Programming!
It’s time! Time to start turning all of your great ideas about women in fantasy into programs! Over the coming weeks–right up until the proposal deadline of May 7, 2010–we’ll be hosting a series of posts right here on our LiveJournal and message boards that will guide you through the process of becoming a presenter. (You’re welcome to post want ads for co-presenters on Facebook, but we won’t post all of the series there.)

Remember:

• Everyone is welcome to submit a proposal for a paper, panel, roundtable, workshop, an afternoon class, or something similar. It’s great if you’ve presented elsewhere and it’s great if it’s your very first time to step out of the audience. We want our programming, created by you, to represent important topics in fantasy, what you’re interested in, and what you’d like to share with others.
• We have some guidelines for presenters as far as format, length, and so on, because like all conferences, we need to fit into our reserved space and time. Start your planning now by visiting the programming section of the Sirens website and reading through the links on the left.
• We’ll be hosting some topic exchange posts on LiveJournal and our conference message boards, where you can drop off ideas and pick up something that sounds interesting. Nearly all of our programming comes from the proposals attendees make and participate in! If you want something to be on the schedule, please consider organizing a proposal, whether that means gathering a group of presenters or leading the presentation yourself. Also, don’t forget that we have a section of our message boards devoted entirely to discussing programming topics, finding co-presenters and asking questions.
• Lacking inspiration? You still have plenty of time to try some books from the Sirens reading list! And remember, while faeries are our 2010 focus, programming need not be about faeries. All submissions on women in fantasy literature are welcome!
• As you plan your proposal, we’re happy to help with technical difficulties, answer procedural questions, and advise on special situations. The programming team is always available at (programming at sirensconference.org).

Online Chats
Our next chat is Saturday, March 6, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Chats are a great place to talk about books, travel, and that presentation you’ve been thinking about proposing–and to meet other book lovers and potential attendees. No particular software or programs are necessary to join in: this page will turn into a chat room at the appropriate time on March 6. We’ll be skipping a faery work in March in favor of helping everyone get presentations together and answering questions about the submissions and vetting process. If you have ideas, if you’d like encouragement, or if you’re looking for collaborators, we hope that you’ll join us–or write us at (programming at sirensconference.org).

Reminder: Book Discussions
Over the months leading up to Sirens–and at Sirens itself–we’ll be reading, reading, reading and then discussing. We’ve featured works by women in fantasy at our periodic chats, and we’ll feature more this summer. If you’d like to get a jump on our summer discussion books, take a look at Kin (The Good Neighbors) by Holly Black, Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan, and both The Changeling and A Midsummer Night’s Faery Tale by Terri Windling. Our Books and Breakfast program will be returning at Sirens this fall as well, so brush up on your faery reading now!

Share Sirens!
Do you have a friend or colleague who would be interested in Sirens? Just about every page of the Sirens website has a link to “Tell a Friend” about the conference. We’ve already written the e-mail, and you can send it with just a click! Please do remember to tell people about Sirens. Our first year was great, and we want to make sure our second year is great as well.

Are you going to a conference or an event? Do you work somewhere that connects to fantasy aficionados? We are printing new and updated bookmarks for Sirens, and we’d be happy to send you some to hand out or leave on a freebie table. The bookmarks should be ready to ship out in mid-March. If you’d like a set to give away, please write to (help at sirensconference.org) with your name, address, and where they’ll go, and allow three weeks between your request and your event.

Travel Tip: Two Days of Sirens Shuttle to Vail
Did you know that the Sirens Shuttle is available on Wednesday this year? That’s right, if you’re looking to come in early to acclimate, to explore Vail or to join us for our rollicking Sirens Supper, we will be running a shuttle from Denver International Airport to Vail, leaving at 3:30 p.m. We’ll still be running a shuttle on Thursday, of course, also leaving Denver International at 3:30 p.m., and all shuttle folks will be returning to Denver International by 2:00 p.m. on Sunday (for flights leaving at 3:30 p.m. or later). You can book your shuttle ticket when you register.

Quick Links
The Sirens Website and Tell a Friend Link
Registration
Travel
Become a Supporter
Read the FAQ

We hope to see you in Vail!

Have questions? You can leave them here in the comments section or e-mail them to (help at sirensconference.org).