How Much Does It Cost to Host a Conference?
A year and a half ago, I didn’t know how to answer that question. Today, I do.
When I decided to host the first-ever History Through Fiction Conference, I knew it would be the largest and most challenging venture of my career as a small business owner.
I knew there was a lot I didn’t know.
But I also knew something else: nearly everything I’ve built with History Through Fiction has started with that same uneasy mix of conviction and uncertainty. I rarely begin with complete confidence. I begin with a belief that the work matters and a willingness to learn what I need to learn.
That was certainly true of this conference.
And now that it’s over, I can say two things at once.
First, it was a huge success.
Second, it was expensive.
Both of those things are true. And if I’m going to keep building something meaningful for this community, I think it’s worth talking honestly about both.
What made the conference a success
From beginning to end, people showed up.
When I asked accomplished, well-known authors to take part, they said yes.
When my colleague Robin reached out to literary agents, they said yes.
When I invited History Through Fiction authors to participate, they said yes.
When we posted a call for proposals, we received dozens of thoughtful, qualified submissions.
When registration opened, people registered.
When virtual registration opened, people registered.
And when it came time to actually gather together, the thing I had hoped for most happened: writers connected.
That’s what I wanted this conference to be.
Not just a schedule. Not just a set of presentations. Not just another industry event.
I wanted it to be a place where writers could learn, feel encouraged, meet people who understand the strange and wonderful work they are trying to do, and leave more energized than when they arrived.
That happened.
The venue staff did a masterful job with food service, room setup, cleanup, and guest support. The Streamography team handled the technical side with professionalism and calm. Volunteers went above and beyond. Presenters were prepared, knowledgeable, and generous. Literary agents were encouraging. Speakers were inspiring.
And perhaps most importantly, people built relationships.
They expanded their networks. They had meaningful conversations. They left with new ideas, new momentum, and new belief in what might be possible for their writing life.
Since the conference ended, I’ve continued to receive messages of gratitude and praise. People have already started asking when and where the next one will be.
That means something.
It means the conference did what I hoped it would do.
What made the conference hard
This was not something I pulled together in a few weeks.
It took a year and a half of planning.
A year and a half of making decisions without always knowing whether they were the right ones.
A year and a half of trying to build something ambitious while also running a small business, publishing books, serving authors, and continuing the everyday work that doesn’t stop just because a big idea enters the room.
I fully admit there were moments when I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull it off.
And while I did pull it off, I didn’t do it perfectly.
One of my biggest lessons has to do with financing.
When I was planning the conference, I was focused primarily on the experience. I wanted people to show up. I wanted them to have a good time. I wanted them to walk away enlightened, inspired, and convinced that their investment had been worthwhile.
I’m proud to say that happened.
What I did not do well enough was track the financial side with the same level of rigor from the beginning.
I didn’t build the conference from the ground up with a penny-by-penny understanding of what every major decision would require. I knew there would be costs, of course. I knew there were risks. But I was so focused on making the conference good that I didn’t always stop to ask what it needed to become sustainable.
That’s an important distinction.
Because success and sustainability are not always the same thing.
You can create something people love and still lose money doing it.
Why I’m sharing the numbers
As a small business owner, I’ve always tried to lean into transparency.
I don’t want to tell only the triumphant part of the story.
I want to share the real story.
If you’re a writer, publisher, organizer, or creative entrepreneur, then you already know how easy it is to look at someone else’s event, launch, or project and assume it must be more profitable, more effortless, or more secure than it actually is.
But behind almost every meaningful creative endeavor is a long list of invisible costs, uncertain decisions, and lessons learned the hard way.
So here is the financial picture from the first-ever History Through Fiction Conference.
Not because I’m discouraged.
And not because I think the numbers matter more than the people.
But because if I’m going to do this again—and I am—I want to do it better. And maybe these numbers will also help someone else think more clearly about the true cost of building something ambitious.
History Through Fiction Conference Profit & Loss Statement
Revenue (Gross)
Salem Ghost Tour - $495.00
Manuscript Critiques - $300.00
Cabot House Museum and Walking Tour - $650.00
Sponsorships -$800.00
Book Signing and Reader Room Display - $900.00
Pitch Sessions - $990.00
Standard Registration - $12,333.50
Early Bird (In-Person) - $22,500.00
Virtual Registration - $5,549.00
Early Bird (Virtual) - $3,129.00
Manuscript Contest Submissions - $225.00
Book Sales - $239.73
Silent Auction Bid - $90.00
Prologue Day Registrations - $120.00
Total Gross Revenue: $48,321.23
Expenses
Event & Program Costs
Salem Ghost Tour - $444.40
Streamography - $7,180.00
Cabot House Museum and Walking Tour - $410.00
Wylie Conference Center Venue Fees - $32,359.11
Gifts - $736.97
Printing - $232.57
Silent Auction Artwork - $335.21
Special Guests Honorariums - $7,486.31
Manuscript Contest Winner - $200.00
Operations & Travel
Car Rental - $278.43
Lodging - $373.58
Parking - $108.96
Food - $175.76
Shipping - $80.93
Totes - $557.51
Gas - $230.06
Tolls - $100.00
Refunds
Refunds - $2,711.95
Total Expenses (Before Payment Processing Fees): $54,001.75
Operating Result Before Payment Processing Fees
Total Revenue - $48,321.23
Total Expenses (before fees) - $54,001.75
Operating Loss - -$5,680.52
Payment Processing Fees
I can confirm the revenue and expense figures above from the raw data. Payment processing fees require a separate payout total to verify.
If the previously used net payouts figure of $41,532.71 is correct, then the implied payment processing fees would be:
Total collected (gross): $48,321.23
Total received (net payouts): $41,532.71
Less refunds already counted above: $1,075.00
Estimated transaction fees: $5,713.52
Estimated Final Summary
Total Revenue - $48,321.23
Total Expenses (before fees) - $54,001.75
Estimated Transaction Fees - $5,713.52
Estimated Net Loss
-$11,394.04
What I learned from seeing it in black and white
There’s no way around it: that final number is hard to look at.
A net loss of $11,394.04 is significant for any independent business. For a small business, it’s especially significant.
But here’s what I don’t want to do: I don’t want to reduce the meaning of the conference to a single figure.
The conference was not a failure.
It was a costly success.
And that may be an uncomfortable category, but it’s a real one.
What the numbers tell me is not that the conference shouldn’t exist. They tell me that if it’s going to continue, it needs a stronger model.
It needs sharper planning on the front end.
It needs a clearer understanding of which expenses are essential, which can be adjusted, and which revenue streams need to grow.
It needs me to lean not only on passion and vision, but also on the expertise and support available to me.
That’s the lesson.
Not “don’t dream big.”
Not “creative community isn’t worth investing in.”
And certainly not “if the first attempt isn’t profitable, stop.”
The lesson is that meaningful work deserves both heart and structure.
If you’re building something for writers—whether that’s a conference, a book, a workshop, a course, a publication, or a business—you can’t live on inspiration alone. At some point, the spreadsheet becomes part of the story.
What comes next
I’m happy to say there will be another conference.
That isn’t because I’m ignoring the bottom line. It’s because I believe too strongly in what this event offered to let one difficult ledger be the end of the story.
But I’m not moving forward blindly.
I’m going to take what I learned here and build a better conference.
I’m going to ask harder financial questions earlier.
I’m going to use more of the help and expertise available to me.
I’m going to keep what worked, improve what didn’t, and work toward a model that is both inspiring for attendees and sustainable for the business behind it.
Because the truth is this: your stories, your wisdom, your hopes, your questions, and your messages for readers matter more than the bottom line.
But if we want spaces like this to continue—spaces where writers can learn from each other, support each other, and grow together—then we also have to be honest about what it takes to sustain them.
That’s part of the work too.
And it’s work I’m willing to do.
If you’ve ever hosted an event, launched a creative project, or invested in a vision before you had all the answers, I’d love to hear what you learned from the experience.
And if you were part of the History Through Fiction Conference in any way—as an attendee, presenter, volunteer, sponsor, speaker, or supporter—thank you. You helped make something real.
Now the goal is to make it stronger the next time around.
Want access to the replay?
If you missed the conference, you’re not too late.
For $79, you can get full access to all 27 recorded sessions from the inaugural 2026 History Through Fiction Conference through the Conference Replay Center.
Inside the replay center, you can watch at your own pace through the secure member area and access the conference attendee directory, giving you another way to connect with peers and continue building your writing network.
Whether you want to strengthen your craft, better understand the publishing world, or find inspiration for your next novel, these recordings offer practical strategies, real-world advice, and valuable guidance from historical fiction authors, editors, and publishing professionals.
One payment. Watch anytime, anywhere.
And you haven't even coated your time in there. But it is rare for any new venture to make a profit in the first year. Good luck with year 2!
Is there a way to see the list of talks from the conference? I don't see that on the website. If I've missed that page, maybe post a link to it. That would help folks like me who missed the conference decide on the replays. Learning curves are hard, but often worth it in the longrun. Courage!