Must-Attend Sessions: 2012 Writer’s Digest Conference

Once again, I’ll be speaking at the annual Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City this coming weekend. They have an incredible line-up of keynote speakers (plus the infamous pitch slam), but when it comes to breakout sessions, I’d like to share my picks for writers trying to get traditionally published.

Pitch Perfect (Friday, 6 p.m.)

If you’ll be pitching during the conference, it’s imperative you participate in or witness the pitch practice session led by Writer’s Digest editor Chuck Sambuchino. Not only is it great fun, it’s the best education you’ll ever get on how to pitch an industry professional.

Becoming an Author Entrepreneur (Saturday, 9 a.m.)

This session by industry professional Dan Blank overviews what critical business know-how every author needs to support a successful career.

Panel: Ask the Agents (Saturday, 10 a.m.)

Get a better understanding of what agents are looking for in a client, in a manuscript, and in a pitch.

Panel: Hard-Core Author Marketing (Sunday, 9 a.m.)

If you go to no other marketing/business session during the conference, don’t miss this one. You’ll be able to ask questions of a highly experienced and diverse panel. (Just try and stump them!)

My sessions at the conference include E-Publishing 101 (excellent for indie authors as well as traditionally published authors with an eye on their backlist), plus a panel focused on self-publishing.

If you would like to attend, but haven’t registered yet, I have a discount code to offer you. Visit this link, add the conference to your cart, then enter WDCSPEAKER12 upon check out. You can attend for the $410 rate ($115 savings or 20% off registration).

I hope to see you there!

For more on this event:

• Here’s my recap of the best advice from the 2011 Writer’s Digest Conference
• Here’s an excellent preview of conference season (including the Writer’s Digest event) from Dan Blank and Porter Anderson

Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.

Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.