I’ve attended this every year
since 2002, a year after I started writing. The first year I knew one other
person (a writer I worked with in the high tech world), but since then I’ve
made many friends there.
I’m particularly loyal to this
conference because I sold my first novel as a result of a pitch session in 2005
to editor, Deni Dietz, of Five Star. She told me to email my manuscript to her
after the conference. I went home, made one more editing pass, emailed it,
crossed my fingers, and three months later I received a contract offer. The
result, Retirement Homes Are Murder
was published in January, 2007.
The conference offers something
for everyone. There are workshops on craft, the art of pitching and selling
your manuscript, and promotion once a book is published. I attend workshops on
all three levels. I’ve learned that I always need to continue to improve my
writing.
This year I’m organizing
moderators for the conference, will teach a workshop titled, “Rejection Is Not
a Four Letter Word,” and will host a table at Friday dinner for David Wilk,
publisher at Frederator Books.
I’m looking forward to seeing
friends and making new ones.
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