Please share your thoughts on the best MAGAZINES for authors?
What writer ORGANIZATIONS do you recommend for authors?
Please share your thoughts on good CONFERENCES for authors to attend?
18 thoughts on “What are the best magazines, organizations & conferences for authors?”
I’m a big fan of the Ozark Creative Writers conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I’ve been twice, most recently last fall with Tess Gerritsen as the keynote speaker. It’s a small conference, (125-150 participants) so it isn’t as intimidating as a larger one.
I love this conference. I spoke at it years ago. Great venue, wonderful people & small enough that it’s not intimidating at all. Very friendly. Thanks for suggesting it, Douglas.
I know we are mainly concerned with fiction here, but if anyone can recommend a good non-fiction writers organization, I’d love to hear about it. Muchas gracias!
Writer’s Digest
Yes. Absolutely, Cynthia.
The Surrey International Writer’s Conference is the best I’ve been to. https://www.siwc.ca/. It’s in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, but attendees and presenters come from all over the world.
Many well-known writers and agents present there each year, with many choices of sessions to attend, covering every genre and category from idea to publishing. Even writers from this blog have presented there.
Wow. I love western Canada. Sounds intriguing, BJ. Thanks for the link.
I love the Iowa Summer Writing Festival because it feels like being back in college (held on campus in classrooms, small size groups) For general magazines, I like Poets and Writers and The Writer; I write women’s fiction and so the WFWA (Women Fiction Writer’s Association, 1100 strong, is a great support team and where I’ve found my tribe. And this year Writer’s Unboxed Conference in Salem MA right after Halloween – (held only every 2-3 years, attendance usually only around 90) superb line-up of speakers including David Corbett and Donald Maass.
I like that college campus vibe, too. Thanks for all the suggestions, Maggie.
Shameless plug for the Flathead River Writers Conference (full disclosure: I’m on the committee). Now in its 29th year, friendly to writers at all levels of experience. Speakers include a NY agent and a Simon & Schuster editor, plus award-winning fiction and nonfiction authors.
September 14-15 in Kalispell, MT. Plan to stay a few extra days for a trip to nearby Glacier National Park in its full fall glory.
IIiIII attended the Nebraska Writers Guild conference for the first time, this spring and it was really well done. Lots of workshops and great speakers and fun, interesting people. It’s not limited to writers from Nebraska, (I’m from Illinois) I met people from all over. I think they had about 150 people? Maybe more. I know they have another conference in the fall coming up.
I love the hands in feel of smaller conferences.
For years, I attended Romance Writers of America conferences – from their local chapters to the national event (that relocates across the country annually). I’m not a romance writer, but after being a member of many other national writer organizations, RWA was most geared for aspiring authors.
I got published because of my membership. And editors & agents remark that RWA authors are the best prepared for submissions because of their polished work.
I invited thriller author friends to attend their first RWA National Conference & these men were blown away at all the offerings from business & promotion to research & craft. They have agent & editor pitch appointments, plus the networking is fabulous.
Even if you’re not into romance, the offerings are phenomenal. PLUS you can buy a CD of all the handouts for workshops you can’t attend.
Killer Nashville was my first writer’s conference. I enjoyed it and will return this year.
Did anyone mention Killzoneblog? 🙂
Writers Police Academy
Sleuthfest, sponsored by the Florida MWA, is a good craft-based conference. Highly recommend it. Full disclosure, I was an instructor at last year’s SF and I’m an MWA member. Also recommend Mystery Scene magazine for reviews and articles. The magazine has a feature called “My Book” where writers can discuss the unique parts of their newest novel.
While not a ‘conference’, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society hosts BALTICON every May. It is a ‘Con’ dedicated to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Most of the panels focus on publishing and writing. They sponsor a young writers contest as well as amateur writing contest each year. While it has many ‘Con’-like aspects it never has movie or TV celebrities; The only celebrities are published authors. Also it has some of the most interesting and eclectic Science lectures.
I’m a big fan of the Ozark Creative Writers conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I’ve been twice, most recently last fall with Tess Gerritsen as the keynote speaker. It’s a small conference, (125-150 participants) so it isn’t as intimidating as a larger one.
I love this conference. I spoke at it years ago. Great venue, wonderful people & small enough that it’s not intimidating at all. Very friendly. Thanks for suggesting it, Douglas.
I know we are mainly concerned with fiction here, but if anyone can recommend a good non-fiction writers organization, I’d love to hear about it. Muchas gracias!
Writer’s Digest
Yes. Absolutely, Cynthia.
The Surrey International Writer’s Conference is the best I’ve been to. https://www.siwc.ca/. It’s in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, but attendees and presenters come from all over the world.
Many well-known writers and agents present there each year, with many choices of sessions to attend, covering every genre and category from idea to publishing. Even writers from this blog have presented there.
Wow. I love western Canada. Sounds intriguing, BJ. Thanks for the link.
I love the Iowa Summer Writing Festival because it feels like being back in college (held on campus in classrooms, small size groups) For general magazines, I like Poets and Writers and The Writer; I write women’s fiction and so the WFWA (Women Fiction Writer’s Association, 1100 strong, is a great support team and where I’ve found my tribe. And this year Writer’s Unboxed Conference in Salem MA right after Halloween – (held only every 2-3 years, attendance usually only around 90) superb line-up of speakers including David Corbett and Donald Maass.
I like that college campus vibe, too. Thanks for all the suggestions, Maggie.
Shameless plug for the Flathead River Writers Conference (full disclosure: I’m on the committee). Now in its 29th year, friendly to writers at all levels of experience. Speakers include a NY agent and a Simon & Schuster editor, plus award-winning fiction and nonfiction authors.
September 14-15 in Kalispell, MT. Plan to stay a few extra days for a trip to nearby Glacier National Park in its full fall glory.
https://www.authorsoftheflathead.org/conference
Montana would be a beautiful venue, Debbie. Thank you.
For organizations and conferences, if you have any affinity with, or interest in, Maine, the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance (http://mainewriters.org/) and its annual Maine Crime Wave conference (http://mainewriters.org/maine-crime-wave/)
IIiIII attended the Nebraska Writers Guild conference for the first time, this spring and it was really well done. Lots of workshops and great speakers and fun, interesting people. It’s not limited to writers from Nebraska, (I’m from Illinois) I met people from all over. I think they had about 150 people? Maybe more. I know they have another conference in the fall coming up.
I love the hands in feel of smaller conferences.
For years, I attended Romance Writers of America conferences – from their local chapters to the national event (that relocates across the country annually). I’m not a romance writer, but after being a member of many other national writer organizations, RWA was most geared for aspiring authors.
I got published because of my membership. And editors & agents remark that RWA authors are the best prepared for submissions because of their polished work.
I invited thriller author friends to attend their first RWA National Conference & these men were blown away at all the offerings from business & promotion to research & craft. They have agent & editor pitch appointments, plus the networking is fabulous.
Even if you’re not into romance, the offerings are phenomenal. PLUS you can buy a CD of all the handouts for workshops you can’t attend.
Killer Nashville was my first writer’s conference. I enjoyed it and will return this year.
Did anyone mention Killzoneblog? 🙂
Writers Police Academy
Sleuthfest, sponsored by the Florida MWA, is a good craft-based conference. Highly recommend it. Full disclosure, I was an instructor at last year’s SF and I’m an MWA member. Also recommend Mystery Scene magazine for reviews and articles. The magazine has a feature called “My Book” where writers can discuss the unique parts of their newest novel.
While not a ‘conference’, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society hosts BALTICON every May. It is a ‘Con’ dedicated to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Most of the panels focus on publishing and writing. They sponsor a young writers contest as well as amateur writing contest each year. While it has many ‘Con’-like aspects it never has movie or TV celebrities; The only celebrities are published authors. Also it has some of the most interesting and eclectic Science lectures.