Here I'm thinking more along the lines of genre conferences/conventions (e.g. Bouchercon, the Romance Writers of America annual conference), though more general events (e.g. ComicCon, Book Expo America) are also fair game.
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I like to go to LDStorymakers, UVU Book Academy, and LTUE (Life, The Universe, & Everything).
ReplyDeleteThis year, I'd like to try to get to CONduit. But that's because they're all local.
I've attended Killer Nashville the 3rd weekend of August for the last two years and it's been awesome. Good panels, excellent speakers, relevant breakouts, pitch sessions, etc. Not just for writers but for readers too and I noticed attendees were not limited to mystery, murder & suspense authors. They do a good job of making it fresh and fun.
ReplyDeleteRWA National. Only national level conference I do.
ReplyDeleteI attend the SCBWI conference in CA. I find that the breakout sessions are informative and the opportunity to have your work critiqued by an industry professional is priceless.
ReplyDeleteI've attended many conferences and still find The Muse and The Marketplace (presented by Grub Street Writers in Boston) to be the most packed with information aimed at all wants, from beginning writers to those who are multi-published. It's rich with wisdom, warmth, and opportunity to connect. Next one coming up end of April 30-May 1.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.grubstreet.org/index.php?id=173
I really like the Children's and Young Adult Literature Conference at the Loft Literary Center in Minnesota. They usually have editors from New York as well as editora that are local to Minnesota. They have agents too and break out sessions led by Minnesota writers.
ReplyDeletePikes Peak Writers Conference in Colorado Springs is great! They cover all types of commercial fiction, and they offer pitch sessions with editors and agents as well as panels on specific topics. It's also very affordable.
ReplyDeleteKiller Nashville was a great all around conference for mystery/thriller writers/lovers. Pitch time with agents, great panels on craft and detective stuff like blood spatter and search and rescue teams. Then even had a mock murder scene.
ReplyDeleteI think Backspace is the best preparation for querying your novel and overall introduction to publishing and writing world. They have great roundtable critiques with agents of your query and first 2 pages.
The Surrey International Writer's Conference is excellent. It focuses on the craft of writing and the pursuit of getting published.
ReplyDeleteI mean, you're allowed to fangirl/boy the famous authors, but they're also there to teach you something.
I just went to the Big Sur Writing Workshop and it was great. Last year's SCABWI summer conference was also really good.
ReplyDeleteI go to Comic Con every year but that is a very different kind of event! I'm also going to the RT Booksellers Con and World Fantasy Con later this year.
I'd like to know more about the RWA conference, like do you need to be a romance writer, or would you get something out of it if you write another genre with a touch of romance?
Also the ALA conferences... I assumed you needed to be a librarian but that does not seem to be the case.
Thanks for this!
I went to the World Fantasy Convention in Columbus, OH this past October. It was fantastic. It wasn't terribly expensive, many agents and other publishing professionals were there, people were extremely friendly, and there was free food all day.
ReplyDeleteThe sessions were overall very good, though one could definitely tell which 8 a.m. panel members partied all night.
I am so happy you asked this. Totally have been wondering this myself.
ReplyDeleteThe Pacific Northwest Writers Conference was awesome in '07 and I hope to attend another soon.
ReplyDeleteRWA National can overwhelm first time conference attendees and you must be an RWA member but do not have to be romance novelist.
I prefer smaller local conferences and usually attend two to three a year.
I'm quite fond of Convergence.
ReplyDeleteBackspace is great for writers who have their novel complete and ready to shop to agents -- lots of f2f contact, critiquing your query letter and opening pages. Muse and the Marketplace is good at all stages -- good balance of craft and business topics -- though I believe you pay extra to get a MS evaluation.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if you're also looking at writers' workshops or just conferences, but for writers who can afford to take a week out for craft, the Iowa Summer Writing Festival is really fantastic, and Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown is good too.
I've only been to one, The Marketplace and Muse in Boston, so that would have to be my favorite. By the way I enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is The Surrey International Writers Conference. A wide range of streams, great speakers etc
ReplyDeleteOf what I've attended, I've enjoyed the Sewanee Writers Conference in Tennessee, and the Tin House Writers Workshop in Portland, Oregon.
ReplyDeleteI save up every year for ThrillerFest (July in NYC). Many of the genre's greatest writers attend, socialize, and teach. The first two days are devoted to CraftFest, for writers to improve their craft. AgentFest lets you pitch face to face with dozens of agents, and the final ThrillerFest lets you hear from your favorite authors. TFest ends with a gala banquet and awards given for best thriller of the year and more.
ReplyDeleteI've been loving the Authors After Dark convention. Went last year, and have some big plans for this year and next. It's a smaller con that's focused mostly on romance, but there are also urban fantasy authors (like me) who attend. From what I've seen, they're also very friendly to indies (both publishers and authors).
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I attended for the first time the Book Passages Mystery Writer's Conference in Corte Madera, California, last July. All my favorite thriller/mystery writers were there. They must like the small exotic personal conferences. Met with Katherine Neville for a chat over several of my chapters in my ms.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of the Colorado Gold Writers' Conference in Denver. This year it's Sept 9-11, I believe. It's inexpensive, it caters to every genre of commercial fiction, they fly in 12 or more agents and editors who represent everything, and it stays small enough you don't feel overwhelmed. The classes are great and the speakers are inspiring. The RWA National Conference is too large, too expensive, and too chaotic to really benefit the inexperienced conference-goer.
ReplyDeleteI'm partial to the San Francisco Writers Conference. Lots of things to learn, beautiful location, and my kids live there too.
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ReplyDeleteConfession - in the beginning when my novel debut (and before) I attended some conferences as well as the Wild Writing Women's monthly salons. For the conferences, I liked WOW the best. Will definitely check out the SF writers conference one day. But for now, I'm a backslider or lazy or have other things to do. Once a writer told me he knew as a child he was to be a writer and asked when I knew. My response was, I didn't and don't think I'm a writer. I just had a couple of things to share, hence two books. I'm actually a cowgirl and they go to rodeos not writer's conference.
ReplyDeleteI worked at a conference outside of Seattle called the Whidbey Island Writers Conference. While the location is a little remote, it is a GREAT opportunity because the design is afternoon chat houses, so groups of twenty or less get to have a seminar with publishing professionals. It is very intimate and a great way to network and meet people.
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Curious about the Historical Fiction Society conference, which is held in San Diego this year.
ReplyDeletePacific Northwest Writer's Association conference in Seattle is great. And I found my publisher there last year...or should I say they found me? I especially like the sessions that are taught by agents. You get to be up close and personal and learn from somebody who is right there in the middle of the business.
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