Are Writers Conferences Really Worth It?

And for All Writers?

Even for Writers that, for whatever their reasons, have self-published….???

Interesting that I should stumble across this blog post 

After James River Writers Twitter Chat other day with Cherise Fisher, @ScribesWindow on Twitter

One of the great people going to be at James River Writers Conference in October!

If you missed the Tweet Chat… well, you missed it.  Live, anyway.  You can look it up by looking at : 

#JRWC12

Cherise Fisher, @ScribesWindow

@JamesRvrWriters

#JRWC12

Check it all out on Twitter.    A lot of us breeze in and out there, and hang out sometimes.  When we aren't hanging in person at JRW things such as Writers Wednesday [this coming Wednesday!], Writing Show, etc….

It had some great information so you might want to do that.  

Not to mention you might want to get on the James River Writer website and email list, and twitter list, so you can be there for the next Tweet Chat!

And all the other great info’ that’s shared.  

And yes, I came across this blog post I’m talking about — okay, so going to talk about!    I’m getting there, give me some time here! — from Twitter as well.   So a Thanks shout out to :

Wendy A.M. Prosser ‏@WendyAMProsser

Writers' Conferences–Valuable for an Indie Author? http://dld.bz/b8eDS via @GoblinWriter #selfpub

Retweeted by Richard Stephenson

The blog post questions, and gives answers, to the question of does Writers Conferences benefit Indie Authors?    

Or to those of us still coming up to the book on these things, writers who chose to self publish their work instead of going main stream traditional publishing route.

There are some interesting points in there that you might not have considered.  No matter what path to publication you choose.

There were some I hadn’t quite thought of, and I’ve been going to the James River Writers Conference since the beginning - 10 years ago this year!!  So this year’s Conference is Extra Special!!   Just saying.

I’m such an eclectic reader, and thus, writer, that I didn’t even think about how others view - as the blog post puts it, cross-pollination — and how that can give you much needed different views and insights into your own writing, no matter what genre you are writing.

I already knew that.

But now you can too.

[You might even pick up some hanging around here with me.]

There are a Lot of great reasons to attend conferences.  

But with everyone watching money more carefully these days, especially those of us that are writers still working to get published, looking at which conferences give the biggest worth for the money is often an individual personal thing.  But a needed consideration for the pocketbook.

No matter which Conference you can manage to attend it’s only ever wasted money if you allow it to be.

So the workshops, panels, speakers, didn’t turn out as helpful as you thought they would be.   You still learned something.  Yes, you did.   You learned what Not to do.   And possibly how much you’ve grown in your knowledge of writing already.  [So Use it Wisely, grasshopper.]

The greatest benefit of attending Conferences - and all Writerly things such as JRW offers, Writers Wednesday [This coming Wednesday, by the way!], and Writing Show at the end of the month - the biggest benefit you will come away with from a Conference is the meeting of, even if you start out shy and are only rubbing elbows with, other writers.  Some will be already successful in their careers, where you want to be, right?   There will be some where you are — no matter where in the process you are.

And Everyone has been in the same place - okay, at least similar place - of where you are, no matter where you are.    We can learn from each other.   A lot.   A little.  Could be that one nugget of wisdom or help you need to get you to where you need, or want, to go.

So save your money and take a chance on going to a Conference.  

It’ll be worth it - especially if you smile and stick out your hand.   There’ll be a lot of others around that understand the nervousness.

And even some that will stick out their hand as well.

If you are, or want to be, in the Richmond, Virginia area in October, join a bunch of great people, writers and readers and all, at James River Writers Conference.   This is the 10^th year so it will be even more … well, more.    

Come and find out for yourself.  ::Grin:::