READ: Advice on Attending RWA Nationals with Heather Burch. PDF, EPUB online free reviews.

Hello ladies!

I’m looking forward to meeting some of you at the conference in Orlando in July! I made a quick note of a few things that might help you along your way. These are things I’ve learned over the years. I attended my first RWA national conference in the early nineties. Now, I haven’t been every year, but I’ve got at least ten RWA national conferences under my belt.

Here are my helpful hints…

Luggage Hacks

Before I leave for conference and even before I pack my suitcase, I try on each outfit. Then, I take a snapshot on my phone. Now, the arduous job of packing has just been made simple! I even get an idea of which outfit I’ll wear each day. At conference, all I have to do is refer to my photos and BAM! There’s my clothes, shoes, and accessories all in one place.

Pace Yourself

There’s so much to see and so much to do. But it will be around for the entire conference. You don’t have to get everything in on the first day.

Make a Plan

Whether you are a paper copy note maker or a tech savvy schedule maker, you need a plan before you go. Yes, it will change. But it’s worth the time and effort to have something to glance at. RWA provides a lovely schedule when you arrive, but let me tell you, it can be overwhelming. Go to the website and check out the list of workshops far in advance. If a few of them really speak to you, make a note so that when you get the copy of all the events, you’re not overwhelmed. In past years, I believe RWA even sent the schedule ahead of the conference. Still, I try to familiarize myself by spending some time on the RWA website.

Make Time for Friends

Every year, I look forward to just sitting and catching up with my writing peeps. Whether you drink or not, the hotel bars (especially lobby bars) are a great place to connect. Whenever I have downtime, I just make a loop through the bars and sure enough! I run into friends.

Attend the Parties. Go to the book signings.

One of the things I love most is the signings that feature specific publishers. An entire row of authors will be there signing complimentary copies of their newest releases. It’s a book lovers’ heaven! I will be signing on THURSDAY morning at 8:30-9:30 at the Montlake and Lake Union signing. If you make it to that one, I’ll sign a copy of my book for you! Plus, I’ll give you a hug just for reading this article.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

You will walk and walk and walk. Make sure your feet aren’t screaming by noon. Do your footsies a favor and wear shoes that are already broken in and comfy on your feet.

Don’t Forget to Join the Conversation!

Are you on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram? Use the #RWA2017 hashtag on all your upcoming conference related tweets. And while you’re there, find me and let’s start a conversation.

A little bit about me…I write for Lake Union Publishing (Amazon’s women’s fiction) currently. I’ve also written for Montlake (Amazon’s romance publisher) and I’ve done four books for Harper Collins. In 2014 my novel One Lavender Ribbon was named one of the year’s most quoted books by Kindle readers. My Montlake and Lake Union books are translated around the world. All in all, it’s been an incredible adventure and at the very heart of it is community. I couldn’t do what I do without the amazing writer friends I’ve made. I owe so much to RWA and my fellow authors! I’m a member of Tampa Area Romance Authors, my local chapter of RWA. I hope you’ll find me on social media so we can get connected and start visiting about the conference!