Writers conferences aren’t cheap, but their benefits are priceless.
Registration opened November 1st for the 30th Annual Pikes Peak Writers Conference and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. America’s Friendliest Conference is where the spark of my writing journey caught flame. The benefits of writers conferences like PPWC keep the fires burning even when rejection letters or life’s interventions threaten to dowse them with stank bog water.
If you’ve never attended a writers conference, for those that are con-curious, please, allow me to illustrate a few reasons to fork over the dough and go (and a couple of ways to cut that cost so you have cash on-hand for the on-site bookstore). The first is simple: tools in your toolbox. Conferences offer hours and hours of workshops on a spectrum of topics from story structure to filing your taxes to cover art. In the day or four of the event, your brain will swell like Arnold at the end of Total Recall, filled with new ideas and methods to better your stories.
Reason two is access. Conferences put writers next to other writers, bestselling authors, publishers, editors, and agents. Attendees get to jump the queue and talk with the professionals about their writing instead of sending in query letters and waiting weeks for a response. You get to hear the trends and current do’s and don’ts. You can even learn about upcoming projects and now have an inside lane on joining in because you “know a guy” from the conference.
Reason three (my favorite) is connections. My conference experiences placed me in a writing community. There are now dozens around me that I can reach out to with questions and concerns, request reads of my early works, and help with my weak areas (like promotion). They’ll also set me straight when I wander.
A writers conference is an author’s one-stop shop where everything is a bargain.
Where was I…?
Oh, yes, saving money. Writers conference don’t come cheap. It can be a stiff bill when you figure in registration, transportation, lodging, and (in some cases) meals. Don’t forget on-site fundraisers, the bookstore, and evenings at the bar (BarCon) as well. I’ve been to conferences put on by three different organizations and all offered at least one way to cut the registration cost: volunteering.
Volunteering at a conference (both in preparation for the event and/or on site) has multiple benefits: get to know the organization, backstage-type access, and reduced cost for attending. My very first conference I volunteered to help ensure faculty had their PowerPoint slides working and that their mic was plugged in. Doing that cut my cost in half and I got (by asking after a workshop) an hour with an agent who offered feedback on my novel’s opening and synopsis.
Many writers conferences also offer a scholarship program to help the financially challenged attend. Another way to cut costs is to share a room at the venue with another attendee. That halves your lodging cost. If the event is in driving distance, seek to carpool. Most hosting organizations have a social media page where you can inquire about such things.
I will be at the 30th Annual Pikes Peak Writers Conference and will be attending as a volunteer. Come join me and the hundreds of others in attendance. Click here for more information on PPWC.
