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Seven Proposal-Writing Tips That Make Conference Program Committees Smile

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Writing a great session proposal for a conference is difficult. Here are seven tips for writing a session proposal that will make reviewers go from frown to smile.
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Software Engineering Institute

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Abstract

Writing a great session proposal for a practitioners' conference can be difficult, even for experienced public speakers and authors. Proposal writing is a distinct skill, different from writing great papers and giving amazing presentations. Your session proposal is what the reviewers will use to decide whether your session should be in the SATURN Conference technical program. Here are seven tips for writing a session proposal that will make reviewers go from frown to smile.

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Pollak, B., & Petock, M. (2016, November 30). Seven Proposal-Writing Tips That Make Conference Program Committees Smile. Retrieved August 10, 2026, from https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/seven-proposal-writing-tips-that-make-conference-program-committees-smile/.

@techreport{pollak_2016,
author={Pollak, Bill and Petock, Mike},
title={Seven Proposal-Writing Tips That Make Conference Program Committees Smile},
month={Nov},
year={2016},
institution={Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University},
url={https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/seven-proposal-writing-tips-that-make-conference-program-committees-smile/},
note={Accessed: 2026-Aug-10}
}

Pollak, Bill, and Mike Petock. "Seven Proposal-Writing Tips That Make Conference Program Committees Smile." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, November 30, 2016. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/seven-proposal-writing-tips-that-make-conference-program-committees-smile/.

B. Pollak, and M. Petock, "Seven Proposal-Writing Tips That Make Conference Program Committees Smile," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Software Engineering Institute, 30-Nov-2016 [Online]. Available: https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/seven-proposal-writing-tips-that-make-conference-program-committees-smile/. [Accessed: 10-Aug-2026].

Pollak, Bill, and Mike Petock. "Seven Proposal-Writing Tips That Make Conference Program Committees Smile." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute, 30 Nov. 2016. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/seven-proposal-writing-tips-that-make-conference-program-committees-smile/. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Pollak, Bill; & Petock, Mike. Seven Proposal-Writing Tips That Make Conference Program Committees Smile. Software Engineering Institute. 2016. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/seven-proposal-writing-tips-that-make-conference-program-committees-smile/

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