Attending a conference is one of the best things you can do for your writing career. Conferences offer a unique opportunity to network with other writers, meet agents and pitch your book, and learn how the publishing industry works from editors and professionals in the field.
For a month-by-month list of conferences throughout the year see: Writing Conferences. (You will also find links to resources that can help you find conferences in your area on that page.)
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Medical Writing and Communication Conference. Nov 1 - 4, 2017, Orlando FLA. Workshops in medical writing, designing materials for patients, analysis, clinical reports, and more.
The Monterey Writer Retreat in California. November 1 - 5, 2017, Monterey, CA. Three of the best developmental commercial fiction editor-agents in the business--Andrea Hurst, Paula Munier, and Michael Neff --will be available from 9 AM to noon each day of the retreat for one-on-one sessions with writers. Attendance and focus will be up to each individual writer. They will also schedule, as needed, up to two more hours during afternoons for further one-on-one sessions.
Master Class: Understanding “CLOSEThird” Point Of View. November 2 – 5, 2017, Honesdale, PA. From Jane Austen and Mark Twain to Kate Di Camillo and J. K. Rowling, a great variety of authors use “close” or “personal” third to move between a novel’s inner and outer story, achieving a real emotional intimacy through this close-to-the-bone perspective. In this workshop, writers will begin storytelling from a conversational first-person perspective and move to “close” or “personal” third, unlocking the potential of their story through intimate voice and true emotional power. WAITLISTED.
Sag Harbor Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference. November 2 – 5, 2017, Sag Harbor, NY. Spark your creativity and take your writing to the next level at the nonfiction writing conference in Sag Harbor – the heart of the east end of Long Island. The only small and focused conference in nonfiction in the country. Faculty: Donna Kaz, Roger Rosenblatt, Patricia McCormick, Terri Muuss, Matt Pasca, Judson Merrill, Sandra Yin, Michelle Blankenship, Alex Hess.
Sanibel Island Writers Conference. November 2 - 5, 2017, Sanibel Island, Florida. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as manuscript consultations, readings, panels, concerts, and book signings. Faculty and visiting writers include poets Barbara Hamby, David Kirby, and Keith Kopka; fiction writers Lynne Barrett, Kevin Canty, John Dufresne, Linda Oatman High, Nathan Hill, Michelle Richman, Darin Strauss, Ann Kidd Taylor, and Robert Wilder; creative nonfiction writers Steve Almond, M. K. Asante, Sloane Crosley, Beth Ann Fennelly, Joyce Maynard, Susannah Meadows, and Megan Stielstra; agents Lisa Gallagher (DeFiore & Company), Christopher Schelling (Selectric Artists), and Nicole Tourtelot (DeFiore & Company); and editor Alicia Lynn Clancy (St. Martin’s Press). The keynote speaker is fiction writer Alice Hoffman. The cost of the conference is $500 ($400 for BIG ARTS members and $300 for full-time students). For a manuscript consultation or workshop, submit up to 10 pages of poetry or prose by September 30. The cost of an individual manuscript consultation is $100; the cost of a small-group workshop is $100.
Atlanta Writers Conference. Nov 3 - 4, 2017, Atlanta, Georgia. publishing panels, pitch sessions, manuscript and query letter critiques, and marketing workshops. Participating publishing professionals include Annie Chagnot, Editor, Spiegel & Grau, Penguin Random House; Jennie Conway, Editorial Assistant, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Publishers; Sylvan Creekmore, Editor, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Publishers; Melissa Danaczko, Literary Agent, Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency; Michael Hoogland, Literary Agent, Dystel Goderich & Bourret, LLC; Alyssa Jennette, Literary Agent, Stonesong Literary Agency: Priyanka Krishnan, Editor, William Morrow, HarperCollins Publishers a and many more.
North Carolina Writers’ Network Fall Conference. November 3-5, 2017, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Workshops and master classes in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as lectures and panels on publishing and finding an agent. The faculty includes Hannah Dela Cruz Abrams, Dan Albergotti, Anna Lena Phillips Bell, Michele T. Berger, and many more. The cost of the full conference is $200 or $260 (including meals) for members, and $300 or $375 (including meals) for nonmembers until October 28. Onsite registration is $450 for the full conference, $250 for Sunday-only attendance, and $350 for Saturday-only attendance.
The BookBaby Independent Authors Conference. November 3-5, 2017, Philadelphia, PA. The Independent Authors Conference is the only conference that educates independent authors on how to cultivate a successful career in the self-publishing industry. Over three exciting days in historic Philadelphia, you’ll engage in workshops concentrated on learning and improving the skills you need to succeed, including effective writing techniques and strengthening your book marketing and promotion tactics.
New Worlds, New Voices SFF Workshops. November 8 - 12, 2017, Morro Bay, CA. During the course of the conference, writers will hone and improve their writer voice and style by studying and applying an array of narrative, scene, and structure technique, thus enabling them to begin, enhance, and/or reconstruct their work in more powerful and innovative ways. Writing exercises are derived from analysis of a select group of works by both dramatists and authors.
Writing by Writers Manuscript Boot Camp. November 10 - 13, 2017, Tahoe City, California. Workshops for book-length manuscripts, as well as craft talks, readings, and agent panels, and individual meetings with agents. "The Writing By Writers Manuscript Boot Camp is for the writer who has a full book-length manuscript (novel, memoir, short story or poetry collection) and would like to engage with a small group for a serious and productive response. The long weekend will include an intimate full manuscript workshop, craft talks, readings, an agent panel and individual agent meetings – the perfect pre-publication boot camp for any manuscript." Classes are limited to 5 participants. The cost of tuition, which includes a manuscript review of up to 300 pages with a faculty member, an individual meeting with an agent, lodging at the Granlibakken Resort, and all meals, is $3,250. Registration deadline September 15.
Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference. November 10 - 13, 2017, Hatfield, MA. Features workshops of book-length poetry manuscripts with poet-editor-educators Joan Houlihan and Martha Rhodes. The cost of the conference is $1,375, which includes tuition, a private room, and meals. Using the online application system, submit three to four poems and a brief bio.
2017 Artists-In-Residency Honoree:Varian Johnson. November 10 – 14, 2017, Honesdale, PA. “Our 2017 Artists-in-Residency include Laurie Halse Anderson, Kathryn Erskine, Denise Fleming, Matt de la Peña and Varian Johnson. Each artist-in-residence will spend five days at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center working on projects for publication. To raise awareness about these artists and their upcoming works, we invite other artists – writers, poets, and illustrators – to join them during their residency. While days will be spent on individual projects, mealtimes will bring all artists together to share farm-fresh food and conversation. After dinner, our artists-in-residence will host informal sharing and feedback sessions for all works-in-progress.”
Learn and Network. November 17 - 18, 2017, Branson, MO. The Ozarks Writers League is a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting writing, literacy, photography, and art. Since 1983, OWL has welcomed individuals at all stages of their development.
WriteAngles. November 18, 2017, South Hadley, Massachusetts. Panels and workshops, with two keynoters, a limited number of agent meetings. Continental breakfast, and buffet lunch included. Agents: TBA
For a month-by-month list of conferences throughout the year see: Writing Conferences. (You will also find links to resources that can help you find conferences in your area on that page.)
___________________
Medical Writing and Communication Conference. Nov 1 - 4, 2017, Orlando FLA. Workshops in medical writing, designing materials for patients, analysis, clinical reports, and more.
The Monterey Writer Retreat in California. November 1 - 5, 2017, Monterey, CA. Three of the best developmental commercial fiction editor-agents in the business--Andrea Hurst, Paula Munier, and Michael Neff --will be available from 9 AM to noon each day of the retreat for one-on-one sessions with writers. Attendance and focus will be up to each individual writer. They will also schedule, as needed, up to two more hours during afternoons for further one-on-one sessions.
Master Class: Understanding “CLOSEThird” Point Of View. November 2 – 5, 2017, Honesdale, PA. From Jane Austen and Mark Twain to Kate Di Camillo and J. K. Rowling, a great variety of authors use “close” or “personal” third to move between a novel’s inner and outer story, achieving a real emotional intimacy through this close-to-the-bone perspective. In this workshop, writers will begin storytelling from a conversational first-person perspective and move to “close” or “personal” third, unlocking the potential of their story through intimate voice and true emotional power. WAITLISTED.
Sag Harbor Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference. November 2 – 5, 2017, Sag Harbor, NY. Spark your creativity and take your writing to the next level at the nonfiction writing conference in Sag Harbor – the heart of the east end of Long Island. The only small and focused conference in nonfiction in the country. Faculty: Donna Kaz, Roger Rosenblatt, Patricia McCormick, Terri Muuss, Matt Pasca, Judson Merrill, Sandra Yin, Michelle Blankenship, Alex Hess.
Sanibel Island Writers Conference. November 2 - 5, 2017, Sanibel Island, Florida. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as manuscript consultations, readings, panels, concerts, and book signings. Faculty and visiting writers include poets Barbara Hamby, David Kirby, and Keith Kopka; fiction writers Lynne Barrett, Kevin Canty, John Dufresne, Linda Oatman High, Nathan Hill, Michelle Richman, Darin Strauss, Ann Kidd Taylor, and Robert Wilder; creative nonfiction writers Steve Almond, M. K. Asante, Sloane Crosley, Beth Ann Fennelly, Joyce Maynard, Susannah Meadows, and Megan Stielstra; agents Lisa Gallagher (DeFiore & Company), Christopher Schelling (Selectric Artists), and Nicole Tourtelot (DeFiore & Company); and editor Alicia Lynn Clancy (St. Martin’s Press). The keynote speaker is fiction writer Alice Hoffman. The cost of the conference is $500 ($400 for BIG ARTS members and $300 for full-time students). For a manuscript consultation or workshop, submit up to 10 pages of poetry or prose by September 30. The cost of an individual manuscript consultation is $100; the cost of a small-group workshop is $100.
Atlanta Writers Conference. Nov 3 - 4, 2017, Atlanta, Georgia. publishing panels, pitch sessions, manuscript and query letter critiques, and marketing workshops. Participating publishing professionals include Annie Chagnot, Editor, Spiegel & Grau, Penguin Random House; Jennie Conway, Editorial Assistant, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Publishers; Sylvan Creekmore, Editor, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Publishers; Melissa Danaczko, Literary Agent, Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency; Michael Hoogland, Literary Agent, Dystel Goderich & Bourret, LLC; Alyssa Jennette, Literary Agent, Stonesong Literary Agency: Priyanka Krishnan, Editor, William Morrow, HarperCollins Publishers a and many more.
North Carolina Writers’ Network Fall Conference. November 3-5, 2017, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Workshops and master classes in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as lectures and panels on publishing and finding an agent. The faculty includes Hannah Dela Cruz Abrams, Dan Albergotti, Anna Lena Phillips Bell, Michele T. Berger, and many more. The cost of the full conference is $200 or $260 (including meals) for members, and $300 or $375 (including meals) for nonmembers until October 28. Onsite registration is $450 for the full conference, $250 for Sunday-only attendance, and $350 for Saturday-only attendance.
The BookBaby Independent Authors Conference. November 3-5, 2017, Philadelphia, PA. The Independent Authors Conference is the only conference that educates independent authors on how to cultivate a successful career in the self-publishing industry. Over three exciting days in historic Philadelphia, you’ll engage in workshops concentrated on learning and improving the skills you need to succeed, including effective writing techniques and strengthening your book marketing and promotion tactics.
New Worlds, New Voices SFF Workshops. November 8 - 12, 2017, Morro Bay, CA. During the course of the conference, writers will hone and improve their writer voice and style by studying and applying an array of narrative, scene, and structure technique, thus enabling them to begin, enhance, and/or reconstruct their work in more powerful and innovative ways. Writing exercises are derived from analysis of a select group of works by both dramatists and authors.
Writing by Writers Manuscript Boot Camp. November 10 - 13, 2017, Tahoe City, California. Workshops for book-length manuscripts, as well as craft talks, readings, and agent panels, and individual meetings with agents. "The Writing By Writers Manuscript Boot Camp is for the writer who has a full book-length manuscript (novel, memoir, short story or poetry collection) and would like to engage with a small group for a serious and productive response. The long weekend will include an intimate full manuscript workshop, craft talks, readings, an agent panel and individual agent meetings – the perfect pre-publication boot camp for any manuscript." Classes are limited to 5 participants. The cost of tuition, which includes a manuscript review of up to 300 pages with a faculty member, an individual meeting with an agent, lodging at the Granlibakken Resort, and all meals, is $3,250. Registration deadline September 15.
Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference. November 10 - 13, 2017, Hatfield, MA. Features workshops of book-length poetry manuscripts with poet-editor-educators Joan Houlihan and Martha Rhodes. The cost of the conference is $1,375, which includes tuition, a private room, and meals. Using the online application system, submit three to four poems and a brief bio.
2017 Artists-In-Residency Honoree:Varian Johnson. November 10 – 14, 2017, Honesdale, PA. “Our 2017 Artists-in-Residency include Laurie Halse Anderson, Kathryn Erskine, Denise Fleming, Matt de la Peña and Varian Johnson. Each artist-in-residence will spend five days at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center working on projects for publication. To raise awareness about these artists and their upcoming works, we invite other artists – writers, poets, and illustrators – to join them during their residency. While days will be spent on individual projects, mealtimes will bring all artists together to share farm-fresh food and conversation. After dinner, our artists-in-residence will host informal sharing and feedback sessions for all works-in-progress.”
Learn and Network. November 17 - 18, 2017, Branson, MO. The Ozarks Writers League is a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting writing, literacy, photography, and art. Since 1983, OWL has welcomed individuals at all stages of their development.
WriteAngles. November 18, 2017, South Hadley, Massachusetts. Panels and workshops, with two keynoters, a limited number of agent meetings. Continental breakfast, and buffet lunch included. Agents: TBA
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