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In no
particular order:
Is it
okay if I bring my 9mo baby? She's really quiet - most of the time.
Yes,
as long as you have a handy partner who can look after her in another
room. A crying baby is not a popular addition to sessions. If you stay
in the hotel, you can always nick out to breast-feed or trouble-shoot.
Can I
use my alphasmart to take notes?
Yes,
absolutely. Quite a few of the writers there will be using alphasmarts.
Don't know what an alphasmart is? It's a battery powered word
processor. Check them out
here.
Should I bring a copy of my manuscript to show Miriam Kriss?
It's
regarded as bad conference manners to give manuscripts to visiting
agents or editors. By all means bring it to the hotel, but if they do
ask to see it, they will mean you're to post it to them. Miriam
Kriss doesn't want to return to the USA with a suitcase full of
manuscripts.
What
should I wear to an RWA conference?
For
the daytime activities, comfortable casual clothes are the norm. For
the cocktail party, there is a dress-up theme (more on that on the
main page).
People do dress up a bit for the awards dinner, but it's not totally
formal as such. A bit dressy is fine. As is a fabulous designer
outfit.
What
should I wear to the cocktail party?
The
cocktail party has a theme for dress-ups, but while many people get
into the spirit with fun, glamorous or silly costumes, it is not a
requirement. The dress-up aspect is for fun and to be a bit of an
ice-breaker. It's easier to talk to strangers in costume. But if you
hate dressing up, that's fine. About half don't dress up.
How
long after coming to conference should it be before my first royalty
statement comes in?
How
long is a piece of string? A conference is no guarantee of anything
except learning more about writing, meeting people and having a good
time.
Do I
have to wear pink?
Yes,
there will be random inspections and all those not wearing pink will
be tossed into the ocean! (That's a no, by the way ;-))
Is it
okay to talk to published authors at the conference?
Yes,
of course. Published authors were all unpublished once and those who
come to conferences are there to mix and mingle too. Plus all writers
love to hear from people who have read and enjoyed their work. Just
be sensitive -- published authors have to pay to come to conferences
too; they're not there as a service.
Can I
leave my mobile phone on?
Not
during sessions, and if you do have an urgent reason to leave it on,
then please respect others' rights to not be disturbed. Set it to
vibrate.
I'm
shy. I feel a bit nervous about meeting all those strangers.
Don't
worry, RWAustralia conferences are really friendly. People come
from all over and what brings us together is a passion for writing and
for romance writing. Writers are often shy, but we rarely get to meet
other writers with similar interests, so when we do, it's fun.
There
are a few other things you can do in advance.
1)
Join the RWA e-group. You'll get to know people via email and there
will be an e-group dinner before the conference starts, on Thursday
night.
2)
Talk to the people sitting near you in workshops or lining up for
coffee.
3)
Join one of the on-line crit groups. You'll soon be friends with your
crit partners, and you can arrange to meet up.
I'd
love to come, but I can't afford the hotel prices.
There
are a few alternatives. There's plenty of cheap hotels close by the conference hotel.
You can also share rooms. RWA doesn't have a room-mates service, but
you could always join the e-group and ask if there's anyone else who
wants to share.
What
do you actually do at the conference? What do you do that first
morning? Where do you go?
On
the first day of the conference, whether it's the Friday workshop or
the Saturday morning, you go to the conference area, which will be
signposted. We usually start at 8.30 or 9 am, so get there a bit
earlier, to register etc.
You'll get a name badge, a program with the times everything is on,
and a bag with various "stuff" in it. Then you toddle into the
ballroom, where the conference will be opened and any "housekeeping"
details explained. From then on, you go to talks, workshops and chats,
grabbing meals and snacks in between and talking your head off to the
people you meet. Some sessions are for the whole conference group,
workshops are smaller groups and author chats are smaller again.
Workshops may involve some writing, so take a notebook and pen.
There's always a table of noble volunteers outside to help you.
What
is an author chat?
It's
when a small group of people chat with an author or several authors.
It's casual and relaxed and it's the time when you can ask authors all
about their work and any questions you have about publishers, editors,
agents, etc. Please don't ask about money though -- that's an
infringement of their privacy.
How
long does each session go for?
Check
the program. Workshops are usually around an hour. Author chats about
the same -- they've been extended due to popular request.
I'm
afraid cost of breakfast at the hotel will blow my budget, can you
suggest somewhere nearby that is more reasonable?
Yes,
there are plenty of cafes and breakfast spots where you can have a
good brekky for around $10.
Could
you tell me why access to some workshops is preferential to published
authors?
16 of
the 18 workshops are specific to the needs of unpublished writers, 2
are for published writers only. If we want to attract published
authors to come to the conference (they pay, the same as anyone else)
we have to offer workshops that are relevant to them. After
publication, there is a whole new learning curve for writers to deal
with. RWA gives unpublished writers huge support; published writers
need support just as much, only about different things -- often
personal things. If you were a newly published writer, wouldn't you
want a source of support and advice?
I've
heard some conferences ask people not to wear perfume.
Yes.
A room full of people drenched in different perfumes and aftershaves
is a recipe for allergies and sneezing. Please refrain from perfume if
possible.
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