Writing Conference Season, Writers Be Prepared

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

The 2025 writing conference season is underway. Across the United States writers of all levels are meeting or making plans to meet up with other writers to hone their craft. Many of the conferences offer more than writing classes now. You can often find classes on how to market, create a podcast, become a speaker, write a script for theater or screen and so much more. 

When you choose which conference or conferences you will attend this year, make sure you look through not only the faculty, but what they will teach. If you desire to start your podcast this year, does the conference you want even have a class or two on that topic? If you’re a nonfiction writer, to attend a fiction only conference will leave you disappointed at that particular conference. 

Once you’ve prayed about, then narrowed your choice or choices of what it is you desire to work on this year in your writing journey, seek conferences that will be strong in that topic. There are so many to choose from all over the country and throughout the year. I can’t stress enough the importance to look through the class offerings. I’ve heard from too many folks where they’ve picked a conference because of the keynote speaker, then complain that the “conference” was terrible because they didn’t have classes that were beneficial to them. It wasn’t the conference that was terrible, it was poor planning on the conferee’s part. Check those classes. 

The above scenario is what would be referred to as bad ROI—return on investment. You want your money spent to aid in your growth. Yes, conferences do cost money. But if you’ve been called to write, this is your career. You are worth investing in. None of us get called to write or speak and have it all figured out the day the lightbulb moment comes to you. Ask any long-time, multi-published author if they’ve ever taken a class, and I guarantee you most of them will admit they still take a class here and there. Don’t ignore investing in classes and conferences.

For some, travel to a conference is not possible for various reasons. That’s where the online conferences come in handy. There are several I know of that do a great job of offering great faculty and classes to help writers and speakers grow. Like I said above, pray about what you’d like to improve. 

If you find a conference or several that meet your need, put out questions to your social media contacts asking if anyone has attended those. Ask questions that are important to you. Are meals included, or will you need to plan going to a restaurant into your schedule and budget? Is lodging included? Are the folks on faculty approachable? Will you have opportunity to meet with faculty and agents for free or will there be a fee for that? Does the faculty mingle with conferees or do they hide away in their rooms?

Gathering information about a conference is time well spent to make your conference experience the best you can. The effort in doing the homework will also help you settle on one or two conferences to try for this year. 

I dare to say, no conference is perfect, but there is at least one or two that is a perfect fit for you. Give it a try.

Let’s start the writing conversation, what are some of the conferences you have attended over the years to improve how you write, speak, podcast, market or other? Do tell!

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Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out! A writer of Romance—with a splash of sass. She’s also The Launch Team Geek helping authors launch their books and also a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors. Don't miss her recent book, LAUNCH THAT BOOK, just released in November. 

Her work was also published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, MBT Monday Devotions, The Write Editing and more. Connect with Tammy at HTTPS://WWW.TAMMYKARASEK.COM.