Have you ever thought about going to a children’s writing conference? Every year writing conferences gather in cities all over the United States, in Canada and even well beyond the U.S. borders. Many of these conferences are put on by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. There are huge conferences where the number of attendees rise to well over a thousand. There are small conferences where people from a given region gather. And there are conferences that focus on adult writing, but have children’s writing as a small segment of the overall offerings.

Finding a conference that meets your interests, budget, and needs may require a little research. To find lists of all the conferences put on by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, check out their website. You can find details information on the national conferences and lists of the regionals as well. You do not have to be a member of SCBWI to attend their conferences.

Costs will be higher at the larger conferences – at the time of this article, the summer national conference was $475 for members and $530 for nonmembers. But a regional conference will be a bit less. The New Jersey Conference, for example, was $295 for members and $335 for nonmembers. These costs don’t include hotel rooms so clearly conferences are an investment. In order to protect your investment, you need to think hard about what you would hope to get from a conference.

For a wealth of other conference options, try putting "writing conference" and the name of your state into your favorite search engine. You'll see conferences with all kinds of prices and sizes. There might be one just for you!

Common Reasons for Wanting to Attend a Conference

1. I’m hoping to connect with an editor or agent and get him/her to read my book.

2. I’m hoping to meet people who write – it gets lonely being the person everyone thinks is crazy.

3. I’m hoping to learn more about marketing my work. I read market guides but I still feel lost.

4. I’m hoping to learn to write better, so I can stop collecting so many rejections.

5. I’m hoping to get some kind of sign…should I keep doing this?

You’re Probably Not Going to Be Discovered

I know that isn’t what anyone wants to hear. If you pay the extra fee to have your manuscript read and critiqued – you’re probably not going to be discovered (though you definitely should get some useful feedback on your work.). If you happen to get stuck in the elevator with an agent, he’s not likely to ask you to show him your manuscript. If you toss your manuscript over the stall door in the ladies room, the editor in the next stall is not going to read it.

But wait! Haven’t we all heard tales of folks who met their agent or editor at a conference? Yes, we have. Conferences are excellent places to hear agents and editors talk about what they want in a book. It’s a great place to hear what they don’t like in a book too. And that information can help you target the right agent when you submit AFTER the conference is all over. And if you listened well and your manuscript really is a good match, you too will be able to say you met your agent or editor at a conference.

But Wait, Number Two! I mean that I’ve heard tales of folks actually making the connection at a conference. Yes, it’s rare but it happens. How do it happen? Usually it happens when an agent or editor happens to be in the same place as you. Agents and editors often come to the keynote speeches and other sessions. You might sit next to one. They’re friendly people and you might strike up a conversation about the session before it begins. You might chat for several minutes (not about your book). Then, when the session ends, you might timidly ask if you can send the editor your manuscript because you like her approach to books. She’ll probably say yes. And after the conference you can send it off. And if your manuscript really is a good match for what she likes, you too will be able to say you met your agent or editor at a conference.

Do you see the problem with going to a conference to be discovered? It’s a bit like buying a scratch off card lottery to get the money to pay your rent. You might actually get the money to pay your rent – but no one is going to suggest that’s good planning.

You can meet other writers and develop great relationships

You also might sit slightly in a huddle through the whole conference and meet no one. I know it’s hard for really shy people to meet others in a situation crowded with strangers. It’s even harder if the situation is crowded with thousands of strangers. Add in the fact that many writers are socially awkward and it becomes pretty easy to get through the conference without actually connecting with anyone.

However, many of the other shy, awkward folks were hoping to meet new people at the conference too. Honestly. Often if you just smile and begin chatting, the other person will begin chatting too. When you slip into your seat for the sessions, make a positive comment about the session speaker to the person beside you. Often you’ll be able to tell whether you’ve met someone happy to pass through the conference in a huddle or whether you just might strike up a friendship right there.

Think about it. You and that person definitely have something in common. You both want to create something great for young people. You both want to succeed in a tough business. And you both are sharing this conference experience. You were hoping to find someone who understands this business – take a deep breath and risk a smile and a friendly comment. The rewards can be vast.

I know of writers who met their critique partner by chatting up the person in the next seat. I know of writers who met their eventual illustrator by chatting up the person in the next seat. I know of writers who got important networking tips that led to their first sale by chatting up the person in the next seat. And I know of writers who got snubbed when trying to chat up the person in the next seat. But why bet on the one sad outcome when the odds are in favor of a strong positive outcome?

You Can Learn Up to the Minute Market News

One things conferences are really good for is giving you a better understanding of what specific publishers and agents want. Both the agent and editor segments help with this but so do “workshops” with other writers who share their market knowledge. I’ve received handouts with lists of markets that are open to series pitches, for instance. I’ve received handouts with lists of educational markets and “in” details about what they want. I even had one person kindly share a list of agents and their blogs! Speakers come to the conference knowing they need to share information that’s a little hard to find. So you’ll definitely learn about the markets.

Plus, you can ask questions! How many times have you hit a situation where it would be helpful if you could just ask your market guide what a listing means? In a session, you can actually raise your hand and do just that. You can ask. You can ask all kinds of questions. Don’t be afraid to do it, either. Whatever question you ask, someone else will have asked it before you some time. And won’t it be nice when you don’t have to cross your fingers and guess anymore?

And one last tiny useful thing – at least for the invited agents and editors, you get to find out if they’re men or women. Some editors have confusing first names and you aren’t ever quite sure if the person should be called Mr. or Ms. Well, looking up at the front of the session and seeing a bright smiling person in a dress usually makes that a lot clearer.

You Can Get Specific Tips to Improve Your Writing

Now, in my experience, writing conferences are more about marketing than technique but I have gotten wonderful help in understanding how specific types of books are written. I’ve heard speakers talk about humor and I learned more about what each age child thinks is funny. I’ve heard speakers talk about nonfiction books and the concepts taught helped me make my nonfiction articles shine. I’ve heard speakers talk about picture books, and though I don’t write them, I became much more adept at spotting a potentially publishable manuscript so what I learned could help my students.

Conferences can give you a new perspective on the craft of writing. It can make you more eager to improve your technique. It can make you aware of the many elements of a good book and how important each element is to success. But conferences don’t and can’t teach you how to write better in any significant way. They can change your perspective and awareness and that can make a big change in your writing – but if you’re skills are weak, a conference won’t make them better.

In order to build skills, the best options still remain…

1. Writing and reading -- doing both frequently.

2. Writing classes, where the instructor has the time to really help you build skills.

3. Critique groups, where the input from all helps each member to grow in skills.

4. Writing how-to books, where techniques are broken down in way you can understand. And where you often get strong helpful examples along with analysis of why the example was good.

But if your fundamental skills are strong, conferences can definitely point you to ways to become a better writer by more adeptly using the skills you have.

You Probably Won’t Get a Sign

Writing conferences really don’t usually help you decide if the writing life is really for you. They can help you get excited about the process of writing. They can help you connect with other writers and ease the loneliness of what is a very lonely process. They can help you face some of the harsher realities of this business. But only you can ultimately decide if you have the right stuff – if you’re passionate about skill building, if you’re passionate about improving your craft, if you’re passionate about revision. And only you can decide if the end result is worth the mountain of effort. But a writing conference might bring some clarity to a few of those things and ultimately help you make the decision. I know I always walk away from a conference more certain than ever that writing is the only life for me.