Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Submitting Before Conferences

This will be a short post this Tuesday, but I do think an important one.

There are many of you looking to those larger Spring and Summer writing conferences. That's fantastic! You should go, learn and enjoy. But...

If you are planning to pitch to a specific editor or agent at the conference, don't submit a project to that person via email prior to the conference. You need to do one or the other.

I know that some people seem to believe this is a great way to give that editor or agent time to think about the project so that, at the conference, the two of you can just chat. However, you are now setting yourself up for an awkward conversation if they do pass on the project. I would also argue that if the project is rejected before the conference, you have not only taken up a slot that someone else could have used, but you have likely lost out on a chance to meet with one of the other editors or agents.

Just a word of warning.

1 comment:

  1. Great advice! Personally, it never would have occurred to me to submit before attending, but this is a great warning.

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