How to Prepare for a Bookish Conference

Conference coming up? No problem.

Get ready to make the most of your bookish conference experience with these expert tips. From packing to presenting, I've got you covered!

Before anything else...

Do your research:

-If you're presenting, is there a time limit? What materials do you need?

-Will there be book sales or an indie author shop? You might want to save up some extra money!

-Is this a virtual or in-person conference? If you're traveling, do a thorough Google search of the area, especially of what is near your hotel/AirBNB/what have you. When my husband and I went to the National Sigma Tau Delta conference in Denver, Colorado in 2022, we found this super cool mountain trail. We drove up with our group and it was awesome! Since I've lived in Kansas my whole life, I've never seen anything like it.

Now on to the tips!

Pack Thoughtfully: You'll want to pack not only for the area's weather, but also for a drafty conference room or a packed auditorium. I've found that cardigans are key for this! I've also found that after some internet sleuthing of conferences in years past, I can always find the generally accepted attire of any conference in pictures on LinkedIn or Instagram using the conference's hashtags or tagged pictures. Here is a list of my most coveted essentials: -My favorite pen (Pilot G2 1.0!) and a notebook that can fit in a small bag -A cardigan -An extra phone charger -A change of shoes if there is a long walk back to my hotel -My emotional support water bottle (or coffee cup) -An extra tote bag for the inevitable book sale (or free books, if you're lucky!) -One business professional outfit for presenting, multiple business casual outfits for the other conference days, and some comfy evening clothes
Schedule Yourself...Flexibly: It can be tempting to try to go to every event you can to make the most of your time and money. You should, of course, try to make it to what you can, but leaving flexibility also leaves time for chatting with someone you meet, trying new things, and exploring what the conference's city has to offer. If your conference doesn't have a built-in break for lunch, please make one for yourself! You will have more fun and absorb a lot more information if you are fed.
Update Your Socials: Conferences are amazing for networking and making friends with the same interests as you! Update your social media so people you connect with can get a real sense of your personality and what you do. Show them that you're active and will interact with them if they follow you. Don't forget to refresh your pinned posts as well!
Print Business Cards: I would argue that the majority of people going to conferences want to network, and I've never had a poor response to "here's my business card!" One of my favorite conference activities is following everyone who gave me a business card on social media, and then I either use the card as a bookmark or keep it in my wallet to pass along to someone else. The city your conference is in might have new coffee shops for you to pin a card to a bulletin board. The possibilities are endless!
Presenting? Practice practice practice: Make sure you have everything you need, and time yourself practicing. I organized a mock conference for my local chapter of Sigma Tau Delta so the attendees (me and two others) could practice not only reading our papers, but also answering questions in a panel format. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel going into your presentation!