Are there additional costs, such as registration fees or promotional items?

4. Do I already know some people attending this conference? Do I want to see them while I’m there, or can I see them easily under other circumstances? If I do want to see them, I should contact them ahead of time.

5. What is my focus on attending this conference? Teaching, learning, promotional, or a combination? Meeting readers? Meeting other writers? Attending workshops that will teach me something? Teaching something to other people? Hanging out with people I already know? Or some combination of these things? Plan accordingly.

Related Post: My Top 5 Conference Tips.

About Victoria Janssen

Victoria Janssen [she, her] currently writes cozy space opera for Kalikoi. The novella series A Place of Refuge begins with Finding Refuge: Telepathic warrior Talia Avi, genius engineer Miki Boudreaux, and augmented soldier Faigin Balfour fought the fascist Federated Colonies for ten years, following the charismatic dissenter Jon Churchill. Then Jon disappeared, Talia was thought dead, and Miki and Faigin struggled to take Jon’s place and stay alive. When the FC is unexpectedly upended, Talia is reunited with her friends and they are given sanctuary on the enigmatic planet Refuge. The trio of former guerillas strive to recover from lifetimes of trauma, build new lives on a planet with endless horizons, and forge tender new connections with each other.
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8 Responses to Five Ways Of Thinking About A Writers’ Conference

  1. Anonymous says:

    I'm the much the same boat. For me it's been money the last few years. Now that I have my nursing license, I think I can swing it next year. I definetly want to promote my writing to some agents and publishers. Working on getting all my MS's tightened up and in top shape.
    Michael

  2. Jeannie Lin says:

    Good thoughts! As a soon to be pubbed, I really want to go, but was wondering whether I should wait until I have a book in hand…or is it even more crucial to go pre-release so I can learn what to be ready for.

  3. Ava March says:

    To go to conference or not to go to conference – I ask myself that before every RT and RWA conference. After conference, when everyone talks about how great it was, I always wish I had gone. This year, RT is within driving distance for me, but still…um…decisions, decisions.

    Great tips, Victoria!

  4. Victoria Janssen says:

    Jeannie, I went to RWA the first time after a contract but before the book came out–I wanted to learn how to navigate the conference ahead of time. But the decision was easier because I wanted to visit San Francisco anyway, and had friends with whom I could stay for part of the trip.

  5. Kate Pearce says:

    Technically I can afford to go to both RT and RWA next year because I have a lot of contracts. But, having a lot of contracts means I can't afford the time off writing to go to both of them-ah-the irony…

  6. Victoria Janssen says:

    I have been considering that issue, even though my work load is considerably less than yours.

  7. Jeannie Lin says:

    I think if I can drag my CP. Alright, I know that's not one of the 5 reasons.

  8. Victoria Janssen says:

    Heh. Another reason I'm considering going is because a friend with whom I used to workshop is attending.

Comments are closed.