I interrupt my normal Tuesday post to tell you that I finally opted to pay for a ticket to a free online writing conference.

As I talked about a few weeks ago, free online writing conferences are happening all the time. If you haven’t already, you should start subscribing to writing websites so you can hear about these events and make sure you grab a pass before they start. 

Yesterday, I got news of an online writing conference that had just started, but I don’t need to worry about what I missed before I got the email; the replays are included with the free pass, and they’ll always be available! This is pretty impressive in and of itself, as most of the time, you can only access replays for a limited time after conferences like these. 

But what’s even more surprising is that they got me to upgrade my pass. 

If you know me, you know how much I advocate for free resources. It endlessly annoys me that so many people try to take advantage of writers by advertising courses that will “fix your writing” or “guarantee a publishing deal”. . . all for the low price of about $2,000!! Maybe some of these courses do actually accomplish what they claim, but are they really worth the cost? And how many of us can actually afford them?

I believe that you can write a great book without paying a dime. That’s why I love these free online writing conferences; they usually try to get you to upgrade the pass, but you can always just stick with the free version and be fine. This time, though, I opted to pay for a ticket, and here’s why. 

Fiction Marketing Academy

The conference taking place all week is Fiction Marketing Academy, and if you’re a self-published fiction author, I highly, highly recommend you sign up. They have tons of acclaimed speakers giving talks on all things fiction book marketing for seven days straight—I mean, where else can you find such a high-quality conference for a specific topic like this? Even I’ve never seen anything comparable, especially considering that the free pass includes access to the entire conference and endless replays. 

Self-published authors, I can’t stress how important this is. As writers, most of us don’t know much about marketing, if we know anything at all. Personally, this is what I struggle with most when it comes to self-publishing. There are plenty of articles out there on the subject, sure, but it’s much easier and more interesting (for me, at least) to hear someone talk about it and have concrete resources in your grasp. 

And that’s where the paid ticket comes in. I got an email from Daniel David Wallace, who’s speaking at the conference, and he said that people buying the pass were astounded at how much it contained. Curious but cautious, as always, I clicked the link. You know things are bad when you scroll down and down the page and all you’re getting are glowing reviews for the product and descriptions of all the things you’ll be getting, right? By the time I got to the pricing, I was expecting at least a few hundred dollars. 

That’s why I was shocked to see $67. 

I read again through all the things you got with the package. It sounded great, and the conference was put together amazingly well. That alone told me that the guys behind Fiction Marketing Academy were concerned about quality. I decided to take a chance and upgrade my pass. . .

And I wasn’t disappointed! Immediately, you get access to all the documents that come with the upgraded pass, which include several marketing checklists, a marketing blueprint, email templates, etc. You also get a free personalised ebook cover, which is exactly what I need for my upcoming non-fiction book! Additionally, there are several additional offers from sponsors and speakers at the conference. And as one last interesting perk, upgrading the pass will also get you access to their book marketing planner app when it launches. 

Is Upgrading Worth It?

You always have to weigh the choice when it comes to paying for a writing service, software, or conference. Consider your personal needs and where you are in your writing journey. Carefully look at what’s being offered and if it’s really worth what they’re asking. Money-back guarantees are a huge plus in case you’re not satisfied! 

In my opinion, upgrading my pass this time was worth it. Marketing is an area I need lots of help in and it saves tons of time and headaches just to have all the information in one place. I like the checklists as they’re short, simple, and to the point. The email marketing resources are also helpful as I’m starting up a new email list for my upcoming author website. Plus, a free book cover means that I’ll be able to publish my upcoming book that much sooner since I won’t have to raise the funds for it! (Keep an eye out in the near future, by the way, because I think you’ll like this new book.) I’m also excited to try out this new marketing app for self-published authors! 

I’m so relieved and happy to have a great marketing resource to work through, especially when I got it for such a great price. I believe the cost has gone up to $97 since I bought it yesterday, so once again, make sure you weigh the choice! If you struggle with marketing as I do, though, I can already recommend what Fiction Marketing Academy has to offer. 

Got any questions? Contact me and I’ll be happy to further share my experience!

Happy writing!
—E.J.

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