Conference Tips

1 Reply

I realize a lot of writers out there have never attended a writers conference. Currently, the annual Romance Writers of America conference is taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. I was not able to attend that conference this year, however, since the conference is now in full swing, plus there are other conferences going on this summer and this fall, I thought I’d post a few conference tips that I’ve learned over the years.

If going to a conference for the first time, be sure to meet as many people as possible! Exchange business cards, and if your manuscript is complete, be sure to make appointments with editors and agents to pitch your work. Making these kinds of contacts is very important within this industry. You can also network outside of conference hours. Meet other conferees for lunch, dinner, or late-night get togethers! Just chatting with other authors and writers makes your career feel less lonely.

When you meet with your editor or agent, be prepared. Perhaps have a business card handy to give to the editor or agent. You may want to write the name of your book on your card. Just be sure to relax and not be nervous while pitching your book. You may even want to practice your pitch several times before your meeting. Some people usually start practicing weeks before they meet with the editor or agent.

If you are interested in attending an upcoming Christian writers conference, here are a few that I am aware of:

American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference:
http://www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com/conference/

I’ve been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers for close to five years, however, I have yet to attend their conference. I plan on attending for the first time in September, and I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback about the fellowship, workshops, etc. to be experienced at this conference. Based on others’ recommendations, I’d highly suggest attending this conference. After I attend, I plan on blogging about my experience at my first ACFW conference.

Another conference that I’ll be attending shortly is the Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference:

http://www.writehisanswer.com/Philadelphia/

I’ve never attended this conference, either. However, the brochures, and the information on the internet, make this conference seem to be worthwhile. I’ll be blogging about my experiences at this conference, also.

I will be posting other conference tips periodically throughout the next couple of months.

Until next time,
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
www.blackchristianfiction.com

Changing Seasons

4 Replies

Hi, All! The weather is changing and the leaves are turning into brilliant colors as they fall from the trees. Fall is such a wonderful time of the year! Whenever I think of autumn, I think of hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick, apples being harvested and bright orange pumpkins for sale at the grocery store.

During this change of season, I’m working on my author alterations for my book being released in February 2005! This is the last time I’ll be able to review the book before it is released, so I’m making sure everything flows as smoothly as possible!I’ve also been taking time out of my busy schedule to read some interesting Christian books.

I’m thinking of writing a Christian chick lit/mom lit story, so, I decided to read a few of the Christian chick lit and mom lit titles. The first title I read was the Yada Yada Prayer Group. This was a light enjoyable read, which teaches you a few things about faith, and trusting God when things hit an all-time low in marriage, and in life in general. A group of women meet at a Christian women’s conference and are placed into a prayer group together. They continue the prayer group after the conference, and they form strong friendships based on their faith in the Lord. I’d highly recommend this book to readers of Christian women’s fiction.

Two other titles I read are the Sisterchick books by Robin Jones Gunn: Sisterchicks on the Loose and Sisterchicks do the Hula. Both of the books take place in foreign(well Hawaii is not foreign, but it’s faraway!) settings. These books were fun, enjoyable, and show how women form bonding, long-lasting friendships! Kudos to Robin for developing such wonderful stories for our entertainment!The last two chick lit books I’ve read are by Kristen Billerbeck: What A Girl Wants and She’s Out of Control. Ashley is a thirty-something single girl, who discovers that finding the right guy is, oh, so hard! I don’t want to spoil the stories for those wishing to read them, but, let’s just say that Ms. Billerbeck has a definite talent for humor! These books are hilarious, plus, they show how we should always keep God in the center of our lives! She displays the heroine’s faith wonderfully, and I was so entertained when I read both of these books!

Well, that’s all I have to say until next time! Feel free to drop me a line if you read any of these books and let me know what you thought about them!