Are Writing Conferences Worth it? My Experience at SFWC

If you’re a writer like myself, or just thinking about getting started on your writing journey, then you’ve probably heard of a writers conference and asked yourself this question.

Put simply: a writers conference is a giant meeting–either annually, or bi-annually–where publishers, authors (both published and yet-to-publish), publicists, agents, editors, and even online/physical book retailers and services all congregate to share their knowledge and network with one another.

Onto the next burning question–is it worth it to spend my hard earned (and scant) money to go to one? The short answer in my experience? Yes. The long answer? It really depends on what you want to get out of it and if you have the money to spend.

Keep on reading and I’ll walk you through day 1-4 of my experience at SFWC (San Francisco Writer’s Conference) 2022.

Deciding to go

First off, allow me to give some pretext as to how I came about attending the San Francisco Writers Conference of 2022. In 2019, just before the craziness of the COVID pandemic hit, I’d made it one of my writing goals to attend a writing conference. Of course, the pandemic threw a massive wrench into my plans as every conference across the country was cancelled indefinitely. I did some research on local conferences, and after looking into what each one had to offer, I settled on SFWC due to the size of the conference and its plethora of opportunities and classes (sessions).

The good news?

This meant that I had two years to buckle-down and prepare myself to have everything I would need to get the absolute most out of everything a conference has to offer. So, I got to work. I edited the hell out of my first completed manuscript, paying for a sample edit, polishing up my query, writing an in-depth synopsis, and doing everything I could to get it into tip-top shape and perfect my craft. Then, I set myself a goal to complete a second, entirely separate novel, that way I could have two completed manuscripts under my belt to pitch and appeal to agents of different taste.

Over the span of the next two years, I managed to meet my goals. I also created my own author website and became active on Twitter (see my blog on getting started with Twitter here).

The first major benefit of deciding to go to a conference? Having a concrete deadline set to accomplish many of my writing goals. The closer the conference drew, the harder I had to work to meet my deadlines. This mental push in itself was of insane value to me, as I was able to finish the majority an entire 62,000 word novel in the span of about 6 months (blog to come on spending a week in a remote hunter’s cabin as a writer’s retreat) and become active in the writer community on Twitter (the rest of the time was spent editing/perfecting my first MS and dealing with changes in work and various other life obstacles).

Conclusion: I recommend that ANYONE that decides they’re going to go to a conference think about having at least one completed work to bring with them to pitch. Having at least the beginning of an author platform (social media accounts/website) is also a huge bonus, that way you can make business cards with your socials and website to hand out to anyone you meet. Having these goals and a plan really set me up to get the most out of my investment, which leads me to the next topic I’d like to discuss…

Costs and how to SAVE $

With my pre-conference goals set, I made the commitment to pay. This might be the biggest question on anyone’s mind considering attending a conference–is it worth the money?

As a financially conscious and struggling writer, this was one of the biggest questions on my mind, too. My first bit of advice? Pick a conference that’s close to you.

By picking a conference that’s local, you immediately save on the cost of travel. Not only that, but in all likelihood, you’re going to meet the professionals that are in your neighborhood and it will be much easier to stay in touch/connect with them since you share the common denominator of proximity (although, with the internet, it’s not difficult to stay in touch, but having where you live in common definitely helps you connect).

Let’s dive into my personal costs. You don’t have to be from California to know that San Francisco isn’t exactly a cheap place to travel to or live (in fact, it’s #2, right behind New York in all of the U.S.). That said, allow me to break down the total costs of my trip. The fee to attend the conference was $800.

As far as optional charges, I paid $75 for speed dating (had an agent request query/pages through this, so I recommend this option for anyone with a completed MS), $75 for concierge service (more on this in DAY 1), and $129 for a masterclass on Marketing (one of my primary reasons for going was to gain marketing knowledge). In total, that’s $1079 for services directly linked to the conference–not a small amount, especially in these trying times. To save on costs, I think it’s completely viable not to pay for any extras, depending on what you want out of the conference and how much expendable income you have, although if you can afford it, I feel that you will get your money’s worth out of them.

Now, let’s move onto travel and food.

Since I was local, the total gas costs using a fuel-efficient vehicle was around $30 (round-trip). To save on the cost of accommodations, I opted for a $29 a night AirB&B for 4 nights for a total of $181 total (after fees/tax). This was perhaps my biggest savings, as staying in the hotel that the conference was held at would’ve cost me $250 a night ($1000 total before tax/fees). That said, there were some downsides that I’ll explain below.

For this kind of price in SF, I was sharing a single room with 6 people. That meant when my alarm went off at 6 AM every morning, I had at least one person glaring at me from their bunk bed for having it go off. It also meant I had to compete to get a shower on time and walk just under a mile to the BART station to get to the conference hotel. I’d picked this location to stay at because of its close proximity to public transit. It cost me a total of $25 to use BART for a total of 4 days to and from the conference.

In total, for board and BART, it cost around $250. Now onto food.

The morning sessions of the conference provided a complimentary breakfast. For me, to save on costs, that meant eating enough of a meal there so as not to pass out until dinner. I packed some protein bars and snacks along with me to sustain myself throughout the afternoon, and in total, I spent roughly $100 on food outside of that, eating at a food truck when I could find one, splurging on one day, and eating a dinner provided at one of the events on another.

In total, for travel, board, and food, I spent roughly $400–not bad, all things considered.

That brings my total expenses to roughly $1,500, the vast majority being the fees associated with attending the conference itself.

There you go, a comprehensive list detailing how much it cost to go to perhaps one of the most expensive conferences to attend in the U.S. If you live anywhere else, I’m sure you can attend for a good deal under this amount, so don’t be intimidated. As I said before, I’d planned to go to this thing years in advance, and had saved accordingly, being as frugal as possible before it came time to go.

Side Note: I paid $50 to have 300 business cards made before the conference. This is something I’d recommend everyone do, since everyone at the conference is going to be meeting so many people. Giving the people you meet a physical thing with your contact information to remember you by is a great way to make sure those connections stick. Having the goal of getting business cards made is also another motivator to finish creating that website you’ve been putting off, and even to get active on that social media account, that way you have some great resources to put on your card.

Conclusion: Make sure that you have the appropriate funds if you plan on attending a conference, and ALWAYS plan ahead of time. If you’re creative, there are plenty of ways to save money and still do the things you want to do. Sometimes, it just takes sacrificing comfort. In my experience with life, discomfort and hardship breed creativity, so embrace the things that make you uncomfortable.

Day 1: Getting to the Conference

Arriving to the Hyatt Regency in SF was a nerve-wracking experience. Like most people, for the past two years my entire mental state had been centered around avoiding people and thriving in the seclusion of my room like the introverted cave-troll that I am.

But now, I was going to be around hundreds of people that I’d never met. Now, I was going to have to undergo metamorphosis into a different creature–a social creature willing to meet everyone I came across.

I got my conference bag with a schedule and useful information, then the conference began with an introductory panel of various agents, digital media marketers, and organizers. The good news is that everyone seemed as reserved as I was–at first–but it didn’t take long between the little breaks until people started to congregate in circles and do as they were advised: meet new people and talk to everyone.

Still having the social jitters, I stuck to myself and didn’t introduce myself to anyone. I did, however, sign up for the concierge service to meet with someone (shout out to Kevin for being my awesome concierge) that could give me a bit of advice on how to get the most out of the conference. I took advantage of this thirty minute meeting ($75) on a spur-of-the-moment decision to get thoughts on my pitch and get any advice I could. It definitely helped to talk with someone that has made it as a writer, and to know that the people at the conference really are there to help writers in their careers and not a bunch of big scary monsters that I had in my head.

Best advice I received – Don’t stick to a set schedule or worry about how you have to get to the next session. The most important thing is to enjoy the randomness of the event. If you happen across an agent or someone else you want to speak with, don’t rush to get to the next place. Be in the moment and just talk to them and enjoy yourself.

After the concierge, I made sure I was signed up for a free 8-minute publicist consultation and 8-minute editor consultation (make sure you take advantage of EVERY free consultation/offer there is), and used the feedback from my concierge to rework and practice my pitch.

Later in the evening, I attended a no host/no pitch event in the bar, and it was here that I really started to loosen up (thanks, alcohol). In the casual environment of the hotel bar, I felt more at ease, and after a few drinks, I had the courage-juice I needed to do something that doesn’t come easy to me–introduce myself to total strangers. I talked with a few great people that also happened to be writing that were likely just as overwhelmed with the prospect of talking to random people as I was.

Conclusion: It really is just as easy as going up to people and saying “Hi, how are you? My name is _____” to meet people. The absolute best thing you can do on the first day is to shake off those social jitters and just talk to people–doing this set me up for success in the days to come. I guarantee every single person you approach will want to talk to you, after all, that’s what they’re there to do, so don’t wait for them to come up to you–take the first step (this applies to social media as well)!

Day 2: An Onslaught of Information

After enjoying breakfast and listening to the first keynote of the conference, it came time for my editor consultation. As it happened, the editor I was going to be speaking with was outside of the room when I got there early, and I got to speak with her for about fifteen minutes before we were (firmly) directed to enter the room and begin the actual 8-minute consult.

This was invaluable, as 8 minutes is not a lot of time to discuss writing (we were still in the middle of discussing my work when the bell rang and I was firmly directed out to make sure the next person didn’t lose any time), so having an extra 15 minutes just because I happened across her was a great stroke of luck. This also goes back to the advice I received on day 1–embracing the randomness. If I hadn’t had the courage to go up to her, I would have missed out on the opportunity to get more valuable time to ask questions and get feedback.

The rest of the day was filled with session after session (classes). Since there were about 5-6 hour-long sessions going on at a time, this meant I had to prioritize which ones I wanted to attend. Looking through the schedule in the morning, I’d already circled the ones I wanted to go to, so I already had my plan of action.

Bit of advice: TAKE NOTES. I can’t emphasize this enough. You’d be surprised at the number of people I saw not doing this. Although a laptop may be quicker and easier, I recommend using a physical pen and paper. There’s a psychological element to the process of physically writing things down that increases the brains ability to retain information. Having a dedicated notebook to take notes on every single bit of useful information I could helped immensely to get the most out of each session, and it definitely helped things stick.

One thing that I knew very little about and was keen to know more about was marketing–how to establish an author platform and set myself up for a successful book launch–so I made it a priority to attend any sessions addressing anything about the subject.

My first session was on self-publishing and there I learned about the advantages it offers. This information was incredibly useful, and at the end of the session, a 15 minute Q&A was open to the room, so I got to ask a few of the MANY questions running through my head. As a big fan of YouTube for information, I was surprised at what a huge difference it made hearing someone speak in-person and being able to immediately ask any questions I had about things.

Not having the line of communication locked behind a screen was a huge bonus for retention, and the openness of the presenters to have people go up to them afterward and continue asking questions was also incredibly helpful. I never got the sense that they wanted to be done talking and for me to go away. They all enjoyed answering questions and helping people out; that’s what they were there for.

I attended two other marketing sessions (1 hour each), each one just as useful as the last (one on working with a book coach, another on publicists) and they all provided an absolute wealth of knowledge. By the end of each one, I felt my brain pulsing with all kinds of new ideas and, most importantly, I felt like I had something I’d been missing–a new, revitalized sense of focus on what I needed to do to be successful in my writing career.

A few key takeaways:

• Don’t even think about hiring a publicist if you haven’t at least already built the beginnings of an author platform; there’s not much they’ll be able to do for you and your expectations won’t be met. Be VERY cautious about who you do decide to spend money on hiring to promote you and your work, and understand that you still have to do a ton of the legwork involved with getting yourself out there.
• If you go hybrid, a lot of the time the contracts suck. After hearing so many horror stories and how much of a cut they take, constraints they put on controlling your work/copyrights, I’d advise just going self-pub, but do what’s best for you and do TONS of research if you take the hybrid path and plan/prepare accordingly no matter what path you take (self-publishing still takes a ton of prep./work). If you go traditional, don’t sell out easily and also be hyper-aware of what your contract states and how much you will be making–don’t be afraid to ask for more, or at the very least ask questions–and it’s always a good idea to have any contract you get reviewed by a lawyer. After all, you poured your heart and soul into the thing, you should have the gall to stand up for it and yourself, but don’t be overzealous and still remain reasonable.
• Traditional publishing is great to get into physical bookstores and build instant credibility to your name, but you are still expected to establish a personal author platform and do a ton of the legwork and promotion on your own.

• It should also be noted that more and more successful self-published authors are approached by big trad. publishing houses with offers, so self-publishing has become another way to get trad. published if that’s what you want (this is great news and something to definitely think about). BUT, it can also have the opposite effect if your book is a flop, because once it’s out there with your name attached and not selling, no trad. publisher is going to want touch you or your book with a ten-foot pole. That said, self-publishing is a business and as such, you must be prepared to invest in it by paying for a good editor/cover designer and making it as close to a trad. published book as possible before putting it out into the market. Don’t try to skimp out on taking the proper steps to making it the best it can be. <– read this again

After 4 hours of non-stop sessions and learning, it came time to practice my pitch with other writers.

This session is a must for anyone that plans to attend a speed-dating session with agents. It was also more nerve-wracking than pitching to the agents themselves, because you have to sit around in a group of 8 people and pitch rather than just pitching to 1 and having that 1 person judge you. All-in-all, definitely a great way to prepare yourself and refine your pitch.

At the end of the day, I ended up in the bar again, where I happened across one of the presenters from the self-publishing session I’d attended. After gathering the gall to approach them and sit and join them with my drink, I had an absolute blast learning more about them and we ended up talking for several hours into the night. Talking with them put me at ease and increased my confidence to just talk to people, and it provided incredible value in terms of information, but above all–it was fun!

Day 3: We’re Not Done Yet

Day 3 was much of the same as day 2 (attending session after session and learning as much as possible), so I’m going to go over the most unique things that happened and reiterate some points.

Again, it’s crucial that to make the most of your time, you plan ahead which sessions you want to attend. I guarantee there will be sessions that appeal to your niche; if you write non-fiction and want to know more about that, there will be a session for it. Same with YA, children’s, and any other genre niche you can think of, so know what you want to learn about, find those sessions in your schedule, and prioritize them.

In the morning, the special event was getting to meet the agents/editors that would be attending the speed-dating session. I took as many notes as I could on what each one was looking for and made sure to circle 2-4 that I thought would be the best fit for my pitch. This helped immensely when it came time for speed-dating, as there’s no possible way to pitch to every agent, you’re likely only going to be able to pitch 2-3 (maybe 4, if you’re strategic with what lines you get into).

Later in the afternoon after 4 more hours of sessions, there was an “ask a pro” session, where the agents/editors from the morning answered any of the burning questions the various writers in the room might have. This was a must, as it gave an even clearer picture of which agents/editors I was going to approach, and even led to me crossing a few off my list once they got more in-depth into what they were looking for or feeling that maybe they wouldn’t be a good match for me.

When the evening came around, it was time for the cocktail networking party. This was a fantastic way to get to meet people in a casual, bar-like environment with the help of alcohol to loosen the nerves. For anyone that might have struggled with approaching people, this was a great opportunity to make up for lost time and give them the push they need to get out there. Thankfully, I’d already been talking to everyone and anyone I could, so I had no issue approaching people here. This event allowed me to meet so many great people, and I met a bunch of fellow writers writing in the same genre as me with really interesting stories. I exchanged emails and business cards every chance I had, and it led to a great many contacts to get a hold of for the possibility of future reviews or exchanging material for beta reading. A poetry event was held in tandem, so I even got to sign up for the open-mic and cross reading a poem at an open event off my bucket list.

Day 4: Mental Exhaustion is Real

The last day of the conference. At this point, I think pretty much everyone had their social batteries thoroughly drained. There was an undeniable air of exhaustion throughout the room as announcements and appreciations were made at breakfast.

Tables that we once entirely filled were scarcely occupied or empty altogether, as a large number of the attendees had already begun their journey back home, not staying for the final send off. I didn’t blame them, as I felt mentally spent after having talked with more people than I had in the past 5 years of my life and was feeling more than ready to return to the comfort of my own bed.

But I persisted and prevailed, and since I had speed-dating later in the afternoon, I prepared myself for what was to come. I attended two more sessions, and then it was time for the much anticipated finale–speed dating.

Important Note: I’d advise getting in line at least 30 minutes prior to your speed-dating start time, because it gives you the opportunity to get ahead of people and be the first one to approach your agent of choice.

I arrived to the line at 10:45 with a start time of 11:00 AM, and did one last round of pitch-practice with two fellow writers standing with me. As it happened, one of the writers that practiced with me had a very similar novel dealing with similar issues, and we agreed to beta read each others work–another last minute bonus of random conversations with everyone.

When the clock started ticking, I already knew which two agents I really wanted to pitch, but hoped to get a third. The time went at light speed, and my first agent (who I had to wait for 5 people ahead of me, taking up almost half my time to pitch at 25 minutes) said they already had a client with a similar work, and I got a pass. Undeterred, I got in line to pitch my second agent. With four people ahead, it would leave me 10 minutes to try and pitch a third.

I sat down and gave my pitch, and thankfully, got a request for my query and first twenty pages. I felt ecstatic to know all my time spent practicing my pitch was not all for naught, and I had the sense that the agent was a good fit as a person for me and that she seemed interested. Unfortunately, I only had 10 minutes left after pitching her and there were too many people ahead to pitch the other agents I was hoping to get to.

Ultimately, mission success. As someone who had queried over thirty agents with only one partial and one full request prior to this, it felt good to get an instant response rather than waiting for months on end through mostly silence (and the occasional personal rejection) to know that an agent wanted to see what I had. Only time will tell if it’s something the agent wants to represent, but it still felt better than querying into the void and to know that at least my foot was in the door–and that I was a face to the agent now, not just a random name in their inbox.

After speed dating, there was only one thing left to do, which was attend the masterclass I’d paid for on marketing to media outlets and how to write a media-worthy pitch to get on the air. The class was very informative and I definitely felt like I got my money’s worth, but by the end of it, it felt like someone had poked a hole in my brain, letting out the air I’m always told is in there.

Final thoughts

If what you’re trying to get out of a conference is a ton of information and the chance to meet many like-minded people that may become friends and colleagues to share works and thoughts with in the future, then I would say there is absolutely no way to lose. You just have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there. Every random chance I took to speak with someone new made me step away feeling refreshed–it made me feel like the writing world isn’t as brutal and lonely as I thought.

Whenever I would see an orange name tag (presenters, agents, etc.), if there wasn’t someone talking to them, I’d just step up and introduce myself, and that is where a lot of the value of a conference lies–just getting to meet people that have made it and to know that they started out exactly where you are, and that you’re not alone in wanting to succeed, they want you to as well!

After I got home, I retreated into my shell for a day, but then I started going through the 40+ business cards and emails I’d acquired to send an email to everyone I spoke with to thank them for their time and conversation. I think this is a nice gesture to take an extra step, and no matter the outcome, I’m eternally grateful for every unique interaction I had and won’t soon forget them. I have a newfound focus and can honestly say my confidence in what I need to do has grown immensely.

The true beauty of a writing conference is the sheer unpredictability. You never know just what or who you’re going to come across, and if you happen upon an agent and start a conversation with them, you might just have the novel that they’re looking for or find the inspiration you needed.

Comment down below if you want to share how your experience at a writing conference went, or if you have questions, I’m happy to do my best to answer them!

That said, if you enjoyed this blog and found the information I provided valuable, I’d appreciate it so much if you signed up for my newsletter. You’ll get a free e-book copy of Book I of my upcoming High Fantasy, Thief Among Sheep, and I intend to provide only things of value and NEVER spam, so if free stuff stuff sounds good to you, then sign up.

P.S. – Feel free to reach out to me/follow me on Twitter or send me an email at [email protected] if you want to connect. Don’t be a stranger, I’m just some guy and I’m happy to talk and share what I’ve learned (and always eager to learn more).

Thank you so much for reading, and above all, as always, take care of yourselves and never give up!

-M.F. Senden