Tuesday, September 18, 2012

American Christian Fiction Writers' Conference (ACFW)



Tomorrow I will be traveling to Dallas to attend the American Christian Fiction Writers' (ACFW) conference. This will be my first time attending a writers' conference and I am super excited, and a little nervous!
 
Just to give you a little background, the ACFW was organized in 2000 and has over 2500 members worldwide, consisting of authors, editors, agents, publicists and aspiring writers. The ACFW hosts an annual national conference that, "has become the premier event among Christian fiction writers and other industry professionals." Although I took this quote directly from the ACFW's website, I can attest that I have heard many people in the publishing industry mention the same thing. The ACFW has become known for its great networking opportunities and the quality classes that are offered. I have heard of authors who have found their agent and/or publisher at these conferences, as well as agents/editors/publishers who have found their authors. 

Because of the tremendous networking opportunities available at the conference, I have been preparing for a couple of weeks now. I have been polishing up my manuscript and query letter in the event I run into someone that may be interested in seeing them. I'm not holding my breath that someone will be interested in my work as there's really not a market for picture books right now--or at least I have heard and have been told several times. But at least I will be prepared in the event that there's a slight chance of something like that happening.

I found two helpful blog posts (listed below) in preparation for this conference, and any other conferences I may attend in the future. If you plan on attending the ACFW conference or any writers' conference, I hope this information is helpful to you as well.

Prepare for Conference Early
http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2012/06/prepare-for-conference-early.html

How to Pitch Agents at a Writers' Conference
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/how-to-pitch-agents-at-a-writers-conference
 
OK, wish me luck and say a little prayer for me...well, say a prayer for my anxiety, LOL! I am taking my laptop with me in hopes that I will get a chance to update my blog on a daily basis while there. 
 

God Bless!
T Denise Clary

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