Thank you for your interest in joining us! Below are descriptions of the many ways you can choose to participate in WriteOnCon 2020. If you have any questions about any of them, please don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected]!

Information for Conference Participants

PRE-SCHEDULED EVENTS

BLOG/VLOG POSTS: We plan to have a broad selection of posts covering a diverse range of topics pertaining to writing craft, career, and the publication process. These will be pre-scheduled to post at half-hour intervals throughout the conference and can be prepared at your leisure between now and February 7. Blog posts should ideally be between 800-1500 words; vlogs no more than 15 minutes.

LIVE BLOG EVENTS: Similar to blog posts, except the event speaker commits to being available for the one-hour window after the post goes live in order to answer questions left in the comments section in realtime – like a live chat with attendees. Blog posts can be prepared at your leisure between now and February 7. Blog posts for live blog events should ideally be between 700-1000 words.

WRITER ROUNDTABLES: These are the blog post version of live panels. Speakers will sign up to share their thoughts on six pre-selected topics. If you are interested in taking part, we will provide you a list of questions for you to answer in December. We will then compile these into a single roundtable post to be scheduled for the conference. Answers may be prepared at your leisure and submitted by January 31.

PODCASTS: These 30-minute interviews are recorded with one of our team members at a time convenient to your schedule between now and January 31. We invite you to pick a topic you’d like to chat about; we’ll prepare some questions for prompts as necessary, but the chat will be very casual and conversational. These are audio-only (no video). You will need about 45 total minutes available for the recording session.

LIVE EVENTS

Only one live event will be scheduled per hour during the 3-day conference. This means we are limited to just 39 slots. If you would like to participate in a live event, please RSVP soon to ensure your spot. You must be available for at least 1.5 HOURS during the conference dates for a live event. All live events are overseen by a WriteOnCon moderator to assist you and help field questions from attendees.

We will be hosting up to 8 Showcase events in the weeks immediately prior to the conference. These are held just like live events, except at a time that works with your schedule. When the event ends, the recording is archived and is included among our free content (alongside our keynote events) available on conference weekend.

Live Events are run using StreamYard (no account necessary! we’ll send you instructions). If you feel strongly about being on video, we have the option to turn your camera off so the interview operates like a live radio program. All four types of live events are scheduled to be approximately 50 minutes long, with the option to continue beyond this at the speaker’s discretion.

LIVE Q&A: These sessions take questions from attendees using a text-based submission form. You have the option to designate a topic for your Q&A (recommended) or leave the session open. Focused topics often receive stronger attendee engagement.

LIVE PITCH SESSION: All pitch sessions will take submissions prior to the event this year. We will randomly select a certain number of pitches to forward to you. You can choose to read and comment on these pitches live or review them prior to your event and then present your thoughts live. These sessions may be either true pitch sessions or “first impression” feedback sessions. You may specify the length of the pitches you wish to receive and how many we should randomly select for you.

LIVE PANEL: We plan to hold 12 multi-person video panels this year. These will cover a variety of topics and will operate like the Live Q&A events, taking questions from attendees. We will do our best to select a time convenient to all participants. We only have room for 3 participants per panel, so please RSVP soon if you’d like to participate in a panel.

LIVE WORKSHOP: These craft-development sessions will allow attendees to work alongside an industry professional in a virtual classroom-like setting. The speaker will present via live video; attendees will participate through text/comment feeds. We have two approaches: 1) You present a tutorial for about 15-20 minutes at the start of the session, then take questions regarding the material presented, or 2) You present your material with two or three incorporated pauses to allow attendees to try applying what was just taught, followed by 10-15 minutes of open questions at the end. These sessions tend to run the full allotted hour due to the amount of material and activities to get through.

SHOWCASE EVENTS: These events can be any of the above four options; the only difference is they are run in the weeks immediately prior to the conference, instead of on conference weekend. If your schedule conflicts for the actual conference but you’d like to do a live event, sign up for one of these! The recording will be archived after your event is completed and included among our free content available during the conference.

A NOTE ABOUT TOPICS

Topics are available on a first come, first served basis. We will try not to have multiple events on the same topic unless the two events are discussing distinctly different aspects of that topic. Topics are listed on the RSVP form and will be indicated there when they have been selected.

If you have a particular topic in mind that you’d like to speak about, fill in the write-in spot at the top of the list. We can accommodate most suggested topics.

SUPERHEROES

Industry professionals are invited to participate in the critique forums during the 10-day conference period (February 14-23) and leave feedback on users’ queries and pages. Each Super will be assigned to a different part of the forums to help reduce duplication of effort and hopefully increase the number of writers who receive feedback.

All Supers will be provided an official account with which to comment during the conference; agent and editor accounts will be anonymous, while author accounts will show your alter ego name. You must meet the eligibility criteria outlined here to participate as a Superhero.

Agents and editors are encouraged to make requests for manuscripts that interest them. Requests should be made through the forum’s Private Messages using your anonymous account. We ask that you reveal who is requesting to the writer when you do so. We will never post or share the identity of anonymous Supers ourselves.

Authors are encouraged to add a signature (post footer) to the account we provide. This offers an opportunity to link to your website or showcase your books. Please note that we request no active self-promotion in the forums, but passive promotion through signatures is acceptable. If you would like to participate as an author but would prefer to remain anonymous, we can accommodate this when we set up your official account.

It means a lot to attendees to receive Superhero feedback on their work. Even if you can only pop by for an hour or two, even if you only leave a few quick sentences of broad-stroke feedback, whatever you can offer will be incredibly valued by the recipient.

INDIE HQ

Authors who are published with a micropress or self-published are invited to share their experience and knowledge with other interested writers in our Indie Headquarters! This special section of the WriteOnCon Forums is dedicated to learning about the unique challenges and rewards associated with this publishing path.

The Auditorium section of Indie HQ will host blog post presentations. Only indie authors will be able to post threads in the Auditorium, but everyone can leave replies on these threads to ask questions. You have the option to stick around for an hour and answer questions in realtime after you post your presentation, or drop by over the weekend when you can. If you plan to be available to answer questions, please let us know when you’ll post your talk so that we can add it to the Indie HQ schedule of events. (The Auditorium will only be open for posting during the conference window, February 21-23, 2020.)

We will also have a Reception Area where indie authors and writers aspiring to the indie publishing path will be able to mix and mingle. Everyone can ask questions or post comments in this area. Indie authors can browse the conversations and answer questions at their convenience and according to their interest/experience. (The Reception Area will open when the forums do, on February 14, 2020.)

Information for Fundraising Campaign Participants

PROFESSIONAL CRITIQUES

During our early-bird fundraising campaign we offer attendees the opportunity to purchase critiques of their writing from industry professionals. You may specify your preferred submission window, but all critiques must be completed no later than the end of the conference admission period, March 22, 2020.

Please note that professionals will be PAID for their services, at the following rates:

Query critique – $20
First 2 pages – $20
First 5 pages – $30
First 10 pages – $50
First 50 pages – $100
Full PB manuscript – $100
Sensitivity read – $350
Full manuscript (MG or YA) – $500 up to 70k; $0.007 per additional word
Red pencil session – $50
Personal phone call – $30
Story consultation – $50
Sensitivity consultation – $50

About specialty services:

RED PENCIL SESSIONS: These are essentially professional 5-page critiques with the added element of a Skype/Hangouts or telephone call to discuss your feedback. These include a brief written critique and 15-minute call.

PERSONAL PHONE CALLS: Attendees may purchase 15-minute long, one-on-one Skype/Hangouts or telephone calls with an industry professional. The subject of the call can be open or on a specific topic.

STORY CONSULTATIONS: The professional acts as a sounding board or brainstorming partner for a writer looking for feedback or guidance on a challenging aspect of their story. These can be conducted by email (may require multiple emails back and forth) or by Skype/Hangouts/phone call.

SENSITIVITY CONSULTATIONS: Red Pencil Sessions meet Story Consultations, but to review the diverse elements of a story and discuss potential problems or pitfalls. This includes reviewing 10 total pages (as a combination of short synopsis/outline and manuscript excerpt[s]) illustrating the diverse element. All feedback is provided during either a 15-minute Skype/Hangouts or telephone call, or by brief email exchange.

RAFFLE DONATIONS

We hold two raffles during WriteOnCon: one at the end of our early-bird campaign, open to all supporters who bought admission or a critique; and the other at the end of our conference, open to all attendees who bought admission following the close of our early-bird campaign.

We are extremely grateful for anything you might offer us for our raffles. Previous examples of donations include: