So every time I go to a conference, Wheezley always asks me what I learned after the conference is over. It’s a little ritual with the two of us.

So here are some of the things I learned at RWA this year, along with a gorgeous shot/reflection of (what I think is) the Chrysler Building by Wheezley (who is a professional photographer with some serious skills):

1) I am a very small fish in a very large pond: This was my fourth time at nationals, but the sheer size of the conference always amazes me. You get 2,000-plus writers, readers, and industry professionals in a hotel for the better part of a week, and it’s going to be impressive. Before the literacy signing started, I just walked around the ballroom and looked at the names of all the authors who were there. It was really humbling and inspiring at the same time.

2) Everyone seems interested in digitizing their backlist: I heard a lot of talk about this. Everyone seems to be interested in either digitizing their backlist books or releasing new material as e-books (including yours truly). I plan to do a separate post about this at some point, but I’d say that it was one of the most talked about topics at the conference.I definitely see it as a way for writers to supplement their income and release the books they want to when they want to.

3) Publishers seem to be catching up with the digital trend: I also heard a lot of folks talking about how they’re writing e-stories, novellas, or some kind of digital extra for their publishers to tie in with their existing series (like the First Frost prequel e-story that I’ve done for my Mythos Academy series). It’ll be interesting to see if the digital extras help drive sales of the regular print and e-books. I’m betting they will. I’ve certainly got my fingers crossed on that in regards to First Frost.

4) YA and paranormal are still hot: I only got to go to a couple of the YA panels, but they were very well attended, and it seemed like there were a lot of paranormal panels/workshops on the schedule too. So I think these are still the two hottest genres in terms of what folks are reading and what editors are buying.

5) Missing e-readers: I didn’t see as many folks with e-readers at the conference as I expected to. The last couple of conferences I’ve been to, a lot of folks have had e-readers and asked me to sign their e-reader covers, but that didn’t happen this time. Maybe because the publishers give away so many free paper books at the signings? I don’t know. It just struck me as a little odd. Or maybe everyone just left their e-readers in their rooms while they were out and about at the conference.

6) It’s all about the books: I picked up several books at the publisher signings — books I’d been wanting to read, authors I’d been wanting to try, even a few titles for my mom. To me, one of the best parts of the conference is the various publisher signings, and judging from all the folks I saw with boxes of books, a lot of people feel the same way.

7)  It’s all about the writing: Like I said before, I went to a couple of panels, and the editors/agents on them said that they’re looking for a great story above all else — no matter what genre it’s in. They also said that if you’re writing a common character like vampires, werewolves, or dystopian that your submission will really have to wow them to stand out, but that it can be done. Basically, a good book is a good book, and it’s all about the writing.

MY RANTS

Okay, so I also have a few rants, the biggest of which was the hotel charging for Wi-Fi and just to ship out books. It seems like the bigger and nicer the hotel is, the more they charge you for every little thing. Next year, I hope the conference is in a hotel that at least offers free Wi-Fi.

I expected the Big Apple to be pricey, but I was a little shocked at how expensive the food was. I spent about $60 on souvenirs, and I think about four times that on food (and I did not eat at fancy restaurants). Call me crazy, but I don’t think a sandwich, chips, and a drink should be $13.

I have to say that I also got a little frustrated with people constantly checking their phones. Looking at your phone once or twice during a conversation is cool. Looking at it every five seconds is a little distracting. I know everyone’s on the phone all the time talking, texting, and doing social media, but I go to conferences to meet people face-to-face and interact with them — not watch them check their phones.

Also, speaking of the publisher signings, it would be nice if they were all scheduled for different times. A lot of authors write for more than one house so it would definitely make things easier on them. Plus, authors are readers too, and we like books as much as everyone else does. I think there were two or maybe three other signings scheduled at the same time as the Pocket signing. I would have liked to have gone to those signings as well to see who was there and say hi to the folks that I know.

Okay, end of rants.

So there you have it: some of the things I learned at RWA, for better or worse. Overall, I had a great time, and I’m looking forward to the next time I can go to RWA.

For those of you who went to RWA, what did you learn? What would you like to see at the conference next year? For those of you who weren’t there, would you ever go to RWA? Why or why not?