I'm going to keep it short and sweet today.
Let's start with this single statement of fact. Editors and Agents will not come running to you. It is up to you - the author - to say, "Editor/Agent? I want to talk to you. I would love to work with you!"
You have seen these sites and programs where some coordinator says, "You post your pitch with us and editors and agents will come to you and request your material." So, you post a 25 word pitch, or a single paragraph and sit back and wait. Does anything happen? You might get a request to see more, but does it really go beyond that point? Probably not!
If we requested something, there might have been a glimmer of something we might be looking for, but it will still likely be a pass.
But here is the real situation all of you are missing. Do you even want to work with the editor or agent who reached out to you? Is their business model, their approach to writing, their target audience something you are comfortable working with for years to come? Remember, editors and agents are not just about contracts.
We can take this a step further. Do you see your fellow authors online talking about these great conferences and great speakers they have heard? You're wondering, why won't these people come to us? The answer is simple...
DID YOU ASK?
As an agent, I have reached out to writing organizations to remind them I am 100% available to come to them. I tell them what I have to offer. Often, it is just crickets.
Now I get it. Maybe silence is a no. But when I hear chapter presidents talk about struggles to find good speakers, or presenters, other than the people they always bring in, you have to question... how proactive are they being. I follow one organization that has monthly face-to-face meetings. Easily every 2-3 months, they bring in the same speaker doing the same talk. Makes you wonder.
So, the big take-away is this. What do you want? What are you doing to get it? If you're not doing anything, it might be time to be PROACTIVE!!!!
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