ACFW is going on this week, and I'm home all alone.
Well, if you're here reading, I guess I'm not all alone. But isn't it hard to sit home while so many of our Novel Rocket plans are whooping it up at ACFW?
In order to help us not get stuck home again, I decided to list some of the best writer's conferences for children's writers to attend. I'll go in alphabetical order.
Christian
This is not geared toward children's writers, but there are a few editors and agents there who will look at MG/YA proposals and there are plenty of YA writers in attendance. A great place to go to make new friends and meet old friends and the place to be if you want to keep in contact with the Christian publishers and agents. Held in swank hotels every fall--you'll get a good night's sleep at this one.
In the beautiful Smokey Mountains in the fall. This is a largish conference with classes for children's writers. I've heard great things about this one and they have a great faculty each year.
I've never been but I'll be attending in 2013 in the spring. A smaller conference but one with a great staff and a couple of mentoring tracks for children's writers.
This spring conference is, I believe, the largest Christian writers conference. This one does have a children's track most years. It has publishers who will look at children's fiction and nonfiction as well as some agents who are willing to look at YA proposals. This is my favorite conference, because of the beautiful setting (in the California redwoods) and the warm, friendly people. It's a bit on the rustic side and the beds are not the most comfortable, but other than that, this conference is perfect.
Finally one that is aimed specifically at children's writers. A small conference. A short conference. The perfect place to go if you want intimate and less expensive.
General Market
Highlights Foundation
Excellent workshops all year round. Wonderful accommodations and fantastic staff. I can't gush enough about these.
SCBWI Nationals
The summer conference. Very big, fantastic staff. Pay a little extra and get the paid critique. They are worth every penny. The workshops are great. This is for all children's writers--non-fiction, fiction, PBs through YA.
The winter conference. Ditto all I said above.
SCBWI Regional Conferences--Spring
SCBWI Regional Conferences--Fall
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Sally Apokedak is a new associate agent with the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency. She's looking forward to attending lots of conferences next year and hoping to build a dynamite list of children's authors (PB to YA). She is also the local liaison for SCBWI in Cobb County, Georgia.
