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Registration
What
kind of experience do I need before applying to Writers & Editors /
One-on-One?
When
does registration open for the 2010 conference?
I
registered for the conference, but now can't attend. Can I get a full refund?
I
submitted clips, but haven't heard anything yet. Am I in or out?
Preparation
How should I
best prepare for the conference?
How do I
submit my photo/update my bio for the bio book?
Should I
bring clips to the conference?
When will I
receive my line-up of editor meetings?
How should
I dress for the conference?
Hotel and Transportation
Where is the Palmer House Hilton and how much do rooms cost?
What's the best way to get from the airport to the hotel?
What's the parking charge if I'm driving?
Attendance
What meals
are included at the conference?
How many one-on-ones
can I have?
What's
the best approach to the 10-minute one-on-ones?
Can
I change my appointments at the conference?
If I'm not
signed up to meet with an editor, can I set something up with the editor on my
own during his/her free time?
Can I
have all my appointments on Saturday so I can fly home early?
Can I
take notes on my laptop during the conference?
Do I have
to attend all of the meals or panels?
Miscellaneous
Do people
really get work from this conference?
Registration
What kind of experience do
I need before applying to Writers & Editors / One-on-One?
You
must have national magazine writing experience or significant regional magazine
experience. Writers with newspaper-only writing experience will be considered,
but there are no guarantees.
When does registration open
for the 2010 conference?
Registration is now open. Click here
to be added to our mailing list for conference announcements.
I registered for the
conference, but now can't attend. Can I get a full refund?
If you cancel before June 1, there is a $200 cancellation fee to cover our administrative costs. The rest of your fee ($150) will be refunded via PayPal or check, depending on which method you used for payment. No refunds are issued starting June 1, because at that point we have guaranteed payment with the hotel.
I submitted clips, but
haven't heard anything yet. Am I in or out?
Although
we try to get back to applicants as soon as we receive your clips, it can take
a few weeks. And in the past, we've had clips get lost in the mail. If you
haven't heard anything two weeks after sending in your clips, e-mail Jodi Helmer at jodi@jodihelmer.com.
Preparation
How should I best prepare
for the conference?
Start
reading the magazines and Web sites that will be represented at the conference, jotting down
story ideas as you go. Also, pay attention to the likely demographics of the
readers.
How do I submit my
photo/update my bio for the bio book?
During
registration, you're asked to submit a bio, which appears on the site
once you've paid and your clips are approved. (Attendees from the past
three years do not have to submit clips.) You may upload your photo after you've paid and had your clips approved by going to the Writers tab and scrolling
to the bottom, then clicking the link on the right. Please note photos must be in .jpg format, no larger than 200KB and named with your full name (LAST NAME, THEN FIRST) as the file name. Example: McManusMelanie.jpg. PLEASE follow this naming protocol or we will have no way of knowing whose photo we are looking at!
Should I bring clips to the
conference?
No.
Editors won't have time to read them and won't want to haul them back on the
airplane. Save writing samples for your follow-up. Business cards are appropriate.
When will I receive my
line-up of editor meetings?
You
will receive your list of editor appointments in your welcome packet when you
register Friday morning.
How should I dress for the
conference?
Dress
as you would for any other meeting with an editor. Suits aren't necessary, but
shorts or jeans aren't appropriate, either. We may be walking a few blocks to
some of the dinners, so bring comfortable shoes. A jacket is also a good idea for cooler Chicago evenings and air-conditioned meeting rooms.
Transportation
Where is the Palmer House Hilton and how much do rooms cost?
Single and double rooms are being offered at the Palmer House for the special rate of $170 per night. Attendees must book by June 16 to get that rate. For more information visit Palmer House.
What's the best way to get from the airport to the hotel?
Basically, you have three reasonably priced choices, unless you have willing friends with a car:
1. The "L"
One-way fare is $2.25.
From O'Hare – Trains leave from a station near terminal two on the lower level. Take the Blue Line (Congress/Douglas/O'Hare) to the Monroe/Dearborn stop. Walk east on Monroe one block to the hotel at 17 E. Monroe St. It will be on your right side, between State and Wabash Streets.
From Midway – Trains leave from a station about one block east of the terminal. Take the Orange Line to the Adams/Wabash stop. The hotel is on the west side of Wabash. The address is 17 E. Monroe St.
Call the CTA at 312/836–7000 for further details or visit www.transitchicago.com for maps and trip planners.
2. Airport Express
Airport Express vans stop at hotels in downtown Chicago. They run every 15 minutes from Midway and every 10 to 15 minutes from O'Hare. The cost varies with destination, but generally runs $40 roundtrip from/to Midway and $50 roundtrip from/to O'Hare. Reservations aren’t necessary if you're going from either airport to downtown Chicago. The company asks you to book the return service via phone once you are here, and will assign you a pick-up time based on your flight departure. You may make reservations for a round trip before you leave home by calling 888/284-3826 888/284-3826. See www.airportexpress.com for more information.
3. Taxi
Taxi: About $40–$50 from O'Hare and about $35–$45 from Midway (one way).
What's the parking charge if I'm driving?
The Grant Park North Garage on North Michigan Avenue between Monroe and Washington Streets charges $29 for 24-hour self–parking. The hotel charges $51 per day for valet parking.
Attendance
What meals are included at
the conference?
A continental breakfast will be available every morning (Fri. - Sun.) with fruit, bagels, juice and coffee. Lunch will be provided on-site Friday. Friday evening there will be a cocktail reception. Saturday there will be a casual evening meal featuring Chicago's famed deep-dish pizza.
How many one-on-ones can I
have?
Each
participant is given four 10-minute one-on-one appointments. We make every
effort to give you your top four editor selections, but that's not always
possible because some editors are quite popular and their slots fill up
quickly. Appointments are assigned based on registration date and time on a first-come/first-served basis. If some editors still have empty slots after each attendee has four meetings, we will dole them out to writers in order of registration date and time ― but you should not expect to have more than four meetings.
What's the best approach to
the 10-minute one-on-ones?
Start
out by introducing yourself and telling the editor if you have any special
areas of expertise. Then, if you have story ideas, pitch them. If you don't
have any ideas, don't panic. Simply expand on your areas of expertise,
interests, current markets, etc. You may also use this opportunity to ask any further questions you have about the magazine or Web site.
Can I change my
appointments at the conference?
No.
But remember that you will be hearing detailed remarks from all the editors and
can follow up afterwards with any editor, regardless of whether you had a
one-on-one session with him/her.
If I'm not signed up to
meet with an editor, can I set something up with the editor on my own during
his/her free time?
When
we recruit editors for the conference, we tell them pitching from attendees
will be limited to their one-on-one sessions. It's critical that you respect
this, because editors get burned out from too many meetings ― and they really
don't appreciate aggressive writers stalking them around the hotel (which,
unfortunately, has happened in the past).
Can I have all my
appointments on Saturday so I can fly home early?
No.
Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate everybody's varied schedules. The
conference is set to run through Sunday at noon, so you should be prepared to
have meetings up until then.
Can I take notes on my
laptop during the conference?
Yes, assuming you aren't creating a lot of noise while doing so. If you are, we will ask you to put away your laptop.
Do I have to attend all of
the meals or panels?
No.
However, we encourage you to do so, as your registration fee covers these
activities and participants find them a valuable source of information and
networking.
Miscellaneous
Do people really get work
from this conference?
Yes!
Over the years, attendees have averaged more than $50,000 in assignments from the conference after just six months.
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