There's a lot to learn when it comes craft: world building, setting, dialogue, word choice, etc. There's a lot to learn about the publishing industry, too. It's competitive, challenging, and loooong. My understanding of both craft and the publishing world (self-pub and trad) has been (and is!) a line upon line process. I've accessed tidbits in a variety of ways: writing courses, blogs, YouTube videos, author readings, etc. Today, however, I want to give a shout-out to one of my all-time favorite affordable online writing conferences that has helped me tap into writing life, craft, and the publishing industry: WriteOnCon! What is WriteOnCon? It's an online writing conference--- a three-day weekend event--- focused on kid-lit, open to the public. Traditionally published or agented authors (as well as agents and editors!) do workshops, panels, discussions, podcasts, and blogs on a variety of topics geared for those of us wanting to write for kids. And it's all online, so no need to get a hotel, fly or drive to a conference center. As much as I love in-person conferences, I feel like a lot of writing conferences are often far away from where I live. It's also a perk that you can wear your pajamas! How much does WriteOnCon cost? Like I said, it's extremely affordable, ranging from $10-$25, depending on the membership you want to purchase. Personally, I feel like you get a lot of content for your buck! This year, I purchased a full admission ($15) and I was able to access all the content. The only thing out of my reach was content from past years, but I've attended the last three or more, so I feel like it's okay that I don't have that access because I don't plan on diving into those older videos, blogs, and podcasts. I know I have more than enough to go through for the current conference. What can I expect at WriteOnCon? Like I said, there are a variety of blogs, podcasts, panels and such, some live-streaming, others pre-recorded. And, yes, if you have the full-admission ticket, you can view the live sessions after they've happened as well as live. The advantage of attending live is you can ask questions! I always get a little tickled when my question gets answered. I'm like... whoa... they're talking to me! It's fun! There's also feedback sessions you can participate in, as well as the critique boutique, which is where you can pay for a specific professional to look at your work. I find, however, that I get more than enough for money by simply exploring the various blogs and podcasts and such. There are a variety of topics each year. I'll list some of my favorites from this year so you can have a taste of what you might expect if you choose to attend WriteOnCon in the future:
Again, these topics and titles are about 5% of the conference... this year! There's so much more. You usually get a week or two, so even though I try to take "time off" for the first or second day of the conference I always need another week or so to go through the rest of the content. And, honestly, I don't always get through all of it, which (in my opinion) is fine because WriteOnCon can feel a bit like drinking from a firehose. You can take notes, skip content that doesn't apply to you, and rewatch your favorite stuff. There's more to learn
I wish I could tell you I know everything there is to know about writing and publishing, but I can't. The truth is, I'm still learning and navigating the world as I write, revise, query, and daydream about signing on with a literary agent and publishing house. But does WriteOnCon make me feel like I'm a little closer to my publishing dreams? Absolutely! At the very least, I feel like I belong in the "writing" and "publishing" club even though--- I haven't published, yet. Attending WriteOnCon--- at whatever degree I'm able--- shows myself that I'm serious about this career choice, that I am getting closer to my dreams of traditionally publishing.
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