| Copyright 2001 Susanne M. Alexander
It's easy to look at a writer's conference brochure and feel a little intimidated at the speaker's credentials and the broad choice of workshops. However, conferences can be a significant boost to your knowledge, confidence and opportunities. If you decide to attend, how do you then get the most out of the experience and the expense? 1. Do your homework ahead of time. Review the schedule and choose which sessions to attend (and a backup for each in case your first choice is boring or cancelled). Read the speaker's bio's so you know who might be helpful to you. If editors are listed as speakers, familiarize yourself with their publications. 2. Talk to the conference organizers before you go. They can give you tips about sessions...and even keep you in mind as a speaker for future workshops. Look for opportunities to volunteer and be helpful. Some conferences will give you a discount on conference fees if you offer ahead of time to help. 3. Decide what you want to accomplish. Be clear what you want to learn and why. Think about what part of your career you want to enhance or develop with new knowledge from the conference. Pay close attention to your needs as a writer. Don't hesitate to slip out of a workshop session and into another one if your expectations are not being met. On the other hand, consider sparking your creativity and possibilities by stepping into a session that is very different from what you usually write about. 4. Connect with other conference-goers. Go early. Stay late. Hang around. Join groups going to meals. Attend cocktail hour. Network. Network. Network. Ask others about their work. Ask them what has been successful for them. Invite others to give you advice or to be your mentors--sometimes they'll say yes! Then use them. 5. Listen to what the editors tell you. When editors are the speakers, they will usually tell you exactly what they are looking for and how to submit it to them. Write down all the details for later reference. If they are looking for particular stories, track them down shortly after the conference and send in queries. Sometimes other writers will also give you tips on approaching or working with particular editors. 6. Gather up all the handouts you can. Take handouts from every session, even if you aren't sure of their usefulness. There's a reason the speaker brought them, and you may figure it out later. Often speakers will put extra handouts out for anyone to take. Look for them between sessions, because they disappear in a hurry. 7. Acknowledge speakers for their contributions. Laugh at the speaker's jokes. Applaud enthusiastically. Ask them clear, concise, interesting, thought-provoking questions that show you were listening carefully. Participate in discussions. Always approach speakers to chat after a session, even if only to thank them for their time or ask for their business cards. Try to have a question ready for them, however, because most speakers are very willing to provide coaching to beginning writers. Tell them how what they said will be helpful to you. Be sensitive and don't monopolize them if someone else is waiting to speak to them too. 8. Be ready to share your own experience. Give yourself a confidence-boosting pep talk before going. Take your business cards, resume and writing samples. Don't take a PR kit that amounts to lots of fluff about you and no substance. Some editors will listen to a story pitch at a conference and ask you to follow up with them, but many say they have difficulty concentrating on an idea in such a busy environment and prefer a query letter later. 9. Follow-up on the connections you make. Carry an envelope to collect the business cards people hand you. When you have a minute, mark the date and name of the conference on the back of each card, so you will remember later where you met the person. If someone suggests you be in touch with them or promises to send you something, make a note of it and follow through to ensure it's handled. 10. Work your way up on the conference circuit. It's a good idea to become familiar with writer's conferences and polish your conference skills at local or regional events, and then you can effectively move up to the national ones for your genre or area of interest, sukch as the conferences organized by the Romance Writers of America or the American Society of Journalist's and Authors. Conferences are designed to be supportive and helpful to both beginning writers and veterans. After a couple, you'll be a pro! Bio Line: Susanne M. Alexander lives in Ohio and writes articles for publications
including Newsweek, Crain's Cleveland Business, and Ziff Davis Smart Business.
She is co-writing her first book and is a book editor. |