Today I’m participating in the Ch1Con 2017 Blog Tour! Make sure you read to the bottom to find the giveaway.
I’ve been to Ch1Con twice so far, and I absolutely loved every minute of it. Before I start gushing about it, here’s a few words about the conference:
Chapter One Young Writers Conference (Ch1Con) is a writing conference entirely by and for young writers. The team is composed of a number of high school, college, and early-twenty-something writers, who work to create a unique, inclusive experience for young attendees. The conference, with its subset focus on the young adult novel, brings teens together to hear from accomplished speakers their own age, participate in professional workshops, and celebrate the influence young writers have on the world. With an atmosphere that combines the professional aspects of a conference with the awesomeness of hanging out with fellow teen book nerds, Ch1Con is a true can’t-miss experience!
This year, Ch1Con is bigger and brighter than ever, with more opportunities, cooler giveaways, and a new roundup of fantastic speakers headlining the conference on Saturday, August 5th in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Registration is currently open on the Ch1Con website for writers ages eleven to twenty-three and at an early bird discounted price of $49.99. The speaker lineup is up on the website now, featuring Kody Keplinger, author of a bevy of YA hits including THE DUFF (now a major motion picture!), literary agent superstar Brent Taylor, more.
Between the awesome presentations and workshops, attendees will have the chance to participate in literary trivia games and giveaways, with prizes including professional critiques, signed books, and ARCs. There will also be an author panel open to any and all questions at the end of the conference, followed by a book and swag signing by participating speakers. During downtime, all participants are free to explore Chicago, relax at the conference’s beautiful partner hotel in the nearby suburb of Rosemont (where the annual Friday night pizza party will be hosted), and network with each other, establishing the sort of vital connections that can make careers and create lifelong friendships.
The 2017 conference will be held at a brand new venue, the SPACE by Doejo event center, with sessions running from 9:45 AM to 4:30 PM on Saturday the 5th of August. Tickets for transportation and room reservations can be purchased online with links on the conference’s Travel page. Early bird registration is currently open at this link with adult registration for those 18+ and youth registration (with parental/guardian consent) for those under 18.
Doesn’t that sound great? I’m so excited to attend again this year. I’ve met several of the speakers before, and I know they’re going to be great, and I can’t gush enough about Ch1Con overall. It took me from being a baby writer who didn’t know what she was doing to a writer who has a goal, knows what she wants, and has a plan to get there. It also gave me a community of other young writers, which has changed how I view writing and the writing community. I can’t say enough about how friendly everyone is, and I can’t imagine skipping the conference. (Fun fact, I might be missing part of a family vacation to go to this conference, which is how much I love it. Haha)
So, if you’re a writer between the ages of eleven and twenty-three, I 100% recommend that you go. If you’re not sure about it, ask me! I would love to talk to you about it and answer any questions you might have. I loved it so much, that I joined the team, and help run it now. 🙂 But don’t wait too long, because seats are selling fast, and the early bird registration price ends June 1st!
As part of the conference tour, I’m giving away a signed copy of Karuna Riazi’s THE GAUNTLET. This is a fantastic looking MG novel, and I can’t wait to read my own copy! If the embedded giveaway didn’t appear, you can find it here.
Thanks for reading about the conference, and seriously, if you have any questions, I’d love to talk about the conference with you.
For more information and to join the Ch1Con community online, check out these links:
Website: Chapter One Young Writers Conference
Tumblr: Ch1Con
Pinterest: Ch1Con
Instagram: @Ch1Con
YouTube: Chapter One Young Writers Conference
Facebook: Chapter One Young Writers Conference
And, of course, you can follow the rest of the Ch1Con 2017 Blog Tour at: www.chapteroneconference.com
The Chapter One Young Writers Conference. Every story needs a beginning. This is ours.