Upcoming Conferences & Things to Consider Before Going
+TikTok Author success story + October meeting next Friday!
Welcome to Spooky Month!
This newsletter is almost weekly, huh?
For next Friday’s meeting, maybe we could have some spooky fun? Wear something Halloweeny or put some skulls in the background.
I’m sending this reminder early because I’m linking to a conference that requires you to register before October 24! See the “writing conferences” thing below.
Otherwise, here is your reminder about next week’s ANBIP meeting:
Authors' October Meeting
Friday, October 25 · 5PM PST, 6PM MST, 7PM CST, 8PM EST
Writing Conferences This Month!
The National Association of Science Writers Conference is coming up!
November 8-11 (in person)
October 17-18 (online)
Raleigh, North Carolina (or you can just buy the online-only pass)
You must register by October 24! (Or, earlier is better as they have sold out before, and if you want to go to the virtual portion, that’s even sooner)
Also, the Science Journalism Forum:
October 28-31st
Online
Jackson Hole Writers Conference
October 31-Nov 3
Jackson, WY
Book-focused
My agent will be there! I’ll stop by and get dinner with her and Kevin Grange, author of Grizzly Confidential.
Are writing conferences worth going to?
Yes, sometimes. I have always liked the NASW conferences! Not enough to go every year, but some. Last year I, along with Maynard Okereke and Swapna Krishna, gave a presentation on vertical video (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts etc.) Then I gave a similar one at the Science Journalism Forum.
There are already plenty of articles on why you should go. Here are some:
I agree with them, and I’ve actually been to a lot! I think 5 NASW conferences, 2 SEJ, 1 SJF, 1 Hippocamp, 1 ONA, 1 Wyoming Writers, one AAAS (a science conference, but wow, they seem to like having journalists there), and I just got back from Bookmarked, where I did a little reading from Carcass. It was pretty modest (like 35 people) but it was nice. (I also won a free manuscript review, which I will pass on to one of you in the next newsletter!)
Conferences are great, especially if you can get in for free and give a talk on something. But I’m gonna suggest asking yourself a few questions before going. I realize the below is all very negative, and I apologize! Read the linked articles above for the positive side!
Networking is best when it’s specific.
I attended a networking event once that was advertised as “for CSUN alumni” (but it was actually for all CSU alumni.) I recall the obscure and/or very specialized jobs the attendees (including me) had. Like people selling wholesale pool supplies to big box stores. My job then was like, “Googling stuff for rich people.” I couldn’t help anyone else, and they couldn’t help me. Maybe it would be different if I were selling something that a wide variety of people want, like chocolate bars or Facebook ads. But I’m not. I’m most interested in other writers, editors, scientists, animal people, maybe some dark artists type people…Even writing conferences often aren’t specific enough.
I think a lot of writing conferences tend to focus on:BOOKS
Fiction
Memoir
Starting a book proposal
Getting an agent
Selling self-published books
Writing for fun, not money
Emotions
Those are all nice things. Just look at the schedule of events and ask yourself if you earnestly would spend your time/money on those things. I’ve even attended a few journalism (which is non-fic nonmem!) conferences where I neither gave nor received much value because the panels focused on local news, current events, and politics. Just not exactly relevant to me.
Be wary of “anything could happen” advice.
Yeah, you could meet someone who gives you a great job at a conference, but you could meet them at the gas station, too. That’s not enough.
How much expertise do the panelists have? They usually aren’t paid. Should you listen to them?
I’ve given four talks about TikTok/vertical video to science writers and communicators, and I only got paid for one of them. I don't think you can get the most knowledgeable experts for $0 or even a free conference pass. So, how good was my advice? I can objectively say I have a lot of followers (at 217k), and I have some numbers showing that the videos I made for a magazine had way more reach than the magazine itself, but I’ve personally only earned maybe <$10k from the Creator Fund/Creativity Program Beta/Creator Rewards Program etc. in years. Do you really want to pay to listen to me?
(That said, I believe the panelists at my NASW panel are very good at what they do! And they do make a full-time, reasonable income from social media/vertical video!)
I wish it was more common for panelists/speakers to say exactly how much success their own advice has brought them, or at least bring some numbers! Maybe speakers don’t do this because it’s not considered “polite” to brag. Or maybe they don’t know what they’re talking about.There are so many fake/scam conferences out there!
People make fake “science conferences” and probably every other type of conference. (There was even a fake furry conference once.) I could make a website in a few hours, put some fake profiles on it for the keynotes, and call it The United World Forum of Excellent Authors. Then I’d make interested attendees fill out applications and tell every applicant, “Wow, you are one of the select few, and you only have to pay $100 instead of $1,000 to attend!” If only I were evil.Hosting Your Own Event at the Conference
Consider hosting a specific event at a conference so that you can meet the people you want to meet.
I’ve decided not to attend the Jackson Hole Writers Conference this year (I’ll hopefully be giving a presentation there next year), but I’m getting dinner with my agent and a few other people I’d like to meet IRL. Here are some ideas of things you can do to meet people with whom you can exchange value, whether you’re attending the actual conference or not:Pitch a panel or talk: Usually, you’ll get a free ticket to the conference if you do that. Maybe more. (Obviously, you have to have developed skills and success at the thing you’re pitching.)
Take the reins: Sometimes, people will make an event, and everyone will look awkwardly around the room, looking for someone to be in charge. That can be you.
Make an extra-curricular event:
Make it something that the conference isn’t already covering. You don’t want to compete against it but add value.
Get the attention of attendees by posting it on the Whova app (if the conference has one) or on relevant social media (like the association’s Facebook page or a Slack that would have an audience that is likely to attend) or even print out the info (who, what, where, when, why) and post it physically a few places in the conference center/hotel.
Be a leader.
This means you have to organize things, make a plan for what to do, and be considerate of transportation if needed. It means you have to take the reins—just do it, practice saying, “Me, I’ll go first. I’ll lead the exercise.”
That means you sometimes have to be annoying. I can be a bit of a jerk when I try to get people back on topic, but I often wish I was more of one when writers hoard time and go off on tangents (which I am also guilty of!) Practice saying, “Sorry Ralph, can we get back to you if we have time at the end? Or you can chat on the break, but I think it’s Amir’s turn!”Examples of convention events you can host/organize:
Theme dinner/lunch
Meet people with the same beat as you. You might need to go broader or more specific. At SEJ 2023 I hosted one for people who write about animals, but that would be too specific for some conferences.Meetup during a break
At NASW 2024, I hosted a meetup for people writing books, because that conference isn’t already book-focused. Actually, I think it was someone else’s idea originally, but I ended up making it happen.
Outing/hike: Someone at SEJ 2023 hosted a roller skate night, which I HAD to attend. I even had my van with me and could take everyone to the rink!
I also really recommend hikes because you can see the local nature, get moving, and have an opportunity to chat. Download AllTrails if you are looking for a trail.(Here’s a non-professional example of a non-sanctioned convention outing: I organized a rollerskate cosplay event at Fanime. AFAIK none of us bought tickets because we spent the whole time in the courtyard and on the streets. I got in touch with San Jose Roll Call [the local roller skate/skateboard/bike group], posted it on a few relevant social platforms, and got 30+ skaters out. It was amazing.)
Other Notes
Grants and Residencies Info Session
There is another session of
‘s “The Insider's Guide to Writing Personal Statements and Applying for Grants & Residencies.”It’s $199 (as of this writing), and sometimes Narrively offers scholarships.
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