Do You RT?

The Romantic Times Booklovers Convention starts tomorrow in Columbus, Ohio. I won’t be there. I’ve never attended an RT convention. Have you? Are you attending this year? If so, shouldn’t you be traveling and not reading this blog?

I can’t decide if I ever do want to attend RT, should the schedule and location ever work for me. Yes, I kinda want to find out what all the fuss is about. You can take agent and editor appointments at RT like you can at RWA National. At least one of my publishers has a presence at RT. RT is more focused on readers—right? RWA is focused on writers.

I find the locations of the RT conventions difficult to budget for. Coming from Canada ups the cost and travel time. RWA conferences are in my relative neck of the woods every few years. I can’t remember RT ever being on the West coast. If an RT conference were scheduled for the West coast, then, yes, I might attend.

The end of April is another bugaboo. I just returned Saturday evening from a whirlwind trip of picking up Eldest Son at university, so I was already worn out. My mom’s birthday was Sunday. This Friday is my father-in-law’s birthday, and this year it’s a major milestone. Two weeks later is E.S.’s birthday. Oh, and Mother’s Day. Oh, and I’m expecting my fourth great-niece or nephew to pop out any time now.

For me, end of April – middle of May is always insanely busy. Dismissing the family birthdays situation, it’s when I slap back on my Mom-Academic University Counsellor hat. The mere idea of traveling to a conference in the midst of all that wears me out.

So, tell me, despite all the apparent obstacles in my way, should I make it my goal to attend RT some year? If you haven’t attended yet, would you like to? What’s holding you back? If you have attended before, would you attend again? Which conference provides the most bang for your buck as an author—RT or RWA?

By Cindy

I'm irritated because my posts won't publish.

23 comments

  1. I actually attended on RT conference years ago – sort of! It was 1995 and I had not yet started writing. But I’d been an avid romance reader for years. I heard about the conference from my bookseller at Waldenbooks. It was obviouslyl the reader portion, but we got to go in and talk to our favorite authors and meet the cute dudes from the Mr. Romance cover contest. That was flippin’ awesome.
    The balls were totally talked up, too. The parties and interacting and networking. Then I was clueless, now I know it meant business networking. All that being said, I don’t think I could do both in one year unless I was uber-successful. RWA is where I’m comfortable, but RT is definitely where you hook up with readers and POTENTIAL readers.
    I’ve contemplated alternating, too. As of yet, no decision. Heck, I’m not even going to RWA this year!
    So, there, did that answer any of your questions?

  2. Yes, it did, thanks, Jennifer. I’m thinking it’s probably a good idea for Penny to attend RT, not as important for Cindy to attend. Penny writes erotic romance, and RT seems to do a great job of promoting erotic romance and paranormal lately.

    I wish you were going to RWA this year!

    I love RWA, but do find it tiring. Isn’t RT supposed to be even more tiring?

    Then there’s the PASIC conference, which is always held in New York, and from the chatter on the PASIC loop it’s a great conference for published authors. Then NINC holds an annual conference, too. For now, one per year is all I can afford. Honestly, it’s not one per year yet, either. I usually attend a conference two years in a row and don’t attend any my “year off.”

  3. Hi everyone.
    I would love to attend RT this year. But dh wasn’t interested. He’d rather take a road trip somewhere else. That said, the one time I’ve attended RT in Orlando, I had a great time. It’s definitely reader oriented and that’s a plus for writers. The readers are excited to be there and meet the authors. That’s a good thing for authors. Also good for authors are the workshops that have been added to every year, and the opportunity to network. The year I attended, 2006, I was one of the 2005 Dorchester/Romantic Times American Title Contest finalists. We were introduced on stage with the winner of the contest, and after that I was amazed at the response from readers, as well as other authors. It was awesome as well as overwhelming that suddenly people recognized me as a writer. The readers are fabulous. I took my daughter with me and we visited with lots of readers at our tables in the dining room during lunches and dinners. The Book Signing event was huge! And it’s all in an atmosphere of a big party that’s fun, and you can take your family. There are also booksellers there. I stood in line for lunch one day with a bookseller from the Chicago area. We had a great time talking and discussing writing. Since it is expensive to travel and stay at conventions for several days or more, I have to choose which one I can afford. I’m waiting for one to come close to where I live. Dallas or San Antonio would be a great place. I like spring time conventions because it’s cool enough to do some touring at the same time. I would love to go again soon. The party atmosphere makes it easy to meet and gab with readers and other authors. You don’t have mostly readers at other writer conferences. The friendly readers make the RT Convention stand out, IMHO.

    Jeanmarie

  4. Jeanmarie, those are excellent reasons for attending RT. Thanks for coming by and sharing. It must have been exciting to be an American Title finalist.

    Hmmm, I’m kind of in Ellen’s boat. I’m not a single mother, but even though my “kids” are 19 and 21, it’s still very much a hands-on time in their lives, especially at this time of year (registering for classes, looking for summer jobs, etc). And let’s not forget that Canadian tax season ends April 30th. I find it an awkward time of year to go away.

    Okay, I’m issuing a challenge to RT organizers. Hold the conference in the west for once and I will attend, LOL. I thought this year the conference was coming to the West, but then it went to Ohio, which at least is central, but the timing was bad for me.

  5. Cindy, I’m a true believer in family coming first. It’s hard to get away when you have kids at home. And yes, it was very exciting to be an American Title finalist. Here’s hoping that RT will be held near you soon, and everything will work out for you to attend.
    🙂
    Jeanmarie

  6. Thanks, Jeanmarie! I can’t recall an RT ever being in the West. Yawn (that’s me just thinking of recovering from jet lag).

  7. Well, get ready for RT next year, Cindy! I heard it’s going to be in Los Angeles. The location of RT these past several years has also kept me home. Working full-time as well as writing as well as monitoring two pre/teen boys I can’t afford the time to go to more than one conference a year. This year it’s RWA in Nashville for me. I agree that the timing of RT is not great – the boys are playing baseball and spring soccer, so there’s a lot of shuttling around. If RT is indeed in L.A. next year (I heard downtown L.A., which is about a 30-min drive for me, no traffic – which is unusual in that area!), I might go to some of the events even if I don’t stay at the host hotel.

  8. Ah, but they might be trying to fool us again, Carol. I thought this year RT was slated for California, but, alas, it wasn’t.

    That’s great that you could just pop in and out, though.

    If RT is in L.A. next year, I’ll have some decisions to make, as RWA is in NYC in 2011 and I do love me some NYC.

    Mainly, my decision would revolve around when I need to drive to pick up my youngest from university. He’s going out of province in September.

  9. My CP and co-blogger Liz Kreger goes every year. When I’m published, maybe I will. If I had the money right now, I would’ve gone to Spring Fling this last weekend.

  10. That’s the one in Chicago, right, Edie? Unfortunately, smack dab on my mom’s bday. Last year I had to miss a milestone birthday for her to pick up my son from university – I felt bad!

  11. I’d like too go to RT someday. Maybe when I sell and have books to talk about to potential readers. For now, RWA is right for me and I love it!

  12. Interesting topic, Cindy. I’ve never been interested in attending RT, but actually these folks are changing my mind. It would be cool to talk to readers. I attended only one RWA local conference. It was very well run, but with nonstop speeches at every meal, even breakfast, I found it difficult to connect with people the way I wanted to. I don’t even want to attend RWA National. The middle of the summer is a very difficult time for me to travel with the kids being on vacation, but I think next year I’ll have to bite the bullet since I live in the northeast.

  13. Lexi, I agree RT is probably best to attend when you have a title or titles to promote. As such, it would work better for Penny at this point than me. But I do have a cindypk coming out in 2011 – not sure when yet – so, who knows, maybe it’s RT for me next year instead of RWA. I know I’m not at the point where I can do both.

  14. Carly, they’re changing my mind, too. I love RWA National because it’s the only time I can connect with writing friends. I don’t usually attend “local” conferences, because “local” for me is at least a 5-hour drive one way, or a not-so-cheap plane trip. I find most of the same people attend the “local” conferences, so I only go every few years. There has to really be a draw. Otherwise, I’ll save my money for a big conference.

    But I have friends who prefer the smaller, regional conferences to RWA National and/or RT. Different strokes, I guess.

    With both my sons driving, the only things that really stop me from attending National every year are (1) finances and (2) like the summer my niece got married, I chose the wedding over attending National – naturally!

  15. Hi Cindy!

    I’ve attended RT – last year in 2009 in Florida, and I’ve attended a smaller conference in New Jersey in 2007. Both were awesome in their own way. I guess I loved RT because I went to mingle. I was there to Network and I did, meeting agents, editors and authors! And I sold my first book. 🙂 I loved New Jersey for the courses, because that was what I went there for. It was so much smaller and I got to meet a lot of people and felt a bit more comfortable, I must admit.

    I think it is what you are going for that is important. Are you there to network? Promote? Get an agent? Sell a book? Then what do the conferences have to offer you toward your goal?

    Good luck deciding! For me I am planning on going to the small New Jersey conference again this year, and to the big RWA in New York next year (there’s something to be said about location!).

    Lilly

  16. Lilly, I’ve heard the New Jersey conference is excellent. You’re right, there are so many options on the East Coast. The editors and a lot of agents are within close contact – you’re making me jealous!

  17. It’s not really my cuppa tea, so I’m not ever likely to attend. I’d rather see James Purefoy dressed as the Black Prince (A Knight’s Tale) or Richard Armitage dressed as Guy of Gisborne (BBC’s Robin Hood series), than watch the Cover Model contest…just my personal taste. I’ve heard it can be a blast!

  18. From what I hear, Teresa, there’s so much more to the conference than the Cover Model contest. Like excellent information and networking opportunities. But what we always hear about is the contest…

    I must admit, while I’ve never been one to frequent ladies nights, if I were attending RT as Penny and the model on two of Penny’s Secrets anthologies was in the contest, I’d hoot and holler and cheer him on. #1, he does good covers. #2, from what little interaction I’ve had with him (contacting authors to help promote their books at the RT signings), he seems a genuinely nice guy. He’s always promoting authors and publishers, not just himself.

  19. I’ll go once my publication level justifies it. 🙂 Otherwise, RWA brings me more bang for my buck.

    Didn’t I meet you at the Atlanta RWA conference? How was that convenient? LOL

  20. I’ve never been to Atlanta. We met at the San Francisco conference in ’08. Really, Natalie, you call yourself a Capricorn? 😉

    I love going to the east coast conferences, but jet lag hits me really hard. So if I’m going to miss a conference and the east coast conference isn’t in New York, then that’s the year I’m likely to miss. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t do DC last year.

    Even with the conference being in Nashville this year, which I think is no more than a 2 hour time difference (I hope!), I’m arriving Monday night with no pressing plans for Tuesday morning. I usually arrive Tuesday nights, but I like to do some sightseeing the day after I arrive and if I want to attend the TGN Retreat I have to get up early for the sightseeing. Then I begin the entire conference exhausted. Even though my roommate isn’t coming in until Tuesday evening for Nashville and I’ll probably be sightseeing alone, I’m really looking forward to having that extra day.

  21. I don’t remember there being anything about Capricorns having good memories. LOL But I’m on the cusp, anyway. 🙂

    Seriously, when I picture the restaurant we went to, I’d swear it was in Atlanta. SF seems too recent! 🙁

    I guess I’m getting old.

  22. Capricorns are supposed to be good with details. To me that translates to good memories (for details). I’ll forgive you, seeing as you’re a “Cusper.”

    Don’t say you’re getting old! What does that make me? Gulp.

    No, Natalie, you’re not getting old, merely losing your mind. It’s a sad state of affairs for us creative types. 😉

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