Get thee to a writer's conference

​I believe that all writers should attend at least one writer’s conference a year.  First, it gives us writers an opportunity to mix with our own kind.  A great deal of our time is spent alone bleeding over our laptops or old yellow tablets.  The truth is, writing is often a lonely profession.  At most conferences there is time provided just for socializing and often shared meals.  Second, it gives writers the chance to learn the latest publishing news both self-publishing and traditional publishing.  Both forms of publishing are in flux and will likely be so in the near future.  Third, writers can learn business skills need to promote yourself and market your work.  Whether you self-publish or traditional publish the author is responsible for their own marketing and dare I say it, developing your own “brand”.   All conferences include presentations on craft which can help improve your writing.  In addition, many conferences invite agents and you have the opportunity to make a pitch for your work, often for an additional fee.  Finally, conferences give you the chance to take a mini-vacation while still working in your profession.  Conference fees, travel and meals are also tax deductible.
I will be attending three conferences this year, each unique, and offering different things to all writers.  The first is the Wisconsin Writers’ Institute March 24-26 at the Concourse Hotel in downtown Madison, Wisconsin www.writersinstitute.wisc.edu.  This is 28th annual writers confernce.  I have been attending since 1996.  If interested there are also pre-conference classes beginning Thursday March 23rd that you can register for in advance.   To help you select the sessions you would like to attend four “tracks” are offered:  fiction; non-fiction; marketing; and, poetry.  This year there will be nine agents there accepting pitches.  There are even classes you can take on how to make a pitch before you find yourself sitting across from an agent with your life in your hands.  A new offering this year that I am taking advantage of is Advance Manuscript Critique, the timing is perfect as I re-write the manuscript to my third book.  If you’re not ready to pitch an agent yet, no problem, you can attend agent question and answer sessions to understand their role in publishing.  This conference can be pricey but is best viewed as an investment in yourself.
The second conference I’m attending is the Lakefly Writers Conference in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on May 12-13 – lakeflywriters.org.   This conference is unique because it is sponsored and organized by the Oshkosh Public Library.  I should confess that I am presenting at this conference in addition to attending.