By Julie Lavender @JLavenderwrites 

If you’re straddling the fence about attending a writers’ conference, allow me to encourage you with some benefits I’ve experienced personally. (I recognize that the pandemic may inhibit your travel to BRMCWC 2020, but I’m hoping I can persuade you to start planning and budgeting now for the 2021 experience.)  

Of course, everyone hopes to secure that elusive publishing contract at a conference, so,

Benefit #1: Having Face-to-Face Conversations with Editors, Publishers, and Agents.

One-on-one appointments and conversations around the dinner table with editors, publishing house representatives, and agents are invaluable at conferences and you’ll have opportunities to share your ideas or ask questions in ways that can’t take place with a cold contact via email. 

However, you’ve heard the saying, “hurry up and wait”? Well, though I’m a testimony to the magical “yes” that can happen at a conference, it can still take time to see that dream come true. My book, 365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments Into Lasting Memories (Revell), comes out October 20 of this year. I first shared the idea with Vicki Crumpton, Revell editor, during a one-on-one session at Blue Ridge in May of 2017 and mentioned that Cyle Young, Hartline Literary Agency, had offered to represent me as a client. That one-on-one meeting with Cyle also took place that year at Blue Ridge.

With a quick, “I don’t want the holiday theme included, and if you sign with Cyle, have him send it to me,” our brief session was almost over. She made some suggestions about platform, too, and though I did sign with Cyle shortly after the conference, I took the rest of the year to work on the platform suggestions. 

Meeting with her again at BRMCWC 2018, I shared my blogging info and social media numbers, and she implied the need for higher numbers and a larger platform. 

 In 2019, Vicki represented Revell at the Florida Christian Writers Conference. I chatted with her there, showing her my borrowed platform numbers with several parenting and homeschooling blogging sites, and she responded, “Tell Cyle to send this to me again.” Five months later, I signed a contract. And did a happy dance. And celebrated with ice cream. And got busy finishing the manuscript.

Benefit # 2: Learning Valuable Information from Those in the Industry.

Not only did I meet with Vicki during one-on-one sessions, I attended classes she taught that were beneficial to my manuscript. I took continuing classes on writing proposals. I learned about nonfiction writing from published authors. I gained information about contracts from agent sessions. I did my best to absorb and soak in as much information as my brain could handle!

Benefit # 3: Bonding With Fellow Writers.

Writers’ conferences allow you to fellowship with comrades who get you, who understand the life of a writer. My husband and kids are super-supportive of my writing, but they can’t totally grasp the writing process. Some of my dearest friends now live in other states and time zones. Even though we only see each other a couple of times a year, we have a special bond of sisterhood that miles can’t separate. Oh, and many of those dear friends are now serving on my Lavender Launch Team for 365 Ways to Love Your Child! I’m honored that they’ve committed to share memes for me before and after the release of the book and, most importantly, to pray diligently for the families who’ll be impacted by my book. 

No matter where you are in the writing journey, attending a conference will be a blessing and benefit to your career. I hope you’ll seriously consider attending this year’s conference or start planning for BRMCWC 2021.   

Julie Lavender is a journalist, author, and former homeschooling mom of twenty-five years who holds a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. Julie is excited that her parenting book, 365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments into Lasting Memories, published by Revell, releases in October of this year. Julie also co-authored two devotionals in the last year with Michelle Cox, published by BroadStreet. Julie is a freelance stringer with her local newspaper, authoring over 900 features, columns, and articles. In 2014, Julie was one of twelve winners for Guideposts Magazine’s writer’s contest and attended a weeklong session in New York with Guideposts editors to learn more about writing for their publications. She’s since published in all four of their major publications, as well as their online site. Her work appears in magazines, compilations, and online. Julie is married to her high school and college sweetheart and is the mom of four, mother-in-law of one, and grandmommy to a precious, almost-two-year-old. Julie would love to connect with you at julielavenderwrites.com or on her Facebook group page, 365 Ways To Love Your Child.