My Vicarious California Crime Writers Conference Wrap-Up

by Holly West

The last couple of weeks I mentioned that I recently attended the 2015 California Crime Writers Conference in Culver City, CA. Unfortunately, I didn't attend any panels because of my duties at the registration table (my choice--there were plenty of people who volunteered to help at the desk so I could take a break), but I've enjoyed reading about other people's experience of the conference.

Here's are a few wrap-ups of note:

• In Tips from the 2015 California Crime Writers Conference, Jackie Houchin shares her notes from the panels she attended.
• Terry Shames, author of the Samuel Craddock mystery series, writes about her participation on the "F-word" panel (get your mind out of the gutter--that's "F" for Fear) and outlines her own writing "process.
• Gigi Pandian, author of the Accidental Alchemist mysteries and the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, has lately been attending conferences geared toward readers, but the CCWC was a good reminder that writers can always learn something, no matter where they are in their careers. She shares some of the most valuable information she learned at the conference here.
• This is one of Gigi's older posts, unrelated to the CCWC, but it details her decision to self-publish. She's since been traditionally published as well, and has garnered many awards in her writing career.
• Connie Archer, author of the Soup Shop mysteries, was a conference volunteer who helped to put together the fantastic conference program. Her post about the conference is a general overview, with pictures--which reminds me I need to be better about documenting events with photos.

For my part, I was given the honor of introducing one of our speakers, Anne Perry, for her Sunday keynote speech. Travis Richardson kindly took a photo:

I was also on a social media panel with moderator Terry Ambrose, Diane Vallere, and Lee Nelson. Going into it, I was a little apprehensive because even though I'm very active on social media, I wasn't certain I had anything new to say about it. It was really an opportunity to re-iterate my cardinal rules of social media:

• Engage! Remember, social media is called "social" for a reason.
• Don't use social media only to promote yourself. That gets boring fast.
• Restrict or abstain from posting about politics or other controversial matters unless you're willing to participate in a conversation or polite debate about such topics.
• There is not necessarily a direct correlation between book sales and social media. Rather, it's part of an overall strategy to get your name out there and to define your platform/brand. I could definitely do a better job at that part of social media, as my brand seems to be defined by me saying whatever I happen to be thinking or feeling at a given time.

So, with all that said, I'm looking forward to the 2017 California Crime Writers Conference. Co-Chair Sue Ann Jaffarian has already roped me into being the registrar and manuscript consultation coordinator for that conference. And so, I leave you with this: