How to Organize a Writer's Conference

As a writer, networking is one of the greatest keys to success. The more people you "know" in the industry, the better chance you'll have to grab a coveted publishing contract for your work. Whether writing is more of a hobby or you're seriously pursuing a career, attending writer conferences is not only fun, but you can also glean some new contacts in the writing world. As a member of a writer's group that holds annual conferences, you may be asked to help organize the event.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Budget
• Volunteers
• Sponsors
• Conference venue
• Industry related speakers
• Conference schedule
• Writing contest rules
• Qualified judges
• Banquet menu
• Promotional materials

1. Hold a group meeting to discuss preliminary plans for the writer's conference. For first time events, the group will need to decide on how long the event will last and how extensive a function they want to hold. You will also have to determine the cost of attending, what kind of activities to plan and how many volunteers will be required.
2. Ask for the number of volunteers you need, which will greatly depend on how large your writer's conference will be. Find out which members of the group are willing to help and what areas they feel most comfortable helping with.
3. Look for sponsors to help fund the event. Writers' organizations are nonprofit and rely on their membership fees to fund the group's activities, but larger conferences tend to cost more than what they take in from these fees. Once a preliminary conference budget has been worked up, you can calculate how much funding over the amount currently available is required. Talk with businesses and even some individuals who will donate to your group not only for the tax write off, but also for the good press you will provide by publicly thanking all of your sponsors.
4. Find a venue for your writer's conference. If the writer's conference will be held more than one day, then you will want to consider booking a hotel with banquet and meeting facilities or be sure there are plenty of nearby places for attendees to stay overnight. Hotels also make a good choice in case you will be serving dinner during an award's banquet or keynote speaker engagement. Book your venue far enough in advance to ensure the availability on the dates you need and find out about any required deposits and estimated charges involved.
5. Book speakers for the event. You will want to start this process as early as possible. For a writer's conference you want people from different areas of the publishing industry. This includes published authors, book and magazine editors and publishers, book doctors and literary agents. Writers, both published and unpublished, will be more likely to attend your event if you can book high profile speakers. Many people in the industry have their calendars full a year or even two years in advance, so the earlier you contact them, the more likely you will find enough speakers to fill your bill. You also need to arrange an agreeable speaker fee for each speaker.
6. Schedule speaker sessions. Any other planned events will also have to be taken into consideration when making the schedule.
7. Decide what other types of activities you want to schedule during the writer's conference. Many groups incorporate a writing contest in their conferences. Other activities might include a book sale, autograph party, one-on-one critiques with the attending speakers and buzz sessions.
8. Arrange a banquet where you have a keynote speaker address the audience, hold an awards ceremony or both. If your conference includes a banquet, you want to seriously consider holding it at a large hotel that is equipped with banquet facilities.
9. Promote the writer's conference. Writers can't attend what they don't know about. If the group doesn't already have a website, consider building one to help with advertisement. Talk to local newspapers and radio and television stations to see if they can make you a deal on advertising or do a story about your group and the upcoming event. Ask group members to help spread the word.

Tips & Warnings

• While planning events, try to include some casual get-togethers. Think about including a "happy hour" or informal reception sometime in between speaker sessions and an evening banquet.
• Always thank your volunteers for their time and efforts. The more appreciated they feel, the more likely they will be willing to help with future events.
• Always thank your speakers for attending. Giving them a little gift to remind them of their time with your group might encourage them to return for future events and is a nice way to show your appreciation.
• If the group holds an annual conference, you can also schedule events to start raising money for next year's event. Think about a silent auction, raffle drawings, basket wars or other fun events.
• If the conference is a large event, be sure to recruit as many volunteers as possible, as early as possible. You won't be able to do everything yourself and will wear yourself out trying.