My first Women in Publishing conference

Zooming for four days, coffee chats, and starting a brand new Facebook group.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

As a writer and someday author, I prioritize community. This, and continued learning of my craft are two things I knew I needed in order to succeed. Surround yourself with successful people and you will succeed. Or something like that. Tim Ferriss wrote an entire book about this called “Tribe Of Mentors.” 

With my Writing Class Radio groups, classes, and current memoir class from Brooke Warner, I was able to meet an awesome group of really talented writers.

But I had yet to attend my first conference, because dangit, writing conferences are so expensive. I wanted to attend the one in Kauai last November and the one in Mexico City in February, but with the cost of flights and hotels, I was priced out. 

So when I heard about Women in Publishing from my teacher Brooke, I decided to go for it. At $147 for four days plus opportunities to network, it was practically free. 

What I liked

Each day was filled with sessions around topics like hybrid vs. traditional publishing, how to start a podcast, marketing your book, and what to expect when working with an editor. In between, there were coffee breaks and opportunities to connect with other attendees. 

When these coffee chat rooms were larger than three or four people, it sometimes became too difficult to talk or jump into a conversation. A bunch of women on Zoom—trust me, there were barely moments where I could get a word in edgewise, much less unmute myself to say hello. I also had my share of moments when the room was completely silent. But hey… it’s Zoom… there’s no perfect scenario.

During these chats, sometimes an author would say the name of their book, and another person would suddenly pull out the book from their bookcase! I enjoyed learning about what people were working on and was impressed by the mix of genres from fantasy to how-tos, and children’s books.

Something else I liked about the conference that I wasn’t expecting was the sponsored sessions. They gave me a better understanding of how certain publishing tools work, like the Ingram Spark Self-Publishing platform.

I think it’s important to at least know what these platforms can do so I can better prepare myself before publishing creeps ups on me.  

It dawned on me that not everyone understands marketing

The great thing about virtual conferences is the ability to hop in and out of sessions. I realized the plethora of marketing sessions was very basic, at least for me. My background is in marketing, so after dipping in and out of a few, I realized they were not for me. 

But I could see how they would be useful for those who are overwhelmed or lost when it comes to social media and growing a following. These days, even if you get published traditionally, authors are still expected to do their part in promoting their books. 

If anything, I got to see what these marketing sessions were about and it gave me ideas for what to write about on my Substack. Maybe I can dedicate a few newsletters to marketing. 🤔 If you think about it, this Substack is my marketing for my memoir. 

My favorite part of the conference: Slushpile

I learned a new term in publishing—slushpile. This is where manuscripts go to die. An editor or intern reads it, and if it doesn’t make the cut, it goes into the slushpile. 

On the final day of the conference, we had the Slushpile Session. This is where a handful of the first pages of a manuscript (submitted by attendees) were plucked and read by the WIP organizer. Then, they were critiqued by editors and publishers. Imagine a bunch of female Simon Cowells ready to pounce with sharp feedback.

I was so looking forward to this! It was a chance for me to absorb and better understand how other writers structured their first few pages—which is crucial in the book world. I also paid attention to their writing style and prose.  

I threw on my earbuds and tuned in from my phone and went on a long walk. As I listened, I pretended I was on the panel of Simon Cowells, and internalized my feedback. I was surprised to hear similar comments from the pros. I had my “omg, maybe I am getting better as a writer and editor” moment. Zing!

Most of the feedback was brutal, but as they say, you gotta thicken your skin and learn how to roll with the punches to improve. Man, I wished every day ended with the Slushpile Sesh because it helped me better understand what kind of writing appeals to editors and publishers vs. what falls flat.  

A new community 

On the last day and in the final Zoom networking session, I met a fantastic group of women. We ended up chatting for way longer than the allotted schedule and kept the conversation going via email. The thread got longer and longer (email anxiety) until I finally asked if we should just start our own Facebook group. 

Lo and behold, I kicked off the group and we’re now using it to keep in touch, swap chapters and give feedback, and generally support each other. This is what community is all about. I’m humbled by everyone in the group and hope it continues to evolve and grow. 

Overall, I had a great experience and I’m still going through the sessions that I missed—all of the sessions are recorded and made available after the conference is over. Yay. 

For next year’s WIP, there are whispers to have it in person, which could be fun but also more expensive and a lot more work for the organizers.

Here’s more on writing and stuff.

Changing my memoir's story (and testing different book covers to help with inspiration)

ReVISIONing the editing process

The price tag for writing groups and classes

Why we should all write more uselessly