33 Great Writing Conferences in May 2019

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May is a great month for writing conferences! This month there are some excellent opportunities to network, pitch your work, and attend stimulating workshops.

I strongly urge you to plan ahead if you are thinking of attending a writing conference. Many offer scholarships that can significantly reduce the cost. And all of the intensive writing workshops have application deadlines.

For a month-by-month list of conferences throughout the year see: Writing Conferences. (You will also find links to resources that can help you find conferences in your area on that page.)

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Las Vegas Writer’s Conference is sponsored by the Henderson Writers’ Group, Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada. May 2 – 4, 2019. Join writing professionals, agents publishers and marketing experts for a weekend of workshops and enlightening discussions about the publishing industry. A chance to pitch your manuscript and ideas to agents.

Northern Colorado Writers Conference. May 3 - 4, 2019, Fort Collins CO. Workshops, seminars, speakers, entertainment, agent roundtables, pitch sessions, networking with authors and industry professionals.

Atlanta Writers Conference. May 3 - 4, 2019, Atlanta, GA. The conference features publishing panels, pitch sessions, manuscript and query letter critiques, and a workshop on author branding for fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and graphic novelists. Participating publishing professionals include editors Rebecca Brewer (Ace/Berkley Publishing Group), Stephanie Guerdan (HarperCollins), Jennifer Gunnels (Tor Books), Emily Hartley (Ballantine Books), Chelcee Johns (37 INK), Danielle Marshall (Lake Union Publishing/Amazon Publishing), Grace Menary-Winefield (Sourcebooks), and Kristine Swartz (Berkley Publishing Group); and agents Caroline George (Cyle Young Literary Elite), Natalie Grazian (Martin Literary & Media Management), Julie Gwinn (Seymour Agency), Sharon Pelletier (Dystel, Goderich & Bourret), Michelle Richter (Fuse Literary), Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein (McIntosh & Otis), Jennifer March Soloway (Andrea Brown Literary Agency), and Léonicka Valcius (Transatlantic Agency). You must be a member to attend.

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference. May 3 - 5, 2019. Colorado Springs, Colorado. "The three-day conference is full of topical, in-depth workshops, dynamic keynote speakers, opportunities for one-on-one time with agents and editors, the chance to read your work aloud for constructive critique, plus time to socialize with fellow writers.

Malice Domestic. May 3 - 5, 2019, Bethesda, MD. Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan DC area that celebrates the traditional mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely identified as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore, or violence.

Gold Rush Writers Conference. May 3 - 5, 2019, Mokelumne Hill, CA. "Writing professionals will guide you to a publishing bonanza through a series of panels, specialty talks, workshops and celebrity lectures. Go one-on-one with successful poets, novelists, biographers, memoirists and short story writers." Writing workshops in Autobiography/Memoir, Children's, Fiction, Marketing, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Romance, Travel, Young Adult. Individual sessions available.

Hedgebrook VORTEXT Salon. May 3 - 5, 2019, Whidbey Institute on Whidbey Island, about 35 miles northwest of Seattle. Workshops, panel discussions, lectures, open mics, and time to write in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for women writers.

Michigan Writers Conference, May 4, 2019, Detroit, MI. This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Detroit Livonia Novi. In other words, it’s 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.

ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors) Writers Conference, May 5 - 6, 2019. NYC, NY. Focus on Autobiography/Memoir, Business/Technical, Humor, Journalism, Marketing, Nature, Non-fiction, Publishing, Religion, Screenwriting, Travel. Attending: more than 100 editors, authors, literary agents, and publicists.

Mokulē‘ia Writers Retreat. May 5 - 10, 2019 in Waialua, Hawaii at Camp Mokulē‘ia, Oahu. Offers workshops in fiction and nonfiction, readings, one-on-one consultations, publishing panels, yoga sessions. The retreat is led by North Shore native Constance Hale, the author of Sin and Syntax, the editor of more than two dozen books, and a journalist whose stories about Hawai‘i appear on CD liner notes, as well as in publications like The Los Angeles Times and Smithsonian magazine. Hale invites a mix of writers, editors, and agents from both the islands and the mainland to lead various workshops and appear on panels.

Columbus State Community College Writers Conference. May 6, 2019, Columbus, Ohio. Workshops in Autobiography/Memoir, Business/Technical, Fiction, Journalism, Marketing, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Publishing, Screenwriting. This one-day conference is free of charge.

Annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature. May 6 - 12, 2019 at various locations in New York City. "Join more than 125 writers and artists representing over 50 nationalities in New York City for the 2019 PEN World Voices Festival: Open Secrets. In 60+ events in venues across New York City, the 15th anniversary of New York’s first international literary festival will gather nonfiction and fiction writers, thinkers, and activists to discuss what we reveal and what we withhold, and the opportunities and dangers inherent in the rapid reconfiguring of the public and the private in the literary, cultural, social, and political realms."

8th Annual Nonfiction Writers Conference. May 8 - 10, 2019: Conducted online. Opening Speaker: Gretchen Rubin.

Washington Writers Conference 2019. May 10 - 11, 2019: Bethesda, MD. Pitch sessions, expert sessions, author talks, and a luncheon (featuring keynote speaker Jeffery Deaver), plus panels on how to query, how to pitch, and more publishing pros’ insights, are just some of the highlights. Past speakers have included Bob Woodward, Bob Schieffer, Kitty Kelley, Judith Viorst, Alice McDermott, Ron Charles, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Susan Coll, and E.J. Dionne.

Lakefly Writers Conference. May 10 - 11, 2019, Premier Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Workshops, talks, and a book fair for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. Keynote is Liam Callanan, the author of The Cloud Atlas, All Saints, Listen, and Paris by the Book. His work has been or will be translated into Chinese, German, Italian, and Japanese. Liam was the winner of the 2017 George W. Hunt, SJ Prize in Arts, Letters & Journalism and a finalist for the Edgar Award.

The Loft's Wordplay Conference. May 11- 12, 2019, Minneapolis MN. "The Loft’s Wordplay aims to be Minnesota's largest celebration of readers, writers, and great books. Imagine a weekend full of famous authors and celebrated books; a weekend of readings, conversations, workshops, kids’ activities, demonstrations, and one-of-a-kind happenings with outdoor stages, cooking stages, book signings, quiet reading corners, boisterous parties, food trucks, beer tents, and books, books, books."

Longleaf Writers Conference. May 11 - 18, 2019: Seaside, Florida. "Formerly the Seaside Writers Conference, Longleaf Writers Conference is an annual gathering of creative writers from all over the nation, featuring award-winning writers in poetry and fiction and screenwriting who will offer a full week of intensive writing workshops, one day seminars, school outreach programs, and social events. This event occurs every year in May, and offers the opportunity for beginning, intermediate and advanced writers to celebrate writing, to network with other writers, and to hone their craft. There will also be seminars hosted by professional editors and literary agents who will offer one-on-one consultations. All participants who pay the full conference tuition fee will be able to take part in all daily activities, while those paying a la carte pricing will have the pick of which classes and workshops they would like to attend. The Longleaf Writers Conference is one of the only conferences in the nation to take place on one of the most beautiful beaches in the US, and every year will feature notable guest writers, literary agents, and professional editors."

Writing the Unreal: The Whole Novel Workshop in Fantasy & Speculative Fiction. May 12 -19, 2019, Honesdale, PA. This unique workshop is designed for anyone with a complete or near-complete draft of a middle-grade or young adult novel in fantasy or speculative fiction who wants a thorough manuscript critique and help making plans for revision.

Nebula Conference. May 16th-19th, 2019, Los Angeles, CA. SFWA members and other individuals who are interested in the field of science fiction and fantasy are welcome to attend SFWA’s Nebula Conference. Attendees may participate in workshops, programming and special events throughout the weekend. You do not need to be a member of SFWA to attend.

Big Sur on Cape Cod. May 17 - 19, 2019, North Falmouth MA. Faculty: Andrea Brown and four of her agents, four editors and four authors. Children's writing.

Missouri Writers' Guild Annual Conference. May 17 - 19, 2019: Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  Workshops (fiction/nonfiction, romance, mystery, screenwriting, query letters, book design), critiques, pitches to literary agents, Slush Pile sessions, awards banquet & keynote address. Eight (8) Sunday master classes. Literary agents: Nikki Terpilowski, Caroline, George, Savannah Brooks, and Jill Marr (remote). Claudia Shelton, Karen Sargent, Steve Wiegenstein, Paul Bass, Ellie Searl, and The Deadly Duo, Bill & Sharon Hopkins.

Pennwriters Conference. May 17 - 19, 2019: Pittsburgh, PA. The 32nd Annual Pennwriters Conference features three days of workshops, panels, networking and learning to help you learn, grow, soar! Friday, Saturday and Sunday feature an open attendance slate of one-hour workshops on all things writing. The schedule is structured with open attendance, so you can take whichever classes appeal to you. Attendees will have 40+ hours of sessions to choose from. Our faculty is comprised of published authors, literary agents and editors, and other writing industry professionals. Pitch appointments are available at no additional fee.

Annual Conference on Creative Writing at Pacific. May 17 – 19, 2019: 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.

Austin SCBWI 2019 Writers & Illustrators Working Conference. May 18 - 19, 2019: Austin, TX. Conference on children's books with keynotes; general sessions; breakout sessions for writing, professional development and illustration; intensives for novels, picture books and illustration; critiques; pitches and more.

Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp. May 19 - 25, 2019: West Bend WI. 6-day, residential workshop-retreat for writers in all genres working on a novel or creative nonfiction book. Workshops in Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Publishing, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult. Registration is limited to 30 people.

Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers. May 20 - 24, 2019: Houston, Texas. Daily workshops, readings, craft talks, social events and professionalism panels in an intimate and supportive environment designed specifically with the needs of emerging writers in mind.

Sundress Academy for the Arts Summer Poetry Writing Retreat. May 24 - 26, 2019: Knoxville, Tennessee. The three-day, two-night camping retreat will be held at SAFTA's own Firefly Farms in Knoxville, Tennessee. All SAFTA retreats focus on generative poetry writing, and this year's poetry retreat will also include break-out sessions on writing political poetry, writing confession, kicking writer's block, publishing, and more.

Balticon 53. May 24 - 27, 2019: Baltimore, MD. Balticon is sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS). BSFS presents the Compton Crook Award, the Robert A. Heinlein Award, and the winner of the annual Jack L. Chalker Young Writer's Contest annually at this event. Faculty: Guest of Honor: Catherine Asaro. Multiple tracks of Programming over the four day weekend, featuring authors, artists, scientists, musicians, podcasters, publishers, editors, costumers and other creative SF luminaries.

James Jones Writers Workshop Retreat. May 26 - June 2, 2019: New Harmony, IN. Faculty: Kaylie Jones, Judy Mandel, J Patrick Redmond. Costs: Advanced Writing Workshop (includes food and lodging for 7 days): $2,450. The Art of Creative Writing (beginner): $500. FULL

North Words Writers Symposium. May 29 - June 1, 2019: Skagway, Alaska. Faculty: Susan Orlean, Emily Wall, Ernestine Hayes, Don Rearden, Jonathan Evison, Nancy Lord, Terrence Cole. Costs: $375 includes most meals. College credit extra for $90.

Bear River Writers’ Conference. May 30 - June 3, 2019: 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.

Surprise Valley Writers’ Conference. May 31 - June 4, 2019: Cedarville, California. Features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft lectures, readings, open mics, and a Book Arts workshop.

Bread Loaf Translators' Conference. May 31 - June 6, 2019: Ripton, VT. The Bread Loaf Translators’ Conference includes workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as lectures, craft classes, meetings with editors and agents, and readings by faculty and guests. Application deadline: February 15, 2019.