Women Who Write, Inc.
Since 1988
CONFERENCE 2017
Last year's Conference was held Saturday, October 21, 2017
Women Who Write’s Seventh Annual Writers' Conference was once again held at The Madison Community House, 25 Cook Ave, Madison, NJ.
Attendees chose their programs for Sessions A, B, and C. For example, a prose writer may choose to hear a presentation of Women Who Write self-published authors, or a children’s writer may choose to listen to a Do's and Don't of a First Page program. Of course, some things weren't changed: first page sessions was offered again as well as a chance (for an extra fee) to meet 15 minutes with an editor/agent/poet for a critique of attendees submitted work.
Our Keynote morning address was on Applying Best Practices in Branding Your Writing Career for all attendees to hear and an afternoon Keynote address on The Staying Power of an Author.
Conference Photos by Juanita Kirton
FIRST PAGE SESSIONS
Attendees were able to bring four copies of the vry first page of a single manuscript wth them. They were advised to not put their name on the paper, but do include a title and indicate the genre (picture book, chapter book, middle grade, young adult, non-fiction). Their manuscript must fit on a single sheet of paper (begin at the top of the page). If a second page was submitted, only the first page would be read.
Directions for submitting first page: Use standard manuscript formatting—double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman or Courier font, one-inch margins all around, half-inch indents for each new paragraph, single column of text. You may include up to the first 23 printed lines (not sentences!) of text from your manuscript.
All the first pages were read aloud by a volunteer reader and two editors/agents will gave their critiques.
CRITIQUES by EDITORS, AGENTS AND POETS
Conferences are an excellent way to improve your writing and when one-on-one critiques are offered, you have a rare opportunity to get a professional assessment of your work. Often, though, we as writers are so in love with our words, that we expect everyone else to be as well. New writers may feel devastated when editors don’t immediately laud their manuscripts or offer the writer a contract on the spot. But a seasoned writer will go into a critique intending to pick the brain of the professional, and they will value honest criticism, which will make their work better. Editors and agents see hundreds of manuscripts yearly and they have a very good eye for what works and what doesn’t work. They are the best reviewers an author can have because they can see what is best in your story as well as where it slows down, becomes too wordy, or goes off track. So to get the most from your critiques, take a deep breath, and focus on what you can take from the professionals that may make your work good enough to make a future sale.
~ Pat Weissner
