Preparing for a Writers Conference: Expectations

Both the ACFW conference and the RMC-SCBWI conference are coming up in a few weeks, and since I’ll be attending one, I thought I’d share with you what I plan to do to prepare.

I’ve been researching some of the things that fellow authors recommend in order to get ready for a conference, and I’ve made a checklist of things to do. One of the things I’m working on is setting my expectations.

Many aspiring authors have high hopes for conferences. There are agents and editors open to pitches, and if a writer can convince them that his or her book is the next great idea, it might lead to the fulfillment of all his or her writing dreams.

I can understand this expectation. I would love to sit down for my critique and have the editor ask for a full. That would be amazing! It would rock my world. And, it is an unrealistic expectation.

Do things like this happen at a conference? On occasion, yes. Is it the normal experience of an author getting a critique? No. So how can I use this information to prepare?

Instead of going into the critique with this unrealistic expectation, I can set one that is realistic: I’m getting feedback from a professional in the industry. The critique is a gift of her time. I can use whatever she says to evaluate whether or not I can improve my book. If I prepare to hear criticism, I can decide to use it as a constructive tool. The editor is not out to destroy my spirit as a writer. Anything she says is really meant to help me in my career.

Having this one realistic expectation should help me to feel like I received something valuable, but I can still set some other realistic expectations. Here’s what I hope to get from the conference:

1. Learn more about the industry.
   The publishing industry is a business, which means it changes to become more efficient to cut costs while offering valuable products. The conference will give me the opportunity to learn about some of these changes. No matter how old I get or how many things I learn, I believe there is always room for improvement.


2. Find inspiration and encouragement.
   Despite the economy, I can keep in mind that agents and editors want to find new talent. They want to help us improve, so we, in turn, can provide a better product. There's also encouragment in knowing that many of the faculty members have been where I am now.


3. Network with other writers, agents, and editors.
   It is out of my comfort zone to interact with strangers. I know that the conference is a great opportunity to meet people who love writing as much as I do. So, I’m setting the goal of meeting at least ten people. This number may sound low, and that’s okay. I can hand out all the business cards I take, but if I can’t recall ten people’s names and at least one thing about each, then I haven’t really networked.

What are your expectations? Have you considered whether they are realistic or not?