I’ll be looking at WDC from a whole new perspective this year. Join me!
| I’ll be looking at WDC from a whole new perspective this year. Join me! |
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Join me at the top conference that truly is for EVERY writer."| | | Register by August 17 for your best rate! |
| Here at Writer’s Digest, we’re committed to serving all sorts of writers, at every stage of their journey—which is why we work so hard to be sure that our annual conference is an event that grows and changes with you.
I can attest to this firsthand, because it’s an event that has grown and changed with me.
Not so long ago, if you’d watched me—in my role as WD editor and event hostess—introduce speakers and sessions, you’d have seen me leave the podium, slip into the last row, and start fervently taking notes on ways to improve my novel(s)-in-progress.
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In more recent years, I’ve attended while seeking a home for my fiction and essays—meeting as many agents as I could and gleaning valuable advice from authors who were right where I wanted to be: actively publishing, and eager to share what they’d learned.
Now, on the heels of the release of my debut novel, Almost Missed You (which was named to Barnes & Noble’s Best New Fiction shortlist this spring, in no small part thanks to those scribbled notes!), and looking ahead to my second book with St. Martin’s Press, here are some of the 2017 Writer’s Digest Annual Conference sessions I’m most looking forward to:
• The Craft & Business of Women's Fiction: I’m pinching myself to be a participant on this panel, where I’ll be joined by some of the writers I most admire in the genre: Orly Konig (The Distance Home), Sally Koslow (The Widow Waltz), who followed a path similar to mine in turning from editor-in-chief (of McCall’s) to successful novelist; and Amy Sue Nathan (The Glass Wives), who founded the Women’s Fiction Writers Blog and is an active member of Tall Poppy Writers.
• What Literary Journal Editors Are Looking For: I’ve been thinking more and more about penning short stories and essays to supplement my novel writing, and this panel is an amazing opportunity to hear live and in person directly from acquiring editors at Barrelhouse, The Hudson Review, and other top venues.
• The Debut Author Panel: I’ve attended countless debut author panels over the years, but this is my first time having a seat on one! With Jenni Walsh (Becoming Bonnie), Tiffany D. Jackson (Allegedly) and Sophie Chen Keller (The Luster of Lost Things), I cannot wait to compare notes on our experiences across genres, agents and publishers thus far, and to share what we’ve learned about making a life as a writer.
• Keeping Your Book Alive Beyond Its Release: For traditionally and self-published authors alike, this is a big one. Surely we don’t want to cap years of work with a one-and-done publicity push! “Come prepared to discuss themes and topics related to your book and to brainstorm new promotion ideas to keep your book relevant and alive throughout your career,” says instructor Anjali Mitter Duva (author of the award-winning Faint Promise of Rain). Done and done.
No writing journey is a straight line. We change course; we progress; sometimes, we decide it’s time to take a step back, to refresh and reevaluate. No matter where you are in your path, consider making a stop at the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference.
Your craft and career will thank you. And I look forward to seeing you there!
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| Jessica Strawser
Editorial Director, Writer’s Digest, & Author, Almost Missed You
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