New Renaissance Ink, LLC (NRInk):  A Publishing House
  • Home
    • About
    • Titles and Authors
  • New Releases
  • Publishing Options
    • Traditional
    • Basic Package
    • Pro Package
    • Submission Requirements
  • The Ink Spotlight
  • Writers Should Know This Blog
  • Special Projects
    • Ink Spotlight Partial Audio Books (PABs)
    • The Let's Write for a Change (LWC) Initiative >
      • Let\'s Write for a Change (LWC) 2015
      • Let's Write for a Change (LWC) 2011 >
        • LWC 2011 Winners
    • Stephen D. Davis Mentorship Award & Scholarship >
      • Stephen D. Davis Award Winners
    • Breast Cancer Awareness Calendar

Writers Conferences Are Excellent Investments

5/28/2012

0 Comments

 
I recently attended the Backspace Writers Conference in New York City, from 24-26 May 2012, and I'd recommend it to anyone who can find the time and money to invest in it.  I believe this is true for those who are looking to self-publish or go the traditional route.
This was my first conference, and I met a lot of other first-timers, too.  Many of us expected it to feel like an American Idol audition, or worse, like a cattle call audition at one of those scammy model searches of my youth.  But thank goodness, it was NOTHING LIKE THAT!
In fact, over three days of seminars, panel discussions, workshops, and a social mixer, I met over a dozen agents, and several best-selling authors, as well as about a hundred new connections and networking opportunities with authors across all genres.  The energy, experience, feedback and advice that was packed into those three days was amazing.
A lot of the attendees brought sample pages and queries to critique sessions, and some even participated in one-on-one sessions (at an additional cost) with agents who represented their kinds of work.  Applause to everyone who had the nerve to expose themselves even more.  Me?  I was a bit of a wimp.  I didn't take pages or a query for the workshops.  One of the agents even joked that I was "auditing" the conference.
I'll admit also, that some of the attendees were kind of pushy, and some of them liked to hog the little bit of time that the agents and authors had between panel discussions and workshops, but  that was mostly okay.  I got what I bargained for, which was information and insight, but I also got a nice shot of enthusiasm and more confidence to keep pushing along with my work.  The agents noted that they tend to remember writers who attend conferences, like Backspace, because they have demonstrated a different level of commitment to their work and to getting published.  I can dig that. 
And although I will continue to press forward with my plans to publish writers here at New Renaissance Ink, I will not close the door on opportunities to query and publish using the traditional models that these conferences highlight.  Several of the guests at Backspace were actually successfully published outside of the traditional model, including Darcie Chan and Maria Murnane.  These authors highlight the fact that there is no real reason to restrict ourselves as writers to one model or the other.  All we must do is be committed, and be able to tell and sell good stories.  If the others writers conferences are anything like the Backspace Writers Conference, they are excellent investments for helping writers who are serious about the craft of writing to reach their publishing goals.

PREVIOUS POST:  Write to Live

0 Comments
    Subscribe in a reader

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Writer Stuff

    Writers Should Know This is a no frills, learning-as-I-go blog for new writers seeking insight on the writing and publishing journey, and for any readers who may be interested in what we do to get written, published and read.

    Archives

    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    Backspace
    Blogs
    Business
    Communication
    Facebook
    Fear
    Life
    People
    Publishing
    Reading
    Reviews
    The Other Side Of 30
    Time
    Up From Here
    Websites
    Writers Conferences
    Writing

    RSS Feed