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 nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.