A conference is usually broader than a workshop. While a conference may feature how-to workshops on the craft of writing, it may also feature panel discussions and seminars on the business of writing, or on aspects of the craft. These seminars are not designed to give individual feedback but to teach and inform, suggest resources and give writers access to the experts. Conferences often feature a contest and award ceremony. This may be something you can enter a piece in before the event, or it may be based purely on nominated pieces. A conference is also likely to feature ‘One-on-one” sessions. These are short, face-to-face meetings with an editor, agent or other special guest. These can be an invaluable way of making first contact with an agent. The best conferences attract many New York agents hoping to find fresh talent.
One-day conferences are usually themed (for example ‘Write To Publish’ or ‘Writing for the Christian Market’). They will feature a number of seminars on different aspects of the theme. ‘Write to Publish’ might feature a seminar on writing a killer query letter for women’s magazines, a panel discussion on what editors are looking for today, and an inspirational session on how to plan, write, and pitch articles on seasonal holidays.
A one-day conference is more likely to feature ‘experts’ (i.e. other writers) than agents and editors.
They usually start early (with an informal breakfast and registration between 8 and 9 am) and end between 4 and 6 pm. You may want to consider an overnight stay at least the night before, if you have any distance to travel.
2-3 day conferences will usually be held over a weekend (Fri-Sun). These events are likely to feature agents and editors of publications as well as small publishers, and perhaps representatives of larger publishers. These larger conferences may also have a theme, but it will tend to be more conceptual than specific.
Multiple seminars, panels and workshops will be offered during each time segment of each day. This means you must study the program and decide which events you want to attend. You may be able to sign up for these events before the conference, or you may simply sign up on the morning of the events. These are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is best to register early, or turn up early each day.
Seminars are usually presented by a single expert and will be very focused. They may feature tricks and tips, success stories, inspiration and/or resources. If you are attending seminars by a publishing professional, you should expect to learn about ‘dos and don’ts’, industry trends, what’s selling or how to attract the attention of people in the speaker’s field.
Panel discussions will feature 3 or more experts, teachers and/or practitioners discussing a topic. These are interesting for keeping up with industry trends and opinions. They can also spark some interesting debates.
‘One-on-one’ sessions are a chance to have a 5-10 minute meeting with an editor, agent or other professional. Again, these are sign-up events, on a first-come, first served basis. Agents may wish to see a few pages of your work (see conference guidelines). At minimum, you should be prepared to give the agent a 2-sentence synopsis of your book and why they might want it. (Or you should be willing to use your time asking for help with this!). This session will go quickly, so know what you want to achieve before you go in. If successful, the agent or editor may ask you to send a sample of your work. This is infinitely preferable to sending a blind query. This way, you can remind the agent that you met face to face, and they are more likely to take a serious look at your submission. They know that they have already determined that it might be something that fits their needs.
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