Which 7 Conventions Must a Writer Attend?

This weekend I'm gearing up for the ICRS and CAABA Conventions. Both will be here in Atlanta and will be working in conjunction with one another. Tomorrow I will attend the Christy Awards and I will be eating too much the rest of the week, since so many writing buddies will be in town. To top it of my mother' s birthday is Sunday and I just baked a batch of rev velvet cupcakes. yum!

Yet, I wonder. All these conventions which ones are a must to attend.

1. ACFW
I attended last year. The conference was great for meeting up with writing friends, befriending agents and editors that work in the CBA industry. Gina and I prayed in the prayer room. That was awesome. I attended Mary Demuth's workshop. The best thing there. I met Dave Long in the flesh. That was surreal. And I ate the juiciest brisket from a bbq stand I found in Dallas. I didn't have any. I just wanted to see what the fuss was about and sit kneecaps to kneecaps with the best people in the world. One good thing I learned was I had a more clear understanding of what CBA likes in an author. My only reservation for me was feeling separate because of my race. I thank God for the Atlanta Black Christian Writers Group,Claudia, Mary G, Ane Mulligan and Deborah Gyapong for having my back.

2. ICRS/CAABA
This convention isn't for non-published authors. However, next Tuesday CAABA will host an evening workshop for budding writers that is open to the public. Pam Perry, Stacy Hawkins Adams, Michelle Gipson, and myself will be there. Georgia Dome. Hit me off loop for details. CAABA are the AA arm of ICRS. Since many AA writers rely on Essence Magazine Stores you should check this conference out to meet with actual black bookstore owners. I hope in the future that more CBA members will include CAABA and that eventual there won't be a division.

3. The Raw Affair
Coming in September. This is a great convention filled with book reviewers, book clubs, authors and fun.

4. For Sisters Only
If you are an african-american woman author you need to plug into FSO. I always attend. Where can you go and sign books at one station and have Heather Headley singing two stations down, Joyce Littel making love connections on the other side of you and THe Original Diva's modeling new christian gear for ladies? Where?

5. Romantic Times Booklovers Convention
LAst year I facilitated the Christian Workshop there. I want to do more for next year. I'm relying on your input. But this is a great big, big convention designed for book buying fans.

6. BEA
I really want to go to this. I watched some great workshops on CSPAN two weeks ago. My writing buddies love it. It is the Bookexpo of America. The name alone says you have to go. I have some video of BEA in the sidebar.

7. NBCC
National Book Club Conference. No brainer. A great convention to connect with bookclubs.


Now what would you add or change from this list?

Seitz III: The Spirit of Gullah

What fascinates you about the Gullah people?

What fascinates me the most is that the Gullah people have kept parts of their history, their heritage, in a place and time where it may not be the most popular or easy thing to do. The Gullah people revere their ancestors and work hard to bring honor to them. In modern-day times, this is refreshing and rare.

How did you obtain your research?

I began by researching on the internet, reading articles from newspapers and such. What I learned ultimately was that the media is often incorrect in its relaying of facts. After the book was written, I had a couple of people who knew first-hand about the Gullah culture read it and help me with my Gullah translations and Mount Pleasant African-American vernacular—not to mention customs and other important details. Those people were Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and Alada Shinault-Small of the Avery Research Center at College of Charleston. Their help was immeasurable.

Why do you think their culture is important for a national platform?

I think I was drawn to the Gullah culture because I grew up on a South Carolina Sea Island. There was a large Gullah population on Hilton Head, yet I never understood the importance of it until I moved a little north to Mount Pleasant where basket makers are celebrated. When my eyes were opened, I wondered, “How did I not know about this culture sooner?” or maybe more importantly, “Did I not care?”

What I realized was that too many times Americans consider “black history” to be for blacks only. This is not true. Black history is “American history”. It’s important to all Americans to understand our beginnings—to understand one another. Learning about the Gullah culture, whether you’re black, white, Asian, it doesn’t matter…it’s important because it helps us to understand our beginnings and also how we can each retain unique aspects of our heritage, yet strengthen our connections between ethnicities. As a Southerner, there are also so many facets of Southern culture that are a result of direct contributions of the Gullah people—food, art, language, you name it.

Stay tuned next week Nicole will share her road to publication with us. If you have any questions for her, please leave them here in the comments section.