The Conference Notebook for Writers

In The Conference Notebook: Writer’s Edition, award-winning authors Linda Ruggeri and Brittany Dowdle share their intentional, relationship-based approach to helping writers make the most of conferences, book festivals, and publishing events.
 
Designed exclusively for writers, this guided notebook helps you prepare for and attend four conferences with clarity, strategy, and purpose. Instead of collecting random business cards or leaving inspired but unfocused, you’ll walk in with a plan—and leave with meaningful connections. Inside, you’ll find:
Pre-conference planning exercises tailored to authors
Publishing ecosystem mapping (agents, editors, publicists, and more)
Guided networking prompts to help you start natural, professional conversations
Session note pages structured for craft and industry insights
Post-conference follow-up plans to turn introductions into relationships
 
Drawing on years of experience attending, presenting at, and organizing national conferences, Ruggeri and Dowdle provide a practical framework that helps writers approach networking as a long-term investment in their literary careers. Whether you write nonfiction, memoir, fiction, or children’s books, this notebook will help you attend conferences with intention—and leave with clarity about your next professional step.
 
Don’t let your next event become a blur of panels and pitches. Use it to build visibility, community, and momentum for your writing career.