Writers Conferences

Having been born and raised in San Francisco, I would say if both conferences are equal, The City and environs are the better choice.

You need to compare who's going to be at the conferences.

Which one has more agents that carry what you write? Which one gives you the most access time TO those agents? Which one lets you mingle with writers and editors and agents for real? Which one has educational tracts that sound interesting and relevant? Which one has enough tracts that if your first choices are busts, you have other options? And so on.

Read carefully, because a lot of times a conference will sound great (I mean, who doesn't want to go to Maui, right?) but your available face time is drastically limited.

For me, I'm more interested in what I get out of a conference, writing and business-wise, than where it is.

What JeanneTGC said. Which will do you the most good?

I've been to tons of these and after a bit all the cities look the same because most of the time you'll be in the hotel, and they start looking the same. If you want to see the city, arrive a day early or stay late and have a tour.

OTOH...Chicago...in FEBRUARY????? Brrrr.

#1 WHAT DO YOU HAVE READY TO SELL--RIGHT NOW??

If you don't have anything, clear your decks and finish something. Editors and agents want the whole magilla so they can see if you can write.

If you get a business card, hoard it like gold and be sure to put a crib note on the back so you remember who gave it to you and why. I come home from these things with all kinds of cards and no memory of how I got them!

Have a decent card to give out with contact information, a website if you've sold something. Make sure it's a real BUSINESS card.

Leave the magnets, lollipop trees, and hand drawn cartoon kittens home. You can mess with those after you're in print. http://www.printrunner.com/business-cards.aspx can do you 100 cards for only 9.95 + shipping.

#2 Factor in your travel expenses to and from, time, hotel, and food on TOP of conference registration.

Make sure you have "business" clothes, something dressy for dinner, and business casual clothes.


I don't care if they look like leftover Cuban gunboats from the Cold War, have comfortable, broken-in shoes on your feet or it will show on your face. Editors and agents have to deal with writers in agony all the time. Give them a break.

Nothing goes right when your feet are uptight.​

#3 Romance agents also rep for mystery & vis versa.

SFWC--I notice it has the "speed dating for editors" pitch your book thing. One of my pals did that for grins and had enormous fun. The version she was in was to "speed date" potential readers. She had three minutes to convince them to read her books, so she honed her pitch, gave them bookmarks, and moved on.

Pitching your book(s) -you can pitch more than one in three minutes, sounds like a hoot. You can practice at home or with your writing group!

The SFWC sells tapes from past conventions and panel talks.

See if the Chicago conference has the same thing. You can buy the tapes, but still attend SFWC, pitching your book and talking to the editors & agents.

I was looking at their 2009 conferences in February. They're a few months off.

Love is Murder Con February 6-8, 2009

SFWC Feb 13-15, 2009

Why not wait till then and have something finished and ready?

You can buy the tapes, but really, you can find most of that info in the library and here on the board.

The best value I see for going to any conference like that is to pitch a finished book and meet the editors and agents. (With a book in hand!)

It's better to have something ready and they not ask for it, than to get them interested, then you're stuck with "Oh, um, I'm still sort of working on it..." You get dropped faster than a hot brick, then.

Most of my experience is with the MUCH lower-priced Science Fiction conventions. Trust me, it's not all Trekkers in costumes and actors signing head shots.

There are a number of literary S.F. cons. I've made book deals at those, met and talked with dozens of writers, editors, and publishers, and got the 101 on publishing at their panels. Plus travel, hotel, and food, they run about 35-65 bucks for the weekend.

It is a much lower priced alternative, and they are very writer friendly. Unless there is a special banquet at the big ones, you can slop around all weekend in jeans and a t-shirt and COMFY SHOES and no one minds at all.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/wilf.james/i_conlist.htm
http://www.locusmag.com/Conventions.html

I've brought in a number of romance and mystery writers to these who choked when they saw the price difference. Most S.F. cons are not for profit and/or support a charity.

The two main ones in my area are both literary cons. Programming is heavy with writing panels and the pros are very accessible and friendly. Especially in the bar!

I'll take a S.F. con over a romance or mystery gathering any old day. They're just more fun!

One other comment, in case you've paid and are going-going to San Francisco next week because, well, you can't get your money back -- use it to practice.

I'm know everyone I met at my first conference still remembers me because I still run in to some of the agents and published authors I met. Why do they remember me? I was scared to death, had no idea of what I was supposed to be doing, and looked (and was) ready to faint pretty much the entire weekend.

But I also knew how to pitch, not only what I was writing but myself. And my main thrust was: I don't have anything finished, I'm not here to sell you anything, I'm here to meet you (agent, editor or published author) and get whatever tips you might be able or willing to share. It worked very well. So well, in fact, that I did that at every conference I've been to since. I know a variety of published authors now -- all of whom gave me incredible, and accurate, advice -- and I became friendly with several agents...one of whom essentially introduced me to my actual agent.

So, if you have nothing ready to sell, sell yourself -- as a professional writer who's an open and eager student of the business side of things.

Every one is right- conferences are great for a learning experience but you really should have something finished. I really enjoy retreats where i get to work with an author- it really increases the learning curve.
You might check out your local PEN writers assoc or the NWC or university- they often times have great weekend writers workshops.