So it’s begun. The time some writers wait for all year and others (like me) … dread.
It’s conference season.
Not that you can’t find a conference or writing retreat any time of the year, but it seems to hit high gear in another month and run through the early fall. A writer can find any theme or genre from mystery to romance and from large to cozy and everything in between.
There are conferences designed for authors to mingle, network with editors and agents and learn their craft and just as many conferences designed to let them reach out to readers. If a writer has a need, there’s a conference out there to accomodate them.
But you know what? They’re expensive. And for me, not only is the travel difficult, but maneuvering around a conference with MS is such a pain. I’m an extrovert and love being around people, but it’s overshadowed by mobility issues. Conventions are so not my thing anymore.
But I worry I’m missing out.
Do editors and agents expect you to show up at these events? Am I missing opportunities to meet new readers if I don’t go to some of the reader conventions like Authors After Dark or Lori Foster’s Get Together (which I highly recommend) or even Romanticon (if you’re an erotic romance reader)? Are marketing opportunities passing me by if I don’t sit on panels?
I don’t know. But I’d love to hear what you think. As a reader are you more likely to buy books from an author you met at a convention or do you tend to only seek out authors you know? And what about you writers? Are there opportunities you’ve stumbled upon at conventions that you know you wouldn’t have found otherwise? Because you know me … I’m curious about this kind of stuff.
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