Events

What blogging & writing conferences should I attend in 2015?

BlogHer
Image by Dave Winer via Flickr/Creative Commons

Believe it or not, 2015 is just around the corner. Now is a good time to figure out which conferences you will attend next year. Here are ten writing or blogging conferences to consider.

Food Media South: The popular food blogging conference FoodBlogSouth (originally organized by Shaun Chavis and Jason Horn) is now being hosted by the Southern Foodways Alliance and has been renamed Food Media South. Set for February 27-28 in Birmingham, Alabama, FMS will explore storytelling in the digital era. Speakers include Dorothy Kalins, founding editor of Saveur magazine, chair of the James Beard Journalism Awards committee, and producer of beautiful books; Chuck Reece, editor-in-chief of Bitter Southerner; Erika Council, proprietor of the blog Southern Souffle; Roscoe Hall II, proprietor of the site Punk as Food; and Bill Addison, restaurant editor of Eater National.

The Southern C Summit: Connect, collaborate and create in a niche environment with like-minded creatives at the Southern C Summit, an annual conference organized by The Southern Coterie. The spring 2015 summit is set for April 30 – May 1 and will be held in Charleston, South Carolina. The conference promises engaging educational sessions and panel discussions with branding, marketing and social media leaders. Evening events and gatherings offer the opportunity to continue networking all while engaging in meaningful conversations in a fun intimate setting.

Y’all Connect: Y’all Connect Presented by Alabama Power is an annual blogging/social media conference in Birmingham, Ala. The event offers practical takeaways in corporate storytelling from the nation’s digital marketing experts. Next year’s conference will be held in June.

The Bloganista Mini-Con: Back in July See Jane Write hosted its first conference and it was a huge success! In 2015 we hope to make the Bloganista Mini-Con bigger and better offering inspiration and information for fashion, fitness, lifestyle and business bloggers. More details coming soon!

BlogHer ’15: In 2015 the BlogHer Annual Conference will be held July 16-18 in New York City. BlogHer is one of the biggest blogging conferences on the planet. Last year’s speakers included Jenny Lawson a.k.a. The Bloggess, media mogul Arianna Huffington and actor/activist Kerry Washington.

WordCamp Birmingham: WordCamps are informal, community-organized events that are put together by WordPress users. Everyone from casual users to core developers participate, share ideas, and get to know each other. WordCamp Birmingham typically takes place in late summer.

Blogalicious: Be Blogalicious is a network with three major goals: 1) to be THE go-to destination and resource for influential multicultural women social media enthusiasts from all over the world to collaborate, connect and uplift one another; 2) to showcase the value of the demographic in today’s marketplace to marketers; and 3) to serve as a think tank and mouthpiece for causes, policies and issues affecting the multicultural digital space. The annual Blogalicious Weekend conference is usually held in the fall and is one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended!

Alabama Writer’s Conclave: The Alabama Writers’ Conclave was organized in 1923 and has been in continuing existence since. The Conclave is responsible for nominating, for the governor’s appointment, Alabama’s Poet Laureate. Members include fiction and non-fiction writers, novelists and short story writers, poets, writers of business and scientific works, freelance journalists, romance writers, publishers, patrons, and teachers.Through the years, the Conclave has moved its conferences around the state to provide writers everywhere better access to its resources.

Blogging While Brown: Blogging While Brown is a conference and a community for emerging leaders in digital media and social change. Since its launch in 2008, Blogging While Brown has grown to become the premier blogging conference dedicated to education, collaboration, and innovation among bloggers of color. The conference brings Black social media experts, speakers, and independent content creators together to expand their influence in social media and technology. The conference offers an opportunity to learn tools and strategies to build engaging and dynamic online platforms, leverage online engagement for offline results, and create sustainable business and activism models. The 2015 is set for June 19 and 20 and will be held in Austin, Texas.

Romance Writers of America: If you are a career-focused romance writer, then this conference is for you. This annual event gives you the chance to get down to the business of being an author. Expect education and information, networking with fellow writers, and interaction with editors, agents, publishers, booksellers, and other romance publishing industry professionals.

What conferences do you plan to attend next year? 

 

How can I improve my blog?

javacia with jennifer
chatting with Jennifer King of StellarFashionAndFitness.com at the #bloglikecrazy workshop

On Nov. 1 I led a 4-hour blogging workshop at Church Street Coffee and Books to kick off #bloglikecrazy.

Here are 10 blogging tips I shared with the ladies who attended:

  1. Write a mission statement for your blog. Never lose sight of why you’re blogging. Know the people you’re trying to help and the message you’re trying to convey.
  1. Create a strong “About” page. If people like what they see when they visit your blog, they will check out your “About” page to learn more. Be sure your “About” page clearly explains what kinds of posts people can expect from your blog and offers some background on you as well. Include pictures and links to some of your favorite posts, too.
  1. Write for your ideal reader. Identify your ideal reader and get to know her. What are her passions, problems, hobbies, and dreams? After you determine your ideal reader and what she wants, only blog for her. This sounds scary. This sounds as if you’ll alienate other readers, but you won’t. An ideal reader is someone who not only reads your posts but also shares them with others. Writing for this reader will simply attract more like her.
  1. Be sure your blog is answering questions and solving problems. Find out what questions or problems your ideal reader has and write posts that address those concerns.
  1. Tell a story in your blog posts. Whether you write a fashion blog or a business blog, you need to tell stories in your posts. Use a narrative to convey your information. Be sure to add images, too.
  1. Develop a blogging schedule and stick to it. You don’t have to blog every day, but decide how often you can blog and be consistent.
  1. Create three features for your blog. When developing features don’t simply follow trends. Choose features that are right for your blog and that you can maintain.
  1. Start an email newsletter. This is a great way to remind people to read your blog and an excellent way to build a tribe.
  1. Network. Promote your blog on social media. Interact in Facebook and LinkedIn groups. Participate in Twitter chats. Comment on other blogs.
  2. Guest blog for sites your ideal reader frequents. This is a great way to increase your readership and build partnerships with other bloggers.

Want to make sure you don’t miss announcements about events like the #bloglikecrazy workshop?  Sign up for the See Jane Write newsletter. Click here to join the list!

Each day in November for #bloglikecrazy I’ll be publishing a blog post that answers your questions about blogging, social media, writing, wellness or women’s empowerment. Send your questions to javacia@seejanewritebham.com.

Can I overcome stage fright?

See Javacia Speak
Here I am speaking at this summer’s Bloganista Mini-Con.

If you are a writer, blogger, or entrepreneur you also need to be a good public speaker. Sharing your expertise through speaking engagements can be a great way to promote your blog, brand, book, or business.

But for some of you the idea of speaking in front of a crowd may make you sick to your stomach.

Last month I organized a special members-only See Jane Write event on public speaking featuring Attorney John Saxon, who is not only a highly successful lawyer but has also done speech writing for several big name politicians.

Saxon gave us a wealth of information on how to compose a captivating talk and keep your audience engaged.

Here are tips on how to overcome your stage fright:

1. Be confident. Remember you are the expert in the room. Whenever you start to feel insecure remind yourself that the organizers of this event invited you to speak for a reason.

2. Be prepared.The more prepared you are the more confident you will be. This doesn’t mean you should type out and memorize every word you’re going to say. But have at least three key points outlined. Know what you want your audience to take away from your talk. And be sure to practice.

3. Be passionate. Show that you have a sincere, overwhelming desire to convey this information to your audience. Your enthusiasm will most likely be contagious.

4. Be personable. Maintain eye contact. Use humor. Tell stories. Move around a bit to help dispel some of your nervous energy. Establish common ground with your audience.

5. Be yourself. Saxon says that “the presence of dynamism need not suggest the absence of sincerity. ”

What tips do you have for better public speaking?

Each day in November for #bloglikecrazy I’ll be publishing a blog post that answers your questions about blogging, social media, writing, wellness or women’s empowerment. Send your questions to javacia@seejanewritebham.com. 

Thank God for Women Business Leaders!

WBL
Women Business Leaders members Candace Phillips, Heather VacLav, Anna Threadcraft, Tommye Lambert, Laura Hudson and Cierra LaShay

 

If you know me outside See Jane Write you know that I’m a church-going gal. If you’ve known me for approximately five minutes you know I am extremely ambitious and that I consider empowering women my life’s work. For years I’ve felt these two passions of mine were mutually exclusive. In my Christian women’s small groups — with the exception of the ones I led or co-led — there were few conversations about career goals and instead a focus on family. Meanwhile, the women in my life who seemed to really understand and support my lofty aspirations were atheist or agnostic.

Then I discovered Women Business Leaders, a networking group for professional Christian women. According to the group’s Facebook page, WBL “provides fellowship and support among women in the marketplace, while impacting the community for Christ.”

Women Business Leaders meets from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month at the Vestavia Hills Library, 1221 Montgomery Highway.  The meetings feature speakers who cover topics such as how to put God and family first and still be a successful businesswoman, being a beacon of light on your job, and the importance of praying for colleagues and clients.

WBL is a non-denominational organization and members include women of all ages and all stages of life and career — from women fresh out of college to CEOs to women who are retired. And it doesn’t matter if you’re single, married, divorced, a working mom or happily childfree.

Women Business Leaders is the sister organization to Young Business Leaders, a national organization based in Birmingham designed to reach Christian businessmen.

From the first meeting I attended, it was clear to me that this group really is dedicated to empowering career-minded women of faith.

During that meeting a young mom in the group shared that she was feeling guilty about returning to work after having her baby because most of her peers are stay-at-home moms and were judging her for her decision to work outside the home. But her career is important to her, she said, and she doesn’t understand why the young mothers in her community believe she should give that up.

Another woman in the room boldly declared that the guilt she was feeling was not of God, especially since this young woman believed that her career was part of her life’s calling.

The woman quoted 2 Timothy 1:7, which reads, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

She then said, “That was written by Apostle Paul, but if it had been written by a woman, by Apostle Paulina, I think she would have said God has not given us a spirit of guilt.”

And with that I knew I was at home.

The next WBL meeting is Saturday, Oct. 4. and you can be sure I’ll be there. If you’re interested in joining me, email me at javacia@seejanewritebham.com.

Let’s Eat Drink Read Write with the Birmingham Public Library

EDRWBanner2014

It’s time for the Birmingham Public Library’s most popular event — the Eat Drink Read Write Festival! This year’s festival will be held October 3-10 and will feature the city’s best food and beverage offerings served with a literary twist.

On Friday, October 3, enjoy poetry paired with craft beer and soul food at a special Bards & Brews Poetry Slam featuring beer from Back Forty Beer Co. and J. Clyde and food from Full Moon Barbecue.

On Wednesday, Oct. 8 enjoy a literary cocktail competition with a Jazz Age theme at the Collins Bar.

On Thursday, Oct. 9, listen to food-inspired tales by the city’s best storytellers and enjoy latte art showcased by local baristas.

This year’s festival will conclude Friday, Oct. 10 with Birmingham’s Best Bites and the Instagrammys. This event will feature great food, an appearance by  Food Star Network Star finalist Martie Duncan, and the unveiling of the new Birmingham’s Best Bites cookbook, which is full of recipes and history of some of your favorite local restaurants and bars. Also, some of the best photos taken during the festival and posted to Instagram with the #EDRW and #InstagramBham hashtags will receive an Instagrammy award.

These events are just a small sampling of all the Eat Drink Read Write Festival has to offer.

For a complete schedule and more details on these and other events visit bplonline.org/eatdrinkfest.