An Introvert’s Guide to Writer’s Conferences

By Sarah McGuire, @fireplusalgebra

Part of The Writer's Life Series 

JH: Conferences are an amazing and fun way to learn and network, but they aren't always easy for introverted or shy writers. Sarah McGuire is back this month with tips on how shy writers can make the most of a conference without stressing themselves out. 

Sarah McGuire is a nomadic math teacher who sailed around the world aboard a floating college campus. She writes fairy tales and would be just fine if one day she opened a wardrobe and stumbled into another world. Coffee and chocolate are her rocket fuel. She wishes Florida had mountains, but she lives there anyways with her husband (who wrote this bio in less than three minutes!) and their family.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter |

Take it away Sarah…

5 Easy Ways to Look Like a Pro at Conventions

By John G. Hartness, @johnhartness

Part of the Indie Author Series

With a little prep time, it's easy to look like you know what you're doing.

Image is everything, right? Well, let’s be real. If your content is crap, image isn’t going to save you in the long run, but when you’re in a crowded exhibit hall with a hundred other vendors, and you need to stand out, what are you gonna do, wear a Hawaiian shirt and dye your hair purple?

Please don’t. That’s my shtick, and this hair color was expensive. I don’t want to have to go back to my natural brown just because every other nerd out there has purple hair. But you do have to look good. You have to have a solid presentation, and it needs to not only look as good as the people around you, but it usually has to look better. Because if you’re just keeping up, then you’re not really keeping up. So what can you do to look better than your neighbor in Artists Alley or the vendor room at a con?

CON CHOICE: On Picking Events and Building Great Genre Experiences

By Damon Suede, @DamonSuede

Part of the Indie Author Series

Thank you as always to Janice for letting me chat with y’all about the challenges of promo and genre authorship. Today, she suggested we take a look at event selection: how to choose the venues best for your work and how to maximize your conference budget.

When I talk about cons I refer to conventions, conferences, and any large gathering of genre folk focused as a community on the books they love and we write.

Now, because I'm an obstreperous creature I'm going to state a few heretical beliefs that just keep right on saving my bacon in this crazy thing we call genre fiction. Some of this may fly in the face of things you've assumed or heard about author events. I make no claims as to provenance or wisdom, but these harsh truisms spring from over 30 years earning my crust in professional entertainment and the wild, wicked world of genre gatherings.

10 Best Packing Tips For Authors

By Gail Carriger, @gailcarriger

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: Whether you're published (yet) or not, odds are you'll attend a writing event at some point in your writing journey. For those requiring overnight stays, some special packing just might be in order. Gail Carriger returns to the lecture hall today, to share her tips on packing well for a writers' event.

Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and the sexy San Andreas Shifter series as G.L. Carriger). Her steampunk books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Supernatural Society, and Delightfully Deadly series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr

Take it away Gail...

Event Goals: Getting the Most Out of Conference Networking

By Damon Suede, @DamonSuede

Part of the Indie Author Series

I’ve been with a niche press since I first started publishing romance, and despite some swanky offers from the Big 5, I find that I dig my neck of the niche woods. Of course working outside NYC’s hegemony requires moxie and flexibility, but it also gives me crazy latitude so that I can adapt and respond to market shifts on the fly.

Today, I want to speak to conference networking, which is something I adore and embrace with abandon. Full disclosure: unlike many authors I am an unapologetic extrovert and as a result I have some oddball insights into the way conferences can (and don’t work) for indie authors.

Obviously this is too big a topic for us to cover in one post so for today I'd like to talk about networking goals.

10 Things You Need to Know About Going to Conventions as a Writer

By John G. Hartness, @johnhartness

Part of the Indie Author Series

JH: Conventions offer writers a variety of opportunities for both sales and valuable networking. John G. Hartness shares tips on making the most out of a convention. 

John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, a righter of wrong, defender of ladies’ virtues, and some people call him Maurice, for he speaks of the pompatus of love. He is also the best-selling author of EPIC-Award-winning series The Black Knight Chronicles from Bell Bridge Books, a comedic urban fantasy series that answers the eternal question “Why aren’t there more fat vampires?” He is also the creator of the comic horror Bubba the Monster Hunter series, and the creator and co-editor of the Big Bad series of horror anthologies from Dark Oak Press and Media. 2015 has seen John launch a new dark fantasy series featuring Quncy Harker, Demon Hunter.

In his copious free time John enjoys long walks on the beach, rescuing kittens from trees and recording new episodes of his podcast the Writer’s Journey, where he interviews other writers and explores their journey to writing success. John is also a contributor to the Magical Words group blog. An avid Magic: the Gathering player, John is strong in his nerd-fu and has sometimes been referred to as “the Kevin Smith of Charlotte, NC.” And not just for his girth.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Patreon | Podcasts

Take it away John...

What Are Your Favorite Writers' Conferences?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Some of my best writer memories and experiences come from writers' conferences. I met good friends there, launched my career there, felt like I was "a real writer" for the first time there. They're packed full of writer energy and always leave me inspired (and exhausted).

The one I remember most fondly is the Surrey International Writers' Conference in British Columbia. It was the first I'd ever attended, and where I got my start as an author. As my career and circle of writer friends and colleagues grew, the conferences of my local chapter of SCBWI, Southern Breeze, also became favorites (Springmingle and wik). And even though RWA focuses on romance (which I don't write), their conferences have always been amazing and informative.

Looking for a Great Mystery Writers Conference? Try SleuthFest

Writers' conferences are a great way to educate yourself about writing and publishing, network with other writers, agents, and editors, and just have a good time with folks who enjoy what you do. Some of the best conferences I've ever been to have been those run by genre organizations, such as RWA, SCBWI, and MWA. They're focused, specialized, and usually bring in some amazing presenters and guest speakers.

If you're a mystery writer, give SleuthFest a try. It's sponsored annually by the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and runs from February 25-28, in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Not a bad place to spend a weekend in the cold and snowy winter, right?

There's Still Time to Register for Springmingle '15 -- Writers' and Illustrators' Conference in Decatur, Georgia

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

A heads up for writers in the Southeast! If you're a kidlit writer or illustrator (picture books through young adult novels), and you're looking for a fun and informative conference, then consider attending Springmingle '15 in Decatur, Georgia this March. The conference is presented by Southern Breeze, the GA, AL, Florida Panhandle chapter of SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), and it's a great opportunity to meet and network with some local writers if you live in the area.

Southern Breeze is my own local chapter of SCBWI, so I can say firsthand that you're not going to find a more welcoming and helpful bunch of people. I look forward to Springmingle every year, because it's a more laid back conference and I get to catch up with friends and colleagues, enjoy the sessions, and not feel rushed like a bigger conference can sometimes be. They're serious about the "mingle" part, and you get plenty of time to chat with your fellow attendees and the faculty. The sessions are always great, too.

Looking for a Writer and Illustrator Conference? Take a Peek at Springmingle

I'm fortunate to belong to Southern Breeze, a wonder chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators). Their annual spring conference is coming up and it's a fantastic conference for writers and illustrators of juvenile fiction and non-fiction from picture books to young adult novels. Not a SCBWI member? No problem. Non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend. In fact, it's a great way to meet the members and see if it's a group you'd like to join.

For those who'd like to help get the word out about this event, please tweet or share, or even copy this information right off the site and post it to your own site. The more who hear about it the better, and I appreciate any and all efforts made to spread the word.

WiK Blog Tour: ABCs of Attending a Conference (and One You Might Want to Go To)

By Bonita Herold and Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Southern Breeze, my local chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) is having their annual fall conference on October 19-20 in Birmingham, AL. WiK (Writing and Illustrating for Kids) is a wonderful conference with a full-packed day of workshops and a Friday intensive study class. One of the things I love about it, is that it's on the smaller side (about 200 people) so it's not as overwhelming as say, RWA (with over 2000). It's a great way to get your feet wet if you haven't attended a conference before, or network and get to know folks in a more personal setting if you're a conference veteran. And you don't have to be a member to attend. (But you might join after you see how awesome these folks are)

This year, Southern Breeze is doing a blog tour to help promote the conference. (full schedule at the end of the post) You'll find interviews and guests posts from the presenters and special guests, and learn a little more about the conference and its presenters.

WiK12 Conference & Writer's Intensive (optional intensive Friday October 19th)
Saturday, October 20, 2012 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Central Time)
Conference: Spain Park HS; Intensive: Hampton Inn
Spain Park High: 4700 Jaguar Dr.
Hampton Inn: 4520 Galleria Blvd
Hoover, Alabama
Hampton: (205) 380-3300

Today, I'd like to welcome one of my fellow Breezers to share some conference tips. Having just returned from a national conference myself, I've added a few extra "letters" at the end for things I ran into a few weeks ago in Anaheim.

Bonita (Bonnie) Herold received her BA in English and her MA in Education/TESOL. While a mother, wife, and reader throughout the years, at times she was a secretary, medical transcriptionist, playground supervisor, tech writer, newspaper writer, and ESL/Spanish teacher. She likes to think of herself as well-rounded rather than flighty. As a member of SCBWI since 2010, she won first place in the Illustrated Fiction contest held by Southern Breeze that year and is now the Local Liaison for the Huntsville area. She hopes to parlay her love of writing into an eventual book contract for one or more of her two dozen picture book manuscripts. If you’d like to read a collection of eclectic meanderings, check out her blog at http://tenacioustelleroftales.blogspot.com.

Take it away Bonnie...