Writer's Weekend
I made it home alive, no thanks to insane Sunday-afternoon drivers on the I-5.
I pitched NIGHT LIFE to no less than three industry pros.
And they all asked for it. Partials, to be sure, and one agent just said "email me and we'll talk about your novel", but OMG!!!1!!!!! 3 requests for my little novel in the space of a day!
I also went to a ton of panels given by for the most part lovely, accomodating, knowledgeable professionals in the industry and I learned a lot. I was also suprised at how much I already knew. I've done a lot of research on the "how to get your book published" side, but I had no idea some of the nuts and bolts that go into the actual publishing of a book once you've sold it. I also picked up some very handy tips on how to actually sell the novel.
Ate a lot of room service food. Accidentially stalked an agent, but she was nice about it and I think she believed it really was just a coincidence, because I am way to shy to be an agent-stalker. I could barely form words during my pitches, and they came out at about 1000 MPH. But requests are what matters, and I have a feeling that agents and editors are used to awkward, undersocialized writer types coming up to them and babbling about werewolves for five minutes at these types of events.
A brief breakdown follows:
Day 1
Arrived at 3 p.m., mistakenly thinking that registration was at that time. Not until 4. Showered, dressed in "professional" attire (meaning I added a blazer to my tee and jeans) and went back down to register. Got a name tag. I hate name tags. It lets creeps pretend they know you and start conversations, and it makes introductions weird because hello, they can SEE your name already and you're starting off the relationship with a huge redundancy.
Or maybe I was just very tired and very grouchy.
Opening ceremonies were a little weird. Conference organizer was also very tired and very very grouchy. She scared the hell out of half the pitching authors with her sternly worded admonition that they MUST have a completed novel and they MUST have it polished and DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE WASTE THE PRO'S TIME.
Yikes. It was harsh, and meanly put, but I agree with her. DON'T waste the pro's time with unfinished books. They don't CARE if you have 40,000 of 80,000 words and plans for a sequel. If you do not have a finished manuscript in your hands, there is no way that an agent or editor knows you are CAPABLE of writing the other 40,000 words and you took up 5 minutes someone with a FINISHED book could have used to pitch. When you're an unpubbed writer, being a selfish dick is not the way to do it.
Attended a mandatory workshop on pitch basics with agent Mary Louise Schwartz. Very useful information for terrified n00bs like me who had never pitched before in their life. (I'm going to post more extensively on what I learned about pitching seperately, so hold on to your shorts about that one.)
Attended a second workshop on pitch etiquette with the funny and gracious Hilary Sares, a Kensington editor. Hilary later got into a car accident, but hopefully she doesn't blame the writers.
Huge FUBAR situation about writers with editor/agent appointments. Screaming, cursing and refunds demanded. More yelling from con organizer. At the time very scared I would lose appointment, because I would rather vomit on an agent from nervousness than never meet them at all. At least I would be memorable.
Went back to my office and worked on revisions until 1:30 a.m. Got lost trying to find a 24-hour drive through. Ended up with a hamburger from Denny's. Too tired to care.
Day 2
Up at ungodly hour of 8:45, having achieved sleep at 3:00. To writing workshop with first 5 of NIGHT LIFE.
Find that workshop group has been consolidated. A very pushy fellow con-goer attempts to boss me towards a table of fantasy writers, but I demur and find my own table, one labled intriguingly "mixed-genre".
We are the first table our presiding Editor of a Major House arrives at. She reads all of our pages. This is terrifying. Pitching cannot POSSIBLY be worse than this. My first 5, apparently, do not suck, but our EMH quibbles the voice and subject matter don't match.
EMH moves on and I spend a delightful hour and a half with some very nice writers, three of whom are now on my blog links to the left. They like my voice. Really like it. I am shocked/thrilled. They also have advice: switch my editor appointment from the EMH who found my heroine insensitive to another EMH who is known to take on paranormal chick lit/fantasy. I do so.
End of the workshop, and Elizabeth Winick, an agent, takes a seat. Elizabeth Winick, it turns out, likes fantasy a lot, even though her agentquery listing does not say this. We are all shocked/thrilled. She reads my first 5. I blow the pitch. I am a moron.
I salve my wounds with lunch and panels. That night, I decide NIGHT LIFE is as revised as it's going to get for this weekend and stay in my hotel room watching America's Got Talent. Have a great conversation with my ex who is now my friend, hereinafter referred to as Ex-Friend in which I start telling him the plot of NIGHT LIFE and along the way come up with elements I never actually incorporated. Notes! Inspiration! I don't hate my MS any more!
Day 3
The pitches.
Panels in the morning. Pitches in the afternoon. Shower and professional dressing in between. Nervousness verging into panic always.
Pitch #1
Anne Groell, senior editor at Bantam Spectra. I confess up front I've never done this before. Anne Groell is a seriously nice human being and puts me at ease as I swing into my blurb. I don't blow it. I manage to convey the basic plot, the emotional high points and the main characters and I don't blow it.
Request: 3 chapters and an outline.
Pitch #2
Mary Louise Schwartz, literary agent. I am much more loose and confident with M.L.S. She mentions my MS is a bit short and I should consider epubbing. I ask politely if I extended the lenght could I then query her?
Request: "Email me and we'll talk about your book." Personal contact is a Good Thing.
Pseudo-Pitch #3
Elizabeth Winick, literary agent. The agent that read my first five. After my two allotted pitches I hang about outside the conference room, and after everyone is gone except me I poke my head in and sit down. I am not Ms. Winick's last appointment, but she is gracious and when I ask "can I talk to you a little bit more about my book?" she says of course and lets me pitch. I promise at the end to stop stalking her.
Request: 3 chapters, with a "requested materials" tag and thankfully no synopsis if I don't have one. Hilary Sares offered the advice "be shameless" in her industry etiquette panel and it works! There is a fine line between shameless and creepy, though.
After pitches is dinner with Holly, Vernieta and Ann and then sweet, sweet sleep.
It was a good weekend.
I pitched NIGHT LIFE to no less than three industry pros.
And they all asked for it. Partials, to be sure, and one agent just said "email me and we'll talk about your novel", but OMG!!!1!!!!! 3 requests for my little novel in the space of a day!
I also went to a ton of panels given by for the most part lovely, accomodating, knowledgeable professionals in the industry and I learned a lot. I was also suprised at how much I already knew. I've done a lot of research on the "how to get your book published" side, but I had no idea some of the nuts and bolts that go into the actual publishing of a book once you've sold it. I also picked up some very handy tips on how to actually sell the novel.
Ate a lot of room service food. Accidentially stalked an agent, but she was nice about it and I think she believed it really was just a coincidence, because I am way to shy to be an agent-stalker. I could barely form words during my pitches, and they came out at about 1000 MPH. But requests are what matters, and I have a feeling that agents and editors are used to awkward, undersocialized writer types coming up to them and babbling about werewolves for five minutes at these types of events.
A brief breakdown follows:
Day 1
Arrived at 3 p.m., mistakenly thinking that registration was at that time. Not until 4. Showered, dressed in "professional" attire (meaning I added a blazer to my tee and jeans) and went back down to register. Got a name tag. I hate name tags. It lets creeps pretend they know you and start conversations, and it makes introductions weird because hello, they can SEE your name already and you're starting off the relationship with a huge redundancy.
Or maybe I was just very tired and very grouchy.
Opening ceremonies were a little weird. Conference organizer was also very tired and very very grouchy. She scared the hell out of half the pitching authors with her sternly worded admonition that they MUST have a completed novel and they MUST have it polished and DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE WASTE THE PRO'S TIME.
Yikes. It was harsh, and meanly put, but I agree with her. DON'T waste the pro's time with unfinished books. They don't CARE if you have 40,000 of 80,000 words and plans for a sequel. If you do not have a finished manuscript in your hands, there is no way that an agent or editor knows you are CAPABLE of writing the other 40,000 words and you took up 5 minutes someone with a FINISHED book could have used to pitch. When you're an unpubbed writer, being a selfish dick is not the way to do it.
Attended a mandatory workshop on pitch basics with agent Mary Louise Schwartz. Very useful information for terrified n00bs like me who had never pitched before in their life. (I'm going to post more extensively on what I learned about pitching seperately, so hold on to your shorts about that one.)
Attended a second workshop on pitch etiquette with the funny and gracious Hilary Sares, a Kensington editor. Hilary later got into a car accident, but hopefully she doesn't blame the writers.
Huge FUBAR situation about writers with editor/agent appointments. Screaming, cursing and refunds demanded. More yelling from con organizer. At the time very scared I would lose appointment, because I would rather vomit on an agent from nervousness than never meet them at all. At least I would be memorable.
Went back to my office and worked on revisions until 1:30 a.m. Got lost trying to find a 24-hour drive through. Ended up with a hamburger from Denny's. Too tired to care.
Day 2
Up at ungodly hour of 8:45, having achieved sleep at 3:00. To writing workshop with first 5 of NIGHT LIFE.
Find that workshop group has been consolidated. A very pushy fellow con-goer attempts to boss me towards a table of fantasy writers, but I demur and find my own table, one labled intriguingly "mixed-genre".
We are the first table our presiding Editor of a Major House arrives at. She reads all of our pages. This is terrifying. Pitching cannot POSSIBLY be worse than this. My first 5, apparently, do not suck, but our EMH quibbles the voice and subject matter don't match.
EMH moves on and I spend a delightful hour and a half with some very nice writers, three of whom are now on my blog links to the left. They like my voice. Really like it. I am shocked/thrilled. They also have advice: switch my editor appointment from the EMH who found my heroine insensitive to another EMH who is known to take on paranormal chick lit/fantasy. I do so.
End of the workshop, and Elizabeth Winick, an agent, takes a seat. Elizabeth Winick, it turns out, likes fantasy a lot, even though her agentquery listing does not say this. We are all shocked/thrilled. She reads my first 5. I blow the pitch. I am a moron.
I salve my wounds with lunch and panels. That night, I decide NIGHT LIFE is as revised as it's going to get for this weekend and stay in my hotel room watching America's Got Talent. Have a great conversation with my ex who is now my friend, hereinafter referred to as Ex-Friend in which I start telling him the plot of NIGHT LIFE and along the way come up with elements I never actually incorporated. Notes! Inspiration! I don't hate my MS any more!
Day 3
The pitches.
Panels in the morning. Pitches in the afternoon. Shower and professional dressing in between. Nervousness verging into panic always.
Pitch #1
Anne Groell, senior editor at Bantam Spectra. I confess up front I've never done this before. Anne Groell is a seriously nice human being and puts me at ease as I swing into my blurb. I don't blow it. I manage to convey the basic plot, the emotional high points and the main characters and I don't blow it.
Request: 3 chapters and an outline.
Pitch #2
Mary Louise Schwartz, literary agent. I am much more loose and confident with M.L.S. She mentions my MS is a bit short and I should consider epubbing. I ask politely if I extended the lenght could I then query her?
Request: "Email me and we'll talk about your book." Personal contact is a Good Thing.
Pseudo-Pitch #3
Elizabeth Winick, literary agent. The agent that read my first five. After my two allotted pitches I hang about outside the conference room, and after everyone is gone except me I poke my head in and sit down. I am not Ms. Winick's last appointment, but she is gracious and when I ask "can I talk to you a little bit more about my book?" she says of course and lets me pitch. I promise at the end to stop stalking her.
Request: 3 chapters, with a "requested materials" tag and thankfully no synopsis if I don't have one. Hilary Sares offered the advice "be shameless" in her industry etiquette panel and it works! There is a fine line between shameless and creepy, though.
After pitches is dinner with Holly, Vernieta and Ann and then sweet, sweet sleep.
It was a good weekend.
Hey! Sorry we didn't meet up for breakfast today. We slept in late and dragged our feet. We knocked on your door but we figured you'd already left.
Thanks for the link, yo. It was great meeting you this weekend! :)
Posted by
Anonymous |
4:26 PM
Dude! It's me, Holly! Your blog is gorgeous. Very cool weekend summary. I had fun reading it. Talk soon!
Posted by
Anonymous |
8:41 PM
Eeek! She told you to go epub? WHY?
73k is *not* that short. If it was 50k I'd be worried, but 73k can easily be stretched another 10k or so (add a scene) and then you're in 'just ducky' territory.
Don't epub! UF is so hot right now you'd be shooting yourself in the foot!
(oh, and I uh, wandered in from a pfriend or two...hi!)
Posted by
Anonymous |
4:23 AM
Hi Jessica! I added you to my list 'o blogs on the right.
The agent in question mentioned epubbing might be one way to go, but we left it that we would talk about opotions for my novel. :)
Posted by
Luna |
11:56 AM
*laughs* I see Jessica found you. XD
Posted by
Anonymous |
4:01 PM
Yeah -- just don't let anyone talk you into doing something you're not 100% on board with. *g*
Still, good luck with the agents. Your book sounds totally spif (and thanks for adding me!)
Posted by
Anonymous |
8:03 PM