It’s summertime, and that means it’s writing conference season! So let’s chat about conferences.

Who should go to a writers’ conference? Anyone who’s ready to make an investment in their writing, beginner and advanced alike. Conferences aren’t cheap. Travel, accommodations, and food add up quickly on top of the conference ticket. However, writing conferences are a great way to network with other writers, authors, and industry professionals. And quality conferences bring in speakers who really know what they’re teaching about across a variety of topics. Plus, if you struggle to set aside time to learn more about craft, marketing, etc., having a couple of days focused solely on learning can be helpful. 

Like I said above, conferences are good for writers at any stage. Most conferences have sessions for people at any point of the writing journey. They also typically balance the topics across the different aspects of the writer’s life: writing craft, marketing, agents, editing, and life as a writer, to name a few. 

When looking at conferences, figure out what writers they cater to. For instance, I attend Realm Makers, which is a conference for Christian speculative fiction writers. That’s the type of writer I am, so the sessions and community are more helpful than if I attended a romance writers’ conference. Inversely, a romance writer probably wouldn’t be as helped by Realm Makers as I am. 

See who the conference faculty are and what sessions are being offered. If the conference has an online community, consider checking it out. That can also help you get a feel for if you’ll like the conference, as well as let you hear what other attendees think about it. 

Do you have any specific questions about writers’ conferences? Drop them below! I’ll be sharing more tips and thoughts on conferences over the next weeks, so keep an eye out for those posts. Have you attended a writing conference before?