List of 25+ top journalism & freelance writing conferences for 2012-13

[UPDATED Feb. 28 to include additional conference info. MVR]

There’s no better way to re-juice your writing energy than spending a few days in the company of fellow writers listening to editors and agents, and talking about your work.

If you haven’t ever been to a writing conference before, go! But deciding which of the hundreds of local or national conferences to attend to can be hard. Or maybe you’ve been going to the same conference year after year and are looking for something a little different.

To help you choose, I’ve researched what’s out there, asked fellow freelancers for their favorites and come up with this list of over two dozen of the more well-known or well-attended conferences for freelancers, journalists and other non-fiction writers in the U.S. and Canada. They are:

September

SATW 2012 – Sept. 9-14, Society of American Travel Writers, Indianapolis. In keeping with the conference’s “Rediscover the Heartland” theme, attendees can have lunch at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, dinner at various Indy “original” restaurants and go on half- or full-day tours of local attractions.

Place|Craft - Sept. 16-18, Outdoor Writers Association of California Fall Conference, Mammoth Lakes. Act fast, registration deadline is Aug. 16 (that’s tomorrow!)

So You Think You Can Write - Sept. 17-23, online conference. Aspiring writers spend a week with over 50 Harlequin and Mills & Boon editors from around the world.

Excellence in Journalism – Sept. 20-22, Radio Television Digital News Association and Society of Professional Journalists, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Sessions on video storytelling, computer-assisted reporting, interactive maps, Fair Use, and a whole lot more.

ONA2012 – Sept. 20-22, Online News Association annual conference, San Francisco. Annual gathering for online news makers. The conference hotel is already sold out, and tickets usually sell out in advance too. If you’re planning to go, act sooner v. later.

Southern California Writers’ Conference/LA - Sept. 21-23, Newport Beach, Calif. Book-focused conference offers one-on-one evaluation of advance submissions, plus workshops on fiction, non-fiction, memoir, graphic novels and more.

SABEW Fall Conference 2012 – Sept. 27-28, Society of American Business Editors and Writers, New York. Dow Jones and Co. CEO Lex Fenwick gives the keynote.

October

AMWA’s 72 Annual Conference - Oct. 4-6, American Medical Writers Association, Sacramento. Presentations from 2012 McGovern Award winner Neal Baer, MD, 2012 Alvarez Award winner Mary Roach, FDA representatives and the National Library of Medicine.

Crossroads Writers Conference 2012 – Oct. 5-7, Macon, Ga. Book-focused conference with a mini “Freelance Summit” on Friday, Oct. 5, featuring speakers from Atlanta Magazine, Savannah Magazine and more.

Write on the Sound Writer’s Conference – Oct. 6-7, City of Edmonds Arts Commission, Edmonds, Wash. Seattle area regional writing conference is a “great entry-level conference, and very reasonably priced,” according to one of the organizers.

Wordstock Festival – Oct. 11-14, Portland, Oregon. The annual gathering of authors and the readers who love them includes two days of writing workshops for professional and aspiring fiction and non-fiction writers. Details about specific offerings available closer to the date, see this list of 2011 workshops for the types of sessions to expect.

Be a Better Freelancer! Resources for a Successful Editorial Business – Oct. 12-14, organized by Communication Central, Baltimore. Information on starting, improving and promoting your freelance writing business. Sessions on editing, productivity and tech tools for writers, as well as a copyediting bootcamp on Sunday, Oct. 14.

SEJ 22nd Annual Conference- Oct. 17-21, Society of Environmental Journalists, Lubbock, Texas. In addition to attending sessions, conference goers will see an advance screening of documentary film maker Ken Burns’ new movie on the Dust Bowl and watch a pre-election debate on the environment and the Oval Office. Early registration discounts end Aug. 15.

Science Writers 2012 - Oct. 26-30, National Association of Science Writers, Research Triangle Park, NC. Professional development workshops, briefings on scientific research, networking and field trips. Fellowships available. Early-bird registration discounts end Sept. 14.

November

East Meets West: A Gathering of Literary Journalists - Nov. 10, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, ASJA and others, Berkeley, Calif. This narrative nonfiction workshop features speakers such as Monika Bauerlein (Mother Jones), Alan Burdick (The New Yorker) and Adam Hochschild (To End All Wars, Bury the Chains). Attendance is limited to 60. Registration closes Sept. 15.

Travel Classics West 2012 – Nov. 15-18, TravelClassics.com Writers Conferences, Tucson, Ariz. Features editor presentations and panel discussions, one-on-one editor meetings, networking, a writers contest judged by conference editors and pre- and post-conference trips.

Abroad Writer’s Conference - Nov. 21-28 , Hever Castle, UK, the childhood home of Henry VIII wife #2, Anne Boleyn. Calls itself “a summit of international authors and writers at various stages of their literary careers.” Workshop leaders include three Pulitzer winners, a Vanity Fair contributor and a handful of other bestselling authors.

2013

January

NMX: The Future of Content, Community and Commerce - Jan. 6-8, BlogWorld, Las Vegas. The joint conferences formerly known as BlogWorld and New Media Expo – a must for serious bloggers – switched months as well as names, moving from fall to January, no doubt to coincide with the Consumer Electronics Show, which also hits Sin City this time of year.

February

Southern California Writers’ Conference/San Diego – Feb. 15-18, San Diego. Book-focused conference offers one-on-one evaluation of advance submissions, plus workshops on fiction, non-fiction, memoir, graphic novels and more.

March

Health Journalism 2013 – March 14-17, Association of Health Care Journalists, Boston. A committee of Boston health-care journalists is working on the conference program now; use this form to submit suggestions.

BlogHer Entrepreneurs Conference - March 21-22, Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus Conference Center, Mountain View, CA - For women bloggers with “big idea that involves technology, the Internet or media.” Mentor sessions, networking, workshops and more.

NarrativeArc Conference 2013 – Late March, Boston University, Boston. This 14-year-old conference on long-form journalism has a new focus on digital storytelling. No date has been announced, but the 2012 event took place in late March; join the mailing list to get information about the 2013 event.

April

Annual Writers’ Institute – April 12-14, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fiction and non-fiction writing conference features agents, publishers’ representatives and editors. Registration opens in January.

IGNITE: The 42nd Annual ASJA Writers Conference - April 25-27, American Society of Journalists and Authors, New York. Organizers are working on programming now, looking to reinvent the conference to help writers reinvent their careers. Website isn’t live yet, but you can see the 2012 conference agenda here.

June

PWAC 2013 – June 4-7, Professional Writers Association of Canada, location TBA. Canada’s biggest writers conference takes place in conjunction with MagNet, the country’s annual magazine industry convention. Details about next year’s conference have yet to be announced; read about PWAC’s 2012 event and MagNet 2012.

 5th North American Historical Novel Society Conference - June 21-23, St. Petersburg, Florida. Guests of honor are Anne Perry and Steve Berry. Historical fiction authors can meet with editors and agents, and attend panel, workshops and presentations, including a late night “sex scene” reading with Diana Gabaldon and an historical costume fashion show. Readers are also welcome.

July

The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference 2013 – July 19-21, University of North Texas, Denton, TX. Details about next year’s conference are still TK, but you can get a taste of what to expect from the 2012 schedule and speakers.

BlogHer ’13 – July 25-27, BlogHer, Chicago. The women’s blog network has spun off smaller conferences on everything from food to business, but the summer convention is still the biggie. Next year it moves from NYC to the Midwest and also to earlier date – which is great because in previous years it’s always taken place the week I’m on vacation.

August

Willamette Writer’s Conference- Aug. 2-4, Williamette Writers, Portland. Dozens of workshops on fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, manuscript editing, publishing, pitching, entering writing contests, research and more. Subscribe to the WW blog to get details as they’re announced.

You can find even more conferences, workshops and residencies for all kinds of writers on the following:

• Shaw Guides’ The Guide to Writers Conferences and Workshops
• Poets & Writers’ Conferences and Residencies Database

Did I miss your favorite? I’ll add it to the list if you’ll send the name of the conference, sponsoring organization, date, city and URL to the conference Website and I’ll add it to the list. Send suggestions to wordcountfreelance@gmail.com.