Do Writing Conferences Sell Books? No, They Do Not. So Why Go?

A Literal Literary Loser Learns a Life Lesson

Earlier this month, I asked the question: Do Writing Conferences Sell Books?

And now I’ve answered it, in the headline.

So no reason to read any further, unless you want the details.

On June 9, I flew out to San Antonio, Texas for the Historical Novel Society North America Conference 2023. (The weather, in case you were wondering, was 96 degrees, with a “real feel” of 106.)

I paid for two direct flights from NYC to San Antonio. I paid for two cabs to and from the airport, and then to and from the conference. I paid for two nights at the Marriott Hotel where the conference was taking place, and for dinner on Friday night and lunch on Sunday. All other meals were included in the conference fee. And I paid the conference fee.

I sold 6 books. Three copies of “The Nesting Dolls” and three copies of “My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region.” How do I know this? Because at the beginning of the conference, there were five copies of each book available in the conference bookstore, and, at the end, there were two each left. Also, I signed three copies of each at the meet and greet.

So do writing conferences sell books? Yes. Do writing conferences sell enough books to turn a profit? No. (But then, as I wrote here, neither do book tours.)

Here is what writing conferences do do:

• Writing conferences get you out of the house. For those of us who work from home, this is kind of a big deal. They also get you out of your own head. Which, for those of us who work alone, is an even bigger deal.

• Writing conferences expose you to new and interesting people. I made a point, at every meal and every panel, to sit next to people I didn’t know, and to initiate conversation. (My kids are annoyed that I do this when not at a writing conference, too. “Why do you have to interrogate everyone we meet in the elevator?” they demand. But I find people and their stories interesting.)

• I went to panels on enhancing your website, and improving your multimedia presence, and on literary podcasts. I took diligent notes. And, when I got home, I faithfully transcribed them onto my to-do list. I intend to start to-doing them. Shortly.

• I met two of my fellow History Through Fiction authors, F.M. Deemyad, and Patricia Bernstein. Our publisher, Colin Mustful, hosted our panel on “Writing Real History in a Fictional Narrative.” (Also featured, Robin Henry of Readerly.)

  

• I met fellow writers! I met Eliza Knight, whose latest book, “Starring Adele Astaire” is set in the dance world. And I love the dance world. I met Georgie Blalock. We talked royalty, classic films… and martial arts. I met Vanessa Riley, a woman in STEM who writes about strong women of color, and got her to sign a copy of her latest novel for my 16 year old daughter, a woman in STEM (she won her class robotics competition!) and a strong woman of color. And I met Michael J. Cooper. We talked… Yiddish!

• I met readers! This was absolutely the best part. For the Saturday night book signing, my Soviet-set novels and I were placed in the “Unique Historical Settings” corner. I met Tema Frank, who led the panel on websites, and is also working on a Soviet-set book. I met Addison Armstrong, who teaches school in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, where a part of “The Nesting Dolls” is set, and who has a novel out taking place in Coney Island! And I met Rose de Guzman, who asked if she could show me something and film my reaction. And this is what happened!

So. Do writing conferences sell enough books to be worth the expense?

No.

Are writing conferences fun?

Yes.

Are writing conferences worth it overall?

That depends on what you were hoping to get out of it.

“You were networking,” people told me. “That might pay off in the long run!”

Yes, it might. But that’s not why I went to San Antonio. I am working very hard to get away from the thinking which says all interaction must be transactional. While locked up during the pandemic, I made a vow to myself that, as soon as we were set free, I would make a point of accepting as many invitations, especially if they were to do things which took me out of my comfort zone, as possible. I would do them for the sake of doing them, for the sake of learning something, and for the sake of meeting new people. And I wouldn’t worry if they were “profitable.”

So the Historical Novel Society Conference was definitely “worth it” for me.

No matter how many books I sold. (Six. I sold six books.)

How about you?