In 1993, a handful of writers responded to the call of adventure. Thanks to their energy, insight and vision, the Pikes Peak Writers Conference was born.Seventeen years later, PPWC is still going strong.
You can blame the volunteers. They’re the ones who have learned The Big Secret. If you want to attend a nationally recognized writers’ conference in your own backyard, you have to work hard to keep it fresh, keep it relevant and keep it organized. You also have to make sure that you give your target audience what they’re looking for. We know you’re going to love coming to PPWC. Here are just a few reasons why:
FELLOW WRITERS
Writing is a solitary profession. It’s just you and a couple dozen voices living in your head. Say that to the wrong person and you may worry that there’s a bed in a nearby psych ward waiting for you. Say that at any of our workshops or even casually in the bar, and the folks standing next to you will nod and say they have the same problem.
We’re writers. We understand your hopes, your dreams and your frustrations because we share them. If you’re just starting out, this is the very best place to get information, learn about the process and arm yourself with knowledge. If you’re an intermediate writer, you need to take the next step and hone your craft, refine your fiction. This is an important time to form a peer group. Who knows? It may be time to make a pitch. If you’re an advanced writer, then you realize how important networking is. You already know the value of a peer group and this is a great place to reconnect with them and expand your horizons.
ACCESSIBLE AGENTS AND EDITORS
It’s a cold cruel world out there, but inside the safe confines of PPWC, you have a warm and inviting place to
interact with publishing professionals. We work hard to make faculty members accessible to you.
There are the Read & Critique sessions on Friday where agents and editors can read and comment on your material. You can participate, or you can sit back and observe. There’s a lot to be learned when you see how a publishing professional’s mind works.
In the Saturday morning spotlight sessions, you can hear them talk about their individual needs. It’s not a time to pitch your individual work, but an excellent opportunity to learn more about their preferences and policies. What really distinguishes us from most other conferences is the accessibility of our faculty members outside the workshops. First, they can’t hide from you—they’re all wearing name tags. Even better, you’ll find them hosting tables at every meal. We do caution you that meals are an informal time to talk to them, not an opportunity to monopolize a conversation. There will be eight other people sitting at the table and everyone wants a chance. (To help you understand more about other aspects of conference etiquette, consider attending Linda Rohrbough’s pitch practice session on Friday, and/or the newcomer’s orientation, available both Friday and Saturday. You’ll learn more about how to approach faculty members, and we’ll entertain you with horror stories about people who’ve done it badly.)
And of course, one of the most anticipated parts of the conference is the pitch appointment. Unlike most other conferences, you don’t have to pay extra to get a pitch appointment. They’re available to all registrants at no extra charge on a first registered, first-assigned basis. Do note that availability is limited based on the schedule. When you register, you’ll be able to list your preferences. Actual appointments are e-mailed to you about a week prior to the conference. (Note: you must have a completed manuscript in order to pitch.)
If you’re concerned about polishing your pitch to its brightest potential, consider a PITCH COACH appointment. This is an optional program which matches you with an experienced writer for intensive coaching. The cost is $30 for a half hour and $50 for a full hour. All monies from this program goes into our scholarship fund.
The 2010 conference features these editors:
• Betsy Mitchell of Del-Rey
• Kathleen Gilligan of Thomas Dunne/St. Martins
• Allison Lyons of Harlequin
• Kate Gale of Red Hen Press
• Lisa Rector, independent editor
… and these agents:
• Gary Heidt from Signature Agency
• Scott Hoffman from Folio Literary Management
• Terrie Wolf from AKA Literary Agency
• Sarah Warner from Warner Literary Group
• Sara Megibow from Nelson Literary Agency
• Caryn Weisman from Andrea Brown Literary Agency
In addition, Kristin Nelson from Nelson Literary Agency and Donald Maass from Donald Maass Literary Agency are attending. Although neither are taking appointments, they will be onsite, attending meals and giving workshops.
GREAT MEALS!
Okay. We know it’s hotel food, and the Marriott is better than most when it comes to a decent meal. But it’s the company at the meal that makes PPWC special. You’ll be able to dine with faculty members at their hosted tables which gives you a chance to get to know them in a less structured, less stressful setting. Your registration fee includes a Welcome Luncheon on Friday, and a keynote dinner Friday night featuring Jodi Thomas. On Saturday, Kelley Armstrong will tell us stories over lunch, and Tim Dorsey will have us rolling in the aisles over our award banquet dinner.
(And we promise to try to not have chicken for every meal!)
THE PRICE
You’re thinking, The price? Aw c’mon. It’s not cheap. You’re correct. However, compared to other writers’ conferences nationwide, we give you a better bang for the buck. We’re bringing in over two dozen publishing professionals, arranging for their transportation, housing them, and feeding them. And those faculty members are presenting almost 50 different workshops, representing a wide variety of genres and levels of experience, running across 13 sessions. We’re also feeding you all meals from lunch on Friday to Sunday brunch. And remember—we don’t charge extra for those pitch appointments or Read & Critiques. Even better? We’ve added two morning sessions on Friday and turned our Sunday lunch into Sunday brunch. This allows us to host a Writers Faire after brunch on Sunday to give you that last boost of info before you head home.
How do we offer all this and still keep the price down? First, we’re a 501(c)3 non profit so we’re not trying to make money off of our attendees; we only want to cover our costs. Most importantly, we are staffed by volunteers who give their time and energies to keep the conference well-organized and running smoothly.
We do have two add-on programs for an additional cost: one all-day Thursday, and a four-hour workshop on Sunday. Why? Because we want to offer more for those who want it, without raising the base price for those who don’t.
EXPERIENCED FACULTY
We’re bringing in great authors and publishing specialists to present those four dozen or so workshops. This includes our keynote speakers: superagent Donald Maass, award-winning author Jodi Thomas, the überpopular Kelley Armstrong, and the megafunny Tim Dorsey, as well as the five editors and seven agents.
In addition, there are new and experienced authors, and long-time conference volunteers: Barbara Samuel, Carol Berg, Todd Fahnestock, Cicily Janus, Linda Rohrbough, Kirk Farber, Jodi Anderson, Karen Albright Lin, Janet Fogg, Sue Mitchell, Ron Heimbecher, Chris Mandeville, Angel Smits, and more!
These faculty members will present almost fifty workshops, covering a wide range of topics—by levels of experience and, by genres as well as classes to appeal to all writers. We have instructional workshops, interactive workshops, discussion groups and panels.
THE FRICTION
No, it’s not a typo. One of the great things about attending the Pikes Peak Writers Conference is what happens when writer meets writer. Think of it as writing friction. Listening to Kelley Armstrong may help you discover the solution to your pacing problems. Listening to Pam McCutcheon discuss how to write a synopsis may be the light bulb you need when writing your own. Everywhere you turn, there’s an opportunity to talk writing with people who really do want to talk about writing. (I hate to break it to you, but your family is simply putting up with your singular focus on writing. We actually care.) There’s a chance to pitch ideas to each other in an effort to polish it to a perfect shine. And after all that practice, you can pitch to publishing professionals who may say those all important words: “Sounds interesting. Send me a partial.”
And don’t forget—much of the writing friction will occur outside of the workshops: in the hallways, at the lunch or dinner table, and at the bar. (There’s always something happening at the bar.)
Of course, there are countless more reasons to attend PPWC 2010. Hope to see you there so you can discover them on your own!
Laura Hayden, 2010 PPWC Director
