Monday Interview: Writer Jamie Harrington on WRITE ON CONFERENCE!

Hi everyone and merry Monday! Today Multiculturalism Rocks! is thrilled to welcome Jamie Harrington, who is one the organizers* of the Write On Conference, AKA WriteOnCon–you know, that fabulous, incredible FREE event that will take place starting August 10, 2010. In case you didn’t know or forgot, the conference is international, meaning that anyone children’s book writer or illustrator is welcome to attend regardless of where you live: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands, Northern and Southern America… All you need is a computer and internet connection.

*Complete list of organizers: Jamie Harrington, Elana Johnson, Casey McCormick, Shannon Messenger, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Jennifer Stayrook.

In her own words, Jamie Harrington is “a young adult Fiction writer.” I need to add that she is also one of the most enthusiastic and darn fast-typing writer I’ve ever known!

Hi Jamie! Thank you so much for being here.

I’m in awe of WriteOnCon concept. It is stated on the Website: “The conference has been scheduled for weekdays, so that attendees won’t have to set aside an entire weekend to be glued to their computers. To accommodate day jobs, the schedule will feature more static elements during working hours, and all live events have been saved for the evenings. Transcripts for most sessions will also be available for download.”

What prompted you and others to organize WriteOnCon?

The writing community has been really awesome to all of us involved, and we wanted to do something to give back. We know how valuable writing conferences can be, and we wanted everyone to get to experience one, even if they don’t have the money, or live too far away too actually attend one.

How long did it take you take make it happen?

That’s an interesting question, since we’re still working on making sure it’s the best possible conference it can be–we’ve been working on it pretty much all summer. But, the other conference organizers are all so awesome, it doesn’t even feel like work!

Congratulations on the speakers line-up. WriteOnCon has an amazing panel of editors, agents and writers/illustrators. Beside the scale, one of the elements that sets WriteOnCon aside is the fact that it’s… FREE! All these people put in time and effort in participating in the event. While I applaud their generosity, I can’t help but wonder: What’s in it for them? 🙂

They’re looking for great clients. It’s the same thing that drives agents and editors to go all over the country listening to pitch sessions. They are just as likely to find their next client at writeoncon (which they can browse from their couch in their pajamas) as they are to find at a conference they have to fly across the country for.

Do you have a quota regarding the panel? Are you still considering requests from agents and editors who are interested in contributing to WriteOnCon?

The cool part about writeoncon is, we aren’t confined by room space or scheduling, so we can take really great editors and agents and find a spot for them. Even if a publishing professional doesn’t want to officially present, they can still join the forums and critique people’s writing.

One of the incentives for people who attend conferences is the opportunity to afterward submit their work to the guest panel comprised of agents and publishers. Is the same true with WriteOnCon?

The submissions process will work a little different than a traditional conference in that everyone will have the opportunity to submit their work to the forums for critique. Agents and editors will be trolling the boards, reading over the material, and if something interests them, then they will get in contact with the writer. That way, you are, in essence, pitching all the publishing pros, and not just one or two.

Do you have any tips for the future attendees? How can they prepare and make the most of the conference?
There’s space in the forums now for people to prepare their work on critique others. People can register now and get their writing ready for the conference!

Jamie, once again a big thank you for this interview and for the information you provide us with.

You’re very welcome! Thanks for asking. I just want to encourage everyone to go register and start making friends. Conferences are way more fun with friends!

Fore more information on WriteOnCon–registration, list of agents and editors present, FAQ, click on the following links:

o WriteOnCon Website
o WriteOnCon Agents/Editors
o WriteOnCon on Facebook
o Follow WriteOnCon on Twitter!

I know for a fact that quite a few multicultural writers and illustrators will attend the event. Will you be there?