Writers on the Rise

Learn, Connect and Pitch with Industry Experts
By Pamela Kim

Summer will be sizzling with writer events across the country and around the world. A few of our favorites:

Paris Writers’ Workshop
July 1 – 6, 2007
Meet your muse in Paris for this annual weeklong event that’s more writer retreat than industry meet and greet. Each participant chooses one workshop section — Literary, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry or Short Fiction — which meets for a total of 15 classroom hours. Taught by an author specializing in the topic, each section is limited to 12 writers for plenty of one-on-one guidance. Afternoons are devoted to lectures, walking tours, readings and other literary events. Organized for the English-speaking community, this conference selects attendees based on manuscript submission. If you’d like to be considered, visit www.wice-paris.org/courses/creative/pww/pww.html.

Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA)
July 26 – 29, 2007
More than the charms of the Pacific Northwest await you in Seattle this July when authors, editors, agents and writers flock to the 52nd annual PNWA conference. Learn from non-fiction and fiction workshops including The Power of Point of View, The Fire in Fiction, Writing the Personal into Non-fiction and Crafting the Non-fiction Book Proposal. Manuscript critiques, faculty consultations and writing sessions will boost the inspiration factor.

It’s also a great opportunity to pick up books from your favorite authors, including Writers on the Rise’s own Christina Katz who will be signing copies of her new book, Writer Mama! Plus, you’ll get two agent appointments if you’re among the first 150 attendees to register. www.pnwa.org.

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI)
August 3-6
Have a great children’s book idea? Want to expand your writing repertoire and potential markets? Then Los Angeles is the place to be in early August. The annual summer SCBWI conference brings together top professionals in the children’s book industry to share their knowledge and expertise with you. Featured topics include Writing Young Adult Novels, Translating Children’s Literature into Film and TV, How to Collaborate and Stay Friends, and Illustrating for Multimedia and Games. The three-day event also offers plenty of networking opportunities — ideal for both veterans and those just entering the world of children’s book writing and illustrating. Complete summer conference details will be online at www.scbwi.org in mid-May.

Writer mama Pamela Kim writes non-fiction articles about kids, single mommyhood and the joy of organizing the stuff of life. She leverages eighteen years of experience as a corporate communications consultant to connect readers with the information they need and want. When not traveling the conference circuit – each year finds Pam at writing, blogging and health conferences – she lives in Northern California with the fabulous Katie Kim who is six. Her home online is www.studiopk.wordpress.com.

Learn, Connect and Pitch with Industry Experts
By Pamela Kim

Santa Barbara Writers Conference
June 22-29, 2007
Rub elbows with the literati in Santa Barbara this June. The line-up for the Santa Barbara Writers Conference (SBWC) includes Ray Bradbury, Gregory Maguire (Wicked and Son of a Witch), Carolyn See (There Will Never Be Another You), Gail Tsukiyama (Women of the Silk), Jewell Parker Rhodes, and National Poet Laureate Ted Kooser. And that’s not all. There are 30 different instructional workshops each day; a day devoted to agents and editors (for an additional fee, you can sign up to pitch a project); and three late-night, in-depth critiquing workshops. All this plus beautiful Santa Barbara weather and the luxurious DoubleTree Resort will provide endless inspiration to get your creative juices flowing.
http://www.sbwritersconference.com

Jackson Hole Writers Conference
June 28-July 1, 2007
Nestled against the Grand Teton Mountains in northwestern Wyoming, Jackson Hole was once a rendezvous site for fur-traders. On June 28, it becomes the gathering place for writers, authors, agents and editors at the 15th annual Jackson Hole Writers Conference. The conference features workshops led by novelists, non-fiction writers, agents, editors, and publishers––all of who are focused on helping writers get published. Three manuscript critiques are included in your registration, plus you can take advantage of special tracks on young adult fiction, travel and outdoor writing, and teaching writing. Best-selling author of Winter’s Bone, Daniel Woodrell will share his unique perspective on writing. Whatever your emphasis, you will learn the nuts and bolts of the writing profession, from cultivating ideas to making the sale. http://www.jacksonholewritersconference.com

There’s Still Time – BookExpo America
Looking for something to do in early June? Head to New York for BookExpo America. This event was featured in our last issue but, since we know you won’t want to miss out, we’re providing the key details again. Find out about the May 30 Writers Conference and get the full BookExpo scoop at www.bookexpoamerica.com.

Pair your vacation with a conference!
August will bring several great conference choices that also make ideal vacation destinations. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming up, so you can plan ahead:

August 3-5, 2007: Willamette Writers, Portland, OR
http://www.willamettewriters.com/

August 23-26, 2007: Yosemite Writers Conference, Yosemite, CA http://www.yosemitewriters.com/

August 26-September 3, 2007: Maui Writers Retreat (8/26-8/31) and Conference (8/31-9/3), Maui, HI
http://www.mauiwriters.com/

Writer mama Pamela Kim writes non-fiction articles about kids, single mommyhood and the joy of organizing the stuff of life. She leverages eighteen years of experience as a corporate communications consultant to connect readers with the information they need and want. When not traveling the conference circuit – each year finds Pam at writing, blogging and health conferences – she lives in Northern California with the fabulous Katie Kim who is six. Her home online is www.studiopk.wordpress.com.

Writing Conference Success
By Mary Andonian

We’ve talked about all the people you’ll meet at a writers’ conference, including agents, editors, presenters, and manuscript critique specialists. Here are other folks you won’t want to miss the next time you attend a conference:

Authors
At the conference to share their expertise and to promote their work, authors can typically be found either signing books, teaching/presenting, or critiquing. Look for the ones who are in between activities, make an introduction, and then ask them about their journey to success. Listen to their feedback and count yourself lucky that you get this personal workshop that wasn’t listed in the brochure.

Attendees
This is you. Find others whose company you enjoy and stick with them at the conference. You might already be part of a critique/networking group. If so, encourage your peers to attend the conference with you. You’ll feel more confident walking into a pitch if the last person you see is your writing bud giving you the “thumbs up” sign. If you go alone to the conference, make friends by approaching the people who asked good questions in your workshops. They just might become your future “thumbs up” writing buds.

Conference Committee
These are the people who labor away all year to make the conference a reality. Look for an opportunity to help them. Do you have a skill set they can use on next year’s committee? Is it your secret desire to make copies of handouts at 3:00 a.m.? The committee can use you. Find a way to meet them and offer your services. Not because you want to sell conferences for a living, but because it will help give you an insider’s perspective to the writing conference realm.

Action Steps this Month
1. Target a writing conference you’d like to attend. Contact the conference committee and ask if any volunteer positions are available before, during or after the conference.
2. Encourage your writerly friends to register with you.
3. Scan the brochure and find authors you’d like to know. E-mail one of them and ask if you can buy them a cup of coffee and “pick their brain” at the conference.

Attitude Is Everything
Don’t go into the conference with an attitude of “What’s in it for me?” Instead, think of every interaction with every person as an opportunity to be of service. Your successful writing career will be the result of many people working together to bring your words into the world. Someone’s counting on you to help them do the same.

Mary Andonian is the agents and editors coordinator for the Willamette Writers conference—one of the largest writers’ conferences in the United States. In past years, she was Co-chair and Program Coordinator.  Her book, Bitsy’s Labyrinth, was picked up by a prominent agent at last year’s conference. You can reach her at (www.maryandonian.com).

The fifth annual BEA/Writer’s Digest Books Writers Conference will be held on Wednesday, May 30 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York.

The all-day event, which takes place prior to the BookExpo America trade show, offers information sessions and workshops on the business and craft of writing.  The keynote speaker is best-selling author Jodi Picoult.  Breakout sessions on writing novels, screenwriting, humor, young adult, poetry, short story and magazine writing, featuring Don Maass, Christina Katz, John Warner, Sharlene Martin and more!  Will Schwalbe, senior v-p and editor in chief of Hyperion and Judy Hottensen, v-p and publisher of Miramax Books will also be speaking.  Plus, the editors of Writer’s Digest Book, Writer’s Digest magazine and Writer’s Market!

You’ll also have the opportunity to pitch your book idea and get instant feedback from the largest collection of agents of any conference in our famous PITCH SLAM SESSION!

The registration fee is $199, which includes a 6 month subscription to WritersMarket.com.

For more information, visit www.writersdigest.com/bea.  Registration is at www.bookexpoamerica.com.

Learn, Connect and Pitch with Industry Experts
By Pamela Kim

Writer’s Digest/BookExpo America Writer’s Conference

May 30-June 3, 2007

Be sure to pack your walking shoes for Book Expo America, which features over 2,000 exhibits, 500 authors and 60 conference sessions. Held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, this event combines the largest selection of English language titles with special industry and author events plus educational content to create a dynamic environment for networking, sourcing and relationship building. The day-long BEA Writer’s Digest Books Writer’s Conference on May 30 offers sessions on travel writing, young adult, query letter makeovers, pitching tips and more, along with opportunities to talk with agents and editors. The exhibition halls are open June 1-3. You’ll see Writers on the Rise own Christina Katz – author of Writer Mama – at the Writer’s Digest Books booth on Friday, June 1st. Stop by and say hello!

BookExpo America & the BEA Writers’s Digest Books Writer’s Conference.

Backspace Writer’s Conference
May 31-June 1, 2007

The Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan provides an intimate setting for meeting and learning from best-selling authors, top literary agents and editors. The two-day event features two tracks of working sessions on topics such as “ER for Writers,” “The New Media: What Works, What Doesn’t” and “Creating Memorable Characters.” Attendees can move between the two tracks, as they like. While formal pitch sessions are not available, agent panels abound and audience questions are encouraged. Multiple “Two Minutes, Two Pages” breakout sessions provide another opportunity to strut your stuff before agents. Backspace Writers Conference

Colgate Writers Conference
June 17-23, 2007

How are your 2007 writing goals coming along? If you’re craving more time to write, consider attending this weeklong workshop retreat at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. Formerly known as the Chenango Valley Writers’ Conference, the event offers consultations, workshops, craft talks, panel discussions and readings for veteran and novice writers alike. To attend the workshops, you must submit a manuscript with your application. Your manuscript–a short story, sheaf of 4-6 poems, article or essay, or book chapter–will be the focus of the workshop sessions where you’ll benefit from analysis by senior instructors and guidance on taking your work to the next level. Or you can choose the Room and Board option, attending all the readings and craft talks while writing at your leisure.

Colgate Writers’ Conference

Writer mama Pamela Kim writes non-fiction articles about kids, single mommyhood and the joy of organizing the stuff of life. She leverages eighteen years of experience as a corporate communications consultant to connect readers with the information they need and want. When not traveling the conference circuit – each year finds Pam at writing, blogging and health conferences – she lives in Northern California with the fabulous Katie Kim who is six. Her home online is www.studiopk.wordpress.com.

Writing Conference Success

By Mary Andonian

A good writing conference usually provides four opportunities for you to advance your writing career: pitching, workshops, manuscript critiques, and networking. Last month we talked about the agents and editors to whom you’ll pitch. But pitching should only be one part of your overall conference experience. Below are more people you will meet when you attend a writers’ conference. Use these resources wisely to make the most out of your conference.

Presenters

These are a combination of writing teachers, authors, agents and editors. They offer workshops on a multitude of topics, including craft, promotion, platform, and submission technique. Their classes may be structured as panels, classroom study/application, lecture, or simply Q & A. These presenters are smart people; they’re doing themselves and you a favor. You get the benefit of knowledge gained, and they get to build their writing platform and promote their wares. Your goal at the conference will be to not only learn what they’re teaching, but also how they’re teaching. If you want to build your own writing platform, that presenter could be you some day.

Manuscript Critique Specialists

These people will critique your work at the conference for a fee, usually a fraction of what you would pay otherwise. If it’s offered, use this service! Look for ones who either have an editing background or publish material similar to what you write. You will submit your work prior to the conference so the specialist will be able to review it in advance. Then, during the conference, you’ll typically have fifteen minutes with the specialist to hear their critique.

Action Steps for This Month:

Read through the literature for the conference you’re planning to attend so you can familiarize yourself with the players and select your workshop preferences. (Many overlap.) Consider your personal learning style when choosing workshops. If you purchase critique services, read the guidelines and format your work accordingly. You want the specialist to focus on your creative content, not the mechanics of your work.

What NOT to Do:

Don’t overlook the chance to survey Fiction workshops because you consider yourself strictly a non-fiction writer. Ditto goes for skipping Marketing/Promotion workshops because you have not yet been published. It’s only when you step out of your “usual” that you’ll learn something new and exciting, which will lend itself to fresh writing and, most likely, more growth opportunities for your career.

Mary Andonian is the agents and editors coordinator for the Willamette Writers conference—one of the largest writers’ conferences in the United States. In past years, she was Co-chair and Program Coordinator. Her book, Bitsy’s Labyrinth, was picked up by a prominent agent at last year’s conference. You can reach her at (www.maryandonian.com).

Learn, Connect and Pitch with Industry Experts
By Pamela Kim

San Francisco Writers Conference, February 16-18, 2007
Billed as a writer’s best value, the San Francisco Writers Conference brings together over 100 literary agents, publishers and editors from the West Coast and New York. Over the three-day event, you’ll have access to how-to sessions, panels, and workshops taught by best-selling authors. You’ll discover the latest information on publishing and have an opportunity to network with other writers. Plus, you can take advantage of Speed Dating for Agents and Speed Dating for Editors – unique one-on-one opportunities to pitch your work directly and search for the perfect literary agent. The conference covers a wide range of genres including non-fiction, fiction, romance, thrillers, memoir, books-to-film, and more. Registration for this event – a sell out for the past three years – is open at http://www.sfwriters.org.

21st Annual Southern California Writers’ Conference (SCWC), February 16-19, 2007
Sunny San Diego is another option for your President’s Day Weekend. Boasting $3 million in facilitated deals for first-time authors and screenwriters, the SCWC delivers an intimate setting where attendees can rub elbows with bestselling authors, literary agents, publishers and editors. Dozens of read and critique opportunities are available as are interactive problem-solving and assignment-oriented workshops on topics such as “Sustaining Narrative Tension,” “Query Letters that Stick,” and “Landing an Agent/Getting the Deal.” If you like, you can submit a manuscript in advance of the conference for an extended one-on-one evaluation while you’re there. SCWC is a great event for veteran and emerging writers who want comprehensive feedback on their work. http://www.WritersConference.com.

Whidbey Island Writers Conference, March 2-4, 2007
Inspiration and motivation await you on idyllic Whidbey Island in Washington where you can hone your craft, stimulate your ideas, and network with peers and professionals. During the Author Fireside Chats, for example, you’ll mingle with authors, agents and editors in your genre as you enjoy coffee and cookies in the privacy of stunning island homes. You can pitch your story idea and learn what’s strong, what sounds right on track for market interests, and where to refine your approach or your writing. Hands-on workshops, master classes and open mic night add to the in-depth interaction and encouragement. Get all the details at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org.

Writer mama Pamela Kim writes non-fiction articles about kids, single mommyhood and the joy of organizing the stuff of life. She leverages eighteen years of experience as a corporate communications consultant to connect readers with the information they need and want. When not traveling the conference circuit – each year finds Pam at writing, blogging and health conferences – she lives in Northern California with the fabulous Katie Kim who is six. Her home online is www.studiopk.wordpress.com.