10 Things I’ve Learned from Kid Lit Conferences

10 Things I’ve Learned from Kid Lit Conferences

Hello fellow kid lit writers! By the time you read this, I will be home from my latest writer’s conference! I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and my regional chapter had their annual conference recently. It was a blast! Not only did I get to attend some wonderful… Read more »

Three Benefits to Speaking at Industry Conferences

Three Benefits to Speaking at Industry Conferences

Welcome to the Author Marketing Toolkit, where you can learn from 20+ years of time-tested marketing and insights expertise, translated for publishing. I’m Carol Van Den Hende, an MBA and strategist who’s known for bringing treats (“sweet!”) I’m thrilled to be joining you here at DIY MFA to share actionable insights. Over the last year,… Read more »

Poetry Is For You (Yes, You.)

I recently attended a virtual online writer’s conference. Overall I was geeking out the whole time, just starry-eyed and amazed. I had my high pony-tail of perky ‘I am here to learn’ twisted too tight, my serious glasses on, and a large notepad and sharpened pencil. Boom. Teach me more about poetry! Joy Harjo, my… Read more »

An Inside Look at Three Writers Conferences

Writers choose to spend a considerable amount of time sitting alone at home staring at a computer screen. Whether we write at home or at our favorite coffee shop, the truth is these stories of ours don’t write themselves. I once left my computer alone for an entire week, and when I came back do… Read more »

DIY MFA Will Be at the Writer’s Digest Conference

I am so excited to announce that I will be speaking at the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference. This is one of my favorite conferences, and an incredible opportunity to meet other writers, learn more about craft and the industry, and pitch your book to agents. I’ve attended the Writer’s Digest Conference since 2011. For past few years… Read more »

Why You Don’t Need to Be an Author Entrepreneur

Lately, writing conferences have been buzzing with this idea of the author entrepreneur. Writer’s Digest Conference East earlier this month was no exception. One theme came up again and again and it was this idea of writers as entrepreneurs. Self-publishing is no longer a synonym for vanity publishing. Authors have more options than ever before… Read more »

How to Choose the Right Conference

One of my favorite things to do for DIY MFA is go to writing conferences. I love meeting other writers, connecting with industry professionals and learning new things about the business as well as the craft. These days, with so many writing conferences available, it can be tricky to figure out which ones you should… Read more »