22 Publishing Events Not to Miss in 2017
Note: Be sure to check out the 2022 writing conferences list!
Publishing has opened up to more people since the rise of digital media. Having said that, traditional publishing is still going strong, with sales of hard books remaining healthy. So whether you’re self-publishing or following traditional means, this detailed infographic is a must read for you!
Below is a list of the best and most important publishing events this coming year. They won’t just give you key insights into the latest industry trends. You’ll also find:
⦁ The best networking opportunities with fellow writers, publishers and industry leaders.
⦁ The best advice from literary stars.
⦁ Pitching to agents.
⦁ Live readings, exhibits, contests, cultural events.
⦁ Even a bit of cheeky self-promotion for your work, without the expense of a booth!
It’s time to take your pick of festivals celebrating literature, conferences, meetings and major literary prizes in 2017.
- Digital Book World (January 17 – January 19 2017), New York, USA – Featuring an interesting array of professionals involved in digital publishing, this is one of the best places to start to gather advice and trends in the digital publishing world.
http://digitalbookworldconference.com/
- Angoulême International Comics Festival, Angoulême, France (January 26 – January 29 2017) – One of the biggest international comics festivals, there are numerous exhibitions of artwork, showings of films adapted from comic books as well as a presitigious awards ceremony.
http://www.bdangouleme.com/
- Association of Writers and Writing Programs, Washington, USA (February 8 – February 11 2017) – Join over 12,000 other attendees for this parade of events. Featuring panels, readings and lectures, you’ll also be able to access a book fair too!
https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_conference/
- Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Annual Winter Conference, New York, USA (February 10 – February 12 2017) – Children’s literature is really growing! This meet is one of the best places to find the latest inspirations and news from authors and illustrators.
https://www.scbwi.org/annual-conferences/
- San Miguel Writers Conference & Literary Festival, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (February 15 – February 19 2017) – The largest bi-lingual literary gathering in the Americas, it’s time to enjoy a real cultural fest. Attracting established writers, up-and-coming authors amongst others.
https://sanmiguelwritersconference.org/
- Digital Media Strategies 2017, London, UK (February 20 – February 23 2017) – What better way to feel the digital publishing pulse than in London? Topics include product development, advertising, and how to maintain revenues.
http://digital-media-strategies.com/
- Quantum Publishing Conference, London, UK (March 13 2017) – Part of the London Book Fair, it’s also one of the most well attended publishing conferences in the world. It aims to highlight the latest innovations in digital content.
http://quantum.londonbookfair.co.uk/en/About/
- Digital Innovator’s Summit, Berlin, Germany (March 19 – March 21 2017) – Considered the essential meeting for content-focused businesses, you’ll pick up the latest insights and innovations. Add Berlin’s frenetic buzz, this makes for a must-attend summit.
http://www.innovators-summit.com/dis-programme/
- Pulitzer Prize (April 10 2017) – One of the most famous international literary prizes. Past winners including author Donna Tartt, journalists Ron Suskind, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein – so well worth keeping your eyes peeled for the results.
http://www.pulitzer.org/
- The Self-Publishing Conference, Leicester, UK (April 22 2017) – Self-publishing is gaining ground in the writing world. What better place to start than this for networking and advice when you’re just starting out?
http://selfpublishingconference.org.uk/
- Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles, USA (April 22 – April 23 2017) – More book celebration than a conference, this is also the largest book festival in the US. Join debates, readings, and attend performances for two days of fun!
http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/the-festival/info/
- Nonfiction Writers Conference, Pittsburgh, USA [Need to confirm place] (May 3 – May 5 2017) – This is the best place to start for anything non-fiction. You’ll walk away with a stash of advice on how to monetise your work, amongst other topics.
http://nonfictionwritersconference.com/
- 10th International Conference on e-Learning and Innovative Pedagogies, Toronto, Canada (May 27 2017) – This is a great conference to see how learning takes place online. Covering technologies used, and how this affects social transformation amongst other topics.
http://ubi-learn.com/2017-conference
- IDPF Digicon at BEA (May 31 – June 2), New York, USA – Held in conjunction with BookExpo America. This is the perfect combination of book-buying and learning the latest trends in book publishing.
http://idpf.org/digicon-bea-2016/program
- Society for Scholarly Publishing Annual Meeting, Boston, USA (May 31 – June 2) – If more serious publishing is your interest, then look no further. You’ll get to network and review all aspects of academic publishing at this annual meeting.
https://www.sspnet.org/events/annual-meeting-2017/event-home/
- 12th International Conference on e-Learning (ICEL 2017) (June 1 – June 2 2017), Orlando, USA – Aimed at those specialising in e-learning, you’ll get to meet academics and practitioners. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning also publishes the best papers from this event.
http://www.academic-conferences.org/conferences/icel/
- 15th International Conference on Books, Publishing and Libraries, London, UK (July 7 2017) – This year’s special focus is “The Publisher is Dead”, making for an interesting debate on whether publishing really is in trouble!
http://booksandpublishing.com/2017-conference
- Romance Writers of America (RWA) Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida, USA (July 26 – July 29 2017) – Who doesn’t love a tear-jerker? Aside from Florida’s amazing weather, romance writers can network and find inspiration, all in one spot.
https://www.rwa.org/conference
- Travel Writers and Photographers Conference, Corte Madera, California, USA (August 10 – August 13 2017) – Bringing together the very best in the field, you can make the world even smaller. Take part in workshops, panels and evening events, covering writing and photography.
http://www.bookpassage.com/travel-writers-photographers-conference
- Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland (August 12 – August 28 2017) – Combine history, culture and books, all in one go! Bringing together a vibrant collection of writers, you’ll find readings, performances and all things eclectic.
https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/
- Word on the Street, Toronto, Canada (September 24 2017) – Though a short-and-sweet little event, this has hosted the best talent in Canada’s literary circles. Keep it cool in Toronto’s cultural mix with this cultural fix.
http://thewordonthestreet.ca/toronto/
- 16th European Conference on E-Learning (ECEL 2017) (October 26 – October 27 2017), Porto, Portugal – If e-Learning’s your thing, this is the place to be. Tapping into uses of technology in education, this meet-up helps academics and professionals catch up and network.
http://www.academic-conferences.org/conferences/ecel/
Let us know if we missed any!
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Credit to the following for letting us use their icons off The Noun Project:
Edward Boatman, Liv Iko, Luis Prado, Barracuda, Creative Stall, Gerald Wildmoser, Alexandr Cherkinsky, Hea Poh Lin, Erin Gillaspy, Tinashe Mugayi.
