Book Conventions and Writer's Conferences

I want to make plans to attend a book convention or a writer's conference but I want to make my choice wisely. Can anyone recommend which conference, and or, book convention might give me the best chances of finding an agent or publisher? I have been to a few writer's conferences and I am aware of the big ones but is bigger always better? Or is there a better chance of getting signed at a smaller conference? Maybe there is a convention or conference that might have more smaller houses or lesser known agents? Would that make my chances better?

I am willing to travel as far west as Maui (Maui Writer's Conference) but I don't really want to go to New York or Chicago because I am in Colorado. A one day driving distance is best for me. However, I am willing to fly to Maui because I have friends there that I can stay with.

Any help?

Thank you!

Horseshoes said:

I too think it matters a great deal if the speakers that year are particularly valuable to you. .....Are you mostly wanting to make prof contacts? Get w/ editors? Agents? (Tis true that pretty much every ed or ag you meet will say, okey dokey, sounds good, send me 50 p...)

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Horseshoes, thanks for the reply. I have never had any inspiration from the speakers that I have heard at conferences but the people who have led the workshops and classes have helped me a great deal. I am pretty much past that now though because I have heard or read mostly everything before.

Yes, my main goal is to find an editor or agent. So are you saying that at conferences, the agents and editors are very accommodating to people who have paid for the conference? (Read: they ask for 50 pages even if they aren't that interested because the person has paid to attend).

Thanks Kate for the Maui conference recommendation.

Robin, Most conferences include non-fiction and my genre is covered at many of them. My focus is on getting my finished manuscript to an agent or editor, not so much the other aspects of conferences. The reason for my interest in conferences is to expand my possibilities to everything I can think of in order to get my manuscript published. Sending out queries to dozens of agents is fine but it takes so long for any response and some don't ever respond. Time is precious and I hate wasting it.

Thank you so much Karen for all of the links. The Pike's Peak conference might be a great choice for me. The others are all fiction oriented so fiction writers who read this thread might want to check them out because they look good.

I appreciate your time, you really helped me.