Tips for Attending Writing Conferences

          Two weeks from today I'll be eagerly attending the 2014 Prairie Writer's Day, the Illinois SCBWI Chapter's annual writing extravaganza. Although this will be my 4th year attending, it is only just now that I finally feel like I "get it." My first year, I signed up and took copious notes and had a mini-heart attack at the thought of how much work was ahead of me. Years 2 and 3, I attended my breakout sessions and listened to the panels, thinking, "Hmm, I already know most of this. Maybe this isn't the best use of my time & money." 

             But now that I finally understand the importance of networking in the publishing industry, now I get it. It's so much more than just sitting & taking notes and absorbing what wisdom I can; it's being there. Meeting people, and being met. Every other person at a writing conference is someone valuable to know. Maybe you're sitting next to an agent or an editor. Maybe you're sitting next to the next best-selling author. Maybe you're sitting next to your future critique partner. No matter who's next to you, it pays to make friends. 

         So this year, I intend to throw my introverted-bad-at-small-talk-with-strangers self out the window for a day and do my best at networking. I even have my talented graphic designer hubby working on my business cards to pass out. The "Mix n' Mingle" portion of the day--which I normally skip because it's the last hour of the day and I'm exhausted and have to drive an hour home--is what I look forward to the most (well, and dread a bit too if I'm being honest, due to that "bad at small talk" thing.) 

        In preparing for this year's conference, I've found 
Esther Hershenhorn's "Confessions and Tips from a Veteran SCBWI Conference-Goer" an extremely helpful resource. It's meant for conference newbies, but I think even veteran conference-goers can benefit from some of these reminders. My favorite tips:

- Do your homework ahead of time & know who the presenters are. It will make the day that much more meaningful. 

-Consider your immediate needs when choosing workshop sessions. Sure, we all need to know about dealing with agents or publishers at some point, but if you haven't even finished your manuscript yet then you should focus on that. 

-Divide & Conquer: partner up with a friend (or stranger) and share notes on workshop sessions you didn't attend. Twice the knowledge=always advantageous. 

Click on the above link for Esther's full tips. Again--thanks Esther! 

Finally, HAPPY BELATED HALLOWEEN from my Ewok dog:

It Takes a Village...of Writers

In the language arts curriculum materials in my 4^th grade classroom, one of the units is called “The Writing Community.” It encourages kids to discuss, share, peer edit…you get the idea. I teach it, but never thought much about how it applies to me as a writer. 

Many writers think of themselves as loners. Islands. After all, books are published by individuals, not groups. Right? 

Wrong. 

  I used to think like that too. Taking my first official children’s book writing class, I was super worried and dubious about having to share my writing. How were these people going to help me?Wasn’t everyone going to steal my original and amazing ideas? On top of that, how would I handle the harsh criticisms my classmates and teacher were sure to dole out?

            With each classmate offering praise and helpful suggestions for my book, the lightbulb over my head grew brighter. I had my "AHA moment." The writing community is actually amazingly supportive! Fellow writers don't steal your ideas, they encourage you! Writers work together, helping others get published, because they all know just how rough it is. 

If you don't believe me, take the book you're currently reading and flip to the "Acknowledgements" section. Count how many people the author thanks for helping them publish their book...usually the count is pretty high (i.e. more than just their spouse, kids, and pets). 

I am amazed how I'm continually learning this lesson. Most recently, I joined Twitter and discovered a whole tweeting community of writers. Within a month of joining I received awesome feedback on my query letter and first chapter of my middle grade novel--just because people volunteered to help me. 

I am indebted to the writing community and hope that my small contributions make up for the wealth of help & support I've received from others.