Authors' conference

rdf:langString Authors' conference

rdf:langString An authors' conference or writers' conference is a type of conference where writers gather to review their written works and suggest improvements. This process helps an author improve their work and learn to be a better writer for future works, both by receiving critiques of their own work and by mentoring the work of the other authors. Writers may also benefit from meeting and hearing from professionals in related fields, such as agents, editors, illustrators, publishers, and providers of other relevant services. Unlike most other conference styles, an authors' conference is very participatory. Most conferences are divided into presentations, each of which has a clear separation of roles among a one or more presenters and an audience. While authors' conferences may include some such presentations, writers' conferences also include numerous sessions wherein an author does not present their work but rather listens while the other participants discuss the work. In this way, the author gains an understanding of what readers learn by reading the work. An authors' conference consists of two phases, shepherding and writers' workshops. Shepherding usually (but not always) occurs before the conference meeting, and the meeting itself is organized as a writers' workshop. One popular series of authors' conferences is the Pattern Languages of Programming conferences, held to encourage and assist authors of software design patterns and pattern languages.