by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author

 Other than writing a marketable story, attending writing conferences is the most important strategy for establishing your career as an author. In an ideal world, we could say that publishing isn’t about who you know, but we don’t live in an ideal world. Publishing IS about who you know and who knows you.

So what does that mean for those of us who are low-energy introverts? How can we actively pursue an author career when being around hordes of (very friendly and well-meaning) people utterly exhausts us?

Never fear. Being introverted seems to be a norm among authors. At least most authors I’ve met are introverts, so it’s not unusual for an author to need to break from the chaos and madness around them. That being said, even if you can power through your waning social battery and continue to hang out around people when you have no energy left, you will probably feel it in the morning.

It’s not being antisocial to set aside restorative quiet time for yourself. It’s not being unfriendly either. Granted, the primary goal of attending a writing conference is to network and connect with other authors, with publishers, with agents, and with editors who you may want to work with in the future. If you hide in your room the whole time, you won’t receive the full benefit of the conference.

There are seasons and stages in life where exhaustion is worth it. But if you live a lifestyle of exhaustion, your effectiveness as a storyteller and creative entrepreneur will flounder. Maybe not immediately but certainly in the future. So how can we build healthy boundaries into the conferences we need to attend? How can we develop meaningful professional relationships without burning ourselves out?

Obviously, the first thing each of us should do as Christian storytellers is to take our concerns to God. Make a habit of submitting your plans to Him first. It really saves time on everything else. Honestly, the best thing you can do is to hand over control of your calendar to the One who’s great at setting divine appointments.

But once you have decided which conferences you are going to attend in a year, here are some helpful tips to implement that will keep you on track and (hopefully) not on fire.

Before the Conference: Plan

Get the schedule of events and speakers as early as you can and do your research on each one. Identify faculty and keynoters who will be beneficial to your career as an author. If you only want to write romantic suspense for the Christian market, it may not make sense to give your time to an expert in general market non-fiction. That’s not to say you can’t or you shouldn’t, but one should be a priority.

The quickest way to burn yourself out at a conference is cramming every single event into your calendar when you really don’t have energy for it. Pick a handful of important things that you will do for sure. Then, if you have energy, do other things. Just be intentional in how you spend your mental and emotional energy.

During the Conference: Listen

Once the conference has begun and you are attending the classes you’ve identified and going to appointments you’ve set up with the experts you feel are most valuable to your goals, pay attention. Take notes. Listen to what they have to say and write it all down, whether you agree with it or not. Will you encounter experts who believe something different than you do? Absolutely. Life experiences are always different, and whoever is teaching probably has lived a very different life than you have. That doesn’t invalidate your experiences, but your experience doesn’t automatically invalidate theirs either. Don’t go to classes or appointments with the intent to argue; go with the intent to understand.

Collect business cards and make notes on them so you remember the context of the conversation. Pay attention to how tired you are. Remember that saying yes to one thing is actually saying no to something else, so be intentional in how you prioritize meetings, parties, get-togethers, and appointments.

After the Conference: Respond

Finally, once the conference is completed (and after you have made some space to breathe and rest), review your notes. Look through the business cards you collected. Find the names and email addresses of people who you were invited to follow up with, and follow up with them. Don’t just toss them. Don’t just throw them in a file folder. If an agent or editor or publisher invited you to connect with them, they meant it. Nobody has time for small talk or pleasantries at conferences. Take them at their word.

Once you have reviewed your notes, consider your practical takeaways. How will you use the information you gathered? How will you connect with the people you met? Make a list of goals and prioritize them according to your calling, your availability, and your professional goals.

It is absolutely possible for a low-energy introvert to be successful at a writing conference overflowing with people. It simply requires planning ahead of time, being present during the event, and then acting on what you learned once the conference is complete.

Being introverted isn’t a character flaw or moral failing. It’s just the way you’re wired. That doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to procrastinate or to avoid difficult situations, but it is a valid reason why you shouldn’t try to do everything all at once.

A.C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country living, and all things Japanese. Author of more than 20 books, she keeps her fiction readers laughing with wildly imaginative adventures about samurai superheroes, clumsy church secretaries, and goofy malfunctioning androids; her non-fiction readers just laugh at her and the hysterical life experiences she’s survived. If that’s your cup of tea (or coffee), join the fun at www.amycwilliams.com.