I was just in Los Angeles for AWP25, a three-day conference and book fair by the Association of Writers & Writing Programs. Over ten thousand writers—published and unpublished—publishers, editors, literary agents, educators, and more gathered for sessions, readings, and networking.
Before the Conference
Mindset
I have a completed manuscript, which means I have a draft of a book that I am ready to show others in hopes of getting it published. It is a 60,000-word memoir about surviving postpartum sepsis at the age of thirty-five. At the hospital, the doctors found me to be at such a late stage of the disease that my heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs were failing. I essentially had a heart attack and much more. If I hadn’t taken myself to the emergency room that day, I would have passed in my sleep that night.
I have another manuscript from 2023, an 83,000-word corporate dramedy intended as a mix of Silicon Valley, Severance, and Demon Copperhead (actually more like Lazarillo de Tormes, but no one knows what that is unless they’ve studied Spanish literature). I sent it out to a few agents, but received the same feedback from both who’d read the full: “It didn’t grip me the way I thought it would.” After some reflection, I still believed in the concept but had to admit the execution was wanting. This manuscript, which I previously thought was complete, will need dramatic revisions.
Hence, I went into AWP25 with two goals:
- For my memoir, learn about the industry: Do I really need an agent? What are the possible publishing paths? What should I be thinking about to get my book into as many readers’ hands as possible?
- For my novel, attend sessions on craft: How can I refine the scenes and plot?
Networking was a sub-goal for both. In Big Tech, you could think of it as a KR (key result) for my O (objective). Obviously, you could find articles, discussions, and workshops online to answer the questions above. I wanted to hear from real people what did and didn’t work for them.
Logistics
The very day I signed up for Substack, I saw Courtney Maum’s My Top Tips for AWP Los Angeles 2025. I knew the author from her book Before and After the Book Deal, which was how I’d learned of AWP in the first place. Kismet. The post was extremely helpful, and I patted myself on the back for the excellent decision to join this platform.
During the Conference
Sessions
The main conference and book fair ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Sessions were 75 minutes long, with 20 minutes in between. Since I wanted to learn as much as possible, I vowed to attend one in every time slot, which meant a total of 15 talks and over 18 hours of listening time.
All of them were wonderful! With over two dozen options in each slot, it was often hard to pick one, but I was very happy with my selections. My top five, in chronological order:
- The Art of the Uncanny: This was about effectively employing surrealism, speculative elements, and black comedy. I want my corporate dramedy to be more absurd and scathingly satirical, so this was highly relevant. The panelists read from their works, which all sounded so intriguing, and shared great tips.
- The session was so packed that all 200+ seats were filled and people were up and down the aisles. Was this a sign of the times—that dystopian works like The Handmaid’s Tale and Black Mirror are hitting harder than ever—or were these authors super famous? (I felt bad, like an imposter, for not knowing most of the presenters at AWP25.)
- Publishing Paths 101: Big Five, Indie, Hybrid, or DIY?: The panelists answered all my burning questions, and ones that hadn’t occurred to me. Now that I’m back at home, I’m excited to do more research and hone in on the right path for my memoir!
- Beyond Large PR Budgets: Launching a Book & Reaching Your Readers: Another eye-opening talk for industry newbies. The best takeaway for me was that there’s a lot I can apply from my day job as a product manager to writing and launching a book. I already understood the importance of knowing my audience, but we should also consider the definition of success, evangelism, and product marketing.
- Becoming a Debut Novelist: The Journey from Agent Queries to Book Launch: The title says it all. This session reinforced the epiphany I had about product vision and strategy for books.
- Conflict: Hell is Story Friendly; Put Your Protagonist Among the Damned: I almost didn’t go to this one because it was at the same time as “I’ll Tell You What I Want, What I Really, Really Want: Agents Explain Manuscript Wishlists.” However, after attending two discussions the day before that were by and about agents, and one earlier that morning about networking in a productive and genuine way, I was in the mood for a craft panel. Good thing, because these panelists were brimming with insights and humor!
I walked away so, so inspired every day to keep hacking away at this writing thing.
Aside: I hate how you can’t use bullet points anymore without your text looking as if it came from ChatGPT.
After Hours
After 5 p.m., there were many “off-site” events each day. Because I didn’t know anyone or what to expect, I was wary of spending money on cabs to the farther venues. Still, I managed to have a pretty good time.
On Thursday, I treated myself to a fantastic solo sushi dinner at SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa, right next to my hotel. Then I headed back to the conference center for the keynote presentation by the legendary Roxane Gay.
On Friday, I went to a nearby brewery for a happy hour hosted by Atmosphere Press. This was my favorite off-site because I actually got to chat with fellow writers, which was not easy to do from 9 to 5 with everyone dashing from one session to the next. I sat at a table with seven others and it was just a very warm, supportive, engaging environment.
It was so fun, I almost regret leaving after one hour for a poetry reading organized by a university press. As an alumna of that university, I wanted to discuss publishing my memoir with them. Turns out they are only printing poetry these days, but at least I enjoyed the reading. It motivated me to make my writing style, eroded to bare bones by so many years of corporate-speak, more literary again.
On Saturday, I attended another poetry reading at a bar. Before it began, I had a great conversation with an editor of a literary review who is also a poet and a writing coach. I signed up for a free poetry workshop that she will be running soon. Maybe I’ll start posting poetry? I’ll think about whether that aligns with my product strategy. 😉
Final Thoughts
AWP25 exceeded my expectations. I achieved my goals for the conference and had an amazing time! I don’t know yet if I’ll be making a habit of it, but I would say it is worth it for aspiring authors to experience at least once. My only regret was losing my pencil case within the first hour.
lunarsine 