How many authors here have attended writing conferences?

Question

What do you think are the pros and cons of conferences and conventions for writers?

Which ones have you attended?

Did you learn anything or was it primarily for networking?

What was your most valuable experience at a conference? Or was it a complete waste of time?

I've been to RWA three times and hope to attend my first comic con this fall. I'm not sure what to expect from the comic con, though. Mostly, I'm going to look around and have fun. No professional aspirations for that one.

Answer 1

I've attended two writing conferences at a convention that was pretty near me but never really took off. (Poorly run by a guy who would promise attendees anything and deliver what he could.)

I didn't really learn anything, but I did make some connections and buy some books, chatting with big-time authors as they autographed them. (Lawrence Block knew the Gaelic spelling of my real name!) I was a featured reader and had some seriously big-name people in my little audience. Luckily, I didn't yet recognize them so I wasn't any more nervous.

I got to meet several of the big names in one of my genres, including Block, Ann Perry (icy and superior), Harlen Coben (sweet, warm guy), Joan Hess ("under the weather" much of the time), Otto Penzler (who said *my* work was good!), and Jan Burke (who could totally be my girlfriend).

When/if I have a salable manuscript for that genre again, I'll probably do BoucherCon. I've never attended a conference in the genre in which I do most of my current work.

ComicCon is probably loads of fun. Hoist a glass for us here, okay?

Answer 2

THEY Must all be out at the Writing Conferences !

So you better shoot there too, if you want to ask them

questions.