FREE Online Writers Conference!

October 12-18, 2009 will be the 4th annual Muse Online Writers Conference and you can (and should) register now. Write these dates down on your calendar. In ink. Seriously. Carve it in stone. Clear your calendar. You will thank me for this, I promise you. Why am I so fired up about a writers' conference in October that I start blogging about it in May? This conference is amazing.

As anyone in the writing community can tell you, writing conferences are one of the best resources to have the opportunity to work with industry professionals and to learn from experts in the field; they also provide an amazing platform for networking. If there is only one conference you can attend during the year, this one is it. Trust me.

This online convention is an amazing opportunity for writers at all stages of their careers. The goal is to offer you, the writer, the opportunity to enhance and better your craft, to offer the opportunity to make some contacts to get you to that next level all writers seek whether that is becoming published or making new contacts for networking within the industry.

Many writers out there, particularly in this economy, do not have the monetary resources to attend outside conferences, or perhaps they are situated very far and even some may be incapacitated in some ways making it difficult for them to travel. Within the world of the Internet, everything is possible and they offer you this chance to come out, chat with the Presenters, ask them questions and even attend the FREE workshops to be held throughout the week.

Last year there were participants from all over the world. One of the things I really like about the writing community is, as a rule, they are a very giving group. They learn something and share their experience and expertise with other writers. This conference is the creation of award winning author and editor Lea Schizas.

What is so different about this writers' conference? First of all, it is interactive. There are a plethora of workshops you can participate in AND you get immediate feedback from the facilitators. The handouts you will receive are worth their weight in gold. Learn the secrets for writing attention getting blurbs about your books, how to write a query that will catch the eye of that elusive publisher, classes on marketing your book, the list of workshops goes on and on, there is something for everyone. Seriously. Everyone. There are general classes that benefit anyone in the industry and classes that are genre/market specific. Learn how to find more freelancing opportunities. Learn about press releases. Do you need help in organization and time management so you have TIME to write? Thinking about self publishing? Learn the ins and outs from a pro. Show don't tell…how many times have you heard that as a writer…sharpen these essential storytelling skills. Whet our curiosity for your novel with that killer opening line that grabs you and won't let go. There are worldbuilding classes and how to create and use a magic system for fantasy writers, classes in poetry, horror and romance. Do you write nonfiction? There are classes for you too. There is great representation for virtually all genres.

Secondly, it is online, therefore, it is open 24-7. This gives you the opportunity to network with writers, illustrators, editors and publishers literally from all over the world. Is your book going to be marketed outside the US? What sort of network do you have in place to help market your book overseas? This is a tremendous opportunity to network with international colleagues. Some classes are in a chat format that you must be pre-registered for (and class size was limited in these last year) so you definitely want to register and select classes early. Since these are real time chats, you do need to attend these at their designated times, but the open forums are available 24-7. The facilitator will post the lesson, you post your response (this is the interactive part) and you will get feedback on your post. This is your opportunity to get your query and blurb polished before you submit for publication.

I highly recommend this conference to everyone in the writing community no matter what stage of your career you are in. Another great plus, once your register for the conference you can participate in the year round forum…again, an amazing group of very helpful writers, editors, and publishers sharing resources and encouraging each other in every attempt and milestone! The networking possibilities are amazing. You can be as active as you like, or simply lurk in the background and read the boards as your time permits. Personally, I think you would be missing out not to do the interactive classes. Even advanced writers that have been published many times over find workshops of interest – honing a skill that may need a little boost – or maybe you are toying with the idea of a change in genre for a storyline in the back of your mind. This is a truly great resource.

Don't hesitate. Run do not walk. Go sign up now to reserve your spot. Registration closes August 1, so don't delay. Just a Thought....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/2009MuseConference/