I’ve been attending (and presenting at) writers conferences for many years now and I’ve always encouraged others to do the same. I’m so passionate about it, I even co-founded a writers festival! So, I made this list of ten 2026 writers conferences hoping to inspire my readers to attend one this upcoming year.
I believe the conference experience can often be invaluable because these types of events offer opportunity for networking, education, inspiration and more. Writers conferences can be super fun too, and they’re a chance to build community.
Some of the conferences listed below are virtual, so they’re easy to attend. Others are in person, so they’ll take some planning to get to. The cost also varies, but there’s something for every budget. One is even free!
Of course, this list is far from definitive. There are many writers conferences and festivals happening throughout the year, every year. And I encourage you to always be on the lookout for conferences that fit your schedule, your goals, and your budget, and attend any of those 2026 writers conferences too if you can!
I actually wrote a post a while back about the benefits of attending these events, and you can read that here.
Writers Conferences Happening in 2026 with Winter and Spring Dates
1-Writers Digest University (WDU):The First of the 2026 Writers Conferences Happening Online!
ABOUT: Writers Digest University is focused on education and opportunity, and it offers a wealth of resources for skill building. It covers everything from the craft of writing to the business of publishing. The cost for what you get from it seems totally reasonable, and because it’s an online event, you don’t have to worry about travelling to benefit from attending.
DATES: January 30th-February 1st 2026
LOCATION: Online/Virtual
COST: $199
LINK: WDU
2-IPNE Conference: I’ll Be Presenting at this February Conference
ABOUT: This online 2026 writers conference put on by the IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England) focuses on education for authors and publishers in the industry. It offers workshops on marketing, industry trends, agent pitching and more. It’s also a chance to connect with service providers and booksellers. My colleague and friend, Belo Cipriani, and I will be teaching attendees how they can employ digital inclusion strategies to reach more readers. I’m looking forward to this one!
DATES: February 20th-21st
LOCATION:Online/Virtual
COST:$145
LINK: IPNE
3-The San Diego Writers Festival: A Free Day of Community Storytelling
ABOUT: The San Diego Writers Festival was co-founded by myself and Marni Freedman in 2019 as a way to bring writers and book lovers together in a community setting to celebrate the power of storytelling. This event is free and open to the public! There are vendor booths, panels, entertainment, and food trucks. It’s an all day event focused on networking, learning, and hearing people’s stories. There are also a whole line up of writers and speakers every year.
DATES: March 28th 2026
LOCATION: Coronado Public Library, Coronado, CA
COST: Free!
LINK: San Diego Writers Festival
4-Spring Fling Writers Conference: For Romance Writers of All Subgenres
ABOUT: Hosted by Chicago-North Romance Writers, the Spring Fling is specifically for romance writers of any subgenre. It features keynote speakers, master classes, and workshops. It also offers the opportunity to pitch to agents and editors. There’s even the opportunity for published writers to host book signings. All romance writers, both established and aspiring, are welcome. They also have online options available for those who can’t make it to Chicago to attend this 2026 writers conference.
DATES: April 16–18, 2026
LOCATION: Chicago, IL and Online options
COST: $299 and up
LINK: Spring Fling
5-IBPA Publishing University: One of the Biggest and Longest Running Indie Industry Conferences
ABOUT: I’m an IBPA (International Book Publishers Association) member myself and I’ve been attending and presenting at this conference for years. I also teach workshops via their online Publishing University. Although this conference is focused on the indie publishing industry as a whole, it’s also for indie authors. There are opportunities to network with industry insiders, invaluable marketing education, and knowledgeable keynote speakers. It’s a huge conference that provides a valuable experience to anyone involved in the business of book publishing. And, yes, being an indie author is a business.
DATES: Thursday, May 14 – Saturday, May 16, 2026
LOCATION: Portland, OR
COST: $99-934 (see details on registration page)
LINK: IBPA Publishing University
*Note: I’m also teaching an upcoming book marketing online workshop via IBPA. You can sign up for that here.
6-Story Makers Guild: A 2026 Writers Conference for Aspiring and Established Fiction Authors
ABOUT: This upcoming 2026 writers conference is focused on fiction writing. Whether you’re an established or aspiring author, you’ll have the chance to network and participate in workshops on everything from craft to the business side of things. Mentors and agents are there to give strategy advice and guide you in the right direction so you can build a stronger writing career and become a better writer.
DATES: May 14th-16th 2026
LOCATION: Provo, UT
COST: $65-$305
LINK: Story Makers Guild
Summer and Fall 2026 Writers Conferences
7-Killer Nashville: Fun and Focused on Mystery, Thriller and Suspense
ABOUT: Killer Nashville is an international writing conference focused on the genres of mystery, thriller and suspense. There are plenty of industry pros and topic experts sharing their wealth of information so you’ll get both educational and networking opportunities. It’s a supportive community event with breakout workshops and master classes, as well as agent and editor roundtables. I attended, and presented at, this past year’s event and had a blast at the conference and visiting the city of Nashville.
DATES: August 20th-23rd 2026
LOCATION: Nashville, TN
COST: $244 and up, plus add-ons
LINK: Killer Nashville
8-WriterCon: A Focus on Skill Building and Opportunity
ABOUT: The aim of WriterCon is building skills and achieving writing dreams. It offers pitch sessions, manuscript reviews and agent meetings as well as workshops, panels and speaking events on everything from the craft of writing to book and author marketing. It takes place every Labor Day weekend in Oklahoma City. I think this 2026 writers conference will be valuable for all writers at any stage of their journey.
DATES: September 4th-7th 2026
LOCATION: Oklahoma City, OK
COST: $399 and up
LINK: WriterCon
9-Self-Pub Con: A Free Indie Author Resource to Tap Into
ABOUT: The Self-Pub con is an annual writers conference that is both free and online! Which makes it easy for anyone to attend. It’s put on by ALLi( the Alliance of Independent Authors), which is an organization focused on supporting indie authors and fostering ethical self-publishing practices and excellence in self-published works. The conference itself is focused on education and networking to support authors of every level to help them succeed in their goals.
DATES: October TBA
LOCATION: Online/Virtual
COST: Free!
LINK: Self-Pub Con
10 -Author Nation: The World’s Largest Conference for Indie and Hybrid Authors
ABOUT: Author Nation is another one of the largest indie author events out there. This upcoming 2026 writers conference is open to both published and unpublished authors and offers opportunities for each. Because it’s all about helping indie authors succeed, there’s a focus on marketing and sustainable success strategies. There’s also opportunity for networking with industry experts, peers and mentors and exhibitors range from best selling authors to service providers and publishers.
DATES:November 10th–14th 2026
LOCATION: Las Vegas, NV
COST: $599 and up with installment plans available
LINK: Author Nation
Ultimately, all of these 2026 writers conferences have something to offer and there’s opportunity here for every budget and schedule. If you’ve never attended a writers conference before, maybe this is your year? Maybe I’ll even see you at one of them?
