This week, a lot of you are heading out to San Diego for the wonderful Romance Writers of America conference. Unfortunately, due to family obligations, I will not be there, but I did want to remind all of you who are going.
RWA Nationals is a PROFESSIONAL, BUSINESS conference.
I know most of you are thinking, "We know this Scott, so what is the point?"
When you attend a professional conference, it is important to act and behave like a professional. People are watching and listening to you. They see what you do. They see how you act. They see how you dress. I am always amazed (and yes, sometimes pretty disgusted) by the way authors who are attempting to build their careers present themselves.
The hard thing about a conference such as this, is that professional writing is something that for many, came from a hobby. Thinking of writing novels and learning a craft as a business can be difficult. Heck, you spend much of your time in your "comfy clothes" writing your story. Now it is time to be professional? Yes, it is time.
This conference is about networking and promotion. This conference is about learning to develop your craft. This is not, for the most part, a conference about the readers. Yes, there is the Literacy signing and yes, there are the times when people can come in and get autographed books, but this is only a small part of the conference.
I would also add that you are going to the conference not as a vacation. There is time before and after the conference if you want to see San Diego and I would encourage it. BUT... if you are spending more of your time in the bar, by the pool or out of the conference, why did you spend the money to be a part of the conference?
If you want to have the respect of being a professional author, then be that professional. You might be surprised what it might get you.
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