Conferences are a fantastic way for writers and authors to network with editors, agents, publishers and fellow creatives. You can listen to exciting panels, attend meaningful workshops, get real-time editorial feedback, and feel connected to a larger creative community.
At least, that’s what I’ve heard.
I’ll be honest with you, I’ve attended very few writers conferences, conventions or events. And there’s one big reason.
Writing isn’t my full-time gig. It’s an important part of my life, to be sure, but at the moment writing is a side project for me, and one that doesn’t even come close to paying my bills or helping support my family. For me, this means that I have to be very judicious about how much money I’m willing to invest into my writing, keeping in mind the proportion of my overall income it creates.
Do I wish I could attend more writing events, conferences and conventions? Absolutely! I’ve heard fantastic success stories from fellow creatives who have met their agents at writing events, or who have connected with editors and publishers who’ve later gone on to publish their work. Unfortunately, many of these events take place outside of my home province, meaning I’d need to take into account travel and accommodation expenses in addition to the already eye-watering registration fees many events require. The costs can add up mind-bogglingly quickly. While the benefits of these events are numerous, and I highly recommend people attend as many as they feasibly can, the fact remains that I have bills to pay and a family to support, and sometimes that means having to miss out on exciting events in favour of contributing to my RRSP.
I’m not saying any of this to complain, mind you, simply to reassure my fellow casual writers who also suffer from a terrible feeling of missing out whenever a big conference rolls around. Believe me, I understand just how maddening it can be to see everyone’s Instagram posts from a big conference in NYC or Los Angeles! Not all of us can attend the latest SCBWI event or writer’s convention. And that’s ok! It certainly doesn’t make you any less of an author, or mean that you’ll never secure representation or find just the right agent or editor. Thanks to the powers of the internet, many of the benefits of attending writing events can be yours from the cost-effective convenience of your own living room. In fact, I shared a few resources that might be helpful in a previous post (short version – check out Meetup.com and your local library to find out about free local writing groups in your area). You don’t always have to leave your hometown to connect with other writers or develop your craft as an author!
Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to jet off to across the country or world to attend writing events, but until then, I’ll be living vicariously through everyone else.
What about you? Are there any writing conferences or conventions you think are worth the splurge?
I would LOVE to attend a big conference too. But I share your ‘saving pennies’ approach – yesterday I instead hosted an inaugural children’s authors and illustrators meet-up group in my community. It was great! And the convention FOMO? We’ll just have to do everything else online, like reading blogs! And connecting throughs the comments, ha
I totally agree with you that writing connections are important but that they don’t have to be made at conferences. That said, I’ve had great experiences (and sold books) at the Falling Leaves SCBWI conference–each one centers on a certain genre, you have to apply to attend, and everyone has a one-on-one with an editor. Of course, I went to it when I lived within driving distance, and now it is a continent away…