Dropping from My Limb: Writers' Conferences 2011
Henry Miller wrote in Nexus, "...to be born a writer one must learn to like privation, suffering, humiliation. Above all, one must learn to live apart. Like the sloth, the writer clings to his limb while beneath him life surges by steady, persistent, tumultuous. When ready plop! he falls into the stream and battles for life. Is is not something like that?"
For me, a large part of writing is being a sloth dropping into the real world in a quest for significance. I won't fool myself in believing otherwise, since to do so would mean that writing is a humble pursuit. It is only humble to the extent that Abraham Lincoln had "humble" beginnings living poor in a log cabin. But I admit that writing feeds my ego and enrobes my humanity with recognition of my worth. Even Don Quixote had his Sancho Panza: I can't very well go out and fight all the windmills alone.
Agents piss me off. But they are apparently a necessary evil in getting published. I'm discovering from my experience and research that I have a better chance of growing bananas in the Arctic Circle than finding an agent for my self-published novel, Worlds Apart. In my quest for significance, I've decided to attend one or two writers' conferences in 2011.
Here's my thinking: conferences that include agents will help me understand what agents are looking for and will allow me the opportunity to meet agents face-to-face. What writers like Louis Kraft and others have told me is that there's nothing like the personal contact with an agent to make a later query for my book more than just a knock on the door; it can open the door.
According to Guide to Literary Agents (2010), "Besides including panels of agents discussing what representation means and how to go about securing it, many of these gatherings also include time--either scheduled or impromptu--to meet briefly with an agent to discuss your work.
"If they're impressed with what they see and hear about your work, they will invite you to submit a query, a proposal, a few sample chapters, or possibly your entire manuscript. Some conferences even arrange for agents to review manuscripts in advance and schedule one-on-one sessions during which you can receive specific feedback or advice regarding your work. Such meetings often cost a small fee, but the input you receive is usually work the price."
So I'm dropping from my limb in 2011 to keep from drowning in the stream of my writing life. Here are the conferences I'm considering:
Southern California Writers' Conference - February 18-21 - Crowne Plaza Hanalei, San Diego - $425 plus $50 to have a sample of my novel read and critiqued - Their Web site is www.writerconference.com.
San Francisco Writers' Conference - February 18-20 - Historic Mark Hopkins Hotel - $595-645 (depending upon whether I include "Speed Dating with Agents," which is likely, since that's my primary purpose in attending).
Las Vegas Writers' Conference - April 14-16 - Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, NV - $375 (before 1/31/11) and $400 thereafter - Their Web site: www.lasvegaswritersconference.com.
California Crime Writers' Conference - June 11-12 - $300 approx. - Pasadena/Los Angeles Area - Location and other information is not available yet, but their Web site is www.socalmwa.com.
Santa Barbara Writers' Conference - June 18-24 - Their Web site is under construction, so I couldn't get much information, but it's a 30-minute drive and I'd save the hotel and meals costs - Web site is www.sbwriters.com.
Squaw Valley Community of Writers Workshop - August 6-13 - $800 approx., plus lodging (approx. $350-550) and food - Squaw Valley (Lake Tahoe) - Other information will be available in January on their Web site at www.squawvalleywriters.org.
La Jolla Writers Conference - October/November - Cost, location and other information not yet available, but from their conference this year, it looks potentially beneficial; their Web site is
www.lajollawritersconference.com.
Some great places to go and be with writers. If this sloth has to come down from his limb and swim the stream of life with agents, I might as well do it with other writers in a great place. If anyone wants to join me on my quest, let me know. Perhaps we can share some company and go slothing together.
For me, a large part of writing is being a sloth dropping into the real world in a quest for significance. I won't fool myself in believing otherwise, since to do so would mean that writing is a humble pursuit. It is only humble to the extent that Abraham Lincoln had "humble" beginnings living poor in a log cabin. But I admit that writing feeds my ego and enrobes my humanity with recognition of my worth. Even Don Quixote had his Sancho Panza: I can't very well go out and fight all the windmills alone.
Agents piss me off. But they are apparently a necessary evil in getting published. I'm discovering from my experience and research that I have a better chance of growing bananas in the Arctic Circle than finding an agent for my self-published novel, Worlds Apart. In my quest for significance, I've decided to attend one or two writers' conferences in 2011.
Here's my thinking: conferences that include agents will help me understand what agents are looking for and will allow me the opportunity to meet agents face-to-face. What writers like Louis Kraft and others have told me is that there's nothing like the personal contact with an agent to make a later query for my book more than just a knock on the door; it can open the door.
According to Guide to Literary Agents (2010), "Besides including panels of agents discussing what representation means and how to go about securing it, many of these gatherings also include time--either scheduled or impromptu--to meet briefly with an agent to discuss your work.
"If they're impressed with what they see and hear about your work, they will invite you to submit a query, a proposal, a few sample chapters, or possibly your entire manuscript. Some conferences even arrange for agents to review manuscripts in advance and schedule one-on-one sessions during which you can receive specific feedback or advice regarding your work. Such meetings often cost a small fee, but the input you receive is usually work the price."
So I'm dropping from my limb in 2011 to keep from drowning in the stream of my writing life. Here are the conferences I'm considering:
Southern California Writers' Conference - February 18-21 - Crowne Plaza Hanalei, San Diego - $425 plus $50 to have a sample of my novel read and critiqued - Their Web site is www.writerconference.com.
San Francisco Writers' Conference - February 18-20 - Historic Mark Hopkins Hotel - $595-645 (depending upon whether I include "Speed Dating with Agents," which is likely, since that's my primary purpose in attending).
Las Vegas Writers' Conference - April 14-16 - Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, NV - $375 (before 1/31/11) and $400 thereafter - Their Web site: www.lasvegaswritersconference.com.
California Crime Writers' Conference - June 11-12 - $300 approx. - Pasadena/Los Angeles Area - Location and other information is not available yet, but their Web site is www.socalmwa.com.
Santa Barbara Writers' Conference - June 18-24 - Their Web site is under construction, so I couldn't get much information, but it's a 30-minute drive and I'd save the hotel and meals costs - Web site is www.sbwriters.com.
Squaw Valley Community of Writers Workshop - August 6-13 - $800 approx., plus lodging (approx. $350-550) and food - Squaw Valley (Lake Tahoe) - Other information will be available in January on their Web site at www.squawvalleywriters.org.
La Jolla Writers Conference - October/November - Cost, location and other information not yet available, but from their conference this year, it looks potentially beneficial; their Web site is
www.lajollawritersconference.com.
Some great places to go and be with writers. If this sloth has to come down from his limb and swim the stream of life with agents, I might as well do it with other writers in a great place. If anyone wants to join me on my quest, let me know. Perhaps we can share some company and go slothing together.
Posted by Tom Eubanks at 12/13/2010 1:02 PM 
Categories: Touchy Business, Profiles in Guile, On Writing, Marketing Yourself
Tags: Essay Huh Vital Resource Working It
Categories: Touchy Business, Profiles in Guile, On Writing, Marketing Yourself
Tags: Essay Huh Vital Resource Working It
Here is another good one to add to your list, happening next month: http://www.writersdigest.com/conferences-events/
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Excellent conference, except that it's in New York, so the cost is prohibitive for me. There might be others out there who can manage the cost of the flight and such. For those readers on the East Coast, you might take a look at the Writer's Digest link Lisa has provided. Thanks!
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