Category: conferences

Getting Out There

by Linda O. Johnston

Writers write. But to help sell what we write, we need to do promotion not only online, but also in person. So, we have to get out there.

Okay, I admit I’m doing it less than I used to before the pandemic. Not that I’m terrified about getting sick, but I kind of got used to not going to as many conferences as I used to. I previously attended Malice Domestic, Left Coast Crime and Bouchercon and the Romance Writers of America conferences often, as well as local meetings.

Now—well, I did go to Bouchercon and an RWA conference last year. This year, I’ve mostly just gone to meetings of local chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and Orange County Romance Writers, sometimes on Zoom.

Oh, and coming up will be the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and I’ll be signing at the local SinC and MWA booths there on Sunday, April 21.

Enjoyable? Yes. It’s always fun to see other writers in person, and to sell as many books as possible and get to autograph them for the buyers.

And I have to admit I miss the frequent lunches I used to attend with other Writers in Residence members. But some have moved away and it’s become more difficult to get together with any of them.

More conferences in the future? I hope to.

So—well, how do you get together with other writers these days? With readers? Only online, or do you see them in person too?

Writers and Conferences

by Linda O. Johnston

As you read this, I’ll be at Bouchercon, a mystery writers’ conference that’s in San Diego this year. I attended Bouchercon in Minneapolis last year. And it’s my second writers’ conference in 2023.  I was at the Romance Writers of America conference in July in Anaheim.

Yes, the conferences I’m attending are close to me this year. But I didn’t attend some others that were also close, such as California Crime Writers, which was in Culver City, and Left Coast Crime, in Tucson, Arizona.

Then there was a conference on the east coast that I used to go to every year: Malice Domestic, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Have I attended all of them before? Yes, and many in the same year. Of course things closed down because of COVID but they’re ramping up again. So’s my attendance, a bit. Will I ever return to the same level as before? Maybe, but I don’t know yet.

So why should writers go to conferences? Why do I go to conferences? Well, they’re a great place to connect with other writers, learn what they’re up to, see old friends and meet new ones. Editors, too. Depending on the conference, the traditional publishing houses also send some of their people to meet up with their authors and perhaps find new ones.

 The conferences also help writers learn more about their craft, since there are usually a lot of panels to see where other writers reveal their writing secrets. Maybe. But at least they talk on specified subjects that might be of interest to an attending writer.

And speaking of those panels, if you’re a published author you’re often assigned to be a speaker on one or more. At Bouchercon, my panel this year is: Mysterious Creatures: Wild Animals and Pets. I’m really looking forward to it. And yes, in case you’re not aware of it, I write a lot about creatures and pets in my stories, primarily dogs.

 How about you? Do you attend writing conferences? How do you decide which ones to attend? What do you hope to get out of them?

Oh, and by the way, I’d love for you to comment on this but I can’t promise when I’ll be able to respond–although I’ll try while I’m still at the conference.

Busy Then and Now 

By Linda O. Johnston

I’m busy.  I’m always busy. But busy before the pandemic began is a lot different from busy now.

Is that true for you, too?

 I’ve been writing forever, and I’m fortunate to be traditionally published a lot. That means I generally have faced a lot of upcoming deadlines. That hasn’t changed, although at the moment there seem to be more than usual.

But my busy-ness before was enhanced a lot by get-togethers with other writers at meetings of local chapters of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and sometimes more.  Then there were all the conferences I attended, which often included the Romance Writers of America National Conference, held annually in different locations. Then there were Malice Domestic, Left Coast Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and other mystery-related conferences. I attended at least one a year.  And in addition, there were annual conferences locally, such as the California Crime Writers Conference.

And now?  Well, some get-togethers are available virtually. I’ve attended some chapter meetings that way, but not annual conferences.  I know Malice Domestic will be virtual this year and I keep receiving emails about it—but so far I haven’t decided to go.

That’s all certainly different from before.  But things seem to be improving now, as far as the ability of people to meet in person, though in smaller groups, and the necessity of being vaccinated, and wearing masks, although that seems to be changing at least to some extent and in some locations.

So will I go back to the old ways as things open up again?  I don’t know yet. Tempting, yes, but I want to feel more secure that I won’t get sick or bring the virus home to others. And maybe I’m getting into bad, more solitary habits this way.

I’ve been delighted, though, to meet some of my fellow Writers in Residence for our usual—formerly—monthly lunch recently!

And you? Do you attend conferences now, virtually or in person? Writing events? Reading events?

Image by TaniaRose from Pixabay

Changes

by Linda O. Johnston

Linda O Johnston

Everyone’s careers, everyone’s lives, can change.  And does change.

Once upon a time I was a practicing real estate attorney.  I loved what I did, working in-house for a major oil company… that eventually had to sell off its assets, so that job ultimately ended.  My last work for that company consisted of doing project work for the law department’s remaining real estate group for a while, and I used that to continue my practice by doing real estate project work for other attorneys.

Till the economy tanked and I was unable to grab onto any other projects, or even full-time jobs.

I’d already been published by then, in paranormal romance, romantic suspense and cozy mysteries.  Writing then became my main career, and it remains that way today–although which genre I’m writing in does… change.  You guessed it.  I’m currently concentrating on Harlequin Romantic Suspense, which I love, but I’d also love to do some cozy mysteries as well and still remain traditionally published.

Then there are other things that change, like how to connect with other authors and readers, and how to promote my work.  Last year, I attended four conferences, two focusing on romance and two focusing on mystery: Romance Writers of America National Conference,  California Dreamin’, Malice Domestic, and California Crime Writers.  Loved them all.  But two of them, California Dreamin’  and  California Crime Writers, are held by local organizations, and they’re both held every other year, the same year.  Therefore, this is the off year.

I won’t be attending Malice Domestic this year even though I enjoy it, but its focus is cozy mysteries and I don’t have any new ones currently pending.

rwalogoThen there’s Romance Writers of America.  It’s in San Francisco this year, and I’d certainly planned to go there, only…  Well, things have changed in the entire organization.  It’s been rocked by a scandal involving discrimination issues.  I haven’t entirely followed all the changes and nuances, but a lot of people in charge have been ousted from their positions or resigned, and even a lot of members have decided not to renew their membership, even though the discrimination issues will hopefully all be addressed–and eliminated.

I’ve been a member for a long time, and I’m hopeful it will survive–including the local chapters I belong to–so I did renew.  I’d hoped also to still attend the national conference.  But even if it’s held this year, a lot of major traditional publishers have said they won’t participate, and that includes my romance publisher, Harlequin.

Colton First Resp So, instead of four conferences this year, I doubt I’ll attend any.

But will I keep on writing, and possibly in different genres?  Oh, yeah.   That’s who I am.

And by the way, my next published book will be available in about a week. It’s COLTON FIRST RESPONDER, a Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel that’s a February release.

 

 

 

 

This article was posted for Linda O. Johnston by Jackie Houchin (Photojaq)