Was Thrillerfest?Craftfest worth it?

[IHeartWriting]

I'm curious to find out from anyone who attended, what they thought. Would you attend again?

Thanks!

[narnia]

I attended the entire event, and for all intents and purposes I found it a great experience! I thought the banquet was a bit overpriced (500 for the CF/TF, 200 for the banquet) but overall it was pretty awesome. My experiences may be skewed from the viewpoint that it was my first foray into the word of agents, editors, and authors, so take everything I say with that in mind.

I did not know what to expect, but it was nothing like I thought it would be. I expected to be listening to panel speakers from afar, and if I was lucky get to ask questions. It was nothing like that. Aside from Clive Cussler and James Patterson, everyone was accessible and down to earth on an almost daily basis. Not to say those gentlemen weren't great, they were, but they were only there for a limited time and it was more of a fan talk/book signing thing.

I met so many helpful people that I came away from it overwhelmed yet certain that some day I want to be part of their world. I was also pleasantly taken aback at how many folks were genuinely interested in what I was working on, and took the time to offer suggestions at length on areas I was stuck on. I also garnered the personal email addresses of a number of those folks who offered future assistance if needed (which I will not be sharing, sorry.. :) ).

I learned a lot, including something that made my current boss happy. :D I won't be quitting my day job until/unless I sell at least 2 or 3 successful books or somehow my book takes off ala Dan Brown or J.K. Rowling. I am not in this to be filthy rich, but I would like some day to be self-supporting enough to focus on writing full time. One can dream... ** sigh **

I took copious notes that I hope will help me as I continue on. I learned a lot about the publishing part of the business, which I knew nothing about, and gained insights into the writing process from many different perspectives.

I would like to give a special shout-out to Lisa Gardner, Heather Graham, Tina Wainscott, Lisa Unger, Shirley Kennet, James Rollins, Michael Robotham, Suzanne Barr, Tess Gerritsen, David Morrell, Gayle Lynds, and Alexandra Sokoloff for taking the time to answer questions and offer encouragement on a personal level. I am sure there are more that I have forgotten, but I met so many people my head is still spinning!

I have already scheduled next year on my calendar. It will be held at the same location the second week of July, if anyone wants to attend. (I registered early and saved some $$$.)

:Sun:

[IHeartWriting]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience Narnia!

Glad it was a pleasant one :)

[narnia]

You're welcome! Hope to see you there next year. :)

[Joe Moore]

It will be held at the same location the second week of July, if anyone wants to attend.Hi Narnia, even though ThrillerFest will be in NYC next year, there's a poll on the website (http://www.thrillerwriters.org)for future locations. Be sure to vote for your favorite. Joe

[Axler]

I think it would be kind of nice if the ITW folks gave fellow professionals a discounted rate ...maybe we can do a trade-out to sit on panels or something along those lines like other conventions do.

The thing seems exceptionally and unnecessarily pricey.

[narnia]

Hi Narnia, even though ThrillerFest will be in NYC next year, there's a poll on the website (http://www.thrillerwriters.org)for future locations. Be sure to vote for your favorite. Joe

Will do! And thanks, I haven't been back to the site recently but it's on my list. Lots of useful stuff there!

P.S. I don't mind NYC because I can drive there and stay with a friend, but I also love to travel so I will pick somewhere interesting I'd like to go!