Making the Most of Your 1st
(or 100th) Conference
By V.S. Nelson
Picture taken from 2012 Desert Dreams Conference in Scottsdale Arizona.
Like a rollercoaster ride, the excitement of attending a
conference can be overwhelming especially for the newcomer. Hundreds of authors are there. Many are just
like you, beginning their new writing career while others in attendance are
those famous New York Times best-selling authors you’ve always dreamed about
meeting or becoming. Aside from the authors, you know there will be editors and
agents in attendance; those who may hold the key to your writing career. That
alone is enough to make you a little intimidated.
The creative energy around a writer’s conference can be
useful and beneficial to the creative mind, if one knows how to use it to their
betterment, but more often than not, that energy will cause panic in the
attendee.
Remember, adrenalin causes your heart to beat faster which pumps
high levels of oxygen through your veins and head, which inadvertently causes
nerviness and often times headaches. More than once, I’ve witnessed a talented
author retreat to their hotel room or leave the conference entirely because of
a migraine before they pitched their well-rehearsed speech to their dream agent.
The magical phrase your best friend said to you before you
left, “don’t be nervous,” doesn’t work. Believe me, you will be nervous and
there is nothing you can do about it.
But there are a few things you can do to make your conference, even your
first an enjoyable experience, one you will never forget.
The first key to making any conference experience an
enjoyable one is pacing. Yes, there are lots of activities going on at the same
time. Know that you cannot attend everything, so pick and choose wisely. When
reviewing the schedule, highlight or circle the workshops that interest you the
most, leaving blank moments in your agenda. You can use this time to
re-organize your thoughts, visit with friends, practice your pitch, freshen up
your makeup, relax in the hospitality suite or retreat to your room for a well
deserved nap. You will be surprised how easily those blank hours in your
schedule will fill up.
Some other key
secrets to making your conference a memorial one is to:
Wear comfortable clothing and
shoes. You will look just as nice in pumps or flats as you will in 5 inch
heels. Believe me your feet will thank you for it. Forget the girdle and pants
that are too tight to bend over in. Before packing for the conference, check
the weather. Bring suitable light weight clothing which can be layered in case
of bad weather. If you are pitching, bring at least one suit. First impressions
mean a lot in this business. Wear your hair in a comfortable style. Going to
the hair-dress for a complex braid days before you leave will not last through
the conference. By the time you get around to meeting your dream agent, your
up-do will be falling all over the place. Wear light makeup that is easily
touched up, knowing you will be out most of the day. You may also wish to pack
a bathing suit for nights in the hot tub or pool and a pair of sweats for the
gym if you are into that sort of thing. If you haven’t gone through the change
of life, pack feminine hygiene items just in case. The stress alone can cause
the unexpected. Bring a camera, you will want to capture images of your first
conference, your new friends, your new editor and those authors you aspire to
be like.
Leave all
non-essential items in your hotel suite when you attend the conference rooms.
You will usually receive a bag of goodies upon registration. When you get a
chance take it back to your hotel suite. Lugging around a notebook, laptop,
goodie bag, paper and pens, purse, additional makeup, etc., is way too much for
one person to keep track of all day long. You can always go back to your motel,
unload and restock the necessary items you might need for the various workshops
you plan on attending. Remember, returning to the privacy of your hotel suite
every so often will allow you to rest, change clothes and recharge your batteries, especially if you are in overload.
Attend the
conference with a friend, commonly called, a side-kick. If you are going alone
and don’t know anyone visit the hospitality suite and strike up a conversation
with another newcomer or solitary attendee. Remember, they are just as nervous
and lonely as you are. You would be surprised how many great friendships are
formed at conferences. If there are two workshops going on at the same time
that you want to take, having a friend with you works in more ways than one. While
you enjoy one, she can take the other. Swap notes between sessions – it is a
win-win situation.
Eat and
drink small amounts through out the day. This will keep you hydrated and
energized without causing sleepiness or giving you stomach problems.
Consuming
alcohol at conferences is quite common. While a cocktail or glass of wine can
help you relax, too much at any given time might result in adverse effects or a
reputation you don’t want. Save the heavy drinking for after hours when you are
safely tucked into the confines of your room, but be warned, attending the
second day with a hang-over can be detrimental.
I think the
idea of pitching to editors and agents can cause the most experienced
conference attendee to become nervous. Why shouldn’t it? In reality, it’s a job
interview. The only difference is, instead of having thirty minutes to talk to
someone, you have three to ten minutes to sell yourself and your work to an
experienced professional. That alone is enough to scare the pants off of any of
us. I’ve learned a lot in my years, especially when it comes to pitching and
I’m happy to say that most of my pitches have been well received, usually with
me walking away with a smile on my face and a request for my work from the
agent or editor in question. I’m not sure if I have a magic formula or not, but
what I can tell you is what I do.
I reverse my thinking and try not to think that the agent is
interviewing me – I am interviewing them. Look at it from this point of view,
if you were a professional singer or actor without an agent, you would interview
several professionals before making a career choice. You definitely want an
individual on your side which understands you and your work and you want someone who will promote you to their
fullest ability knowing they have your best interest in their heart. Above all
else, they must believe in you and your work! Having an agent who promotes you
without understanding or believing in you will not get you to where you want to
be. How can he or she sell something they do not believe in? So that is the
first of my secrets. I reverse the situation to who is being interviewed by
whom.
Right before taking a seat at the table I shake the agents
hand and introduce myself. Taking a breath, I quietly remind myself, I am in
control. Usually the agent will ask at this point, “What do you write?” It is
an open invitation for you to pitch your story. Most authors start off with,
“My story, (title) is about…” Since I hate being like everyone else, I tend to
vary my pitches depending on the question asked by the agent. If they asked the
preverbal, “What do you write?” I will lead off by telling them the sub-genre’s
I am currently working on. Below is the dialog which took place during my last
pitch session.
Agent: What
do you write?
Me: Currently, I’m working on two series, one
paranormal and one urban fantasy and
a memoir of a
Mafia hit man.
Agent:
Really? Tell me about your paranormal series…
See how that opened the door and engaged the agent into
asking questions? If the agent doesn’t like what I have to say about the
paranormal series, he or she may ask about one of my other stories. I never
forget to ask the agent question regarding who they represent, average sales,
etc. I want to know if this is someone I can trust with my work. Is this
someone I can build a relationship with. Remember, I’m not looking for a
friend, I am looking for a business partner.
If you are a beginning writer and only have one piece of
work under your belt, you can pitch in the normal method, “My story (name) is
about….” or you could say something
cleaver like, “I recently finished a dark paranormal romance entitled (name).
It’s the story of Satan finding true love with an angelic creature…. (bla, bla.
Bla.) Keep it short and allow the agent to ask questions about your work –
don’t unload everything expecting him or her to remember every little detail
about your story. By stating you just finished, the agent does not know this is
your first completed written piece, which may inadvertently have them view you
as too inexperienced.
PITCHING WHEN YOU
DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO PITCH…
Okay, so you having finished your first full length novel,
but you’re working hard on it and you would love to enjoy the experience of
pitching, especially when there is an agent or editor you’ve been dying to
meet. Go ahead and set up the appointment if there is an available spot.
Introduce yourself to the agent or editor and sit down. When
they ask you what you write, you can simply tell them you don’t have anything
to sell them right now, but you wanted to meet them. Of course, you can also
tell them what you are working on. Enjoy
your time with them, ask questions and chances are (if they handle what you are
working on) they will tell you, “when you are finished with your WIP, feel free
to send it my way.”
I hope this article has helped you in some tiny way.
Although writing conferences can be intimidating, they can also be fun.
Conferences are a time to share your work with others, a time to learn, and a
time to pitch. What other place can you find so many great and talented people
in our industry than a conference?
Relax, have fun and make the most
of your newest experience—the writer’s conference.NCHCHC
