Publishers' Conventions, conferences, etc.

[Balthazar]

Hope this is in the right place. I have read on these boards and others that it is a good idea to try to attend conferences and conventions in the publishing/agent/editorial trade to try to make contacts, keep up with publishing news, etc.

Does anyone know a website where these types of events are listed? I have yet to check the ABA (American Booksellers Assn.) but I imagine there must be other places.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Balthazar

[Teresa Edgerton]

I don't think you can even get into the ABA or other publishers or booksellers conventions without an invitation. As for writers' conferences, the kind where you may meet agents and publishers, these are generally very expensive. The only places I've ever seen them listed were in writers' magazines, but there are certain to be online sources for the information as well.

However, if you are writing speculative fiction, you have another option: SFF conventions (comparatively cheap, all things considered) where fans, writers, aspiring writers, and industry professionals of many different sorts, meet and interact in a less formal setting. Even when you don't make contacts you have a good time, and there is a strong possibility, if you attend these things often, to build up relationships over time.

[Balthazar]

Thanks so much for your response.

[Dahab]

Hi,

I have a link to a listing of US conventions but the forum won't let me post it in full (probably a spam thing). See below, but add the http etc at the start

news.ansible.co.uk/conlisti.html

[Meadowhawk]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

However, if you are writing speculative fiction...

Out of curiousity, Balthazar, what is you genre?

[Balthazar]

Hi Meadowhawk,

I am working on a YA fantasy novel. At the moment I have about 22,000 words, 90 manuscript pages. Perhaps I will post some excerpts here for critique.

[Teresa Edgerton]

I feel sure there are many SFF conventions both large and small in the Midwest.

[Meadowhawk]

Teresa is absolutely right.

There are even websites dedicated to helping you find them, case in point >>> Find an Event on ScifiConventions.com

[Balthazar]

Thanks so much for your responses. On another related subject I found agentquery.com which is a great resource. I am sure you all know about it already.

[I, Brian]

You often get agents and publishers, and representations from them, at the literary SFF conventions. Of course, knowing who they are is a different challenge.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Some conventions will have panels on publishing and there may be agents or editors on those (more often the latter). If you go to those panels, they'll indentify themselves.

I wrote a lengthy piece on making contacts in the world of SFF, and posted it in my own forum. It's message #45:

Rumblings (and Ramblings) at Madeline's -- JANUARY 2008