Conferences, Contests, etc.

Today I'm writing to let people know about a couple of potentially great writers conferences coming up. I recently attended the Midwest Writers Conference and won't be attending another conference until next year, but if I hadn't, I would definitely be looking at one of the following two conferences:

1) The Writer's Digest Conference, Sept. 18-20. This conference has a heavy focus on publishing, both traditional and self-publishing, and marketing. It has a big line-up of speakers. It looks like a conference that would be very helpful for pre-published or newly-published writers who are still learning about the whole industry and making decisions about what is right for their books.

2) The Backspace Writers Conference, Nov. 5-6. The Backspace Writers organization is a great one to check out. Visit their website if you are looking for more community, learning and support for and from writers. Their conference caught my eye because it emphasizes an agent-author connection, and I know one author who befriended the agent who eventually became her agent at this conference.

Finally, for a fun little writing contest (25 word limit with the potential to be published in an anthology!) check out JA Konrath's blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, which can be found on the left-hand column on my page. He has all the details and links for you.