Writers Conferences: The Main Thing

I’ve been to many writers conferences and even serve on the planning committee of one event, and I always tell conference “newbies” about the main thing.

Most first-time conference attendees think the main thing is their work. Their manuscript. Their baby. I thought that, too. I was wrong.

Ten years ago I came to my first conference, Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, very “green.” I had my manuscript, my baby, in a big blue binder, and I expected to meet an editor, sign a contract at dinner, and return the next year with a shiny published book with my name on it and a gig as the keynote speaker.

Why not dream big?

One of the first people I met at the conference “Meet-and-Greet” was an editor with a MAJOR Christian publishing house. We chatted easily and found ourselves “bumping into each other” all weekend. We even got together at the hotel, and he met my family. At the end of the conference, he miraculously agreed to take my manuscript home!

My dream was coming true! An editor from a MAJOR house was willing to look at my work! Keynote, here I come!

A few months later, he got laid off from the MAJOR publishing house.

So much for my big dream.

However, through the years, a deep friendship developed as we exchanged emails, Facebook messages, and phone calls. We have shared the highs and lows of life, watched each other’s children grow up, commiserated over writing rejections, celebrated publications, and more.

Today, ten years after that first meeting at KCWC, this friend traveled many miles out of his way (over mountainous roads—I live in the middle of nowhere) to visit me. We had a great day touring the area, sharing a meal, and catching up after too many years. We even prayed for each other before he left.

He never published my book . . . but he became one of my dearest friends.

Relationship. That, my friends, is the main thing you’ll take away from a writers conference.