Writers conferences (like the upcoming Colorado Gold) are a wonderful opportunity to improve your writing skills, grow your network in the industry, and level up your career. If you’ve never been to one, I’d highly recommend giving it a try. If you’re heading to your first conference, here are some tips to help you make the most of it.
Pack for success.
Bring clothes that make you feel comfortable and confident. Bring business cards, if you have them, to give to people you meet at conference. Bring snacks, since not all meals are provided and there will be long breaks between them. Bring a notebook, laptop, or other note-taking equipment. Print off pitches, first pages, or anything else you’ll need for your sessions.
Make a networking plan.
Make a list of anyone you’d like to meet. This could be writing friends and crit partners you haven’t seen in a while, authors you admire, or agents and editors you’re hoping to pitch. It could be someone totally new—maybe you want to pick their brain about a particular topic, you want them to introduce you to someone else, or you think they could help you with something or open a new opportunity for you. Make a game plan for how to meet up with all these people—attend their workshop, sit with them at a meal, find them at the author signing, etc. When it comes to people you already know, hit them up a few weeks in advance by email or on social media. Find out when they’re arriving, where they’re staying, and what sessions they’re planning to attend. Maybe make plans to meet them for breakfast on Friday or for drinks Thursday night.
Make a learning plan.
Before the conference, assess your current goals and use them to determine your conference schedule. For me, there are usually two or three categories I want to focus on. I highlight all the workshops that interest me and group them into these categories, then I choose a mixture of workshops that will meet all my learning goals. For instance, I’m in the process of querying one novel and I just finished the first draft of another. At RMFW’s Colorado Gold conference in September, I plan attend workshops on querying, pitching, and revision, as well as a critique session to polish my opening pages.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself.
After the last two conferences I attended, I got a cold as soon as I returned home on Sunday. The late nights and early mornings, the stress of meeting agents, and the hundreds of people (and their germs) that you’ll be exposed to make conferences hard on your immune system. To keep yourself as healthy as possible, hydrate frequently, pack healthy snacks, and do your best to get enough sleep while you’re at conference. Look after your mental health by taking breaks when you need them. Minimize stress by reviewing the brochure ahead of time and planning what to attend; that way you won’t be scrambling to make last-minute decisions.
Bring a winning attitude.
The best way to enjoy conference is to tell yourself you’re going to have a great time. Seriously. Come to conference with a positive attitude. Know that conference is supposed to be fun, and spend the weeks leading up to it looking forward to the experience rather than stressing over it. Prepare yourself to try new things and say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Then show up with a smile, and you’ll be making friends and meeting agents in no time.