Following Through After a Conference

with Amy Green, Bethany House Fiction Publicist

I’m a huge fan of writing conferences. In fact, this year, I co-taught one at the ACFW conference with Melissa Tagg.

Amy Green with Bethany House Author Melissa Tagg

(We called it “Stress-Free Marketing” because who wouldn’t want less stress in their lives?) She brought the author perspective, I brought the publisher perspective as the fiction publicist at Bethany House. Hopefully that class and the dozens of other classes and workshops at the conference were really helpful to the writers there.

Our presentation for the class. Sidenote: I’d highly recommend prezi.com for creating presentations. They have lovely, easy-to-use templates that work better than PowerPoint for people with non-linear brains

However, I also know conferences have the tendency to be A. overwhelming extravaganzas of information-overload and B. often focused more on (really good) abstract ideas than (really important) practical application.

As I was planning this post, I noticed Sandra wrote a great post a few months ago covering all of the connect-and-organize details, like contacting editors, taking care of expenses, and putting the swag, books, and business cards you may have collected into some semblance of order.

Which means I don’t have to talk about any of that, which is great, because you can only listen to me for so long without getting bored.

What I want to focus on is more big-picture stuff. It can be easy to learn a bunch of new things and have good intentions to apply it all to your writing, editing, and marketing…and then never do it. Here are some tips for following through and putting what you learned into action.

Amy Green (standing) Melissa Tagg (waiting her turn) at ACFW Conference in Dallas

Step One: Take a deep breath. Maybe wait a week or two to dive back into conference material. After all, you’ve probably gotten behind on a lot of things while you were gone…emails, dishes, family time. (Though my general philosophy is that dusting can always wait.) Catch up, rest a bit…but not too long, or you’re likely to not revisit the conference information at all.

Step Two: Get reacquainted. Get out your notes and handouts and go over them again. Not like a detective studying a case file. More like a mom sorting through her child’s adorable macaroni paintings, Grandparent’s Day essays and “Most Talkative” Awards. (I got two of those in elementary school, in case you were wondering.) Meaning  you should organize (put handouts with the notes for that class, for example), trash (in case there was a handout that didn’t apply or contained information you already knew), and familiarize (do a quick scan of the material).

Step Three: Focus. Take a highlighter and mark the parts of the classes that created “lightbulb” moments in your head—“I’ve never thought about that before!” “This is a weakness I know I have.” “Here’s something I want to learn more about.” “I wonder what would happen if I took this idea, and….” Those will be the sections you most want to revisit.

Step Four: Make an action plan. Melissa and I actually had the writers attending our “Stress-Free Marketing” class fill out an action plan worksheet in class. It had questions for each of our main topics guiding the authors through application—the specific details about what they actually wanted to change based on what they learned.

Here are some suggestions for creating a plan of your own (broken down into two categories because their application looks fundamentally different). I’d suggest pulling a few questions out of these lists and answering them for one or two classes you found most helpful. More than that, and it’ll probably get overwhelming.

Craft Classes:

·         Which of the topics/points mentioned is a weakness for me? What can I do to address this? (Brainstorm a list.)

·         In my current work in progress (or the next project I will write), what is one area I’d really want to grow in? How can I make sure that happens? (Put a Post-It note on your computer, have your critique group specifically look for growth in that area, ask other authors for tips and keep them handy as you write, etc.)

·         Did one theme/topic stand out from this class? Do I know an author who seems to have mastered this? (Read a book or several by this author focusing on how the author accomplished the goal you noticed—such as tighter pacing, natural-feeling spiritual thread, realistic kid dialogue, etc. Take notes, even.)

·         If I learned about a new genre/type of writing, what more would I need to know before deciding to write in this way myself?

Task-Oriented Classes: (Could include marketing, panels on agents, checklists for self-editing, etc.)

·         What part of the class was something I’d like to research more? Do I know anyone who seems to be more experienced in this area? What questions can I ask him/her or research in other ways? (Internet, agent blogs, books on marketing, etc.)

·         Is there any discussion I want to start with my publisher or other writers based on this class? (Either to decide whether a teacher’s thoughts seemed accurate—“How useful is this platform, really, in your experience?” or to get ideas of how to apply something—“How have you seen giveaways done in creative ways?”)

·         Is there something I should stop doing? Why should I stop doing this? (Examples: takes too much time for what’s it’s worth, it isn’t good etiquette,  it stresses me out unnecessarily.)

·         A year from now, what are three ways I would like to be doing things differently based on what I learned in this class? Now, what are three smaller areas under each of these that would help me reach that goal?

·         When am I going to do [Takeaway Action]? Can it be broken into smaller steps? What are those steps?

There are probably many, many more specific and practical questions you could ask under each category, but hopefully this gets you started.

Step Five: Be realistic. A perfect author would be able to take and apply every bit of writing advice flawlessly, be present on every platform multiple times a day, and still manage to spend time playing endless games of Monopoly with the kids and knead sourdough bread in a spotless kitchen. This is not, however, remotely realistic. If you take a few areas to improve in, there’s a much better chance you’ll actually do it.

It can help to think small. Much like making a list of New Year’s Resolutions or jotting down areas you need to work on after a sermon on the fruits of the Spirit (all of them, if you’re like me), it can be overwhelming to look at a long list of things you need to change or add to your already-busy schedule. Break down larger areas into small tasks and give them deadlines, if that’s what works for you. Or make a long list and pick one task to focus on at the start of each month.

Step Six: Don’t feel guilty if something doesn’t work for you. If you learned any kind of formula, story structure, or method, remember that while you can often learn a lot from how others approach writing, outlining, or editing, your process doesn’t have to look the same as the instructor’s. You may find a time management grid works perfectly for you…and it may trap you and make you feel totally inadequate. The same is true for any To-Do list. Use it as an inspiration, a brainstorm-starter, or something to try and see if it works…but not as a command or a foolproof strategy. You’ll get the most out of conference material if you adapt it to fit your needs, writing style, and schedule.

Step Seven: Reward yourself. After all this work, you deserve a little rest! Take a nap, eat a favorite treat, spend some time doing something you love. Maybe plan out your reward before you tackle your post-conference follow-up to motivate you to actually get it done. (Also, I will confess: I really like lists that are seven points long. I sometimes add or delete things to my To-Do list to have seven. It’s a problem.)

Writers, do you have any post-conference tips to share with other writers? They can advice for organizing information, keeping up connections, remembering what you promised to send where and actually getting it done…anything that helps you!


Amy is giving away THREE copies of Mary Connealy's new release Fire & Ice. Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing.  Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Find Amy Green's Bethany Fiction Blog HERE