Freelancing gives us the freedom to work from home in our PJs, a babe in arms, Cheerios and notes from school strewn about the office. While this freedom enables us to support our families while remaining close to home to raise those families, writing is ultimately a solitary endeavor. Sometimes it’s too easy to forget the value of meeting face to face with colleagues and editors.
Therefore, in honor of the Writers and Editors One-on-One conference in Chicago this weekend, we’d like to share three writers’ conferences worth jetting off to.
Yeah, yeah, we know; conferences are expensive, you can’t afford to travel, who will watch the kids, yadda yadda. We’ve both heard it all before and said some of the same things ourselves. But as your writing business grows or if it’s well established, consider investing in a writers’ conference. First off, it’s a tax writeoff. Second, landing even one feature article based on networking or meetings from a conference can cover the cost of attending. Third, two of the conferences listed below offer opportunities to meet face to face with magazine editors, a huge bonus for those of us residing outside of New York City. Finally, you never know what lasting professional connections you might make by attending a writer’s conference.
Here’s our Thursday Three–writers’ conferences worth attending:
1. One-on-One, held each July in Chicago. You must be an established writer with the clips to prove it in order to attend.
2. The annual conference hosted by the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) is held every April in New York City. Non-members are welcome to attend, but members gain access to all events, including the personal pitch sessions.
3. For those among us who write or want to write books, attending the Book Expo America/Writers Digest Books Writer’s Conference is a great way to learn from seasoned authors and hone writing and marketing skills.
