RWA National Conference 2013!

by Danielle Jackson

Next week, 2,000+ avid romance readers, writers and publishing professionals will descend upon Atlanta, GA for the 2013 Romance Writers of America National Conference! One of the biggest romance conferences, RWA is the perfect place to find out more about this genre. And while all types of authors and readers come to the conference, we all have one goal: CELEBRATING romance!

RWA is what I refer to as my “BIG” conference of the year. I start planning it months in advance, and I think my schedule is full weeks before I even book my flight... and yet, I’ve still found places to fit in meetings, even this week. It’s busy, it’s tiring and totally worth it to meet authors, readers, booksellers, librarians and other industry professionals face to face. And you never know, you might end up in the elevator with your favorite author, or sitting in a workshop next to a senior editor, or waiting for a very early cab with who appears to be the only man attending the conference this year ;-)

This year, Sourcebooks is keeping busy this year, with a variety of events:

Wednesday, July 17, 5:30-7:30pm: “Readers for Life” Literacy Signings. Open to the public, you can see over 20 Sourcebooks authors (along with 400 of their closest author friends!) signing books. All proceeds from book sales going to literacy organizations, including ProLiteracy Worldwide, Literacy Action, Inc., and Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta.

Friday, July 19, 2:00-3:00pm: The Sourcebooks Spotlight will be presented by Sourcebooks CEO Dominique Raccah, Editorial Manager Deb Werksman and Editorial Manager Leah Hultenschmid, which will give a company overview, what our editors are looking for, and of course--we get to brag about how awesome our authors are! 

Friday, July 19, 3:15-4:15pm: What Traditional Publishers Offer Their Authors Panel, featuring Sourcebooks CEO Dominique Raccah, along with Dianne Moggy (Harlequin) and Liate Stehlik (Avon/William Morrow) **open to PAN authors only**

Saturday, July 20, 8:30-9:30am: It Takes a Village Workshop, presented by Editorial Manager Leah Hultenschmidt, New York Times Bestselling Author Julie Ann Walker, Agent Nicole Resciniti and Senior Publicist Danielle Jackson :-)

Saturday, July 20, 3:00-4:30pm: Sourcebooks Sponsored Author Signing, where 24 of our authors will be singing and all the books are free!

And as always, on Friday evening, there’s the Sourcebooks author dinner, but that is open to authors only, where we mingle, eat great food and treat our authors to a fabulous night out!

When we come back from RWA, and everyone in the office asks how it went, we always describe it as a sorority retreat for romance authors. And think what you will of sororities, but there’s definitely a huge sense of comradery and support from authors of all levels. Publishers and industry professionals are willing to answer your questions, and everyone is there to celebrate one of the most successful industries on the planet. I’m looking forward to what will happen at this year’s conference!

Any questions about the conference? Ask them in the comments. And authors, tell us what workshops and events you’ll be attending!