Appropriate Use of Writer's Conferences

I've read your previous posts about writer's conferences and I wonder if you would be willing to go into more detail about how to use attendance at conferences wisely. I will be attending the 6-7-8 Conference this weekend and have time scheduled with their manuscript acquisitions editor but now I'm panicked about how to use it. The conference info doesn't state specifically what an author should bring or how to use that time. All I have is half of a growing manuscript so it doesn't seem appropriate to bring a query letter and first chapter. I had planned to use that time to find out about this company's interest in my genre, i.e. what they're looking for and what trends they see in the LDS market for it. Is this an appropriate and professional use of this time?

The reason an editor attends a conference is to look for books they'd like to publish, not to be interviewed by authors. While you may use some of this time to talk about trends in the market and more specifically what they're looking for, you should already know through your own research if they publish in your genre.

White the editor would be hoping for polished and finished manuscripts, it's okay that yours is not finished. Go ahead and use this time to pitch your idea to the editor. If he/she is interested, that would certainly be inspiration to you to finish your book. If they're not interested, due to subject matter or genre, then you could ask what specifically they are looking for.

6-7-8 Writer's Conference

I've said many times on this blog that Writer's Conferences are a great way to network, meet editors and find others who might like to be part of a critique group. Here is some info on an upcoming conference in Utah.

You’re Invited to: 6 – 7 - 8 Writer’s Conference

When: 6 7 8! (June 7, 2008)

Where: Cedar Fort, Inc., 2373 W 700 S, Springville, UT 84663

What: Writers Conference

Motivational speaker and author Eloise Owens will headline the writing conference. She is the author of Get Off The Beach and has spoken to close to a million people in her career. I saw her in 2006 at the Utah Press Convention, and when my boss said I could bring in anyone I wanted to, I thought of her first.

Schedule of Events:

10 am -10:15 Welcome by Doug Johnston, Publicist, Cedar Fort.

10:15–10:30 Jeffery Marsh, acquisitions editor for Cedar Fort and BYU professor, tells what he wants in manuscripts, book submissions, and so forth.

10:30 - 11:00 Abel Keogh, author of A Room For Two, will teach each of you the importance of websites and blogs, even if you don’t have a book yet!

11:00 - 11:30 Janet Kay Jensen, author of Don’t You Marry The Mormon Boys, will teach on publicizing yourself and your books. Janet is very good at self-promotion and will teach each of you how to do the same.

11:30am - 12:15pm Doug Johnston, Publicist and former newspaper owner, will show writers what they need to know about being an author from a Publicists point of view.

12:15 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 4:00 Eloise Owens will be the keynote speaker. Ms. Owens will make you think, make you better, and make you money through your writing. Like I said above, Ms. Owens is great. You will remember her for years to come and be a better author and self-promoter after listening to her.

During the conference, you can sit down with Jeffery Marsh. Bring him your manuscripts, book ideas, or questions. You will be allowed 15 minutes to talk with him about your ideas. Please call 801-489-4084 and tell the receptionist you want to be added for a time slot. There are a limited number of slots, so call today.

The cost for the conference is $25. You will receive Eloise Owen’s book Get Off The Beach and lunch.

To sign up, please do the following:
If paying by credit/debit card, call 801-489-4084 and tell them you are signing up for the 6 7 8 conference.

If you are paying by check, please make payment to
Cedar Fort
Attn 6 7 8
2373 W 700 S
Springville, Ut 84663

We are limited to 200 seats, so RSVP as soon as possible.

NOTE: After you sign up, you can make some money too. For every person that signs up and mentions they heard about it from you (Janet Jensen/Tristi Pinkston*), you will get $5 back from us at the conference. They MUST mention you when they sign up for you to get the money.

If you have any questions, you can email me at djohnston@cedarfort.com or you can call me at 801-489-4084.

I look forward to this wonderful day full of learning!

Best,

Doug Johnston


Doug Johnston
Public Relations Director
Cedar Fort Inc.
(801) 489-4084
djohnston@cedarfort.com
See us online at cedarfort.com
Blog at www.atonofauthorsandawannabe.blogspot.com

**Both women sent this to me so if you sign up, pick whomever you'd like as your reference person.

Writing Organizations

Should writers join organizations like SCBWI or LDStorymakers?

You don't have to, but yes, I think you should. And RWA, and SFWA, and MWA, and LUW (or your state's equivalent), and Latter-day Authors, and other writer groups and forums, and reader groups and forums, and...

There are all sorts of groups out there that provide wonderful information, networking opportunities and support. Don't join them all or you'll spread yourself too thin and never have time to actually write. And don't join any that are out of your budget. But check into some of them and find one or two that fit your needs.

Readers, which organizations have you found to be most helpful?

To Go or Not to Go

Can you give me a definitive opinion on writers conferences? I hear conflicting opinions from everyone: Go to a conference because you’ll learn so much; Conferences are a waste of time, stay home and write instead. Take sample manuscripts to give to agents or editors; only take queries. I have a chance to go to a conference next month, but I don’t know if it will be worth the time, effort and money.

Not all conferences are the same. Some are worth the effort to attend. Some are not. Here are some things to consider (not necessarily in order of importance):

Cost and Location: Can you afford it? You will not see any immediate return on this investment so make sure it fits your budget. Is it close to your home or at a location that you want to visit? Do you have friends or family nearby who might let you stay with them? Do you have other reasons for going to that location, like a family vacation?

Quality: Who is hosting the conference? Do you have confidence that this entity can produce a conference that is worth the time and effort to attend? How long have they been doing it? Do you know anyone who has attended in the past? If so, did they have a positive experience and are they going again?

Speakers: Who are the speakers? Have you heard of them? Are they people you want to hear? If they are authors, have you read and do you like their work? (If you hate their novel, you probably won’t like their workshop. Unfortunately, the converse does not always hold true. Some people write well, but are not good at public speaking.) If agents and editors will be there, are they ones that you would like to submit to.

Focus/Genre: Is the focus of the conference compatible with what you’re writing? It’s not really helpful for you to attend a sci-fi writers conference if you write children’s picture books.

Networking: In my opinion, networking is THE reason to go to writers conferences. Workshops may offer good information, but you can find the same info in a book somewhere. If the conference allows you to meet and interact with agents, editors and authors who you feel will help you publish your book OR they are people that you really, really want to meet, then go. Meet them. Trade business cards. If you connect with some other attendees on a personal level, they may be interested in forming a writers critique group.

What to Take: If you have a one-on-one scheduled with an agent or editor, bring what they’ve asked for—usually a query letter (for finished manuscripts only). Bring a few queries, in case you get an unexpected opportunity, but don’t just hand them out willy-nilly to every agent or editor there. We get bombarded with stuff at these conferences and you’ll make a better impression if you send me a customized query after the conference.

Time Commitment: An occasional conference can break up the writing routine, give you fresh inspiration, and rev up your motivation to write. But if you find you’re going to conference after conference rather than writing, you might want to skip some and actually write.