How This Website Can Help You

Introduction
How to Use This Website
10 Tips to a Great Writers Conference Experience

Introduction

Writing is a very isolating career. We sit in front of our computer and write or we read and conduct research. The writing craft can be lonely. This is where conferences come in.

Conferences offer an opportunity to meet editors, hone your craft, connect with fellow writers, build long-term friendships and relationships, and get motivated.

For beginners, conferences are crucial to make contacts, learn the basics to develop their skills, and determine whether they've got the right stuff for to get published. More advanced writers are helped by sharing their expertise and experiences with beginning writers, renewing friendships and making more contacts, keeping up with new publishing trends, and learning some new ways to develop their craft.

One of the purposes of attending a writer's conference is to become a better writer. Your writing should show signs of improvement year-to-year. Your queries, proposals, and manuscripts should be of a higher quality and you should have a better understanding of the publishing industry.

That's where the material on this website comes in. You will find page after page of ideas, tips, personal experiences, samples and resources to help you succeed. Here are two important ones to start.

“Where unseasoned conferees make their mistake is that they spend too much time chasing down editors and trying to push their stuff. They should be concentrating on polishing their writing and learning from the experienced writers who are there.” - Susan Osborn, Director of the Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service, author of 28 books, most germinated at writers' conferences

“Too many writers, when they start out, are focused on being published. But being published is a byproduct of being good. If you're writing good books, and you stay at it, talent will win out.” - Mark Winegardner, author of The Godfather Returns, Writer's Digest, June 2005

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How to Use This Website

Start with an honest evaluation of your writing experience. Are you a beginner, an intermediate, or a well season, published author? Depending on how you answer this question will determine how to best use this web site.

If you are a beginning writer, start by learning about The Publishing Process. This includes things like queries and proposals, manuscript formats, revising and more. Many beginning writers go to a conference without knowing how to write professional and submit sub-standard work - and can't understand why they receive rejections. Only then should you move into The Writing Process section.

If you are an intermediate writer, then you might want to skip directly to the Writing Process section. However don't underestimate how much a review of the Publishing Process will help refresh your skills.

Advanced writers should feel free to skip around the web site and explore the information. I'd bet you will find new material that will help advance your writing career.

Of course, once you decide to go to a conference, spend time in The Conference Process section. This will give you important information so are fully prepared to experience the full value of the conference.

Finally, the Learning More section will expand your horizons with resources, links, interviews, a glossary, and more.

Then, be sure to add this website to your "favorites" and go to the blog and subscribe to the postings through FeedBlitz.

If you get stuck, or feel something is lacking, please send me an email and I will try to provide personalized help:

Adobe Acrobat Reader is necessary to view the PDF files on this Web site. If you do not have Adobe AcrobatReader, you can download it here for free:

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10 Tips to a Great Writers Conference Experience 

Here are my 10 best tips to experiencing a great writers conference.

1. Go prepared and educated
2. Go prepared and willing to learn - with a humble spirit
3. Present only your best work
4. Understand the publishing process
5. Learn what you can about the speakers, editors, publishers, and agents so you know how to approach them
6. Take plenty of notes
7. Buy the session tapes or CDs if you can afford them
8. Go out of your way to meet new people - don't be shy
9. Send thank you notes or emails to the speakers that helped you - including the conference director
10. Once you are home, review your notes while listening to the session tapes or CDs

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