Spring Writing Conferences

Spring is a great time to get out of your home office and into a conference hall! There are some great perennial conferences coming up, as well as some brand-new additions to the field. Here's four we're looking forward to.

On April 5–7 is the Writer's Digest Conference East in New York City, covering a variety of topics related to writing and publishing. The first day is entirely devoted to self-publishing, everything from design and legal issues to agents and marketing. The rest of the weekend includes sessions like "Pitch Perfect," "Writing in the Digital Era," and "How to Become a Regular Contributor at Any Publication."

Ghostwriters Unite!, the first conference of its kind, will see ghosts from around the world gather in Long Beach, California, from May 3–5 to discuss everything from fee standards, ethical boundaries, problem clients, and bylines. Panel topics include "Finding Clients," "Negotiating Fees," and "Ghostwriting for Celebrities."

Speechwriters will gather in London from May 15–17 for the European Speechwriter Network Conference. The organization has invited a diverse group of speechwriters to speak about their work and the lessons they've learned. Topics of discussion will include how to write for international audiences and whether writing for men and women is different.

It's almost time for the annual BookExpo America, which will be held May 30–June 1 at the Javits Center in New York City. The massive three-day trade fair will showcase booths and exhibits by all the major and minor book publishers from the U.S. and abroad. There will also be breakout sessions on variety of industry topics, including "uPublishu at BEA" on self-publishing, "BEA Bloggers Conference," and many, many more.