Meeting Editors and Agents at Conferences

Let me first say that editors and agents are real people. No kidding! They have lives, they exist and they are real. However, I do think a lot of authors react the same way of seeing editors and agents at a conference as their kids (and we all did this) when we saw a teacher at a store. "You mean my teacher doesn't live at school?" And, like our kids, we kept our distance. As kids, we didn't want to approach them because, God forbid, they would tell our parents about things that happened at school. For writers, we know good and well if we got near them, they would ask us about our story.

So we keep out distance...

And then, after the conference, we go on and on with our critique partners about the struggles of getting in contact with an editor or an agent. We might even talk about how we "really wished we had said something, but the time was not right."

Let's talk about this for a minute. 

Editors and agents DO go to conferences to meet with authors. Now, granted we are there to meet with our clients first and foremost. As agents we go there to pitch our clients' projects to the editors. But yes, we are also there to meet with you. IT IS fine to talk to us.

Now, with that said...

If we look busy or we are heading somewhere, let us go. We start booking times to meet with people months before a conference. Our schedules are booked. But yes, we do have time to talk. If you see us and it looks like we might be free, feel free to ask. BUT, this is not necessarily the time to pitch a story. 

Pitch your story if you are asked. There is a time and place for this. If we do not want to hear a pitch, we won't ask you about what you are writing or what your story is about. But this is a good time to ask things about their role in the business. Ask about who they recently signed and why? Talk to them. Be professional.

But if they ask, do we whip out our prepped elevator pitch on our 3"x5" card? NO!!!!! If you don't know your story enough, you have no business pitching. Just tell us what you are writing. Tell us the genre and concept. That is all you need for these casual settings. 

"But what about pitch sessions?" you ask...

And this is where I am different from anyone else. This is a job interview. You are professional. You will not play the role of scared chicken. Others will often give advice saying things such as " they know you are nervous so it is OK to be so." BULL! If you want the job, then have the darn confidence to interview for it. IF you have done your research. IF you are truly ready to be published then show it. 

So let's look at specifics:

1. Pitch only when your story is 100% ready to go.
2. Do not immediately shove a business card in our face. You would not do this in a job situation so don't do it here.
3. Do not read your pitch. Would you really read your resume in a job interview. 
4. Dress as a professional. No costumes. No gimmicks. I don't care if you write steam punk, don't dress like one at a pitch session. 
5. Don't throw us your entire manuscript. We will ask for it if we want it. 
6. Pitch only one story. Don't think that if there is time, you might as well pitch your entire collection. Decide on the best one and call it quits. 
7. If we say we want to see something, be clear as to what we want. Then send the dang thing and do it immediately when you get home from the conference - NOT MONTHS LATER!

Let me be clear. There will be people out there who will tell you it is OK to be scared. There will be people out there who say to leave editors and agents alone at all cost. There will be people who tell you it is OK, to be nervous and read your pitch if you need to. There will be people who say to find a way to stand out in your pitch session.

But the reality is, conferences are PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING EVENTS. Be a professional. Be business like. Do your job!