I recently stumbled upon a blog post about a writer’s experience at a particular conference, one I’ve attended, and it made me think about how the same conference can feel very different to two writers. There are so many different conferences, and your personality and your writing may be better suited to one than another. Not to mention your budget.
Types of conferences:
National conferences and conventions: (Many) people come from all over the country to converge on one space. It may be sponsored or run by one magazine (Writers Digest, Romantic Times) or organization (International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America). There may be awards ceremonies, speakers, panels, and workshops to help you with your craft and with positioning and pitching yourself effectively. And pitch sessions or critiques. The venue may change annually.
Private conferences: These can be small or large, may be run for profit, and can be annual or more frequently. Your fee should give you access to some combination of critique groups, workshops, panels, or pitch sessions. It may be located in the same place each time, and may be a destination that is attractive geographically or professionally.
Regional conferences: These are often run by non-profit writers’ groups or associations, usually annual or semiannual. The people who run the conferences are often writers themselves, volunteering their time and working hard to put together a good conference. Some do a better job than others, so do your research. Some may focus on a particular genre of writing, while most are generalists. Many of the writers attending are from the general region or state or city in which the conference is located, but sometimes people will travel to a good conference. The size can vary. They typically hold the conference on a weekend, usually two to three days, though some are as long as four days or as short as one day. Some have keynote speakers, panels, workshops, pitch sessions, and critique sessions. Some only have one or two of these.
Think about what you’re hoping to achieve at the conference, and whether what’s offered is worth the price to you. Some of your experience will be what you put in, and some will be who you interact with. Are there reviews of the conference? Is it well-organized? Are there great keynote speakers or faculty? Is the hotel/convention facility nice, easy to get to/park at?
I have listened to pitches at all of these types of conferences, happily, always hoping to connect with a talented writer whose work I can champion and represent. Or at the very least, share some feedback that helps them develop their work and find the right home for it. I personally think the number of minutes you’re allowed to pitch has a big impact on how well it goes. Four minutes is really tight. It works for some people, but is a disaster for someone who’s really nervous or disorganized. You have to be really focused. Seven to ten minutes is ideal, I think. You can pitch your story, tell me a little bit about you, and I can ask questions. Fifteen is a bit too long, and thirty is an eternity. But fifteen to thirty can be great for a critique of a query or a chapter or first 50 pages, particularly if the material was given to the agent/editor ahead of time, or at least before the writer sits down at the table. Group pitch sessions can be tough if there’s not someone monitoring time, or facilitating, so that all writers get about the same amount of time and attention.
It’s funny, but I have met writers at one conference and then seen them again at another. Sometimes their pitch is better suited to one conference than another. They may need a smaller, more intensive, group to help them find their groove. Or they may need to be among writers who get what they’re trying to do—a mystery conference is a great example of a conference where writers can help each other (with plotting or pitching, etc.) more effectively than a writer of nonfiction could, for example.
I’ve also encountered writers whose pitch—and manuscript—improved greatly from one conference to the next. There was one I first encountered at a big event with a speed-dating kind of pitch session. Every person had 4 minutes to pitch, then had to move on. This doesn’t give a lot of time for questions but she had a good enough hook in those 4 minutes that I asked for a partial manuscript. It ultimately wasn’t a fit for me, and I gave her feedback. Months later, we were face-to-face again at a private conference. She had a tighter storyline, much stronger comparison titles, and a much more compelling project for the right editor and agent. She put the work in between conferences and at the second conference to make her book and her pitch stronger.
Here are some of my tips on how to better connect with agents and editors at a conference:
- Know who’s at the conference: Check out the agents/editors ahead of time so you make your appointment with one(s) who work on the kinds of books you write. If there’s a last minute substitution, and you’re now assigned to someone who’s not a fit, see if you can switch. If you can’t, decide whether it’s worth practicing your pitch (if they’re willing).
- Social media: Following us on Twitter or Tumblr is great. We love it if you mention something you saw on ManuscriptWishlist.com, or if we share a love for the BBC show Luther (you know this from my Twitter bio or a blog post or Pinterest). But remember we’ve never met before, even though you may feel as though we have.
- Read other books in your genre. Know what’s in bookstores now, and what’s a best-seller. You may be asked whose work yours is like, and we’d rather not hear a list of dead people or books from a decade ago. But if you know your stuff, and love books, I love that.
- Remember that we’re human and we’re nice. We came to the conference willingly, looking for talented writers, and we want to hear about work that excites us and that we connect with. You don’t need to be scared to talk to us.
- Don’t pitch us in the bathroom, or when we’re making a beeline to the bathroom. I don’t mind a (low-key) pitch during a cocktail hour, but some do.
- Speaking of the cocktail hour, don’t be “that guy”. Or gal. You know the one. And definitely don’t drink before you pitch. I’ve seen that once, and it was not pretty.
