Summer SCBWI conference registration open: why go?

I was a member of the SCBWI for years before I traveled to a national conference.

Oh, I had my reasons: the time, the money, the idea that our local conferences are so darned good that any travel beyond Redmond is unnecessary.

And then I went to my first L.A. conference.

Without getting into too many details (because what happens in L.A. stays in L.A.), my first conference led directly to my signing with an agent and getting a picture book deal. A lot of this was luck—but just as important, it was an opportunity for me to build on what I'd learned at SCBWI-WWA and take my career to that next level.

The second time I went, I took a master class with Linda Sue Park that helped me immensely with a revision. So that, too, was career-changing.

Even if those things hadn't happened, though, I'd still want to go back. The conferences are a ton of fun, even for bookish introverts like me. (And really, the only embarrassing thing that's happened so far is that I conditioned my hair with hand lotion accidentally. This could happen to anyone. Anyone with hair, that is.)

So do think about the conference. Registration is now open. If you want to take one of the master classes listed, you'll want to sign up ASAP because those fill up fast.