I don’t attend too many writers get-togethers. While it’s good for me to get out of the house and my head for a day, the cost-benefit doesn’t always work out for me. As with most work meetings, I leave with a strong feeling that the same information could have been communicated via email.

That said, this past Saturday I had the pleasure of attending Jane Friedman’s one-day intensive on building a platform, before or after you get a book deal. Regular readers will know I’m not hellbent on pursuing a traditional publishing deal, but I’m still keen on putting books in hands one day, and having a community of writers and readers who want to share advice, enthusiasm, encouragement, and conversation. The more the merrier.

Unlike most expert talks, this was not a one-sided conversation. Naturally, Jane brought her years of industry experience to the presentation, supported by the 2025 revised edition of her book, The Business of Being a Writer (and I’ll have more on that in an upcoming blog post). But her focus was squarely on the twelve writers in attendance.

Prior to the event, Jane asked us to submit links of our social media profiles, websites, newsletters, etc., ie: anything we used to reach an audience. During the day, as we discussed each topic, Jane also reviewed and commented on our actual IRL tools, pointing out what worked well, what could be added, and what might be communicating something we didn’t intend. I wasn’t expecting to have my homework graded in class, but the individual attention elevated the event. Rather than simply gathering information and being left to apply it on my own, I ended the day with greater insight into what I’m doing well and practical advice on what I can improve. It was as close to a one-on-one consult with an industry expert as a person could get.

If you have the opportunity to attend one of Jane’s talks – or better, one of her workshops – I highly encourage it. If you’re not following her blog, you can find it here. She shares publishing industry intel, trending news, and best practices for building a platform around your writing. Jane also invites guest bloggers to share excellent craft advice, so if you’re not interested in platform and branding, there’s still plenty to like (and full disclosure, I embrace the concepts of platforming and branding though I dislike the corporate terminology. That’s why you’ll hear me reference “community” and “identity” – same food, different seasoning).

Now I’m off to do some more homework.