If you want to land a publishing contract with a traditional publisher (one that pays an advance and royalties) and you are a new author/writer just starting out (building your platform, writing a book, and such), writers conferences are some of the best investments you can make into your career. Many questions are answered, strategies and skills taught, resources given, and connections made with some of the industry's top advocates (literary agents) and decision makers/influencers (acquisitions editors). These are the people you need to know and who need to know you if you want to be traditionally published.
It is not typical that a new author/writer can have meals or meet in person with agents and editors to share and get feedback on their book ideas and to possibly get representation or a publishing offer. Most traditional publishers do not accept unsolicited (unrequested) book proposals/book ideas from authors, neither will many engage with an author if they are not represented by an agent.
Writers conferences are the venue where these rare opportunities happen, so get yourself to a bona fide writer's conference where publishing industry professionals and representatives are present and teaching the workshops and are available for meetings and meals.
Click here my quick resource guide to Christian literary agents, publishers, and writers conferences. In this guide you will find tons of helps at the bottom for writing a great book proposal, outlining your book, building your platform and so much more! Check it out!
Just a heads up: I will be teaching at several writers conferences over the next year or so: Write with us, Publishing in Color Nashville 2019, Writing For Your Life, Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and more, by God's grace. I hope to see you at one of these events. I am especially hoping to see more authors/writers of color at these events as well. We need your voice!
For a little extra fun and inside info on what writer’s conferences were like for me as an acquisitions editor, check out these two posts:
What Happens to Writers After the Writers' Conference? 7 Things That Should NOT Happen