Your First Conference Proposal!

Speaking at conferences is a great way to get to know new people, travel the country (and the world!), learn new techniques, and network with other developers. But submitting your first conference presentation can be daunting. You might not be sure how much detail to include or how formal to me. You might even think that your perspective isn't valuable.

In this talk, we'll start with a discussion of impostor syndrome and how you can overcome it to start your speaking career. Multiple and diverse voices add value to all conferences, so we'll talk about how to get yourself a speaker mentor, how to build confidence, and the importance of rehearsal. Then we'll get into the nitty gritty of what conferences are looking for in a proposal. By the end of the meeting, you'll have a list of conferences to apply for, some ideas for what to present, and a plan for giving your first conference talk in 2016.

First given as a PyLadies Remote class in January 2016. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAQAXVU1jIo

Transcript

1. Your First Conference Proposal!
   Lacey Williams Henschel
   @laceynwilliams
   

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2. About Me
   

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3. Where I’ve Spoken
   ← Jane Austen!
   Keynote! →
   

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4. Where I’ve Been Rejected
   (. . . also I should put myself out there more.)
   

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5. Bake the Cookies, Wear the Dress
   Seriously, stop
   watching me. Go
   watch Adrienne.
   

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6. “No, I’m not.” Yes, you are. Not thinking that you are
   enough is called impostor syndrome. You can do
   this!
   Step 0: You Are Enough
   

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7. Well, what are you into? What do you do well? What
   have you learned? What are you good at explaining?
   “How do you do you?” - Adrienne Lowe
   Step 1: What Do I Say?
   

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8. So? Personal
   experience counts.
   But I don’t have anything
   groundbreaking to share. . . .
   

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9. Step 2: Where Should I Say It?
   @CallbackWomen
   @DjangoCon
   @PyCon
   @PyTennesee
   @PyTexas
   AKA: Where to Speak
   @DjangoconEurope
   @EuroPython
   @ELAConf
   @OSBridge
   @OSCON
   @AlterConf
   @WriteTheDocs
   @PyconAU
   @DjangoConAU
   @PyLadies meetups
   

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10. More Step 2:
    Ask your friends!
    Ask Twitter!
    Ask the Google! [Your language + “conferences”]
    Propose with a buddy!
    Look for a Code of Conduct!
    

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11. Step 3: How Should I Say It?
    AKA: The Proposal
    All proposals “have
    something in common:
    they aren’t going to fit in
    their time slot.”
    - Ned Batchelder
    

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12. All that stuff you cut?
    Use it to propose a second talk!
    

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13. More Step 3: Metaphors are for
    Kickass Speakers
    

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14. Even More Step 3: Geeking Out is
    Frackin’ Awesome!
    

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15. OMG Step 3 is never going to stop.
    

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16. Step 4: Who Can Help Me?
    

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17. More Step 4: People are Nice!
    Psssst. You there. Want
    someone to look at your
    proposal?
    Just ask.
    Google Docs’ “suggest” feature
    is your friend!
    

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18. Step 5: Oh Crap, I Was Accepted
    Of course you were! Take a moment and
    celebrate.
    Don’t freak out.
    

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19. No, Seriously
    Seriously. Don’t freak out! But here are some
    speaking tips....
    

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20. “Pretend you are talking to your friends.”
    - Dale Carnegie
    

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21. “I had a drama teacher that kept a collection of
    lightweight plastic cups she could throw at us if we
    moved without a good reason. Her aim was
    spectacular, and it broke all of us of moving while
    giving a speech.”
    - Katie Cunningham
    

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22. “Bullets are live ammunition. Even in small
    quantities they can kill a talk.”
    - Daniel Roy Greenfeld
    

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23. “I try to say anything BUT what is on the slide.”
    - Daniel Roy Greenfeld
    

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24. How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?
    

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25. “I went to a talk where the speaker was presenting
    on a technical matter with beer in hand. Maybe he
    thought it was hip, but his talk sucked.”
    - Daniel Roy Greenfeld
    

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26. A Different Step 5: I Was Rejected
    This feeling sucks,
    especially the first
    time. But it’s okay.
    

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27. What Rejection Doesn’t Mean (Promise)
    They hated
    my topic.
    They hated
    ME.
    I’m not good
    enough.
    I should scrap
    this topic
    entirely.
    I just wasn’t
    meant to speak
    at conferences.
    

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28. What Most Likely Happened:
    (and remember, I’m an organizer)
    We think you’d
    be better for this
    other conference...
    We had so, so
    many submissions
    this year.
    There was
    another
    similar proposal...
    W
    e think your talk
    needs a few tweaks.
    

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29. How to Handle It
    Ask for feedback!
    Thank the committee!
    Get back on the horse!
    Submit this (or another!)
    topic to another conference!
    

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30. Step 6: Remember This
    You got this!
    You have a
    perspective that
    our community
    values. We want to
    hear from you.
    

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31. Step 7: Go Back to Step 1
    How you’ll
    feel after
    your first
    talk!
    

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32. Now go read/watch these people...
    Carina C. Zona (@cczona): Regularly gives talks at local
    PyLadies meetups on giving conference talks. Look out for one!
    Adrienne Lowe (@adriennefriend): Gave the talk, “Bake the
    Cookies, Wear the Dress”
    Katie Cunningham (@kcunning): Wrote that awesome post
    about being still while speaking
    

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33. Daniel Roy Greenfeld (@pydanny): Wrote a great post with
    presentation tips.
    Ned Batchelder (@nedbat): Several posts on presenting,
    geared toward Pycon.
    Barbara Shaurette (@bshaurette): Runs Young Coders at
    PyCon; has written on getting over a fear of public speaking.
    Julie Pagano (@juliepagano): Gave the talk, “It’s Dangerous to
    Go Alone: Battling the Invisible Monsters in Tech”
    Eric Snow (@ericsnowcrntly): Wrote “Advice for PyCon
    Speakers”
    

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34. I have more questions!
    @laceynwilliams
    lacey@djangogirls.org
    Thanks, y’all!
    

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