Working a Writer's Conference

Ok, so I'm a bit jaded when it comes to writers' conferences. As a newbie to writing, I found the tips on craft vital and the recommendations of publishers, marketers, PR folk and the like intimidating. After a few conferences however, I found the hour seminars to be lacking in any incredibly new information.

If you have arrived at this point, this Hub is for you. If you still glean much from the presenters, you may want to file this away.

The trend I've seen is that the presenters only give out teasers. There are exceptions. My writing mentor Rik Feeney prides himself on exploding writers' brains with information overload. Unfortunately, he is the exception. Most presenters have a vested interest in writers coming back to them later as a client.

The presenters seem wary to give away 'secrets' of the business that they can 'sell' in a client relationship with the writer. This is terribly short-sighted. Writing involves such a huge volume of knowledge-based information that anything significant in a presentation would cause me to gravitate to the presenter's business.

As it stands, a writer pays hundreds of dollars to attend these conferences only to be short-changed when they follow along like cattle through the maze of seminar schedules and keynote speeches. Yes, these can be motivating, but so can my personal focus group back home. I want to walk away from a conference with something tangible that moves me forward.

Last year (2008), I determined I would focus on networking with the movers and shakers at the Florida Writer's Association Conference. Instead of attending seminars, I spoke with the presenters themselves out in the hallways while they were between presentations. I met some very knowledgeable people who were more than willing to share with me on topics I needed help in.

I met PR folk like Penny Sansieveri and Pam Lantos. I talked at length with Hope Clark of www.fundsforwriters.com fame. In fact, I personally requested a transcript of her keynote speech and she promptly emailed it to me. Hope is one of the true allies writers have fighting for them.

I made connections with people who are ahead of me in the writing world. These people were willing to share knowledge. Granted this would not have worked well if I were still a newbie who asked elementary questions. I, in fact, was able to offer knowledge on some subjects these presenters were not aware of which helped the conversation be more two sided and an exchange rather that a bestowment.

This year at the same writers' conference, I planned out what I would look for to further my career. I need organization and focus as far as my writing life goes. Heck, I could use it in my life in general. I also need more exposure. All writers need for people to know their name. If you ever intend to sell books or any other form of writing, you MUST build a name for yourself.

While at the conference I noted Hope Clark had put up a very nice package for a writer in the conference's silent auction. I made sure I won the bid. Then, as I networked out in the hallways, I chanced upon a life-coach who needs a test subject to get certified. Right place, right time? I'm sorry fellow writers, I had a plan. I was looking for this and when I came across the opportunity, I was prepared to speak in concrete, intelligent terms about what I needed life-coach wise.

I quickly got on a first name basis with the person running the conference by lending a hand anytime something needed to be done and was not covered in the pre-conference planning. I made myself valuable to her. Not like a brown-noser. That's for newbies. I honestly wanted to help make sure detail items were taken care of at the conference. I learned a bit more about what goes into putting one of these things on as well.

One conference, I was able to speak with an agent for forty-five minutes one on one. At that same conference, I spoke with Bill Reynolds of High Pitched Hum Publishing out of Jacksonville Florida for about three hours one on one. Bill and I spoke during seminars. Between seminars, his table was draped in writers interested in his publishing company.

Those three hours allowed me to pick Bill's brain about the changing landscape of publishing and how the business model was morphing into something wildly different than the past couple centuries. I liked his business model so well that when I set up my own publishing company, I used quite a bit of his model.

If you feel yourself getting bored at conferences, or that you don't seem to be getting the information you once received, you may be ready to move to the next level. You need to be able to converse intelligently with presenters. Recognize too, that they most often specialize in one area of the writing industry and you may have information that is news to them. Do not be afraid to spout what you know. You may exchange business cards and be able to help each other out somewhere down the line.

I have that situation with a gentleman who ghost writes and publishes memoirs and corporate histories. His fees run from $20,000 up. He is not interested in publishing authors for sale on the general market, yet he runs into them all the time by the nature of his business. Now, when he comes across an author that shows potential, he sends them my way.Networking. You never know when one five minute conversation will plant a seed in a person's brain that blossoms down the writing road.

By the time you pay for your hotel room,writers' conferences are expensive moral boosters unless you take matters into your own hands. Before the conference, go over what you need information wise to further your writing career. Make sure the need is not elementary and can be answered in one of the seminars.

Then seek out the people who know. All conferences give bios on the presenters attending the conference. Pick the ones you feel can answer your questions or teach you something valuable. Then seek them out in the hallways.

Be careful. You cannot be pushy. You cannot come across like you want something for nothing. Remember, these people typically get paid for the information they are about to share with you. Respect that. Offer knowledge you have. Strike up conversations unrelated to writing. Get to know the person a little. Find out if they are willing to speak about writing issues. If so, listen well.

Most people like to connect as people first. You may not speak of your need for information at your first conversation with this person. It may be the second or third conversation you have with them that addresses what you need to know. If you do not know how to connect with people, you should learn this trait before you attempt to do what I've set forth here.

Interpersonal skills are critical. See, that stuff they taught us back in kindergarten actually does come into play in life! Plan your conference. Be on a mission to get your questions answered and be open to the solutions you seek that may be available - like the life-coach in my example. Your needs will be different from mine. Identify those needs and address them with people in the know.

In my opinion, that's a successful writers' conference.