Registration opens June 13, 2020 at 8:00 AM MST (Arizona).

2-Day Conference: $240
Friday Only (includes lunch, keynote, BOB awards, and gala): $125
Saturday Only (includes lunch and extra block of classes): $125

Thursday Workshops Add-on (includes dinner): $55

Early Bird Discount: All registrations by Friday, June 19, 2020 (at midnight AZ time) will receive a $10 discount.
ANWA Member Discount: $20
REGISTRATION WILL BE CLOSED ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2020 AT MIDNIGHT MST/AZ TIME or when cap of 200 registrants is met, whichever is earlier. No refunds after this date.

• Attendees must be at least 18 years old to participate alone.

• Youth attendees ages 16-17 are allowed to attend on their own with parental permission form signed and submitted to the current Conference Chair prior to the start of conference. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive forms.

• Youth attendees ages 12-15 must receive approval to attend from the current Conference Chair and ANWA Executive Committee prior to registering. Please submit requests to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In addition to pre-approval, a (paying) parent or adult guardian must accompany the minor at all times during the conference.

Children under the age of 12, including babies, are not permitted in the conference classrooms at any time. Please make other arrangements if you plan to attend. A private nursing/pumping station can be provided at the Conference Center upon request.

Current members of ANWA receive a $20 discount during checkout. Make sure you are logged in and current in your membership dues to receive the discount. Early Bird Discount: All registrations by Friday, June 19, 2020 (at midnight AZ time) will receive a $10 discount.

Yes, there are scholarships available for ANWA members. You can access the online scholarship form by: Log In, Members Menu, Documents and Forms, Button for Scholarship form.

You may edit or cancel your registration by choosing Manage My Registrations from the Conference menu on the home page. You may also edit/cancel your registration by clicking on the button "Click here to edit your registrations" on the Details and Registration page on the Conference menu. REGISTRATION WILL BE CLOSED ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2020 AT MIDNIGHT MST/AZ TIME or when cap of 200 registrants is met, whichever is earlier. No refunds after this date.

No. The ANWA Writers Conference is open to the general public.

We can accommodate most dietary requests. Make sure you choose the appropriate meal on the registration form and further detail your needs if necessary.

Yes! Guests are an additional $10 at the door.

A limited number of rooms are available at a discounted rate ($114/night) for Thursday and Friday night. Please either go through the link on the Registration/Details page to make your reservation or contact the hotel directly and mention the ANWA conference in order to get the discounted rate. If you will need an early check-in, late check-out, or additional days, please call the hotel directly (480-809-4100) to make arrangements and check for discounted rate availability for additional days.

Thursday is workshop day at ANWA Writers Conference. Join us for an extra day of hands-on manuscript work, featuring our first-pages critique groups, a special presentation by our guest speaker, Julie Wright, and two evening breakout options. Plus, dinner will be included so you don't even have to leave! The workshop begins at 1:00 p.m. and runs until 8:30 p.m. all for a mere $55! Space is limited.

All attendees who register by midnight (AZ time) on June 13, 2020 AND pay for all three days of conference will be entered into a raffle for the TWENTY-TWO seats at our ALL-STAR VIP LUNCH on Friday with our agents, editors, keynote, and Thursday speaker! A seat at the All-Star Lunch will allow you to visit with our special guests in a more relaxed setting.

BOB stands for “Beginning of Book,” meaning the first 500 words of your manuscript. The contest is open to all ANWA conference attendees. Submissions are judged and prizes awarded for top finishers in each genre category. Submission deadline is Sunday, July 12, 2020 at 11:59 MST (AZ) For detailed information, click on BOB Contest under Conference on the main menu.

"You Can Fly!"

ANWA presents the Annual Conference Gala Friday night from 8:30-10 p.m. Come dressed as your favorite movie/book/mythical character that has WINGS (costumes encouraged). We’re also incorporating a masquerade. You can wear a mask over your eyes or you can design a creative mask for your mouth. Come enjoy an evening of casual fun while rubbing shoulders with other authors and our special guests. Oh, and did we mention dessert?! The Gala is an attendee favorite!

Yes! Guests are an additional $10 at the door.

A pitch session is a valuable opportunity to meet with an editor or agent face-to-face to talk about your manuscript. If they are interested, they might ask to see your manuscript. It's the first step to publication!

A query consult is a session with an agent or editor to fine-tune your 1-page query and potentially the first page of your manuscript before submission. First impressions matter!

A manuscript consult is an editing session with an agent or editor to fine-tune the first 10 pages of your manuscript and possibly examine your query letter before submission or publication. You might find consistent mistakes that you make or receive suggestions to improve your writing.

Pitch session: $20

Query Consult: $25

Manuscript Consult: $50

Pitch sessions and query consults with an agent or editor last 10 minutes. A manuscript consult lasts 20 minutes. One of our wonderful volunteers will time your session and let you know when your turn is up. Someone else will be anxious for their own opportunity, so please be respectful and excuse yourself when your turn is done.

Pitch session: You may bring a note card with your pitch, a business card, and a smile. DO NOT bring manuscript pages. If the agent/editor wants to see more, they will make that request. Send in the requested information via their standard submission methods. Also, include a line in your query specifically referencing your pitch/met in person, and that your pages were requested. You may want to bring something to make some notes with.
Query Consult: You need to bring a printed copy of your query and possibly the first page of your manuscript. You may want to bring something to take notes.
Manuscript Consult: You will not need to bring anything, besides something to take notes, as the pages to be discussed will have been submitted to the agent/editor previously (by Sunday, August 9th).

The editor/agent might ask you about other projects you have completed, but you will be most effective if you only pitch one manuscript per session. You may purchase multiple pitches (as space allows) in order to pitch other projects.

Yes. However, during the Early Registration period (before Friday, June 19, 2020) you will have to choose only one editor/agent. After the Early Registration period ends, we will open registration for more than one editor/agent.

Yes. As you complete (or Edit) your registration, you will be able to specify the person you would like to meet with. Pitches are assigned on a first come, first serve basis, so register early to guarantee you get your first choice.

1. Be confident. Be prepared. Be ready to answer questions about your manuscript. Try to summarize your entire project in one or two catchy sentences. Your pitch is basically a three-part sentence: (Your protagonist) (takes this action/overcomes an obstacle) (because of this motivation.) This will grab the editor/agent's attention and make them interested to hear more.
2. Be finished. The project you're pitching should be completed. If the editor/agent wants to read it, you want to have your manuscript ready to send them shortly after the pitch!
3. Know the editor/agent. What will be a good fit for one editor/agent won't necessarily be a good fit for the others. Each editor/agent is different and looking for different types of manuscripts. The best way to know what each person is interested in is by reading their Submission Guidelines on their individual websites.
4. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. If someone does not arrive in time for their appointment with the same editor or agent, you will be sent in early. Be there when it's your turn. It is your responsibility to show up. Be aware that ANWA will not issue refunds if you fail to arrive for your interview.
5. Remain calm. Breathe. Find some stress-reducing method to calm yourself when the time comes.
6. Dress professionally and be courteous. No matter what their response, be polite and thank them for meeting with you.
7. Have fun! There really is no reason to be nervous. Agents and editors are human too. They are looking for good books to sell or publish. If you've written what they're looking for, your chance of making a connection is excellent.

Yes. If you wish to be put on a waiting list, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask to be put on a waiting list for a specific agent.

You may cancel your pitch/query critique session until Sunday, August 30, 2020. You may cancel your manuscript consult until the submission deadline, Sunday, August 9, 2020.

All conference faculty and current ANWA members who are registered for the conference are eligible to sell their books in the ANWA Writers Conference bookstore. If there are spots remaining, other conference attendees can sign up. You can sign up for the bookstore on the Bookstore registration form.

If those other items are related to books that are being sold in the bookstore by that particular author, then yes. For example, an audio book on CD, a DVD or bookmark associated with a book being sold. Each author must be able to offer at least one tangible published book (multiple copies) for sale to reserve a spot in the bookstore. The bookstore is not a boutique to sell creative items, even if book related; it is to sell books.

Note: You cannot advertise a service (unless it is related to writing or your book) in the bookstore. If you would like to advertise a service or business, click here check out ANWA's sponsorship opportunities.

The ANWA Writers Conference Bookstore will be overseen by the ANWA President Elect and operated by attendants and cashiers hired for that specific purpose. You do not have to sell your own books.

There will be one central cashier.

Cash, credit and debit cards will be accepted.

The bookstore will be open at scheduled times throughout the conference.

Yes. To cover the costs (cashier and credit card fees) there is a 10% fee for each book sold. The 10% will be deducted from the price you set for your books.

Yes. Sales tax will be added to the price you set. Do not include sales tax estimate in the price of your book(s).

You must insert a business-card sized card, or use your actual business card, and write YOUR NAME, the NAME OF THE BOOK and the BOOK'S PRICE for each copy of your book(s).

Place the card securely in the middle of the books with about 1/4 inch sticking out of the top. These business-card sized cards will be retained by the cashier after the sale in order to determine each author's book sales.

When someone buys your book, the cashier will remove the card with YOUR NAME, the NAME OF THE BOOK, and the BOOK'S PRICE and save it.

At the end of the conference, your books' sales will be totaled using the cards. ANWA will deduct the 10% fee from that total.

You will receive payment via check or PayPal approximately four weeks after the conference.

You place your books in the bookstore at your own risk.

The bookstore will be locked when the store is closed.

ANWA Committee members will visit often to help keep books secure but there is no guarantee against losses.

If there is any discrepancy between the number of books you placed in the bookstore and the number of cards the cashier collects, you will be paid based on the cards collected by the cashier.

Space depends on how many authors sign up to sell their books.

The maximum capacity is 70 authors. Space will be determined by those in charge of the Bookstore and in accordance with the needs of the author and the attendees.

You will not be able to sit at the table to sign or sell your book.

You can leave extra copies of your book in a small box or small rolling suitcase if it fits under your portion of the table and doesn't prohibit neighboring authors from doing the same.

The bookstore will not refresh your display. It is your responsibility to put out more copies as your books are sold.

Some of the tables will line the wall, so you can use the wall space directly behind your table space for posters/banners (please check with hotel on what they allow to adhere those items to the wall). A free-standing or table top display is preferable. Some tables will run down the center of the room. You will only be able to use a table top display on those tables. The bookstore will assign spaces, which you will be shown when you check in. The bookstore reserves the right to adjust the displays you have set up to fairly accommodate everyone.

The bookstore will be open for authors to set up their book display Thursday around noon and Friday morning. Exact times will be sent in August with your Bookstore Registration packet. Check with the registration area when you arrive at the conference.

Each author is responsible for setting up their own display.

You may place bookmarks, business cards or other freebies as part of your display. You may also leave a form requesting email addresses.

The bookstore will be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Check with Bookstore overseer or cashier for specific hours.

You can request a place in the bookstore by completing our online Bookstore registration form. Go to the Conference menu and choose Details and Registration. Click the button to Register for ANWA Conference Events (including the Bookstore). Scroll down through the Conference Events until you get to the Bookstore registration.

We hope that if an attendee greets an author in the hall and requests a book be signed, the author will honor that request. Additional book signing events may be scheduled.
REMEMBER: YOU MUST PLACE A SMALL BUSINESS SIZED CARD IN EACH AND EVERY COPY OF YOUR BOOKS WITH:

• YOUR NAME
• THE NAME OF THE BOOK
• THE BOOK'S PRICE