Writing conferences offer so much to writers - master classes, opportunities to talk to authors, pitch sessions with agents, as well as workshops covering every aspect of writing and publishing. In addition, you get to share experiences with other writers - in the flesh! (Nothing beats actual face-to-face contact.) If you can find the time to attend a conference, you won't regret it.
Note: For a month-by-month listing of conferences, as well as how to find upcoming conferences in your area, see Writing Conferences. Many of these are offered annually, so if you missed a conference you'd like to attend, you can always plan to attend next year.
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Iowa Summer Writing Festival. June - July, 2016, Iowa City. Featuring 138 workshops with 60 instructors. Registrations for weeklong and weekend workshops are accepted on a first-come first-served basis. Class size is limited to twelve. It is a good idea to register early.
Bear River Writers’ Conference. June 2 - June 6, 2016: Camp Michigania on Walloon Lake, near Petoskey, Michigan. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, discussions, nature walks, and time to write. The faculty includes poets Stephen Dunn, Laura Kasischke, Jamaal May, and Richard Tillinghast; fiction writers Nami Mun, Antonya Nelson, and Thisbe Nissen; and creative nonfiction writers Jerry Dennis, Thomas Lynch, and Sue William Silverman. Conference is full.
Clarksville Writers Conference. June 2-3, 2016, Clarksville, TN. Two days of writing workshops and presentations, a keynote banquet with the authors, and manuscript consultations.
Books-in-Progress Writers Conference, June 2-4, 2016, Lexington, KY. The conference will offer craft & business workshops led by authors Silas House, A.J. Verdelle, Marcia Thornton Jones, Writer’s Digest editor Jessica Strawser, and more. Enjoy small break-out sessions & personal attention. Topics include place, character, revision, marketing your book, children’s literature, and more. The Carnegie Books-in-Progress Conference also offers participants the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pitch their book ideas to literary agents from New York City. Other optional add-ons include a pre-conference retreat on June 2 and one-on-one mini-sessions with bibliotherapist Alison Courtney.
Chautauqua Writers’ Festival. June 2-5, 2016, Chautauqua, New York. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, panel discussions, individual conferences with faculty members, open mics, and time to write. The faculty includes poets Stephen Dunn and Dorianne Laux; fiction writers Derek Green and Pamela Painter; and creative nonfiction writers Philip Gerard and Nancy McCabe. The cost of tuition is $475. The fee for lodging in the nearby Athenaeum Hotel, which includes meals, ranges from $343 for college students to $537 for a private room. Registration deadline is May 31.
River Teeth Nonfiction Conference. June 3 - 6, 2016: Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Individual manuscript consultations, seminars, readings, open mics, and book signings. Participating creative nonfiction writers include Jill Christman, Steven Church, Valerie Due, Steven Harvey, Kate Hopper, Sonya Huber, Joe Mackall, Ana Maria Spagna, Cheryl Strayed, Ginny Taylor, Jerald Walker, and Sarah M. Wells.
Shore Thing Writing Getaway: A One Day Retreat for Poets and Writers. June 4, 2016, Atlantic City, NJ. "Join us for this boardwalk-inspired getaway, designed for writers of fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. Trigger your imagination and compose new work that will surprise and please you. Spend the day immersed in the literary life: discussing writing, doing your own writing and sharing some of your new drafts." Faculty: Peter E. Murphy. Cost: $80.
The Cleveland Writing Workshop. June 4, 2016, Cleveland, OH. A full-day “How to Get Published” writers conference. "One day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome." Attending agents: Kimiko Nakamura (Dee Mura Literary); Moe Ferrera (BookEnds); Mallory Brown (TriadaUS); Vicki Selvaggio (Jennifer De Chiara Literary); Kaylee Davis (Dee Mura Literary); and Fred Tribuzzo (The Rudy Agency).
Indiana University Writers’ Conference. June 4 - 8, 2016, Indiana University in Bloomington. The conference features workshops in poetry and fiction, as well as craft classes, readings, and panels for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. The faculty includes poets Gabrielle Calvocoressi and Amelia Martens; fiction writers Dana Johnson and Salvatore Scibona; and nonfiction writers David Crabb and Walton Muyumba. The cost of the conference is $375, or $625 with a workshop. Lodging and meals are not included; lodging is available in campus dormitories and in the campus hotel. The registration fee is $30; general registration is first come, first served. To attend a workshop, submit 8 to 10 pages of poetry or 15 to 25 pages of prose; admissions are made on a rolling basis.
The Santa Barbara Writers Conference, June 5–10, 2016, Santa Barbara, Calif. "Every summer, writers in many genres from around the world gather to participate in a magical week of intensive work focused on story, voice, craft, marketing, and networking with fellow writers and publishing professionals."
Appalachian Heritage Writers Symposium. June 10 - 11, 2016, Richlands, Virginia. Focus: Autobiography/Memoir, Children's, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing. Cost: Before May 22, 2016, $60/2 days includes continental breakfasts, Saturday luncheon. Optional college credit available. After May 22, 2016, $70.
68th Annual Philadelphia Writers' Conference. June 10 - 12, 2016, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Features workshops, contests and awards, critique and feedback sessions, and agent and editor speed dates. Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Horror, Journalism, Marketing, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Publishing, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Screenwriting, Young Adult.
West Virginia Writers Conference. June 10 - 12, 2016, Ripley, West Virginia. Author readings, contests and sharing your love of writing with others.
The 21st Century Children’s Nonfiction Conference. June 10 - 12, 2016, New Rochelle NY. This conference is designed for writers, illustrators, publishers, editors, designers, educators and students of publishing and graphic design courses. Cost: $425 early registration; $470 standard registration
Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. June 10 - 12, 2016, Cumberland Gap, TN. Ed McClanahan is the guest writer-in-residence, keynote speaker is Georgia author Mary Hood, fiction instructors are George Singleton and Crystal Wilkinson, poetry instructors are Jesse Graves and Rose McLarney, and nonfiction instructor Jeremy B. Jones. Interesting presentations, panels, readings, music and more.
Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference. June 10 - 13, 2016, Truchas, New Mexico. The conference features evaluation and discussion of book-length and chapbook-length manuscripts with poets, editors, and publishers. The faculty includes editor Jeff Shotts (Graywolf Press) and poets and editors Joan Houlihan, Rusty Morrison, Hilda Raz, Martha Rhodes, and Ellen Doré Watson. The cost of the conference is $1,375, which includes lodging and meals. Using the online submission system, submit a brief bio and three to four poems.
Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference. June 10 - 14, 2016, Homer, Alaska. Faculty: Natasha Trethewey, Keynoter; Miriam Altshuler, Dan Beachy-Quick,Richard Chiappone, Jennine Capo Crucet,Alison Deming, Lew Goodman, Forrest Gander, Richard Hoffman,Erin Coughlin Hollowell,Sarah Leavitt, Frank Soos, Nancy Lord,Jane Rosenman, Sherry Simpso. Costs: $375 ($325 early bird by 5/2). Includes luncheons, opening dinner; manuscript review $65. Post-conference workshop $400
Colgate Writers’ Conference. June 12-18, 2016, Hamilton, New York. Morning craft talks & workshops. Individual consultation with workshop instructor in the afternoon. Late afternoon participant readings and talks on publishing, storytelling. Evening readings by instructors & guests. Late night social events. "Bring a story, a book in progress, some poems, or a novel, and work with us on developing narrative strategies, verse techniques, and methods of research. Members of the publishing profession will also be here to discuss marketplace tactics." Retreat application deadline: May 18, 2016.
Fine Arts Work Center Summer Workshops (poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction). June 12 - August 26, 2016, Provincetown, Massachusetts. The faculty includes poets Richard Blanco, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Natalie Diaz, Nick Flynn, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Marie Howe, Ada Limón, John Murillo, Eileen Myles, Gregory Pardlo, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Robert Pinksy, and Alan Shapiro; fiction writers Julia Glass, Pam Houston, Fanny Howe, Naomi Jackson, Reif Larsen, Benjamin Percy, Salvatore Scibona, and Justin Torres; and creative nonfiction writers Brian Turner, Stephen Elliott, Eric Fair, Lacy M. Johnson, Ariel Levy, and Dani Shapiro. Tuition ranges from $600 to $725.
Tinker Mountain Writers’ Workshop. June 12 - 17, 2016, Roanoke, Virginia. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft seminars, individual conferences with faculty members, and readings. The faculty includes poets Thorpe Moeckel and Emilia Phillips; fiction writers Laura Benedict, Pinckney Benedict, Sarah Bowlin, Fred Leebron, and Daniel Mueller; creative nonfiction writer James McKean; and agent Jeff Kleinman (Folio Literary Management). The cost of tuition is $795.
Interlochen Writer’s Retreat. June 13 - 16, 2016, Interlochen, Michigan. The retreat features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft talks, readings, time to write, one-on-one manuscript consultations, and a dinner. The retreat also offers a practicum on June 17 that includes additional consultations, lectures, and panel discussions on publishing. The faculty includes poet Michael Delp, fiction writers John Mauk and Mary Kay Zuravleff, and nonfiction writer Mardi Jo Link. Participating writers include poet-in-residence Fleda Brown; and fiction and nonfiction writer-in-residence Anne-Marie Oomen. The cost of the conference is $495; the cost of the June 17 practicum is an additional $45 (or $115 to include a one-on-one consultation). Lodging and meals are not included; lodging on campus is available for discounted rates. Registration is first come, first served.
Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers. June 13 - 17, 2016, Sandy, Utah. Offers one-, two-, three- and five-day workshops. Morning workshops devoted to individual work; afternoon talks on market, craft, publication; chats w/ editors and agents; keynote; book signing. For those interested, specialized workshops--Boot Camp and Full-Novel classes. Single day programs as well.
Minneapolis Young Writers Workshop. June 14 - 16, 2016, Minneapolis, Minnesota. For young writers ages 13-19. Program Focus: Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult. Faculty: Ally Condie, Jay Asher, Jennifer Nielsen, Jonathan Friesen, Jacqueline West, Serena Chase. Cost: $300 for workshop. Evening keynote addresses are free and open to the public. Registration closes June 5.
Writers at Work Conference. June 15-19, 2016, Alta, Utah. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft lectures, panel discussions, hikes, and time to write. The faculty includes poet Tarfia Faizullah, fiction writer Peter Ho Davies, and nonfiction writer Kerry Howley. Consultation faculty includes poet Sara Eliza Johnson, fiction writer Morris Collins, and creative nonfiction writer David Stuart MacLean. The cost of the conference is $730, which includes tuition and all meals. Individual consultations with an agent or editor are available for an additional $50. Lodging is available at the Alta Lodge, and ranges from a total of $115 for a shared dorm to $285 for a private room. Registration deadline is June 3.
Wesleyan Writers Conference. June 15 - 19, 2016, Middletown, CT. The conference offers workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as master classes, craft sessions, panel discussions, readings, lectures, and manuscript consultations with agents and editors. The faculty includes poet Honor Moore; fiction writers Amy Bloom, Alexander Chee, Michael Reynolds, and Roxana Robinson; nonfiction writers William Finnegan, Lis Harris, and Hirsh Sawhney; translator Ann Goldstein; and publishers Johnny Temple (Akashic Books) and Pamela Dorman (Pamela Dorman Books). Tuition is $850. The conference also offers a one-day program on June 18 for $225, which includes lunch and dinner. Lodging is available on and off campus; on-campus housing is $50 per night or $170 for four nights. A meal plan for the full conference is available for $275. Scholarships and teaching fellowships are available; submit a writing sample of any length, a letter of interest, and résumé by March 18. To register for a manuscript consultation, submit 10 poems or up to 35 pages of prose by May 13. For general registration, submit a nonrefundable $100 deposit. Registration is first come, first served.
Algonkian Writer Conference–New York City Pitch. June 16 - 19, 2016, Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City. The conference offers workshops on writing and selling fiction and creative nonfiction manuscripts, as well as agent pitch sessions. The faculty includes fiction writers Susan Breen, Ann Garvin, and Michael Neff; editors Caitlin Alexander, Ibrahim Ahmad, Adrienne Avila, Tom Colgan, and Dana Isaacson; and agents Paula Munier and Katharine Sands. The cost of the conference is $795 until June 10, and $895 thereafter. Submit a bio and a brief manuscript synopsis.
Poetry at the Frost Farm. June 17 - 19, 2016, Derry, New Hampshire. The retreat offers workshops, readings, and one-on-one consultations for formalist poets. "Join a small community of people at the historic Robert Frost Farm learning, reading and writing formal poetry with contemporary award-winning poets. Choose your focus from a series of offerings designed to provide tools for beginning poets as well as perfect the mastery of published poets."
The Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference, June 17 - 19, 2016, West Coast Writers Conferences presents a full weekend of panels, workshops and presentations by educators, noted speakers, and industry professionals focused on the craft and business of writing.
Get Published Conference. June 18, 2016, Bozeman, Montana. This conference is devoted to book writing, marketing and getting published. This year topics include Self Publishing Q&As.
Institute for Young Writers. June 18 - 26, 2016, Amherst, MA. For high school students. Daily workshops in poetry, fiction, & nonfiction; interactive craft sessions that include discussions & writing exercises; evening readings by faculty & writers-in-residence. Faculty 2016: Heather Christle, Chris Dombrowski, Arthur Flowers, Amelia Gray, Noy Holland, Mitchell S. Jackson, Paul Lisicky, Eileen Myles, Emily Pettit, Zachary Schomburg, Evie Schockley, Betsy Wheeler, Dara Wier, Joy Williams, Matthew Zapruder. Costs: Adults: $1,500; Young Writers: $1,700; Young Writers includes 3 meals/day. Adult includes lunches, welcome & farewell dinners. Scholarships available.
Kenyon Review Writers Workshops. June 18 - July 3, 2016, Gambier, Ohio. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction led by an accomplished faculty. Genre workshops (Fiction, Literary Nonfiction, and Poetry) are held for three hours each morning. (See individual workshops for dates.)
Aspen Summer Words. June 19-24, 2016, Aspen, Colorado. Workshops, panels, and readings in fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as opportunities to meet with agents and editors. "Aspen Summer Words is the Rocky Mountain gateway to the literary world. Recognized as one of the country’s pre-eminent literary conferences, Summer Words welcomes visitors and locals alike to celebrate writing and writers in Aspen for a week each June. The exceptional faculty and awe-inspiring mountain scenery combine to make this a writing retreat like no other."
Juniper Summer Writing Institute. June 19 - 26, 2016, Amherst, MA.The program offers readings, craft seminars, manuscript consultations, as well as workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The faculty includes poets Heather Christle, Emily Pettit, Zachary Schomburg, and Evie Shockley; fiction writers Noy Holland, Mitchell S. Jackson, and Joy Williams; and creative nonfiction writer Paul Lisicky. Writers-in-residence include poets Chris Dombrowski, Eileen Myles, Betsy Wheeler, Dara Wier, and Matthew Zapruder; and fiction writers Arthur Flowers and Amelia Gray. Tuition is $1,500, which includes some meals; dorm lodging is available for $45 per night. Manuscript consultations are available for an additional $150.
Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference. June 20-26, 2016, Bemidji, Minnesota. Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing. Faculty: Mark Doty, David Gessner - Creative Nonfiction. Tayari Jones - Fiction. Aimee Nezhukumatathil - Poetry. Matt de la Peña - YA Fiction. Joni Tevis - Creative Nonfiction. This conference is full.
Western Writers of America Convention. June 21-25, 2015, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Children's, Fiction, Marketing, Non-fiction, Publishing, Young Adult. History presentations at the convention include Buffalo Soldiers, the Alamo, Comanche Indians, and frontier ranch women. Other sessions will take place related to the craft of writing, book marketing, and research sources and techniques.
Jackson Hole Writers Conference, June 23 - 25, 2016, Jackson Hole, WY. You will have ample opportunity to share your work with a distinguished faculty as well as writers from Massachusetts to Florida, from Texas to Washington.Serious writers pour into Jackson Hole each June looking for a fresh, but critical eye on their work. This event usually has at least 4 agents to pitch.
DRC Conference Faculty & Workshops 2016. June 23 - 25, 2016, Davenport, Iowa. Daily workshops, critiques, pitches, evening events, keynote. Workshop topics include Monetize Your Writing, Writing the Great Mystery, Short Short Fiction and Nonfiction, and more. Faculty: C. Hope Clark, Kathleen Rooney, Felicia Schneiderhan, Brittany Cavallaro, & Ryan R. Collins.
Costs: $240 ($210 early bird) for entire conference, critiques $35, pitches $25, College dorm lodging $42 per night. Pricing for less than full conference available
North Carolina Writers' Network Squire Summer Writing Residency. June 23 - 26, 2016, Charlotte, North Carolina. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as a presentation and readings. The faculty includes poet Morri Creech, fiction writer Sarah Creech, and creative nonfiction writer Cynthia Lewis. The cost of the residency is $650 ($550 for NCWN members), which includes tuition and shared lodging; the cost is $550 ($400 for NCWN members) for commuters.
Chuckanut Writers Conference. June 24 - 25, 2016. Bellingham, Washington. Writers conference that includes speakers, panels, breakout sessions, authors' readings, reception with authors, pitch sessions with literary agents, book signings, open mic for attendees. Autobiography/Memoir, Children's, Fiction, Nature, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing.
Writing Popular Fiction Workshop. June 24 - 26, 2016, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Workshops on writing, editing & pitching; guest speaker presentations. Faculty: Guest Agent Kimberly Brower, Guest Agent Eric Ruben, Guest Editor Diana M. Pho, Guest Author Daniel José Older.
The Writers’ League of Texas 2016 Agents & Editors Conference. June 24–26, 2016, Austin, Tex. The conference features panels, lectures, networking opportunities, and receptions. Individual manuscript consultations with agents or editors are available. Participating agents include Ethan Bassoff (Lippincott Massie McQuilkin), Jenni Ferrari-Adler (Brick House Literary Agents), Mark Gottlieb (Trident Media Group), Jessica Papin (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management), and Michelle Tessler (Tessler Literary Agency). Participating editors include Michelle Howry (Simon & Schuster) and Jodi Warshaw (Amazon Publishing). The cost of the conference is $398 for Writers League members, and $449 for non-members through March 28; $429 for members and $489 for non-members from March 29 through May 23; and $469 for members and $509 for non-members thereafter and on-site. Meals are included. Lodging is available in the conference hotel for discounted rates.
Annual Conference on Creative Writing at Pacific. June 24–26, 2016, Stockton, California. Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Humor, Journalism, Marketing, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy. Agents and editors will be available for pitch sessions.
Publish & Promote Your Book Conference. June 25, 2016, Bronxville, New York. "If you’re ready to find an agent and present your book to the marketplace, come join our community of educators, writers, agents, editors, and publishers at a one day conference designed to help you succeed in your publishing ventures."
Green Mountain Writers Conference. June 27 - July 1, 2016, Chittenden, Vermont. The program features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as one-on-one consultations, lectures, publishing discussions, and readings. The faculty includes poets Kevin Pilkington and Verandah Porche; fiction writers Jon Clinch, Ethel Rohan, and Elizabeth Rosner; and creative nonfiction writers Chuck Clarino and Yvonne Daley. Tuition is $575 before May 15 and $600 thereafter.
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