Navigating Writer's Conferences: Making the Most of Networking Opportunities
You have been missing out on the enormous benefits of Writer's conferences if all you do is book your travel tickets, scour for the most seemingly entertaining and helpful events and just show up. Yes, attending writers' conferences is an invaluable opportunity for writers, both aspiring and established, to learn, connect, and advance their careers, but these benefits can't be reaped by just being present. Here’s how you can make the most of writer's conferences and networking opportunities.
Set Clear Goals: Clarifying your goals is how you focus your networking efforts and maximize your time at the conference. Do you simply want to meet fellow writers, pitch your book, or learn a thing or two? Before you leave home, define your reasons for attending the conference.
Do some research: Take some time to research the speakers and the attendees in advance. Identify individuals you'd like to connect with and with a little research into their backgrounds, recent publications, areas of expertise, etc. it wouldn't be much of a challenge to strike up a conversation when you meet them. Simple website checks and visits to their social media channels would cut it.
Prepare your Pitch: Make a brief introduction of yourself as a writer, what you do, and what about you could be useful to the other person. Practice delivering your pitch with confidence and only pitch if you're invited to do so. You should pose a follow-up question such as: What do you do? This, in itself, creates an avenue to exchange business cards and keep in touch afterward.
Seek One-on-One Meetings: Be on the lookout for chances to meet one-on-one with literary agents, editors, and publishing professionals. Prepare a manuscript or book proposal and be ready to pitch your project briefly. Listen a lot and be receptive to feedback. These meetings will serve as a learning experience for you to refine your work.
Follow-Up After the Conference: Follow-up is arguably the most effective way of maximizing your networking opportunity. After the conference, you should build the relationship by following up with connections through social media, sending thank you cards, linked-in messages, etc. Nurturing the relationship with connections is what would get you referrals, assignments, and a social relationship over time.
Being a social butterfly is not going to be easy, especially if that isn't in your nature. To fully reap the benefits of writers’ conferences, you must step out beyond self-imposed boundaries. Approaching people while respecting boundaries and without seeming desperate. Just be patient, and if you are nice and engaging, you will be remembered for that.