THE GIFT HORSE YOU LOOKED IN THE MOUTH

In February, The Quill offered our members a free subscription to a service called AUTHOR SALON, a 24/7 writer’s conference complete with online critique groups AND a slew of big time agents and editors who regulary shop member's work. Michael Neff, the gracious brainchild behind AS told me he was disappointed that there was no response from our membership besides me.

Granted the signup process is hard for folks who hadn’t been to one of his pitch conferences.  It forces you to think of your work on a marketing level that often times reveals the flaws in your story. But the good news is, AS also requires that you be in an AS online critique group made up of members who write in your genre, and with four other sets of eyes, the flaws are easy to fix.

Does it require a lot of time? YES. But each month, dozens of projects written by aspiring authors on Author Salon have been requested by New York publishers and literary agents on both coasts--all part of Author Salon's ongoing "Literary Showcase" initiative. Genres represented include mystery, young adult fantasy, upmarket and general fiction, women's fiction, adult fantasy and SF, historical fiction, and more.

Which is where the gift horse comes in. If you looked at AS http://authorsalon.com and found the FREE lifetime membership daunting, but you’re still  in this to publish, look again.  You may have to pay a few dollars a month for the service, but it’s worth it if for no other reason than you’ll know IF your idea is marketable, and you’ll have a clear understanding of HOW to sell your work at The South Carolina Writers' Workshop Conference in October. And, most importantly, you’ll have a polished first 50 pages and a great pitch, which makes a dandy query letter.

The Count is Full or The Last Word on Pitches

Pitches will no longer be available after Wednesday, October 14 at Midnight Eastern.

If you want to sign up for a pitch, make sure to do it before then.

See you at the conference!

Guest Blogger: Jenny Bent: Please Don't Take Me Personally

Please Don't Take Me Personally, and other tips for pitching agents and editors at conferences.I've blogged before about getting the most from conferences(http://jennybent.blogspot.com/2009/06/few-notes-on-conferences.html) and one of the most important things I wrote about is relying less on pitching and more on making personal connections.


Meeting an agent at a meal and chatting with her about your mutual love of dogs makes you stand out much more than pitching her a book from opposite sides of the salad bar. Later on, when you query her, and reference the conversation, she'll bring a positive memory to her reading of your work. In other words, the non-pitch ismore powerful than the pitch.


Most of the clients I've picked up at conferences I did not meet in a pitch session, but on a panel, or in a social setting, or because they had volunteered in some capacity and met me that way.Having said that, pitching your book can be valuable too. Even if it doesn't result in an immediate book deal (it's good to keep your expectations realistic), preparing to pitch is a great way to focus and think about how to pitch your book, and then get feedback from an agent or editor about not only the project, but the quality of your pitch. The pitch you create for a conference can then be used to create a really strong pitch letter.So when you're sitting down and planning your pitch, don't make the rookie mistake of writing the entire plot in teeny tiny letters on an index card and planning to sit down and read it to me for the entire five minutes of your session. I've had this happen countless times, and I understand it,because the assumption is that I want to know the complete plot of the book.But I don't, really. I want to know how you can sum it up in a few sentences. Two very, very different things.


When you sit down across from me, I'm going to ask you a few questions about yourself as a writer, andthen ask you to sum up your book in a few sentences. The last thing I wantto hear is a straight five minutes of you reading to me a detailed synopsis of every plot point. I'm not saying you can't bring notes--just don't sit down and read to me for the entire pitch. Also, sometimes I'm going to cut you off and explain to you how your pitch could be improved. Please take that in the spirit in which it's intended. Agents, after all, are all about the pitch--that's a hugely important part of our jobs--so it's not surprising that I may have a few thoughts on the subject.Which brings me to my next point.


Writing is an intensely personal processand so it is perfectly understandable that if I'm not in love with your material it feels like I am ripping out your soul. But here is what is so important to remember: 99 times out of 100, I turn down material not because I think it is bad, but because it just isn't a good fit for me. To illustrate: on a number of occasions I have turned down material even though there is already a deal attached. To me, this makes perfect sense, but I am told that this behaviour is baffling to some writers. Yet, truly, in some cases it would be entirely unethical of me to take on your project simplybecause you already have money coming to you.Think about it this way: when I read your work, not only do I need to love it as a reader, I need to understand it as a marketer. I need the love so I can stand by you through thick and thin, so I can still feel passionate about your work if you hit a career downswing as so many writers do. Even if you have a book deal now, pretty soon that contract will be done, andI'll need to negotiate a new deal. What if the books didn't work and it's areal challenge to find you your next gig? I need the love to do this in a convincing way. If I don't believe it, neither will the editors I call.That's the love part.


The marketing part is this. When I'm reading a novel that I love and I start mentally making my submission list because I knowt he exact editors that will love it, that's when I know I should sign the author. Sometimes I'll read material that's really strong, but I can'tfigure out who I would send it to, or even how I would position it in the marketplace. If I'm going to agent something well, I need to know what the competition is, what titles I can compare it to, which editors are lookingfor this kind of work, and which already have something that is too similar.There are just too many genres and editors out there for me to know how to do this for every single manuscript I read.Point being, even if it feels personal, it's truly not. And most of the time I'm going to ask to see your material regardless because a good pitch never guarantees good material and vice versa. Plenty of amazing writers are not good pitchers.


Finally, I completely understand if you're nervous. I would be nervous too.But I swear I am the most harmless person on the planet (unless I represent you in which case I am a bulldog). But mostly I am harmless if sometimes abit brusque, and you have nothing to fear when pitching me.


Now, Holly Henderson Root is a monster and you should definitely fear her, but I am a completely different story. (Kidding! I kid. Holly and I are good friends.)So please don't worry. I'm perfectly happy to spend the entire pitchtalking about shoes and I'll ask you to send your material anyway, so reallythere is no pressure.


And that, I guess, is the moral of this post. EVEN IF WE SPEND THE ENTIRE SESSION TALKING ABOUT YOUR SHOES I WILL STILL ASK TO SEE YOUR WORK. Which is to say that you have nothing to worry about. I will never hold a flubbed pitch against you; I will always read your work with an open mind (unless you insult my dog or something); and unless you throw up on my shoes or something I'm sure I won't even notice or remember any mistakes or missteps that you make.So figure out how to sum up your work in a few great sentences, come up with a fabulous title (agents and editors love fabulous titles) and then don't sweat it. Even if you can't sum it up well or can't find a good title, I'll help you in the pitch because I think that kind of thing is fun. Again,it's kind of in my job description. I'll see you soon.

******
In a career spanning 15 years, Jenny Bent has made a practice of making bestsellers — either by spotting new talent or developing careers for multi-published authors. Her list is varied and includes commercial fiction and nonfiction, literary fiction and memoir.

All the books she represents speak to the heart in some way: they are linked by genuine emotion, inspiration and great writing and story-telling. This includes books like NYT bestselling author John Kasich’s upcoming Every Other Monday, about his twenty years in a bible study group; the upcoming Whom Not to Marry by Pat Connor, an 80-year-old Catholic priest featured in a recent Maureen O’Dowd column; the #1 New York Times best seller The Red Hat Society; the NYT bestseller Lost and Found, a book about loss and grief and how our pets can help us to heal; and humor writing including the New York Times bestseller Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro and the many New York Times bestsellers by Jill Conner Browne of Sweet Potato Queen fame. She has made a specialty of representing Southern voices of all types.

In the realm of commercial fiction she represents many New York Times bestselling novelists including Lynsay Sands, Julia London, Sandra Hill and USA Today bestsellers Kathy Caskie and Janelle Denison.

She was born in New York City, but grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in a house full of books where she spent many lazy afternoons reading in a sunny window seat. She went on to England to get a BA/MA with first class honors from Cambridge University. After graduation she worked in magazines, bookselling and agenting, most recently at Trident Media Group. She now lives in Brooklyn in an apartment full of books and while there are not quite so many lazy reading afternoons, she manages to fit one in now and then.

Early Registration Rates End Soon!

It's hard to believe September is just a few days away! For writers who haven't registered for the SCWW conference yet, you can still get the early bird rate. Just be sure to go online and register no later than 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009. When the clock chimes midnight, rates will go up $50.

Also, Sept. 1, 2009, marks the closing of critiques. You'll be able to buy critiques through Tuesday, but you'll need to have your copies postmarked Sept. 1, and your e-mail copies will need to be in our inbox no later than 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009.

There are still critique spaces available. Did you buy one during registration and want another? Just contact me (conference@myscww.org) and I'll walk you through the process of adding it to your registration.

In addition, there are still some pitches up for grabs. There's no limit to the number of pitches you can register for, and no deadline for signing up. However, these are going fast, so you'll want to register soon to get the best shot at your top choices. If you've already registered and want to add some pitches, just contact me (conference@myscww.org).

What questions about the conference? You can leave a comment below or feel free to e-mail me (conference@myscww) or the Conference Co-chair Lateia E. Sandifer. (lateia.sandifer@gmail.com). We're happy to help.

Critiques and Pitches Day 3: It's Prep Time

In the first part of this three-part blog, I offered advice on why writers need critiques and pitches. In the second part, I looked at suggestions on what to include in your critique package and pitch preparation, and what to avoid in your critique package and pitch preparation. For the final installment, here’s some advice on how to prepare for the one-on-one time of a critique or pitch.

1. Know your stats. What’s your word count? What’s your genre? When can you get a copy out to an interested agent or editor?

2. Know your publishing goals. Is your dream to be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond? Have you completed a marketing plan for your manuscript? Is your primary goal to concentrate on writing more or on working as many sales angles as possible on this manuscript?

3. Relax. It might sound easier said than done, but take a minute and enjoy the beautiful beach surroundings. Or, if that isn’t working, listen to a few minutes of ESPN or CNN. Take your mind off any anxieties you might have.

4. Practice your pitch. Even if you’re preparing for a critique, it’s good to have a five-minute pitch ready. Who knows, an agent or editor might ask for you to submit.

5. Bring pencil (or pen) and paper. This is a time when you’re going to want to take notes, as well as listen.

Still have questions about pitches and critiques? Feel free to ask via a comment on the blog (you can be anonymous) or send an e-mail to conference@myscww.org.

Critiques and Pitches Day 2: What you should include (and avoid)

In the first part of this three-part blog, I offered advice on why writers need critiques and pitches. Now, let’s look at suggestions on what to include in your critique package and pitch preparation, and what to avoid in your critique package and pitch preparation. These suggestions are based on what I saw while I was a publisher and what I’ve seen in the past three years that I’ve been a publishing consultant.

First, here’s my advice on what you should include in your critique pages:

1. A synopsis. While this is optional for you to include for an SCWW conference critique, I encourage writers have one in their materials.
2. Formatted manuscript pages. When you register for your critique, you know you’ll only be turning in 10 pages or 30 pages. You want to make the most of those pages. Don’t fall for the temptation of taking out paragraphing. Don’t change it to single spaced paragraphs. Don’t delete the page breaks between chapters. Keep it formatted as a manuscript – double spaced, correct paragraphs, 12-point type, single-sided printing.
3. Your best, edited version. You’ve gone to all the trouble of registering for a conference and a critique. Make sure yours are not the only set of eyes that have looked at the pages. It’s impossible to edit yourself. Your eyes will fill in words you haven’t typed and will automatically correct errors. Whether you ask a friend to look at your package or you hire an editor, make sure you aren’t the only one who has seen your submission.

Here are a few things to include in your pitch prep:

1. Know your genre and make sure you state it. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. I’ve run into many proposals that start with “My novel is a thriller, with a touch of women’s issues and a sub-genre of fantasy.” The problem is, if you don’t know what you’re trying to sell, how will a marketing guru at a publishing house pitch it to book buyers?
2. Time your pitch. With the SCWW conference, an attendee will have five minutes to make a pitch. Then, the faculty member will provide five minutes of feedback. An agent or editor might even ask to see your work, based on the pitch. Use a stop watch. Force yourself to weigh each word. Be sure you’re speaking at your normal, conversational speed. An agent probably won’t ask for a submission from someone who speaks faster than a chipmunk or slower than a turtle (though, in all honesty, they likely won’t ask for a submission from any talking animal).
3. Watch yourself prepare in a mirror. It might sound silly, but this is a good way to make sure you’re going to make eye contact. You’ll also notice if you’re smiling, if you’re excited about the project, if your body language shows how confident you are about your manuscript.

Now, a list of things to avoid in your preparation for critiques and pitches:

1. Don’t break the rules. If you’re supposed to submit 10 pages, don’t submit 12 pages. If you’re set to submit 30 pages, don’t submit 35 pages. If you’re preparing a pitch, don’t prepare a 15-minute pitch.
2. Don’t send or pitch work that isn’t ready. If you don’t feel confident about your submission, switch to one of your manuscripts you feel is ready. Your lack of confidence in a work will show. If you aren’t excited, why should anyone else be excited? Also, if agents or editors say they’d like to see the entire manuscript, will you be able to provide it within 30 days?
3. For a critique, don’t miss the deadline for submitting materials.

Remember, all critique materials must be received by September 1, 2009. Mail your critique materials to:
Lateia Sandifer
SCWW Board
PO Box 503
Bamberg, SC 29003

In part three, I’m going to offer my advice on how to prepare for your one-on-one time during your critique or pitch.

Still have questions about pitches and critiques? Feel free to ask via a comment on the blog (you can be anonymous) or send an e-mail to conference@myscww.org.

Critiques and Pitches: Why you need these, what you should include (and avoid) and how to prepare for it all! Part 1 of 3

Recently, a handful of writers have asked me if they should add a critique or pitch to their registration, which is better, what they need to do before their meeting at the conference, and how to format their critique. Luckily, most attendees don’t ask all those questions at once – what a mouthful! But you get the idea. Since I have a publishing background and have sat on the “other side” of the critique table several times, I have a different perspective that some of the other conference volunteers. I’m going to split my suggestions into three days and three posts – Day 1: Why you need critiques and pitches; Day 2: What you should include or avoid; and Day 3: How to prepare for your one-on-one time.

Here’s my advice on why writers need critiques and pitches:

1. If you crave input, feedback and suggestions, you should add a critique. Some writers are content writing for the pure joy of putting words on paper. However, most writers want to know what they’re doing right, what they need to improve and what they can do to make their work more competitive in the market.

2. If you’re ready to shop your manuscript around to agents, editors and publishers, a critique would really help, but definitely add a pitch. While you should be sending out query letters and manuscripts (while strictly following the submission guidelines of each professional you query), critiques and pitches at the conference afford you face time and reading time you can’t guarantee with a query. In 2008, about fifty manuscripts were requested by faculty members. At least one of those requests has already resulted in a published book. Several attendees from last year have shared news that even if their manuscript wasn’t a match for the faculty member who critiqued it, they got suggestions of agencies and houses to query. Some attendees even got introductions to these agents and editors.

3. If you’re tweaking your query and synopsis and need feedback on how you describe your story, a pitch session would help. Have you ever had someone ask what your book is about and it takes 30 minutes to explain? Do you dread putting together a two-page synopsis? Do you feel like you’re living in a vacuum and need to bounce your query approach off someone? That’s what you’ll be doing in a pitch session. You’ll have five minutes to describe your project. Then, the faculty member will have five minutes to ask questions and provide feedback. The faculty members won’t have any prior knowledge of your work. An agent or editor might ask for more of your work if you grab his/her attention during the pitch. In fact, publisher Karen Syed says most of her requests are based on one-on-one interactions with writers.

Next time, I’ll provide suggestions on what to include in your critique package and pitch preparation, and what to avoid in your critique package and pitch preparation.

Still have questions about pitches and critiques? Feel free to ask via a comment on the blog (you can be anonymous) or send an e-mail to conference@myscww.org.

Conference FAQs: Take 2

We've been getting some new questions lately so I thought it was a good time to stop and answer a few.

Q. I don't see pitch sessions or critiques on the schedule. When will they take place?
A. Pitch and critique sessions will be scheduled based on the faculty member's teaching schedule. When you arrive and check in at the registration desk, you will be given a card listing your appointment time. They will be going on throughout the conference, beginning on Saturday morning.

Q. When will I find out who my critique faculty is? When will I find out who my pitch faculty member is?
A. Upon checking-in at the registration desk, you will be given a card with the name of your faculty member and the time you will meet for your critique and or pitch.

Q. What if I don't get any of my choices?
A. We do our best to give each attendee one of their three choices. However, sometimes this is impossible. If we cannot assign you to one of your top three, we will call you, well before the conference, and discuss options with you.

Q. How does the faculty have time for all of the critiques, classes, meals and other time with attendees?
A. Scheduling, scheduling, scheduling. We do our best to make sure each faculty member has time for everything, but sometimes it's a squeeze. Faculty members work the entire time, so please keep the following things in mind. When your critique time is over, please thank the faculty member and move on. Don't take up the next person's time. If you make a connection and get a request, don't 'hog" the faculty member for the rest of the conference. You might wear out your welcome. And please, please, don't do anything creepy like send you manuscript to his or her room, don't stalk at the bar, don't try to hem someone up in the restroom or at the pool. Keep it professional AT ALL TIMES.

Q. What is the best way to pick my critique and pitch people?
A. Check out our website at www.myscww.org/conference and look at all the individual bios. Then google the person and find out what they're selling and what they may be looking for at the present time. Make sure you write what the faculty member sells.

Q. Who do I contact about Carrie McCray?
A. Check out the contacts link on our website. Ms. Kim Blum-Hyclak is in charge of the contest. You can email her using the link on that page.

Q. Who do I call or email if my question hasn't been answered?
A. You can call me, Lateia, at 803-671-1664 or email me at lateia.sandifer@gmail.com. Or you can call Carrie at 706-564-7998. Her email address is mcculloughca@bellsouth.net. Both of us are on the East Coast and we take calls from 9am - 9pm. Please don't call super late or super early. All of our staff members are volunteers so please be patient if it takes a few hours for us to get back to you. We WILL return your calls/emails. If we don't contact you within 72 hours, feel free to call or email again.

Pitches: Sliders, Curveballs, and The Infamous Wild Pitch, Part II

Yesterday we talked about the basics. Now onto the more advanced stuff.

What are the possible outcomes of a pitch session? Today we'll talk about the Slider, the Curveball and the Infamous Wild Pitch

1. The Slider---If you pitch to the agent or editor, they may ask for a partial or even a full manuscript. This means you've gotten them interested enough in your work to ask for more. This is a GOOD thing. It means you were professional, you had a good pitch, and they saw something they liked. If you're lucky enough to get a SLIDER, keep several things in mind.

A. Send exactly and only what the person asked for--if they want a partial, DO NOT send a full.

B. Don't hound the agent or editor during the rest of the conference. They've met with you and asked for more work. Don't ruin it by being a pest.

C. Stay professional. A request is by no means a guarantee of representation. It's important not to burn bridges. If you're successful in the business, YOU WILL see this person again.

2. The Curveball---If the agent or editor liked you work, but thought an element of it needed to be reworked or revised, or maybe you need to add or delete a character, you may feel a little overwhelmed. But remember, this too, can be a GOOD THING. It means your story was interesting enough for them to suggest changes. If you're thrown a curveball, here are a few ideas on what to do next.

A. Consider the suggested changes. Do you agree with them? Or do they make you feel you would be compromising the work? Are you committed to the changes? Take the time to make your own decision and make sure you don't commit to anything you can't deliver on.

B. Research the person's sales, acquisitions, etc. See what they like and what they don't. Maybe your match was not a good one and maybe another agent or editor would like your story just as it is.

C. Follow up. If you agree to make the changes, especially if you give a time frame, make sure you honor this. Most agents keep detailed databases of contacts with potential clients. You don't want to promise them something and then do a disappearing act. Even if it's not THE BOOK for them, you might sell them on another manuscript in the future and you don't want to ruin your chances by being unprofessional. And again, if you are successful in publishing, YOU WILL see this person again. Somewhere. I promise.

D. Don't argue with their opinion. It's their OPINION. Be gracious and accept it for what it is: constructive criticism.

3. The Infamous Wild Pitch---This category covers several possible outcomes: the agent or editor didn't like your work, you weren't prepared and/or professional, you chose to meet with someone who doesn't handle your type of book, or your story wasn't marketable. Now you think I'm going to say this is a BAD THING, right? Nope. This too is a GOOD THING. But how could it be? I mean, I crashed and burned in there. This is a HORRIBLE THING and it means I'm not good enough to ever make it. I should burn all my work and take a knitting class, right? WRONG. STOP THAT NEGATIVE THINKING! Let me tell you, now that you've calmed yourself, how this too is a GOOD THING.

A. You faced a professional, a real live bona fide agent or editor, and you survived. You realized that they're just people, too. Not fire-breathing dragons with red pens and menacing brows. And now, you know just what to expect the next time. You're not a rookie anymore. And now you'll know how to better prepare.

B. You saw things about your work that may prevent you from succeeding and now you have a chance, before you've sent out a million queries netting a million rejections, to FIX IT.

C. You've learned there is no market for your book. If your goal is to get published, this is a good thing to know. Before you spend hundreds of hours on a manuscript and then face the heartbreak of widespread rejection. This doesn't mean you have to junk the whole story. With your new outlook on marketablity, you may be able to make changes now that will make it more sellable in the future.

D. Don't give up! This is your dream, remember? And one pitch session is not the end of the world.

Also, no matter what the outcome of you pitch session may be, keep in mind that there is no implied guarantee of representation or acquisition. It's simply a chance to introduce someone in the business to your work.

One of the agents who will be on our faculty in October, Scott Eagan of Greyhaus, has some great tips on effective pitching. Check out his latest "pitch blog" using the link below. I know I mentioned this yesterday, but it's worth a second mention.

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/search/label/Pitching

Good luck to all of you in the preparation and presentation of your pitches. This may just be YOUR YEAR!

Pitches: Curveballs, Sliders and the Infamous Wild Pitch, Part I

For the first time ever, we will be offering Pitch Sessions at the 2009 SCWW Conference in October. For only ten dollars, you can meet with an agent or editor and introduce them to your work. But since some of you are new to the business end of publishing, I wanted to take the time to explain these sessions so you can get the biggest bang for your buck.

Let's start with the fundamentals of pitching. A pitch session is a one on one meeting with an agent or editor. You will have five minutes to “pitch” your novel and the agent or editor will have five minutes to respond. The agent or editor will not have any notes on your work. They will be counting on your verbal pitch to sell them on your writing. Learning to pitch effectively is a very important step in turning your manuscript into a published work. These short meetings give you a chance to share your book with a professional and get feedback on the marketability of your story.

Make sure you are PROFESSIONAL and PREPARED. There's nothing that will kill your chances any faster than coming to the meeting in unprofessional clothes or not having any idea what your book is really about. Since the agent or editor won't have any notes on your work, you're the only one in the session who can describe it. Spend time on your hook sentence. And spend time on your delivery. You need to be relaxed and confident by the time you get to the meeting, so that means you need to know your own work, inside and out.

More about Pitches---specifically Sliders, Curveballs, and Wild Pitches----tomorrow. In the meantime, check out Scott Eagan's thoughts on Pitch Sessions by following the link below.

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/search/label/Pitching

Scott Eagan is an agent with Greyhaus Literary and he will be part of our faculty at the conference.