I will be on faculty for Florida Writers’ Association’s Mid-Winter Conference West and Reading Festival in Bradenton January 10-11, 2014. This two-day event features workshops for authors, publishers, and others; author interviews with agents and publishers; and the public reading festival. Writers will pay to register for workshops, but admission will be free for the general public to attend the Reading Festival.
Opportunities for published authors:
- Submit a workshop proposal. The deadline is Sept. 15.
- Be available for interviews with conference attendees.
- Participate in the public reading festival.
- Sell your books, either at the table manned by FWA volunteers or, for an additional fee, you can rent your own table.
- Give a reading to entice people to buy your book.
You do not need to be an FWA member to exhibit and sell at this festival. That’s a first for an FWA event.
For as-yet-unpublished writers, there will be plenty of workshops. The schedule will be announced later. Agents and publishers will be available for interviews. And don’t underestimate the importance of meeting other writers. One of the biggest benefits of attending conferences is the relationships you’ll build.
More information is available at the FWA website. Scroll down for information about the Bradenton festival; information about the October statewide conference is at the top. I’ll be teaching there, too, in the teen track.
Have you noticed I’ve been going on about conferences a lot lately? That’s because I believe that, along with joining a good critique group, attending conferences is one of the best things writers can do for their careers.