Top 5 Reasons to Attend ThrillerFest
Let’s face it: attending an in-person writing conference is expensive. That’s why it’s crucial to choose the right conference. After my debut thriller, MULTO, was acquired, ThrillerFest was at the top of my short list of conferences to attend.
I met Walter Mosley, one of my favorite authors, at the 2023 ThrillerFest.
I attended ThrillerFest for the first time a few months before MULTO was launched in September 2023. I’m glad I did. The conference, organized by the International Thriller Writers (ITW), was held May 30-June 3, 2023, at the Sheraton Times Square in Manhattan. It offered many benefits, but I’ll focus on my top five.
Top 5 Benefits of Attending ThrillerFest
#1 ThrillerFest attracts a lot of best-selling authors and experienced editors and literary agents.
When I joined ITW in 2022, I knew that its membership included many marquee authors. Attending ThrillerFest gave me a chance to meet some of them. I was in the same room as Walter Mosley, Karin Slaughter, Michael Connelly, Brad Thor, R.L. Stine, Lou Berney, S.A. Cosby, Alex Finlay, and Wendy Walker, among others. It was inspiring to meet them and to listen to them speak.
Writing diverse characters was one of the hot topics at the conference. Mosley, author of the best-selling Easy Rawlins series and one of my favorite authors, said: “Our world is diverse, so if you write about the world we live in, writing diverse characters will come out right.” He and Charlaine Harris were honored as ThrillerMasters.
I was on a panel discussion titled “Post-It Notes, Napkins or Outlines: Stringing Your Plot. The panel is shown here after the session. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Skal.)
#2 ThrillerFest offers great exposure for published authors. The conference celebrates published authors and their books. It’s a can’t-miss event for authors with new books in the thriller genre, including crime fiction, mystery, suspense, horror, espionage, war, adventure, action, and true crime.
The conference features a Debut Breakfast, but I wasn’t eligible because although MULTO is my first thriller, it’s my third published novel. As a debut thriller author who didn’t check all the boxes, I wasn’t sure if the conference organizers would even remember my name. I was pleasantly surprised and very grateful when they gave me the opportunity to speak on a panel.
#3 ThrillerFest provides a great agenda for aspiring authors. Expect a jampacked week of workshops, panel discussions, and networking events. ThrillerFest offers PitchFest where you can pitch your manuscript to literary agents and editors and QueryFest for those who need help writing queries. Seeking to improve your writing? ThrillerFest offers Master Class writing workshops and CraftFest lecture series.
#4 ThrillerFest will help you come out of your shell. How? By offering a lot of events and networking opportunities that make it easier for introverts like me to interact with others. As a speaker on a panel discussion on plot writing, I was able to share tips and best practices within the context of the publication of MULTO.
If you’re unpublished, the pitch and query events, workshop, and lecture series all provide ample opportunities to meet other writers and publishing industry professionals. There were also cocktail parties and a gala banquet celebrating the winners of the annual Thriller Awards.
#5 ThrillerFest’s New York City location is a bonus. Some writers complain that New York is an expensive destination. Maybe so, but it’s well worth it. First, ThrillerFest’s registration fee is very reasonable. I’ve attended pricier conferences with smaller attendance and narrower scope.
Second, the Big Apple has a lot to offer outside of the conference. You can turn the trip into a mini vacation. While I didn’t spend time sightseeing, I certainly maximized the trip. I had a face-to-face meeting with my literary agent and met my fellow Crime Writers of Color members for drinks. It gave me a chance to get together with friends in the area.
Attending ThrillerFest was one of the highlights of 2023 for me. It was a sound investment in my career as a thriller author and a memorable celebration of MULTO’s publication. Most of all, I met some of the nicest people at the conference, and I will always cherish the new friends I made.
Learn more about the International Thriller Writers and the 2024 ThrillerFest.
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