Conference Abstracts that get accepted

I've been a public speaker for over 20 years. During this time, I've spoken at many types of events and conferences all over the world. Because I often get asked, "How do you write a conference abstract that gets accepted?" I thought I'd share my methods and tips here.

Apply Frequently

It may seem obvious, but if you don't apply / submit an abstract, then you won't be selected. While it is true that after MANY years of speaking, you may occasionally get invited to submit an abstract or even to speak at a conference without submitting anything first, even for me, this is rare.

Also be prepared to be rejected. To this day I get accepted to only around 50% of the conferences to which I've applied.

Follow the Submission Guidelines

Various conferences have different 'personalities'. Some want very brief, often 2-3 sentences, concise abstracts. Others want multiple pages which include outline, prerequisites, expected outcomes, and, occasionally, even the slide deck for the talk. Fill out ALL pieces of information needed, in the format requested (which can vary from email, Google Docs, website forms, etc...). Don't leave any required information blank.

Some conference have an iteration process during the abstract submission phase. The selection group will review and provide feedback on potential abstracts. If this is the case, be sure to login to the conference portal, check the feedback and respond to any information you may get in a timely fashion.

Submit on Time - or Early

Running conferences is a great deal of work. Potential speakers who submit their abstracts on time, or better, early and completely, distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack. If you are unclear about what information is required, feel free to connect with conference organizers, they'd much rather have complete information to consider than not.

Be a student of the conference

If you have previously attended the conference to which you are now applying to be a speaker - great! This isn't always possible, or practical, so what should you do? Go online and watch a number of speaker videos from previous years to get a sense of what type of content works for that conference. You can also directly ask the organizers about topics, speakers or talks that have been particularly successful in the past.

Provide Options

I normally provide 3-5 potential topics to conference organizers via email in advance of me sending full abstracts, so that they can select the top 1 or 2 topics of interest. If I've done previous talks on any of the topics, I also provide links to recordings of those talks so that the organizers can understand what my level of expertise is around these topics.

Ask the organizers which other speakers (in your topic area) they are considering. If possible, go online and watch some or all of those speakers talks for perspective. Help the organizers to build a 'well-rounded' agenda by understanding and adjusting your submissions based on their notion of their attendees needs. I have frequently spoken on my second or third choice topics, because it was a better fit for that conference.

Show Examples

If you have spoken on your abstract topic(s) previously, and there is a public recording of your talk(s), then be sure to provide links to those recordings in your abstract.

To that end, I not only have a YouTube channel with free videos, I also maintain a list of my past speaking engagements on the Lanyrd speaker site. The latter includes the ability to link content to past events, including video, slides and more.

TIP: If your talk isn't recorded when you are delivering it, then you can just record it later yourself. Here is an example. This is screencast I recorded from a talk I gave on the Google Cloud Platform at YOW Nights in Melbourne, Australia

Face Your Fears

If you are not a little bit afraid each time you submit, then you need to adjust your perspective. Public speaking is somewhat panic-inducing for every normal person. In particular, when you are getting started, it is common to feel imposter syndrome on a regular basis. Pick topics where you have done professional work or are learning AND topics that you yourself are genuinely interested in for the best result.

Plan to Practice

Everyone has a unique method of preparing, practicing and honing their speaking skills. Also, the amount of preparation will vary depending on a number of factors:

• Is this talk new for you?
• Is the technology (or topic) new for you?
• Is the audience / venue / conference / region of the world new to you?

As a rule of thumb, I practice each new talk at least twice with an actual audience (which can be as small as one person) prior to giving a new talk. Having enough time in my professional schedule to prepare a talk is something I consider BEFORE I submit abstracts to any conference.

Understand the Cost

That's right, I said cost. If you accept the fact that it is nearly impossible to make money as a speaker (there are exceptions), rather that you are building yourself and your brand by sharing your knowledge and also by learning from others who attend not only your talk, but also the conference, you'll have more realistic expectations.

Consider that you'll need to take time away from regular work to research and write your abstract. That will be followed by time to research the conference, audience and region (if any are new to you). Then, of course, you'll need to take the time to author, practice and refine your talk.

If you are traveling to speak, then you should factor in time to travel to the location before and after the conference. You need to also consider any costs you'll incur due to being away from home (taxis, food, etc...).

Acknowledge Diversity

You may be in situations, like I often am, where I am the only 'something' in the room - in my case it's usually, but not always, 'the women at a tech event'.

Shown at left, is an extreme example, a recent AWS re:Invent annual conference.

The reality is that when you are in these types of situations, you will need to pay more attention to connect with your audience.

Another case I've encountered rather frequently, is when you are presenting to audience for whom your native language is a second language. It's important to find out early about whether translation will be provided and also to directly ask for tips on writing abstracts clearly for that audience.

Be Easy to Work With

Many conference organizers are working as volunteers in addition to their regular job. Make it easy for them to work with you as a potential speaker. Be on time in your submissions. Write concise and to-the-point email if you have questions about their event.

If they are arranging travel for you, be specific in what you want. Provide them with the exact flight, hotel and car arrangements that will work best for you, particularly if you traveling outside of your home country.

Provide feedback to organizers on the speaker submission process after the conference. If you have had a good experience, also provide them with a list of other potential speakers for future events. Most of all, thank them, for inviting you to be a part of their conference.

#HappySpeaking