HippoCamp’s programming is mostly for-attendees, by attendees! With the exception of keynotes, our longer pre-conference workshops, and a few panels, our conference is built from the proposals YOU submit!

We’re enthusiastically inviting attendees who also are interested in being part of our speaker line-up to submit a session proposal for HippoCamp: A Conference for Creative Nonfiction Writers (Aug. 23-25, 2019) in one of our our four tracks or flash sessions.

[submit now]

• Breakout Sessions in four tracks:
  We’re looking for dynamic speakers and engaging, informative, practical 60-minute sessions that will give our attendees actionable takeaways. Breakout session presenters will receive a special presenter rate (about 60% off early-bird conference registration).
  • CREATE – craft topics related specifically to CNF, but which may apply to other genres
  • SHARE – sessions related to publishing and promotion – getting your work out there
  • LIVE – sessions dedicated to living the writer’s life: how to balance writing with family and/or a job, how to make ends meet, etc.
  • SPECIAL TOPICS – sessions devoted to either a niche writing area, or bigger-picture topics related to writers today. (In 2018, these included writing about trauma, science of memory, and handling tough/touchy public relations situations)

• Lightning-Round (Flash!) presentation: HippoCamp will hold a general session featuring five 10-minute presentations by select attendees. Flash session presenters will receive a special presenter rate (about 60% off early-bird conference registration).

Note: We listed some topic ideas at the end of this page.

SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

• Submission period is between Sept. 30 and Dec. 15, 2018 [submit here]
• Sessions are reviewed and selected by the conference programming committee.
• We’ll announce the line-up in late January before tickets go on sale in March.

To submit your proposal, at our Submittable form, you will need to have ready: title, abstract (100 words), short bio (50 words), and any applicable links or past conference highlights; you’ll also answer questions including why you’re a fit for HippoCamp (75 words), suggested skill-level and track (CREATE/SHARE/LIVE/TOPICS ), why your topic is relevant to CNF writers (50 words).

OUR DISTINCTIONS – Please read

• We’re not an academic conference, and we’re not a retreat or workshop.
• We’re formatted in the style of a professional development conference – we’re more inspired by Austin than academia (a la SXSW).
• Our vocabulary is a bit different than other writing conferences: rather than faculty and classes and students, we have presenters and sessions and attendees.
• We’re not a retreat nor are we solely focused on generative writing in our limited time together.
• We offer many sessions outside the traditional literary world, many of which draw inspiration from business, technology, media, education, and creativity — we expect that attendees will use critical thinking to see how these ideas can translate to their own writing life. In short, everything here is not literally literary.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR…

Now that we have four conferences’ worth of feedback, we’ve begun to really hone our “conference aesthetic.” Based on our highest-rated sessions and speakers from past events, here’s what we’re looking for in speakers and sessions:

… IN SPEAKERS

We want smart, dynamic, passionate, friendly speakers to fill our roster! Here are some details:

• Speakers of all backgrounds and levels of experience are welcome – we love giving people a chance to make their professional conference debut!
• Your passion for and knowledge of your topic is often more important to us than your years of experience or publication credits or professional affiliations.
• We look for well-prepared speakers who can deliver an informative, inspiring presentation with energy, confidence and poise. We’re not looking for people who “just wing-it.” We love speakers who take our speaker preparation seriously and respect our requests/suggestions for maximum audience engagement.
• We love speakers who aren’t afraid to get out from behind the podium and engage with the audience; it’s why we provide lavaliere mics rather than tie you to a podium. Even better when that engagement continues throughout the conference.
• We look for sincere speakers who care about the audience and are here to share knowledge and help writers – not just to add a bullet point on a resume or CV (but that IS a perk, too!)
• We’re also looking for speakers from outside the literary world! Some of our highest-rated or most-Tweetable speakers were from other industries who were able to tie their expertise to the writing world.
• We’re looking for professional, cordial speakers who are committed to their involvement in this conference – this means communicating with us before the conference and helping us plan by providing technical needs, reading/replying to speaker correspondence and providing requested information in a timely manner.
• We are most interested in speakers who truly want to be part of the entire conference experience and community; if you want to come in only for your 60-minute presentation and then leave, this may not be the right conference for you. Our most successful speakers, the ones who return year after year, are a prime example of making the most out of the conference sharing experience; they are here to share, but also know they are here to learn and connect. Again, we’re for-attendee, by-attendee; it’s what makes us different.

… IN SESSIONS

We love TEDTalks. We prefer giving one rock star a chance to light up a room at a breakout session over offering only panels (although we have those, too!).

• We love fresh ideas! Topics we haven’t seen before at conferences.
• We love variety! While memoir is a big part of the CNF genre, our offerings should include more types of writing and other publication goals.
• We love practical sessions: presentations that leave attendees with a list of notes and to-dos.
• But not every session has to be a writing lesson per se – we also look for inspirational, this-is-my-story-type or this-is-how-I-did-it presentations. Sessions of the latter nature should still have key takeaways.
• We love sessions that share lots of examples/case studies – seeing the theory in action makes a presentation more memorable.

What we’re not looking for in a session proposal:

• We’re not typically looking for breakout sessions with lots of writing activities or group work; it’s not manageable given the allotted time and large group. Small prompts and some interaction are OK and, in fact, encouraged and well-received. But our breakout sessions are not intended to be a workshopping scenario. Keep in mind 80+ people could be in your room.
• We’re not looking for ultra-specific topics, such as exploring the works of one particular writer.
• We’re not looking for sessions led by more than two people.
• We’re not looking for paper presentations. (However, use that paper and research to build an awesome presentation!)
• Although this is clearly stated as a call for breakout sessions, we want to reiterate that we are not looking for panel or workshop proposals.

OTHER DETAILS

Why present at a professional development conference for writers?

• It’s fun
• A speaking credential to list on your resume, or if you are in academia, your CV
• Be part of the Hippocampus Magazine mission
• Gain recognition from your peers
• Earn visibility in your field; continue to build your platform and authority on a topic
• Receive a nice registration discount
• Get other cool swag

HippoCamp speaker expectations:

We’re looking to produce a smooth conference and that goes beyond amazing presentations – there are nuts and bolts-type things too we expect of our team of brilliant presenters.  (This may seem like a lot, but these are questions we’re often asked, or issues we’ve encountered in the past, so we’re sharing these details ahead of time!)

In our submission form, we ask you to check that you’ve read our speaker expectations form; please take this seriously; in past years, from questions we received, it was evident the guidelines we provide were not read or retained.

• Presenters MUST be registered attendees of the conference and must officially register before conference program goes to print; breakout/flash session speakers are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and (discounted) registration.
  
• Submitting a proposal does not mean you are committing to attend or to present at HippoCamp; if we accept your session idea, we’ll confirm that you are definitely able to attend, and you can make your final decision then. So please submit even if you’re unsure today if you can make it in August. You have time to figure it all out!
• Presenters MUST agree to read and respond in a timely manner to speaker communication emails/requests for information to help with day-of logistics/meet deadlines for technology requests, etc.
• Day-of/last-minute requests will NOT be honored or tolerated; we give speakers more than six months to prepare and think about your presentation needs. We will take past experiences/interactions into consideration when reviewing proposals this year.
• Presenters must agree to a group or individual phone call about a month before the conference for a brief speaker orientation, which includes covering the expectations outlined here, and will provide some tips on how to stick to a time limit, prepare technology, and how to think quickly on your feet if you hit a snag.
• Presenters must agree to have their session photographed for future use and for marketing and archival purposes.
• Presenters are encouraged to share slides and/or presentation materials (if applicable) for use for post-conference promotion; this is not required.
• Should we decide to record sessions, presenters are encouraged to allow us to record (audio) presentation for archival purposes/attendee access.
• Presenters are responsible for bringing their own handouts (if applicable).
• Presenters must respect time limits (no doing so adversely affects their peer presenters); this means you’ll take your presentation preparation seriously and practice.
• There is a maximum of two presenters for break-out sessions and one presenter for flash sessions.
• On the administrative side, we trust that speakers will read/reply to speaker correspondence and provide requested information in a timely manner. We cannot emphasize this enough; if a speaker is unprepared, it reflects on the conference as well. If speakers change/submit tech needs at last minute, it causes strain on all.
• Also on the administrative/logistical side – we are looking for speakers who will adhere to a time limit, who can think quick on their feet if they hit a snag (either a tech snafu or getting sidetracked by a question and needing to get back on track).
• We encourage attendees to be completely comfortable with any technology they choose to use. For instance, if you are not familiar with PowerPoint or Prezi, please do not opt to “try it out” for the first time during a professional presentation. We LOVE multimedia presentations, but only use this option to enhance your presentation and IF you are experienced in the platform you choose. A few of the highest-rated workshops and sessions in past years were all analog!
• Finally, on the day of the conference, we trust that speakers will show up to their rooms with ample time to discover and address any technical issues; and to make this work, previous speaker must also end and pack up on time.

Good luck! Again, call for proposals runs Sept. 30 – Dec. 15.

[submit here]

A PRESENTATION WISH LIST: AN ADDENDUM TO OUR CALL

Based on survey and in-real-life feedback, we uncovered topics past attendees would love to hear about. If you have expertise in these in-demand areas, please consider a proposal related to one of these areas, in no particular order:

• Magazine pitching (publishing/promotion)
• Food writing (craft or publishing/promotion)
• Description (craft)
• Outlines (craft or writing life)
• Creating a marketing plan (publishing/promotion)
• Beginnings  in CNF (craft)
• Transitions (craft)
• Workshopping/Giving feedback (writing life, craft)
• Structure in the personal essay (craft)
• Structure in memoir (craft)
• Hermit crab essays (craft)
• Hybrid memoir (craft)
• Writing and parenting (writing life)
• Authors and money (advances, royalties, publicity, etc.)
• Prescriptive nonfiction (book-length CNF that’s not memoir)
• Magical realism in CNF
• Immersive journalism
• Elements of a writer’s website
• How to get an agent
• Long-form narrative essays
• Working with a writing coach
• How to do research/organize research
• Hybrid publishing/self-publishing/types of publishing options
• Writing about place
• Developmental editing
• Audio essays
• Reflection in nonfiction
• Getting published by a small press
• Stunt essays
• Medical/health writing
• Goal-setting
• Revising
• Applying for grants/residences/awards/fellowships