Successful 6/7/8 Conference

Last Saturday I attended a writing conference at Cedar Fort that gave nourishment to my mind. Never have I been as well fed as I was that day. To me, it was a feast unlike any I’ve ever attended before.

Don’t get me wrong – all the writer’s conferences I’ve attended the past four years have been good, and I’ve received lots of excellent information. It’s just that this time most of the topics were new to me.

Doug Johnston started out telling us that as writers we should focus on our audience and try to reach them. He then turned the time over to our next speaker, Abel Keogh, who told us five reasons why a writer needs a website. He convinced me and soon you’ll see mine up and running.

Our next speaker was Janet Kay Jensen who encouraged self-promotion. She told us we all need a Media Kit to send out with our books, and explained the type of supplies we should include.

Next, Doug Johnston asked, “What is a publicist?” He explained they generate and manage publicity for a public figure. The best publicity is free, and we can all be our own publicist.

In the afternoon, we had an impressive guest speaker, Eloise Owens. She started out by asking us to list the qualities of a great writer. It was determined that the top trait was the ability to self manage everything. I enjoyed the afternoon and it flew by much too fast. The ending remarks will remain with me for a long time. We are writers and we have many opportunities to move people.

I could give you my notes or tell you more about what I learned, but there is nothing like hearing it first hand. Nothing I write will inspire you as much as listening with your own ears. It was a good conference, and I’m glad I went.