Help me plan writing conferences I'll attend for the next several years.

September 4, 2013 8:36 PM

I run a small press that primarily publishes speculative literature, and I am also a writer. I'd like to plan the next several years' worth of writing conferences to attend so I can plan for vacation days from my day job, finances, etc. What cons do you love and why?

I went to AWP last year - the first serious conference I had gone to (prior to that I'd only attended small local-ish sf cons). I found it tremendously helpful in giving me ideas for promotion and marketing, and networking with other writers and publishers (plus, it was a lot of fun). I also sold some books, which was helpful.

I've decided that I'll be attending AWP every second year and would like to go to at least one big(ish) or several little sf/f/h cons (besides Hypericon, which is in Nashville where I live). I'm happier if it's within driving distance (about 10 hours max from Nashville) but am willing to travel farther for bigger conferences.

What cons should be on my shortlist?

posted by joannemerriam to Writing & Language (4 answers total)

Best answer: I went to Wiscon and Worldcon this year - both were great for different reasons. The networking at Worldcon was top-fucking-notch (although I am fully aware that I have been astonishingly lucky.) Wiscon is a feminist convention and the programming was almost entirely relevant to my interests, and the demographics were closer to my own (30s and female.)

Worldcon is in a different location every year, and it's expensive. Wiscon is much more doable.
posted by restless_nomad at 8:44 PM on September 4, 2013

Best answer: I met restless_nomad (very briefly and awkwardly) at WorldCon this year, and I'll second it as a place you oughta be.

Next year, it's in London, but when it's outside North America, some North American con is designated as NASFIC (North American Science Fiction Con). And in 2014, it'll be DetCon 1 in Detroit--about 7 hours away from you according to Google. Looking ahead three years, I don't know of another WorldCon bid for 2016 besides the one in Kansas City, so that's likely a second NASFIC/WorldCon less than 9 hours away from you within three years.

Incidentally, GenCon is in Indianapolis every year, only ~4 hours away from you, and it's getting to be a pretty noteworthy SF/F writing event. Check out this year's author list and schedule. Unless the dealer's room has changed a lot in recent years, I wouldn't recommend trying to sell fiction there, but there's tons of stuff to do on top of the writer's symposium.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 8:59 PM on September 4, 2013

Best answer: Another one to consider is Readercon. I can't offer useful experience since the last one I attended was 30 years ago, but maybe someone else here can.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:11 PM on September 4, 2013

Best answer: Seconding Readercon. I haven't gone myself yet (hope to this summer), but several friends of mine have, and they've enjoyed it tremendously. It focuses a lot on the literature end of spec fic, and the guest list is, for my money, always impressive.

I'd add World Fantasy to the agenda as well. While obviously it isn't so big on the SF part of spec fic, the size (it caps at a thousand or so, if memory serves) and the quality of the experience puts it high on several professionals' priorities.
posted by xenization at 6:41 AM on September 5, 2013