ACFW Conference by Terri Weldon

Terri Weldon

I remember the few weeks leading up to my first RWA Conference experience in San Antonio earlier this year. Fear, anxiety and excitement all battled for traction. Are you heading to the ACFW Conference? Relax and take some deep breaths. Terri has an encouraging word for you today! ~Dora

Exactly two weeks from today I’ll be flying to St. Louis for the 2014 ACFW Conference. I’m excited, but nervous. In the remaining fourteen days before conference I have a boatload of tasks to accomplish, friends to contact, and a whole lot of praying to do. So let’s spend a few minutes talking about my list.

Proper preparation is essential to having a successful conference. There are agent appointments, editor appointments, meals with industry professionals, and chance run-ins in the elevator or hallways. Be prepared to pitch your book every chance you get. You never know when someone will fall in love with your novel.

At my first ACFW Conference, I rode the elevator with Steve Laube. No one else. The perfect opportunity to try out my elevator pitch. I didn’t! Quiet as a church mouse, I rode downstairs and attended his workshop. By the time the class was over I’d worked up my nerve and thankfully he was gracious enough to my listen to my pitch. Once I worked past my nervousness, I managed to pitch the novel because I’d practiced my elevator pitch more times then I care to admit.

The last thing you want to do is have an opportunity to pitch your novel and then trip all over what the book is about. After all, you’re the author, if you don’t seem enthusiastic about your writing, how can you expect to nab an agent or entrance an editor?

The second thing to remember is to have fun. Don’t become obsessed with your schedule. Be flexible, skip a class if you feel overwhelmed. Rest, call a friend, or stop by the prayer room. Make a point to meet your online friends in person. Be a blessing to someone else. Smile and befriend people who are alone in workshops or at meals. God may plan for you to bless them. And who knows, you may make a lifetime friend. In this industry there are variables we can’t control, but having a great time at conference is within our realm of control. By the way, if you run into me at conference and I’m having a pity party, feel free to quote me!

And finally, pray without ceasing. Commit your writing to the Lord. Trust Him that your conference experience will go according to His plan. Nothing will calm you and take away your worries like placing them in the Lord’s hand.

So, what about you, are you going to meet me in St. Louis? If you are, tell me what you’re most excited about. If not, I hope you’ll share a prior conference experience with me.

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Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction.
She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies.

Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.