Investments in Your Writing Career are Valuable

 

By Cindy K. Sproles

 

Writers live on pennies. If we’re lucky, dimes. So when conferences roll around, it’s our eyes that roll at the pennies we spend. No one will argue that attending a conference is expensive. It is also the one place you will latch on, not only to your dream but also to the necessary learning needed to excel as a writer.

The more you dive into the writing industry, the more you see dollar signs raise, and at times it’s hard to know when or where we should spend our money. The expenses of being a writer are like a scene in the Mary Poppins movie. The one where the older woman sits on a bench feeding the birds. She sings, “Feed the birds. Tuppence a bag.” (Two pennies). If only tuppence were what we were looking at, right?

It’s important to address some of these expenses and help you decide if this is something you need now or later. As a conference director, I get the importance of this question. Since we are launching into a new year, let’s look at the expenses writers can incur.

Conferences 

A conference costs from $100 - $1200. There are tons of variables included in this cost: the venue, time of year, conference length, and faculty number. Writers have to look at the options available and see what is right for them. A conference should be the number one thing you invest in for your career. At conferences, you learn the craft of writing, network with other writers, meet editors, agents, and publishers. You’ll learn about the business of writing, and attending a conference will bring you a refined look at your writing career by helping you find your calling, set your goals, and receive encouragement. Individuals have to look at their finances and decide how much they want to invest in their careers. It’s a personal decision, but I have yet to regret spending any money to attend a conference. The payback is immediate.  **** 4 stars

Conference CDs or MP3s 

This is the purchase of extended learning and keeps on giving. If you attend a conference, make every effort to come home with the recordings of the classes. You will have this learning forever. Conference recordings will vary from $1.99 per class to $200 for the entire conference and everywhere in between. I have recordings from every conference I've attended that I continually listen to in my car, at my desk, on my phone. My skills continue to grow because I purchased and use these recordings over and over through the years. ****4 stars

Paid Critiques 

Those 15-minute appointments are great for you to meet and network with editors, agents, and publishers. If you are on a tight budget, it’s not something you have to have unless you have work ready to be pitched. If you have a solid piece of work that is completed or near completion, then a paid critique is great. You can choose the person you want to pitch the work to, let them look over your work, spend some in-depth time with it, and then with you. This is when a paid critique pays off. You have a prime opportunity to allow a professional to take a look at your work. Not only do you learn from it but you might catch a break on publication or at least submission. ***3 stars.

Mentoring 

Mentoring is valuable for those who have a strong work in progress and need some guidance. Mentors are generally well-seasoned authors or editors whose ability and information is well worth your time and money. If you have a work in progress with some chops and a teachable spirit, a mentor can be the icing on the cake in helping you cut through to a publisher or agent. Their years of experience will help you with tricks of the trade you will only find in this one-on-one situation. Mentoring costs from $50 -$600 ***3 stars.

Editing 

Before I send anything to my agent or publisher, I invest in a content editor to go through my manuscript and be sure it is as clean as it can be. The less work the editors and publishers have on a project translates as money saved for them and a great reputation for you. Editing falls under your work ethic and how much you are willing to do to make your work as publishable as it can be. Be responsible and do your homework. Editors are a dime a dozen, but reputable editors are found through Christian Pen resources or conference faculty, agents, or editors. Spend your money wisely by choosing an editor with a solid background. Do your homework. ****4 stars

Self-publishing 

This is a luxury not a necessity. Spend your money learning the craft, then publish. Who knows, you may land a traditional contract. *1 star

Contests 

Unless they are national book contests, they translate into a nice pat on the back. Good encouragement. They rarely, if ever, bring an unpublished writer a contract. A published author will get name recognition and that is worth the sales generated from a contest.  Choose a couple, enter, and learn to present your work. ***2 stars

There is an old saying, “If a person wants something, they’ll find a way to get it." And it’s true. Begin by saving $5 a week. Just take it out of your wallet and drop it in a jar. $5 a week. Oh, and drop that loose change in there too. We once saved all our loose change and paid for a week at the beach. Those dimes and quarters add up quickly. Give up Starbucks two days a week and save $10. The point is, save. Plan. Take a small portion of your income tax return (if you get one) rather than wasting it. Invest in yourself. It’s a good habit that will pay in the future.

(First published on Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Blog)

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and cooldesign.

Cindy K. Sproles is proud of her Appalachian Mountain heritage and loves to share it with others. She is an author, speaker, and conference teacher, teaching across the country. Cindy is the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries, and she has served as a managing editor for two publishing houses. Cindy is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference, held each February at the Cove, Asheville, NC. She is married and has four adult sons and two grands.