Thinking of attending a writer’s conference?

You can learn a lot, make contacts and have fun, but how do you make the most of your time?

Here are a few tips:

• Read the program before attending and decide who you want to meet. If there is a photo of the person/people you want to meet, it will help you pick them out of the crowd.
• Ask yourself why you want to meet this person and prepare your questions ahead of time. You might only get a few minutes in a hallway, so make the most of it.
• Often there are several presentations at the same time, so read the synopsis and choose what’s best for you.
• Bring business cards. If you have any publications or writing awards, print these on the back of your card. You may get the chance to hand your card to and agent or a publisher and this will help them remember who you are. Maybe your card will stand out from the crowd.
• Don’t be shy. Everyone is there to make contacts, so walk up to  groups of people you don’t know, introduce yourself. Ask what they write as an icebreaker. Who doesn’t like talking about their work?
• If there is a way to volunteer, do so. It’s an easy way to meet people if you are shy. Sitting at a booth means other people come and talk to you. Working with other people gives you the chance to get to know them.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for reading . . .