by Bethany Jett, @BetJett

As we countdown the weeks until the conference, our preparation posts will be overflowing with helpful information and some PDF downloads (such as a packing list!). Now is the time to create our organizational notebooks and file folders so we’re not feeling overwhelmed when it’s time to head out to the conference.

If you love spreadsheets, be ready for some great downloads to add to your files. There’s a happy balance of what information needs to be in hard copy format and what can be saved virtually and accessed from your phone or laptop when needed.

In this post, we’ll cover best practices for hard copy essentials and virtual references, and you can choose what will work best for you.

Hard Copies

Regardless of how tech-dependent you are, there are some things you’ll need to bring with you in paper form. Edie creates a conference notebook that is super awesome, with tabs, sheet protectors, notebook paper, plastic pockets…definitely check out her post for inspiration on creating your own. I like to use a small accordion file with five tabs because it’s thin enough to fit in my computer bag (check out that post here).

We’ll cover business cards next week, so make sure you’ve subscribed to the blog so you don’t miss any of the posts! In addition to business cards (which are a must!), you have the option to create postcards featuring your books.

On one side of my postcard is my book information while the other side contains my contact information and my most popular speaking presentations. Since my business cards don’t include my book information, the postcards provide a way to share what I do without spending ten minutes talking about myself.

Other items you’ll want to have in paper form are your one sheets (which we’ll cover in two weeks) and what I like to call “Pitch Sheets.” Someone may already be using that term for something else, but I like to meet with magazine editors and pitch several stories at once. We’ll cover how to do this in a few weeks!

An argument can be made that you could slide a tablet or iPad across the table for an agent or editor to look at your one sheet, so if you’re anti paper, that’s an option. We’ll chalk that one up to personal preference.

Additionally, travel documents are crucial to have on hand. As much as I love doing everything online, I always always always print copies of driving directions, boarding passes, reservation confirmations, and receipts. I usually print emails confirming special requests. Technology can fail at any time, and with my non-existent sense of direction, I can’t have cloudy skies or poor reception blocking my Waze app from directing me to-and-fro. #GPSreliant

Electronic Files

I love folders and subfolders on my computer. It drives my husband mad, but if I can put even two “like” documents together in one folder, I feel so accomplished. Having a smaller amount of folders is better than scrolling endlessly down a list of documents, images, and whatnot.

Not everyone is that neurotic, but hey.

The day before the conference, I’ll move any of the files that I want to make sure I can access into my Dropbox account, so they’re available if I’m on my phone or even need to log in on someone else’s computer.

The important thing is create a system that works for you! Happy organizing!

[reminder]I’d love to know your tips on getting organized! How do you prepare for conference?[/reminder]

Bethany Jett is a military wife and all-boys-mama who is addicted to suspense novels and all things girly. She writes on living a brilliant life at BethanyJett.com.

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