Writing events: Why you should go and where to find them
Taking a jump into the sea of events
For writers, there is an almost never-ending stream of events going on. Book launches, masterclasses, writing festivals, creative writing classes—the list goes on. Even in the unprecedented time of COVID-19, writers and the larger publishing world have remained nimble and determined. Many events have turned digital using tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to host and facilitate events. Even huge, international festivals such as the Hay Festival, Jericho's Writers Festival of Writing and Cymera Festival are moving online.
Over the last several weeks while the world has been in lockdown, I have attended numerous digital events from the comfort of my dining room table including webinars and festivals hosted by authors, publishing experts, writing organisations and publishers. To name a few, the Stay-at-Home! International Literature Festival, Guardian Masterclass on Screenwriting with John Yorke, Reedsy webinars, and YALLSTAYHOME festival were amongst my list with several more booked.
One of the earliest writing events I attended was the Guardian Masterclass ‘How to pitch your book to publishers’ where we learnt about the submission process with Scott Pack of Unbound Publishing. I arrived with the mind-set that I was ready to submit to my heavily researched list of agents—beyond ready to make the coveted dream partnership. I left the event thinking, “go home, re-evaluate yourself and your book because you are not ready”. I came tumbling back down to Earth with a huge thump.
This wasn't a deflated or defeated moment and I can only compare it to an epiphany; I realised I honestly wasn't quite ready to submit my work. The key takeaway block of enlightenment from the masterclass was a clearer understanding of the essential steps on how to get one's submission up to par. His words struck a chord with me and it did help when I was truly ready to unleash my work on the world.
So, this brings me to the first part of the question.
Why should you go to writing events?
Networking: I cannot begin to put into words how many wonderful people I have met in the last couple of years since I started going to events. Publishing is a collegial and interconnected world to get stuck into: people can be extremely kind, supportive and considerate. I have met fellow writers, book bloggers, publicists, editors, agents, marketers and everyone I’ve met has shared great advice with me, enabling me to both learn and expand my network within the industry.
Inspiration: Going to events keeps a writer productive in terms of learning, acting as a source of encouragement and stimulating the writing process. I can attest to the fact that going to writing events gets the creative juices flowing. You will be surprised when and where inspiration can spring up on you, especially during lockdown. During the webinars I have attended in a variety of fields, I have received bursts of inspiration to propel my writing further to new heights.
Learning opportunities: Experts speak frequently at these events, sharing their experiences with the audience and topics can include editing, marketing, publicity, how publishers acquire books, how to get an agent and more. Their advice can be priceless, sharing their insights into an industry we are all trying to make a way through.
Where do you find events?
Eventbrite: A hub to share events of all types including writing and publishing. To name drop a few events I have attended because of Eventbrite include Foyles and Waterstones book events, Guardian Masterclasses and Reedsy seminars. Eventbrite is free to join and an easy to use platform to find events, searching for creative writing yields many events for you to browse and hopefully attend.
Twitter: Twitter is arguably the main social media tool of the writing community. All of the players in the publishing world from publishers, agents, editors, writing organisations and of course writers use Twitter. Even if you are social media shy, I would recommend scouring through Twitter since a large majority of events are promoted on here. I also found a breadth of organisations who post about their writing events and others and includes Spread the Word, Literary Natives, Words of Colour, THRIVE Hachette, Mslexia, Rewrite, I AM in print and Jericho Writers.
On a final note, you will never know where these events might lead you. I met my eventual agent through an event I saw advertised by Words of Colour on Twitter which led me to the corresponding Eventbrite page. My writing career took a life-changing turn as a result of something I saw on Twitter. So I can only urge you to get stuck into the many opportunities available to engage with others. People I have met and interacted with are always willing to share what they know, so please jump in with two feet.
Have you been to any writing events recently? Which ones do you recommend? Please share in the comments section.
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— Davina Tijani (@dee_tijani)