The Top Writers’ Conferences for 2022 by Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

by Scott Lorenz | Blog, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Marketing a Book, Promoting a Book, Writers Conferences, Writing a Book

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

If you are a serious writer with high aspirations, then you’ll want to go to a writers’ conference. Want to meet authors and exchange ideas, tips and techniques? Then sign up for a writer’s conference today.

A writers’ conference is a think tank for authors to build on each other’s ideas and inspire new achievements in their own work. For the cost of lodging and registration, the payoff for attending a writers’ conference could be tremendous.

Attending a writers’ conference gives you a chance to pitch your book, learn about the various publishing options and meet book editors, agents and book marketing specialists. If your book is six months or a year from being finished, you can talk to people with valuable input on shaping your book. At a writers’ conference, you’ll get all sorts of advice to help you wrap up your project when you return home.

Of course, you will want to prepare for any writers’ conference you attend by having a plan of what you want to find out and what you will do while there. I suggest you develop an ‘elevator pitch’ about your book that you can deliver in 30 seconds. Have a one-pager available with your book cover, author headshot, short 50-word synopsis, short bio, website URL, Twitter handle and your contact information. You never know who you’ll meet so be prepared for that moment!

Here are some upcoming writers’ conferences in 2022:

February 4-5, 2022: Michigan Writers Conference (Detroit, MI). At this writers conference, participants will enjoy a day of intense instruction on how to get their works published. https://michiganwritingworkshop.com/

March 4-5, 2022: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA). The title of the Atlanta Writing Workshop is “How to Get Published.” It focuses on classes and advice intended to help you get your works published. https://atlantawritingworkshop.com/

March 24-26, 2022: 53rd Annual UND Writers Conference (Grand Forks, ND). Founded in 1970 and held every year since, the UND Writers Conference is a three-day event featuring six to eight authors annually ranging from Gwendolyn Brooks and August Wilson to Tommy Orange and Colson Whitehead. The UND Writers Conference is committed to community outreach, engagement, and finding ways to increase audience access to literature. https://und.edu/writers-conference/

April 7-9, 2022 Las Vegas Writers Conference (Las Vegas, NV). At the Las Vegas Writers Conference, writers can meet and learn from some of the greatest agents, authors, and professionals in publishing. https://lasvegaswritersconference.com/

April 8-9, 2022: Blue Ridge Writers Conference (Blue Ridge, GA). The Blue Ridge Writers Conference is a hidden gem tucked away at the tip of the blue ridge mountains. This year’s keynote speaker, Melissa Fay Green, is an award-winning nonfiction author. Green will be one of many professional authors taking part in discussions and panels at the event. https://www.blueridgewritersconference.com/registration-forms.html

April 21-23, 2022: NWG Annual Conference (Omaha, NE). The Nebraska Writers Guild offers three days of consultations, critique boot camps, and shop talk seminars. Appointments with literary agents like Kristina Slater are first-come, first-served, and have no extra cost. This conference is perfect for writers who would rather focus on intimate group or pair discussions rather than large panels. Workshops are capped to allow for in-depth discussion and a focus on networking without small talk. https://nebraskawriters.org/news-events/annual-events/annual-conference.html

April 23, 2022: Spring Conference – North Carolina Writers Network (Greensboro, NC). The North Carolina Writers’ Network and the MFA in Creative Writing Program at UNC-Greensboro bring you a full day of classes, workshops, conversations, and more. This year’s Spring Conference again will be in UNCG’s MHRA Building, on the corner of Spring Garden and Forest Streets, and in Curry Auditorium next door, offering classes and discussions on the craft and business of writing and publishing. https://ncwriters.org/index.php/programs-and-services/conferences/12593-sc22

April 27-May 1, 2022: Muse and the Marketplace (Boston, MA). It will include goal setting, small cohorts of writer friends and those working in your genre, and 70 sessions given by excellent guest authors on the craft of the novel, memoir, poetry, and more, plus sessions on navigating the publishing world led by premiere literary agents, editors, publicists, and more. https://museandthemarketplace.com/register-2022/

April 28-30, 2022: Northern Colorado Writers Conference (Fort Collins, CO). The Northern Colorado Writers Conference will hold workshops, sessions, and four-hour master classes to inspire authors. https://northerncoloradowriters.com/conference/

April 29-May 1, 2022: Pikes Peak Writers Conference (Colorado Springs DoubleTree). Pikes Peak Writers Conference will be held virtually this year. Writers can participate in workshops taught by subject matter experts and listen to keynote speakers. https://pikespeakwritersconference.com/

May 1-2, 2022: ASJA Annual Conference (Jersey City, NJ). With more than 900 members, ASJA stands as the country’s leading and most prestigious association of successful journalists, authors, and nonfiction and literary nonfiction writers, and we’ve never had a better time to talk about collaboration and networking. https://www.asja.org/event/asja-conference/

March 5, 2022: 2022 Bay to Ocean Writers Conference Program (Wye Mills, MD). Now celebrating its 25th year, the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference is a one-day event that has attracted more than 4,000 writers over its history. It is sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA), a non-profit organization of writers from across the Delmarva Peninsula. https://www.easternshorewriters.org/event-4616622

May 6-7, 2022: Atlanta Writers Conference (Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel, Atlanta, GA). The Atlanta Writers Conference offers one-on-one manuscript sample critiques, pitch sessions, and workshops. https://atlantawritersconference.com/

May 12-14, 2022: Storymakers Conference (Provo, UT). The Storymakers Conference will consist of various classes that cover various topics such as cover design, marketing, creating a writing business, and the nuts and bolts of screenwriting. https://storymakersguild.org/storymakers-conference/

June 20-26, 2022: Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference (Bemidji, MN). This writing conference is full of workshops, Q&A sessions, panel talks. https://www.northwoodswriters.org/

June 24-26, 2022: Agents & Editors Conference (Austin, TX). This conference brings together nationally-known literary agents and book editors and other industry professionals with writers at all stages of the writing process for a weekend of conversation and community around the craft of writing and the practical steps toward publication. It would have 200+ attendees. https://writersleague.org/programs/a-e-conference/

July 8-10, 2022: Imaginarium (Louisville, KY). Join bestselling fantasy authors, Michael Williams and Tim Waggoner, at Imaginarium 2022! More than 130 panels will be taking place during this three-day celebration of storytelling. This event is more than your typical conference. It’s also a film festival, gaming tournament, Comicon convention, and a book fair! Imaginarium prides itself on being family-friendly with something for everyone. Kids 12 and under can attend for free! https://www.entertheimaginarium.com/

July 11-14, 2022: Squire Summer Writing Workshops 2022 – North Carolina Writers Network (NC). The Squire Summer Writing Workshops offer an intensive course in a chosen genre (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry), with ten hour-and-a-half sessions over the four days of the program. Registrants work in-depth on their own manuscript samples, as well as their colleagues’, while also studying the principles of the genre with their instructor. Other features include faculty readings, panel discussions, and open mic sessions for residents. Registration opens on or before May 1. https://ncwriters.org/index.php/programs-and-services/conferences

July 17-23, 2022: Port Townsend Writers Conference (Port Townsend, WA). The Port Townsend Writers Conference will feature guided free writes as well as readings and lectures by contemporary writers in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. https://centrum.org/the-port-townsend-writers-conference/

July 21–24, 2022: San Francisco Writers Conference (San Francisco, CA). The San Francisco Writers Conference (“SFWC”) enjoys a rich literary culture. Over the course of four days, over 500 attendees and renowned keynote authors, presenters, editors, and agents, attend SFWC, combining the best of both the traditional publishing industry with the latest technology to empower authors to publish anywhere. Situated just north of Silicon Valley, the SFWC is truly a one-of-a-kind celebration of craft, commerce, and community. https://www.sfwriters.org/

July 24-29, 2022: Napa Valley Writers Conference (Napa, CA). At the Napa Valley Writers Conference, writers can participate in small workshops related to poetry, fiction, or translation that meet for two hours daily over a five-day period. http://www.napawritersconference.org/

July 28-31, 2022: Writer’s Digest Annual Conference (New York City, NY). Writer’s Digest Annual Conference offers everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally. Gain invaluable tips to improve your craft, explore publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable career—all while being inspired by successful authors and your fellow attendees. It’s all brought to you by Writer’s Digest, the experts at nurturing and developing writers at every stage of their career for over 100 years. https://writersdigestconference.com/

August 4-6, 2022: Mendocino Coast Writers Conference (Mendocino, CA). At this conference, writers can participate in morning workshops that are related to various genres. https://mcwc.org/

August 18-21, 2022: Killer Nashville Writers Conference (Franklin, TN). Writers who attend the Killer Nashville Writers Conference can expect writing workshops, pitch sessions, panel discussions, author signings, and a book fair. https://www.newpages.com/writing-conferences/killer-nashville

September 8-10, 2022: 2022 Marketing & Genre Intensives (Liberty, NC). This three-day event is full of the latest information, resources, and step-by-step strategies for writers who want: Personalized attention to get your questions answers, To grow your platform quickly to a targeted audience, To maximize your time and efforts with marketing to your readers, Practical strategies for an upcoming book launch or relaunch and To avoid common mistakes writers make. https://www.seriouswriteracademy.com/2022-intensives/

September 9-11, 2022: Colorado Gold Writers Conference (Denver, CO).  We want to help you “lift up and lift off” your writing career at 2022’s Colorado Gold Conference. Come mingle with our keynotes (New York Times Bestsellers Chuck Wendig and Katherine Center), meet super-star agents, and attend workshops for a variety of topics and genres. https://rmfw.org/conference-2022/

October 17-22, 2022: The Real Paris Retreat: a Socially-Engaged Writing Intensive (Paris, France). In-depth, authentic and affordable. For writers of prose: memoir, fiction, autofiction, creative nonfiction or cross-genre experimentation. Ten participants maximum; registration includes daily critique workshop, craft discussion & classes, an individual manuscript consultation, guest lectures and optional afternoon literary activities. Workshops meet in neighborhoods frequented by local artists and writers rather than by tourists. A teaching fellowship for a writer of color is available. https://www.shannonesque.com/

October 21-23, 2022: Emerald City Writers Conference (Bellevue, WA). The Emerald City Writers Conference will offer workshops, pitch appointments, agent and editor panels, and happy hour socialization opportunities. https://www.emeraldcityromancewriters.org/emerald-city-writers-conference

October 21-23, 2022: Kansas Authors Club State Writing Convention (​Lawrence, KS). The convention is being planned for in-person presentations with a likelihood of some form of a hybrid audience. We are looking for an array of workshops that will address beginning writers through those with experience in writing and publishing. We will also plan for a balance of workshops covering fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. https://www.kansasauthorsclub.org/2022-convention.html

November 4-6, 2022: La Jolla Writers Conference (San Diego, CA). At the La Jolla Writers Conference, writers can attend two types of classes: 50-minute lecture sessions or 110-minute workshops. https://lajollawritersconference.com/

November 7-13, 2022: Kauai Writers Conference (Kauai, HI). At the Kauai Writers Conference, writers can enjoy four days of master classes, small group discussions, and individual sessions with literary agents. https://kauaiwritersconference.com/

November 18-20, 2022: Fall Conference 2022 – North Carolina Writers Network (Wilmington, NC). The Fall Conference attracts hundreds of writers from around the country and provides a weekend full of activities that include lunch and dinner banquets with readings, keynotes, tracks in several genres, open mic sessions, and the opportunity for one-on-one manuscript critiques with editors or agents. Conference faculty include professional writers from North Carolina and beyond. Held every year in a major hotel, the conference rotates annually. Registration opens on or before September 1. https://ncwriters.org/index.php/programs-and-services/conferences

Select a writers’ conference of interest to you and be prepared to enjoy the benefits of meeting other writers. You may acquire knowledge you can use immediately, find a new market for your book, elevate your professional effectiveness, meet editors, agents and publishers, become inspired and return home energized.

The Bottom Line: Take a little working vacation and hit some writers’ conferences. Make it a priority to sign up for one in the coming weeks and months. You’ll be glad you did!

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.book-marketing-expert.com/ or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net