Which Conferences Does Scott Go To? What do you get if I am there?? A LOT!

 I was once asked how I pick which conferences I go to. The answer was really simple and it shocked the author. 

I go to the conferences when someone asks me to come.

She said, "You mean that was it?" 

Yep! All it takes it to ask me to show up and I will be there. I have always taken that approach and here is my rationale. I could "invite" myself to your conference by sending out all of this promo material and really hyping myself up but here is the thing. If you REALLY wanted me there, you would have asked me to be there. 

I really have no desire to show up to a conference where I am going to show up and the conference coordinators "feel obligated" to have me there, or where participants really don't care about what I have to say, or even have something I don't acquire. For example, for me, going to a conference that only promotes graphic novels would get me nothing. Sure, I have a lot of workshops that would be great for them, my presence would mean nothing. 

OK, so let's talk about what happens IF I show up.

First of all, unlike a few of the agents (and editors) out there, I DO NOT nor will I ever charge speaking fees. I am sorry, but I feel this is part of the job and it is a service. In fact, there are a lot of times that I have had conferences give me an honorarium and I have given it back to them because I know the chapter needs it more (some have refused despite my attempts, but I did try!). 

If conferences are local or in locations where I have access in ways that work for me, I will cover transportation and lodging. Otherwise, I only ask for "assistance." Even then, I have always found ways to get the best deals for any conference to save people money.

At the conference, I am not someone who comes in, listens to pitches and then disappears. If you bring me in, I will be there THE ENTIRE time. I listen to pitches, I will present and if you want multiple sessions, then just ask. I will be there for panel discussions, I will do critiques, and most importantly, I will always be found in the hallways available to talk to authors. 

But Scott, our chapter is small and we can't afford this, how can we do it? Here is what a couple of chapters did several years ago. They combined forces. One chapter had a great location to meet and they pooled their resources and the workshop was for three chapters and not just one. Split the cost three ways and "badda bing, badda boom" you have a presenter.

Look, the key is JUST ASK! If you are with a writing organization (a conference coordinator, a member who has some influence or are on the board) and you are interested, or maybe you would love to have me come but are not sure how to go about this, just email me. We can talk it through. 

We just have to start a dialogue.

I am free a lot! And honestly, with All About The Memories Travel, this becomes a heck of a lot easier to get these workshops and conference connections becoming a reality!

Conference Is Over...Now What?

If you are just home from the Romance Writers of American conference, the odds are that your brain is spinning. Not only has hit been a busy couple of days, you have been immersed in the full culture of publishing. Marketing, Workshops, Networking, Conversations and a lot of reading material. The odds are that you also took time off from writing your latest novel.

So now what? Here are some suggestions:

1. Unpack that suitcase.
2. Get that laundry going.
3. Have an alcoholic beverage
4. Sort through all of those books you brought back.
5. Sort through and stack all of the workshop material you gathered.
6. Have two alcoholic beverages
7. Clean the house (the odds are your family didn't do squat while you were gone).
8. You might need the whole bottle at this point.

What you will notice is that I have not done a thing with your manuscript and that is important.

Because you have so many ideas running through your head, it will take a lot of time to sort through that material. If you are not a hard-core novel planner, diving back into that story with all of those ideas is going to create a lot of problems.

First of all, every person you talked to, or listened to, told you their ideas was incredible and flawless. Of course they did, it worked for them. But the reality is that it might not work with your story. When you last left that project, you had a clear vision of where you were going. Deviating from that decision is going to create issues that you simply cannot work through.

Secondly, many of those ideas you heard will likely contradict each other. One told you to keep dialogue short and narratives long. The other said the reverse. Again, which one was right and which one was wrong? The answer here is neither is wrong. However, using that ideas will likely not be the choice for your novel

So, when do you get back to your story? AFTER you have read your story from the beginning and immerse yourself into that project again. It shouldn't take long, but you will once again be in better shape to truly get back to writing. 

Making Conferences Profitable

We all fully understand that writing conferences are big expenses, especially if you are looking at those major conferences around the nation. Once you add in transportation, hotel, food, the conference registration (and of course all those books you get at the book signing) you have put out a pretty penny. And yet, far too many walk away with only superficial growth as a professional writer, and all of this is due to not really knowing how to approach a conference.

First of all, it is beyond crucial to examine what is being offered at the conference BEFORE you commit to going. Sure, all of your writing friends may proclaim "This conference is amazing!" and with that you immediately commit. But did you take the time to look at the workshops. Did you take the time to see who the editors and agents are coming to the conference.

Let me give you a personal example. Early on with Greyhaus, I was eager to go to the Romantic Times conference. Like other authors, I had heard so much about it. But after 2 years, it became apparent that, while seeing colleagues was great, or the workshops I taught were packed and fun, the authors I ended up seeing and meeting were simply not going to be authors that were right for Greyhaus. The focus had shifted away from the focus I had as an agent.

You also need to examine where you are at with your career. Are you at the point of networking, or still learning. If it is learning, are you into craft or marketing sessions. Again, these are all things you can find out BEFORE you put that money down.

Now, let's assume everything checks out and you are ready to go. Now what. My first recommendation is that you tell yourself from the start that you are NOT there to write. Sure, bring your computer, but DO NOT lock yourself away. Conferences are about talking to other people and learning. Even if you are someone who is not ready to market your work yet, you still need to be out there networking! Talk to other authors. Talk to the editors. Talk to the agents. The more you talk the more you learn.

Secondly, attend workshops that will help you grow. There are a lot of "fun" workshops, but if it doesn't add to your work as a professional author, skip it. Remember to also attend those editor and agent panels. Ask meaningful questions. And, most importantly, LISTEN.

Next, fill the ENTIRE day. Book every workshop you can get from the first session all the way to the last session. You can sit in your room later. You can relax later.

Finally, don't walk away thinking you have all of the answers. You will hear a ton of suggestions. You will hear a lot of people who proclaim they have the ultimate solution, but please remember, every situation is different and not every one of those solutions will work for you. When you get home let that learning sink in. Think about how that work can be adapted into your life.

Conferences are great, but remember, you have to make good use of the time and money you spend.

Using What You Have Learned From A Conference

Conferences are fantastic for energizing a writer and really getting the creative juices flowing. You come back after sitting through a ton of workshops and now have a lot to consider. But now what?

Unfortunately, I see too many authors making huge mistakes with this information. These mistakes go in two different directions.

The first mistake is to attempt to use all of the new learning in the current work in progress. One presenter said using Strategy A will sell the book, another said Strategy B, another said Strategy C, and the critique group provided 5 other options. Now the author attempts to put all 8 of those ideas into the story. What they are doing is essentially saying it is time to make chili, opening up the pantry and dumping a little of all their spices from the rack into the meal. How did that work out? Probably not too good.

It is important to look at what you have, study what works best for that situation, and use the strategy conservatively. Go slowly. You probably are not fully clear how those strategies work yet and it could make things worse.

The second mistake is believing that you are already good to go. In other words, you learned all of this stuff, but when you get back to your writing, you convince yourself that your writing is fine without that strategy. This too is not going to work.

I am tutoring two high school students this summer to improve their writing. We work in a small 1 hour session and then give them a small project to work on for the next session. I have now met with them 3 times and in each case, they just didn't do the work. When they left the session, the they saw the value in the skills, but simply did not follow through.

So how do you think their writing is improving? I do think there will be some of the learning that sticks in their head, but the odds are, without the practicing of the skill on their own, they are no further ahead.

Look, you just came home energized to work. You have all of these new tools. Now take the time to study those tools and use those tools with your writing.

Conference Networking IS NOT Just About Selling

Right now, there are a lot of authors in Orlando at the Romance Writers of America conference. This yearly conference is a chance for authors, editors and agents to get together and talk about the business of publishing and romance. It is, unfortunate, however, that many authors are making a huge mistake while at this conference and it all comes down to the concept of networking.

As I said, this conference is about a lot of people getting together and chatting about the business. This is a chance to learn about new projects, hear about great new approaches for writing and so forth. It is all about networking.

Networking is defined as...

to interact with other people to exchange information and develop contacts, especially to further one's career

And yet, what are authors doing, they are trying to sell. They are trying to get people to buy their books and their latest lines. Sure, these writers will say that if they can sell that book to the editors and agents, they are going to advance their careers. But this approach is not building that relationship with the editors and agents.

I recently heard a business specialist on NPR talk about this. He noted that this is a huge mistake most people make when they go to conferences. He noted that at one conference, he asked a ballroom full of attendees, how many people planned on selling something at the conference. 900+ people raised their hands. He then followed up with how many people out there were planning on buying something. The room was silent.

Networking, he noted, was about building relationships with other people in the industry. It was about creating a presence and then demonstrating accountability and trust. Once that was done, THEN the selling could happen.

Yes, I fully get that these larger writing conferences hype up the fact that they have opportunities to pitch stories to editors and agents. RWA cycles editors and agents through a ballroom creating those chances. And yet, I have heard, time and time again from other editors and agents that they are not likely going to find stories there. I have spoke of this here on the blog in the past. This is due to a lot of authors pitching when they were not ready, or simply pitching to the wrong person.

When I attend conferences, I do hope to find some new project, but the real focus is about making those connections. It is about sitting down with editors and other agents to hear about their latest projects and ideas. It is about advancing the business.

So, if you are at the conference now and reading this, rethink what you are doing. If you do sell something, great. BUT if you build a new relationship, you can walk away feeling much more accomplished and successful.

Submitting Before Conferences

This will be a short post this Tuesday, but I do think an important one.

There are many of you looking to those larger Spring and Summer writing conferences. That's fantastic! You should go, learn and enjoy. But...

If you are planning to pitch to a specific editor or agent at the conference, don't submit a project to that person via email prior to the conference. You need to do one or the other.

I know that some people seem to believe this is a great way to give that editor or agent time to think about the project so that, at the conference, the two of you can just chat. However, you are now setting yourself up for an awkward conversation if they do pass on the project. I would also argue that if the project is rejected before the conference, you have not only taken up a slot that someone else could have used, but you have likely lost out on a chance to meet with one of the other editors or agents.

Just a word of warning.

How To Decide On A Conference

I think all industries and businesses have conferences. I have been to a lot in my days but I honestly have to say that writing conferences are the best. This is place and time when people who are truly passionate about their craft get a chance to talk and work to improve their work! But, with all of the conferences available, it can sometimes be difficult to decide which one to attend. I would also say that far too many authors use only price as their criteria for attending or not, and this, in my humble opinion, is not the way to go. 

Yes, attending conferences will cost money, so I am not going to 100% ignore the financial factory. But this is really an issue of a cost-benefit analysis. Today, I want to look at the things you need to consider before plunking down that money.

Who is speaking or attending - This is a big one. If there is a presenter who is leading a pretty extensive workshop that you would normally pay a lot of money to go and see, then I would say to go. Sure, you might be able to work with this person at another conference, but the other workshops and networking that you would get with this one would give this conference an added bonus.

Are their agents and editors there? - This is one only for those authors who are really ready to make that jump to professional writing. Being able to meet with these professionals face-to-face can sometimes make a world of difference. BUT, I am adding a condition to this. If the agents or editors you want to submit to are not there, but other random ones, you cannot factor this into your decision making. Pitching to people who would most likely turn down your work is not worth the effort. 

Networking If you are already published, this is now the time to start thinking about promotion and moving to another level. Will this conference be a chance to meet with people who can better your career. Is there a book signing? Again, here are some conditions to this one and let me start with the book signing one. If there are not outside people coming to the conference for the book signing, then it is NOT worth it. I attended a conference where all of the authors who were there were at the book signing. The funny part is they all sat at their tables waiting for people to come. Those potential buyers were also selling books. There were simply no outsiders to buy the books. 

The networking also involves simply talking to people. Is your editor or agent attending (I should also add that if your writing chapter is having a conference, you should invite your editor or agent). Are their new booksellers attending that might be new doors for you to get your books into their stores. This is especially important for those of you who are doing this on your own. 

Size matters There are really a lot of pros and cons here. I love small conferences because I have the chance to meet with a lot of authors and talk one-on-one. But with the smaller conferences, there can also be a limited amount of workshops and networking opportunities. With the larger conferences, these can be lacking in that personal connection but there are more business opportunities.

Workshops and classes This sort of connects with the first one. Look at the workshops on their schedule. Is there anything there that fits with what you are looking for? I know I attended one conference (I was invited) but new after they finally got the schedule out, that there would end up being little I could offer the writers. This conference had the theme of self-publishing that year. No, it was not a written theme, but it was very clear the coordinators were thinking that way. 

Look, conferences are great and, as a writer, you have to attend these. It is here where you will make your connections. It is here where people will know your name. But, make a wise decision before attending!

Why Bring Editors And Agents To Your Writing Groups

The publishing world is always changing. This is one of those no-duh statements, I know. But because it is always changing, writers are always out there struggling to figure out what to do next. Regardless of whether the author is taking the traditional route, or doing it on their own, navigating that world can be really difficult. I also understand finding out the correct information can also be difficult. Writers are spending a lot of time online, reading blogs, getting in discussion groups and so forth, just to get that latest piece of information. 

There is an easier way.

Bring the editors and agents to your writing groups will bring in the latest information you might be looking for to get you over that next bump in your publishing career. All it takes is asking them to come.

Now let me say, I know it might seem like a costly venture. Airfare and hotel can be tough, but it is possible. I understand you might not be able to bring in 25 people, but 2 or 3 can be more than enough to really give you a great perspective on the business.

Let me tell you what we can do for you.

I do believe that conferences feel that we are just there to listen to pitches. In fact, I am amazed at the number of conferences where the group has paid a lot for me to come and just listen to pitches. I am sorry to say, but this is a huge waste of their money. Put us to work. That is what we are there for.

The editors and agents can obviously sit on panel discussions, and yes, they are helpful, assuming the audience actually asks decent questions. However, if you have these people teaching small group sessions on craft, query letters, publishing and industry questions, AND have them take pitches, the authors can really get a lot of "bang for their buck"!

I know that many of you are in writing chapters where there is  huge push for the self-publishing market. The last couple I have attended showed me just that when pretty much every session out there dealt with that topic. That's fine if you want to run a conference that way, but bringing in the editors and agents from the traditional route will also give the authors insight into the other side, just in case they decide to change directions. 

Finally, I will say that if money is still an issue, you can do bring in the editors and agents digitally. Setting up a SKYPE session takes absolutely no money!

1. Bring in a lap top of one of your writers.
2. Hook it up to a TV monitor (it is a single cable hook-up in most cases)
3. If you don't have a big enough TV, then use the projectors and shine it on the wall. 
4. Now, talk on SKYPE! We just need to have a microphone to pick up your questions. If all else fails, you can have someone on your end repeat the question to me

I can sit here in my office and talk directly to everyone there. We can ship handouts via email to the entire group and we can still be on the same page. 

The point is, you have to be creative. If you haven't brought in someone yet, you might want to consider it. Who knows, you might be creating the next link to getting someone in your writing group published and making the "big bucks"!

Identifying The Focus Of A Conference

I was looking through a couple of upcoming conferences to see what was going on. These are conferences I am not personally attending, but it is always nice to see trends. In this case, what I saw was VERY telling. In fact, this is something you should be doing before every conference so that you can be either better prepared, or make the decision if this is the conference for you or not.

So, when I looked at the conference page, I started with the editors or agents. This is a conference close enough for me to get to in a full day's drive so if there was someone I wanted to meet with, I could make it there. This list was very unique.

The editors list had a small list of editors but half were from smaller independent and digital publishers. Those from the larger houses were VERY selective in terms of what they were looking for. A lot of non-fiction, memoirs and so forth. Anything commercial was simply not there.

As for the agents, the list was double that of the editors, but even these agents were looking for things that would only go to self-publishing houses or smaller independent presses. Sure, there were some mentions of commercial fiction, but the works they were focused on were those smaller genres.

When it came to the sessions, the focus was on VERY niche genres and over half were focused on only selling your books on your own and doing it digitally.

But what does this tell me? First of all, the conference is clearly showing their perspective that they wanted to overly emphasize this smaller market. For those wanting to take the traditional approach, they will simply be out of luck. Secondly, it is clear that this conference believes that commercial fiction is not the place to be. Finally, the only people who will be successful with pitch sessions here are those who either have the next 6 figure NY Times Best Seller, or people only interested in those smaller presses. There is not middle ground here.

I bring this up because this is what every author should do BEFORE dropping a lot of money in conference registrations, hotels, and transportation. Review the schedule. See who is going to be there. Be very clear before showing up. I the case of this conference, if someone were to show up wanting to write something more commercial and/or more traditional, the odds are, this conference would be a complete waste.

Even if you were interested in taking just sessions and skipping the pitches, the odds are you might be disappointed, unless you were into one of these niche approaches.

I should also note that authors cannot draw any conclusions from a brief study such as this that the conference line up "reflects what the trends are in publishing today." This may simply be that the organizers had their own agenda in mind. Sure, it may be trends, but that may not be the only reason.

Upcoming Greyhaus Conferences

Just an update on upcoming conferences I will be at.
If you group is not on this list, make sure to contact me and we can see what we can do for you and your group.

• Liberty States Fiction Writers - March 21 (Skype pitches)
• Contemporary RWA Online Chapter - April 6-May 1
• Timeless Christian Romance Writers - June 11-13
• Southwest Washington Writer's Conference - Sept. 12
• Women Writing In the West - Oct. 9-11

I still have not decided on RWA Nationals. This is still a work in progress.

After last year's PNWA, they had stated they wanted me back but that is still up in the air. They haven't gotten back to me on this.

Upcoming Conferences On Pitching

I want to give you all some advance notice of some great chances to learn about the business of publishing as well as getting to pitch your projects to some great professionals out there.

The staff behind the organization and instruction of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop are excited to announce The Portland Writing Workshop AND the Seattle Writign Workshop — a full-day “How to Get Published” writing event just outside Portland, on February 20, 2015 and February 21, 2014 respectively.

This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (100 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2015 Portland Writing Workshop!

This year, they have brought in my good friend, Chuck Sambuchino from Writer's Digest!

THIS YEAR’S PRESENTER/INSTRUCTOR

Chuck Sambuchino (chucksambuchino.com,@chucksambuchino) of Writer’s Digest Books is the editor of Guide to Literary Agents as well as the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market. His authored books include Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript; Create Your Writer Platform, which was praised by Forbes.com; andHow to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack, which was optioned for film by Sony. He oversees one of the biggest blogs in publishing (the Guide to Literary Agents Blog) as well as one of the biggest Twitter accounts in publishing (@WritersDigest). He is a freelance editor who has seen dozens of his clients get agents and/or book deals, and he has presented at almost 90 writing conferences and events over the past eight years.

The conference is also providing pitch times with:

IN PORTLAND:

This year’s ever-growing faculty so far includes literary agent Sandra Bishop (Transatlantic Agency), literary agent Mary C. Moore (Kimberley Cameron & Associates), literary agent Natasha Kern (Natasha Kern Literary Agency), literary agent Scott Eagan (Greyhaus Literary), agency representative Jodi Dahlke (Fuse Literary), and editor Adam O’Connor Rodriguez (Hawthorne Books).

IN SEATTLE

This year’s faculty so far includes agent Kathleen Ortiz (New Leaf Literary), agent Kristin Vincent (D4EO Literary); agent Genevieve Nine (Andrea Hurst & Associates), agent Fleetwood Robbins (Waxman Leavell Literary), agent Scott Eagan (Greyhaus Literary), editor Adam O’Connor Rodriguez (Hawthorne Bookes), and agency representative Adria Olsen (Martin Literary Management), and more to come.

Make sure to check out the details by following the links below! Space will be limited so get registered today!

PORTLAND

SEATTLE

10 Things To Make A Conference A Success

I have said it before and I will say it again. Conferences are amazingly useful to authors if done right. On the other hand, if you attend a conference with the wrong approach, it can be nothing more than a time suck and a drain on your wallet.

Here are my 10 recommendations for making your attendance at a major conference highly successful:

1. Break out of your shell and talk to people. Conferences are about networking. If you are too afraid to talk to people or to sit with others during the meals, you have not business in publishing. Although writing is something that is very individual, this business is about getting your name around. You cannot do this hiding away in some hidden hallway. Talk to people. It doesn't have to be pitching your story, but talk. Who knows what you will learn and who knows you you will meet!
2. Attend spotlight sessions and editor/agent panels. There is SOOOOOO much information that can be gathered from these sessions. Ask questions and take notes. This is not the time to be discussing their thoughts on e-publishing, self-publishing or trends. This is a time to get to know those people. Discover their likes and dislikes. Get them talking. Hint: A good question to ask is what the last book was they bought and why they think it is the best thing ever.
3. Take a lot of notes Write, write and write. Don't worry about sorting things out. You can do that later. Just take notes. When you get home, review those notes. Along the same lines, make sure to write down all of the contact information from those editors and agents!
4. Skip the sightseeing Yes, conferences can be in great locations, but darn it, you paid for the conference so attend it. If you want to see the sights, do it before or after the conference. This was a big one for the Anaheim RWA conference. People spent a lot of time at Disneyland and not at the expensive conference they paid for.
5. Don't go to work on your manuscript Your manuscript can wait. Sure, take a pad of paper and jot down ideas when they pop up. Bring your computer if you want to but don't work on the story DURING the conference. Wait until after all of the activities are done with the day and then work on your story in the evening in your room. Of course, if you did the conference right, you will be too tired to write. 
6. Talk to people about your writing This is a writing conference so talk shop. Take the time to discuss how other writers approach their stories. You might find some useful tips and tricks. Along the same lines, keep names and email addresses. You might find some connections later on, as well as critique partners. 
7. Don't spend your money at the bookstore (with some exceptions) I know that conferences are going to cringe on this one, but I personally don't spend my money in the bookstores (unless it is a smaller conference and the money goes to the writing group). I do wander through the bookstore and make lists of books I want to get when I return home. Besides, you probably packed far too much for the conference so where do you plan on putting those books? 
8. Don't travel in packs The thing about traveling in large groups is that it automatically excludes anyone from the outside wanting to chat. As someone who does like to talk at conferences, I might chat with a small group 2-4, but if your group is getting too big, don't expect me to pop in and chat. 
9. Be professional while in public We are watching you. We are listening to the things you say. We (I am talking about the editors and agents) also talk to each other. Let me give you a little story that might set the tone. I was at the Atlanta national conference several years ago. Someone came in and pitched a story to me. It was OK and I was probably going to look at what she sent me. But here comes the kicker. I heard from several people she was sitting outside talking about how amazing she was as a writer, how much "Nora Roberts was a hack" and how any editor or agent would be blessed to have her. Hmmm, do you thing I would want this person? 
10. Come prepared to sell that story This is not just having a project finished, or having the project in a printed form. This is about attitude. If you are here to pitch then you come with the positive (but not unrealistic) attitude to sell that story. you worked hard on this so be proud of the work and show that confidence!

Face To Face With Scott - Pitching At Conferences

Making The Most Of A Conference

Let's start with stating the obvious. Attending a writing conference is expensive. Airfare, hotel, food, registration and certainly the book store adds up fast! So if you are spending a ton of cash, you need to make sure you take advantage of the time you have and really use it wisely. Please note the following suggestions are in no particular order. I am working without my morning cup of coffee right now.

First of all, remember that attending a conference is about networking. I bring this up because I see far too many authors hiding away in a corner with their laptops working on their story. Look, if you want to go to a hotel to write, that's fine, but why waste your registration money just to do this. Put the darn computer away and get out there to talk to people.

It is crucial that you are out and about as much as possible. I don't care if you are an introvert, this is not the time to do so. Start talking to people. Meet strangers at the conference and start talking "shop". You might be surprised as to who you meet and what connections you might make. Heck, your future editor or agent might be around the corner. No, this does not mean to start stalking people and pitching your story. Just talk. Let the conversation flow.

I should also add to quit moving in packs. There is nothing wrong with hanging with a friend every now and then, but when the group gets too big, other people will not come and talk. This is especially true with the meal time. I don't know how many times I have come in to the ball room for meals and find the entire chapter from Potunk, Montana (nothing against people in Montana) have taken up an entire table. Remember, leaving a seat open might give you the chance to sit with an editor or agent. Invite them to your table.

Workshops are always at conferences, but you have to choose wisely. Attend EVERYTHING you can get to, but make sure the material is for information you need at this particular point in your career. Review who is teaching the session and really look at their background. There are a lot of really good sessions out there as well as some pretty pathetic ones.

I personally recommend heading to every one of the spotlight sessions for the publishers. This is a great place to ask questions about the type of stories that editor likes, the voice they look for and so forth. Two words of warning through - A) don't pitch; and B) don't ask questions that can be found on their FAQ pages. Go for understanding who these people are.

Avoid the bar! No, I am not saying that you cannot socialize, but remember the conference is a professional meeting and people ARE watching you. You never know who is watching and what they are thinking. I am someone who is always out people watching. Bad impressions out there will certainly lead to not so pretty results.

I get that a conference can be tiring. Who cares! You spent a lot of money and you need to make use of it. You can always sleep when you get home.

How To Decide Which Conference Is Right For You

Attending a conference in your field and discipline can be one of the most rewarding times for anyone. This is a chance to talk shop, to attend workshops and certainly to network. There is one catch though. Conferences cost money and certainly do take up a lot of time out of our already busy schedules. We simply cannot attend every conference, so it is crucial for us to pick and choose which ones we will attend.

Obviously the first thing to consider is budget. If the cash ain't there, then you have already made your decision. In this case, take into account not just the cost of the registration, but also the other expenses including hotel, travel, dining, shopping, snacks and certainly all of those things you get in the bookstore. This adds up. In all honesty, attending a major 3-4 day conference can easily hit $1000+.

So let, say the budget is not the biggest worry. Now we get to really examine not just the conference but you as a writer. Where you are at in your career will certainly dictate which conference to attend. RWA Nationals, for example, might be a bit too much for someone just starting out. Not only is it a complete sensory over-load, your career might be better suited for something that is almost entirely set up for craft building.

The key is to examine what the focus of the conference really is. Some, like the Romantic Times Conference are focused more on connecting the writer and the reader. Other smaller conferences tend to be more craft focused.

Along the same lines of focus, it is important to understand what the speakers and emphasis will be. This is obviously easy when it comes to the Romance Writers or Mystery Writers Conferences. But what about those standard ones? Some of them tend to focus more on general fiction. The key is to understand who the population is that attends the conference. For myself, there are some conferences that are simply not profitable for me to attend since the number of romance and women's fiction writers will be fairly low. Sure, I can teach sessions, but there won't be much else.

If you are at a point of being ready to pitch to editors and agents, take the time to look at the line-up of who is attending. Let me again remind you - just because there are editors and agents there DOES NOT mean you need to be pitching to these people. Unless you like to get rejections, you need to be certain these people A) acquire what you write; and B) are the right match for you and your career. Hey if Agent X is on the top of your list, find the conference where he or she will be at and make the effort to get there.

I know this sounds like a lot of obvious things, but it is good to be reminded every now and then. Yes, going to conferences is important, and certainly fun, but you need to make it worth your while!

Use Technology To Spice Up Those Conferences and Chapter Meetings

This coming weekend, I will be at the 5th Annual Liberty Fiction Writers "Create Something Magical" Conference. Well sort of...

This group contacted me last year to attend and, due to expenses, getting me from the west coast to the east coast for the weekend really would have drained their budgets (considering we are hitting Spring Break period you can imagine the airfare rates). Still, we found a way to do it and it was a great success.

I attend their conference virtually. Using SKYPE, I have the chance to meet with authors and listen to their projects. These are standard pitch sessions, with the exception that in the pitch room, instead of seeing me at their table, they see the computer and a head set. It is awesome!

This is not the first time either. As I said, I did this last year at their conference and also had the chance to meet with the Historical Novel Society in London using the same technology.

I bring all of this up because there are so many writing groups out there that are probably frustrated that they can't bring in editors and agents. They stick with their "local authors" but then grumble when they hear other groups bringing in "the big names." Look, I am not saying that I am one of the "big names" but I am making this offer to your groups.

If you have a group that wants to make this technology work, let me know. Email me at the agency and we can talk you through the process. We can do pitch sessions. I can teach a workshop. We can do a Q & A session with your writing chapter. The nice thing is that it doesn't cost you anything - no airfare, no hotel, no arrangements of who has to pick the agent or editor up at the airport.

I am looking forward to working with your writing chapter and using technology to make it a little easier on your budget!

SKYPE Opportunities For Writing Groups

In 2014, I want to make a big push to help out many of those writing chapters that might not have the funds to bring in guest speakers for a weekend or a single day meeting. Since we are now living in a digital age, there is no reason we don't put this to use.

Using SKYPE, we can set up a remote connection between me and your writing group! Essentially, here is all we need:

• A large screen TV or monitor on your end that connects to a computer
• A computer on your end with a camera and microphone
• Someone willing to set up a SKYPE connection with me.

It is as simple as that!

In terms of handouts, I would simply put together the notes and send them via email to your coordinator. We can then go through the whole presentation together.

Following the presentation, you can then set up the computer so that I can take pitches virtually with individual writers. I have already done this with the Historical Novel Society in London and with the Liberty States Writing Group (we'll be doing this again this year!)

What is the cost?

NOTHING!!!!! 

If you are interested in having your writing group do this, please let me know! We can talk you through all of the technology necessary to make this work! And yes, this works for any group overseas!

Why Do Agents Attend Conferences?

We often hear agents make the comment that they often don't sign too many authors from their meetings at conferences. If this is the case, then we have to ask why they go to the conference in the first place? Why, after working all week in the office, would the agent hop on a plane, live out of a hotel and lose an entire weekend just to expect not to find anything?

Now, I cannot answer for all agents, but I can certainly give you the reasons I go to conferences and what I expect.

I Go To Find Authors Despite what other agents have said, I do go to conferences where I think I will find authors. I have signed authors at conferences and I fully expect that I will continue to find authors at conferences. So, why do I find authors and others might not? I do believe much of this comes from the information I put out there of what I am looking for in an author and a book. I make it very clear what I want and what I don't want. Now, when we have pitch sessions, I tend to have primarily the authors who have read my bio, they know what I want and they aren't just throwing something out there.

I Go To Teach Authors want to learn. They want to hear from the professionals and get every thing they can to help them get closer to publishing that book, and to land that first deal. I am someone who want to go to a conference, teach sessions, talk to authors and help out as many authors as I can. I might not be able to sign the authors, but if I can get them closer, or even help them sign with someone else, then I have done my job.

Advertising My Authors This is something that I know a lot of other agents will also agree with. When we go to conferences, we do spend the time talking up our authors. This is one more way to get their names out there and make those sales continue to grow.

Meet With People We Might Not See Although we all have a lot of technology to talk to people around the world, there is nothing better than meeting people face to face. We probably aren't "cutting deals" but those conversations, those networking situations... they all add up and may lead us closer to selling some of our books to other editors.

So, my question for you today is simple. If you invite and editor or agent to your conference, what do you expect from them? What do you want to see?

How To Pick The Right Conference To Attend

Every month, there are tons of workshops, conferences and classes available for authors. These are chances to learn some new things about the craft, meet with editors and agents and to certainly network for new directions with your career. But, unless you have an magic money machine and an ability to be in more than one place at a time, you will have to make some serious decisions.

I do think that far too many authors make decisions for conferences simply because of the location, and, while this might be a great approach for watching finances, this might not be the best approach to advance your career. The editors and agents attending the conference might not be the best for your career. The workshops might not be what you need to advance your craft. Maybe the conference dynamic is one that doesn't allow the networking you are looking for. In the end, that conference might do absolutely nothing for you in the end.

I always recommend to new authors to make some decisions yearly about attending conferences. This is just like taking a family trip that may really tap into some financial resources. Since this is really one of the biggest factors to start with, decide how much you can afford in a single year. Yes, you will have to plan ahead for this, but it will certainly be well worth it.

Once you get that budget figured out, now it is time to start looking for conferences. This is where you have to look at where your career is at this particular moment. If you are a new author, you might not need to attend workshops with all of those editors and agents to pitch to. The odds are, you might not be ready to pitch yet. Don't worry about it and focus more on the workshops available.

If you are at that point where you are ready to start pitching, you have to investigate which agents and editors are attending. Most of the conferences have websites that are constantly being updated with the visiting professionals. I have said this numerous times here on the blog, but your writing is not going to be a perfect match for every editor and agent. If your targeted editor or agent isn't there, attending that conference might not be worth the money. Sure, you can pitch, but don't count on getting that contract you want. You will notice that I didn't say a request. Unless your story isn't a genre they represent, you will likely get a request for more material. They'll just tell you no later.

You want to make the most of that conference time. You want to spend your money wisely. Sure, you might have "fun" at the conference, but this is a working conference. If you want to take a "fun trip" I would personally encourage you to use that time and money and spend it with your family and friends. And you know something? If you have saved all of that money for your writing conference and there isn't one available that year, save up and use it for the next year. Who knows? You might end up at one even bigger and better!

Wisconsin RWA (WisRwa)

Great trip to WisRWA!





Victoria Curran, Natalie Fischer, Tessa Woodward and myself!





Heard some great pitches and certainly some great speakers!

Mary Jo Putney and Cathy Maxwell!

Great advice, great people and great conference!

Scott