To go or not to go? by Eric Beetner

 What do your writing expenses look like for a conference? (Percentages are fine.) Airfare, hotel, meals, books, booze? What about ROI (return on investment)? Are conferences worth the expense?

This question comes at a timely moment for me. I had planned not to attend any conferences this year. My finances have been depleted as my day job industry (TV/Film) goes through a major readjustment if not a downright upheaval. So things have been tight around here.

I've had years where I can justify going to a Bouchercon or Left Coast Crime by showing my wife I am paying for the conference entirely from book royalties. Not so this year, or the last couple to be honest. And yet I find myself now in possession of plane tickets to New York in June and New Orleans in September. How, and why?

Well, I got nominated for awards. I hate to write that with a disparaging tone, but mixed with the elation of the nominations, came the crushing fact that I had to now decide whether to attend Thrillerfest in NYC and Bouchercon in New Orleans. 

I feel like it's the least I can do to show up if I get nominated for an award. Plus, there's a darn good chance it may never happen again, so I don't want to miss out on the experience. Not to be overly self-deprecating, but I don't hold out much hope of winning. The nomination is the win in both cases. But on the off-chance my name is called, I'd feel ungrateful if I were not there to accept and to break out the dusty acceptance speech I've had in my pocket for years as nominations come and go with zero wins under my belt.

I attended Thrillerfest only once before when I was nominated in the Short Story category (this time it's for Best Series Novel). Thrillerfest was a grand time, but it's no secret that it is the most expensive conference out there. ITW does a great job of putting on a show, but just being in NYC makes it more than most cons. So that one wasn't on my radar at all.

I've been to ten Bouchercons at this point and I love seeing old friends and making new ones. I've met future agents at Bouchercon, met writers I admire. All the non-monetary reasons to attend. 

If you think going to a conference and appearing on a panel is your ticket to soaring sales numbers, I have bad news for you.

If you're contemplating going, think of it as any other trip. You're not going to recoup your investment in dollars, but in experience. 

For Bcon this year, it falls a day after my 25th anniversary and my wife has never been to New Orleans, so we're going to make a weekend of it. I honestly won't be around the conference halls much as I'll be out seeing the city with my wife as much as I'll be doing book related things. Perhaps she'll be my good luck charm for the Anthony Award where my novel The Last Few Miles Of Road is nominated in the Best Paperback original category. 

But boy they do add up. Even with discounted room rates, there are still fights, meals, books to buy. I don't drink so I save on the booze, so that's something. But figure at least $1200 for a weekend away. 

As others have said, the "worth it" factor is all in the experience. I was fine skipping out on the experience this year, but now with award nominations, the experience changed for me and justified the cost. So that tells me what the experience is worth.

Now, will it be more "worth it" if I come home with awards in hand? Absolutely. I don't mind saying so. Maybe I can get rid of this old speech in my pocket too. But whatever happens, I'll go in trying to make the most of what I've spent and come away with memories, hopefully some new contacts and new friends, and this time I promise to take pictures. (I'm sure I'll forget. Again)

Next year, though...pending any nominations, I plan to lay low.