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!

Congratulations to the Romance Writers of America

I am hoping all of you have made it home successfully after the recent RWA contest. If you are not home yet, I am betting you are out having a great "after trip" relaxation time. Regardless, I am hoping all of you, like myself, felt that this conference was a great success.

I personally want to say that I felt this year was one of the best conferences ever. As I pointed out on a post a couple of days ago, were there some glitches? Sure. But to be honest, every conference, will have those. In this case, however, those hiccups were well over-shadowed by the quality of the production.

As I looked over the conference, the one thing that stood out to me, as an agent, that made this one of the best conferences ever, was the increase in CRAFT sessions available to the writers. If you have followed my blog in the past, this is one of those things I have complained about a lot. Conferences had backed off of the craft sessions and ran more on marketing side of things. I do believe this has led, partially, to the decrease in quality writing we see on our end. 

There are a lot of writers out there who still need to learn those basics, and RWA stepped up this year and helped out that population. BIG CONGRATULATIONS.

A second area of success from this year came from the support the staff provided to the attendees. From the moment of check-in and well in to the conference, people were there to help. I don't know if this stemmed from the RWA or the hotel, but I especially loved the people standing in the lobby of the hotel there to answer questions of how to find meetings and sessions. Small touches like this were great.

Carol Ritter and her team also need to be commended for their work on trying out the new approaches to the pitch sessions and the Industry Marketplace. Again, were there glitches? Sure. But these were really small. These were new approaches and obviously, a first run of these ideas is never likely going to be perfect the first time around. I did talk to Carol and the team and the Board of Directors are already looking to find some new approaches to fine-tune these ideas.

We live in a society where there are a lot of people who want to do nothing but complain. Hearing a compliment is not something we hear very often. I am personally going to step up here and send out that big congratulations! Well done.

I also want to end with one additional note. This came from a tweet I saw from the amazing Sarah Maclean. "If you like the direction #rwa2018 is heading, or have ideas on how it can keep going strong, you should run for office!" I 100% agreed with her on this, but added one more idea. If there were things you did not like, and I know there were authors who had complaints, do not just sit around on social media and complain. Do not sit in your writing chapters and complain. Go volunteer. Step up. Do something. Tessa Dare noted in the tweet that Sarah added to stating: Several board members are terming out this year, so there are more spots "up for grabs" so to speak. Also, there's still time to declare candidacy! Open until the end of the month. Regardless of that, I am again ending by saying GREAT JOB!!!!

Making The Most Of The Conference Experience

Heading to your first writing conference can be a bit daunting. There is a ton to do. You will feel as if your head is spinning. Your critique partners will be pushing you to push everything you have to every editor and agent out there. You will hear of all of these workshops you want to attend... Ugh, I am exhausted already. Although a conference is and should be tiring, there are approaches that will make the trip well worth it. I am going to use the RWA National conference being held at Disneyworld this year as my model.

First of all, you need to know where you are at in your writing career. Are you still working on that first manuscript? Are you 100% certain that project is ready to hit the shelves? Have you written a couple of manuscripts and changing directions. Each will shape what workshops you attend and what you do. In other words, do not try to do everything.

If you are new to writing, stick with those craft sessions, but only focus on those sessions that you know you are weak in. There will be a tendency to head to these sessions with powerhouse speakers. Look to the topic first.

The topic of the workshop should be something that will help guide where you are at right at that moment in your career. Now, I know there are sessions where you can sit with these big name authors and they chat about their career. While this is certainly entertaining, it is not worth the hour you are spending. Listen to it on the CD after the conference. You paid a lot of money to be there so make it all worthwhile.

I am a big fan of the Spotlight sessions. A lot of authors complain that all the editors do is to talk about their latest books and try to get you to buy their books. Ummmm, yes! They spend the time talking about what they liked about these books. LISTEN!!!! They are giving you hints of the voice and tone they really gravitate to. They will not tell you the plots of the stories they want, but they give you very valuable insight. And, I should note, if they open it up for questions, ask them things. Ask them what their last book was they bought from a new author and what led them to that decision. Ask them out of all of the books their line represents, what they would read on the way home from the conference. Ask them turn ons and turn offs when it comes to plots. On this last one, you'll get a lot of general answers but LISTEN! There will be hints there.

Networking is key. DO NOT travel in packs and just sit with friends. This is especially true at the lunches. Divide and conquer. Sit with new people. Talk. Discuss Shop. Share stories. You might be surprised who you meet.

Now let me explain the whole not traveling in packs. Editors and agents DO wander around. They DO like to chat. They DO come to the lunches. But if I see a larger group gathered together, I do not approach the group. It is just awkward communication. I have also come to lunches and found the entire table is taken up by a group of friends (who, by the way, have been hanging out together all day). Just a hint. I have asked to hear pitches at lunch... but if you want to turn away that opportunity...well that is up to you.

Do not pitch your book to editors and agents WITHOUT doing your research. This means not hanging out around the pitch room and waiting for ANY opening. Only pitch your story to people where your story TRULY fits. If you don't know and are simply guessing, then you are not ready to pitch.

Remember also, you are in public. Everyone is watching. This means to be professional at all times. Yes the bars are tempting, but people have ears.

I remember two conferences where it was just a bit awkward sitting there as an agent. In one case, I was talking to an editor friend and this author comes over. She had worked with this editor and wanted to say hi. She also had a bit more to drink than I think she knew. In any case, in the course of the conversation, she finally asked who I was. Now here is the catch. Her novel is one that I had written about on a post before. It was a book that I had said I personally had not liked but it was something potentially good for other people. Once she heard who I was, she launched into an attack on my thoughts. Hmmm? Not good!

In another case, I was at a reception for a publisher and was sitting at one of those round stand up tables they put up for these things. The idea is it is a place to just hang out. In any case, there were two other writers standing right there at the same table with me. They said hi but went on with their conversations. One author talked about how she was shopping for another agent. Apparently her 4th agent she had worked with was just being a complete jerk and she was looking for something better. Um, awkward, considering I knew who the person was and this author did not pay attention to the fact that my name tag also had agent on it.

Along the same lines, this is a professional conference so BE PROFESSIONAL. You can wear your casual clothes and flip flops at your local writing group meetings, but this is where the big guns are at. Business casual to full business is what you should be wearing. No costumes. No gimmicks. Professional.

The conference is not your writing time. I get really frustrated when I hear people say they sat in their room, or by the pool and got a lot of writing done. Again, you paid how much money to do what you can do at home? Keep a pad of paper with you. On breaks, jot down ideas. But please, leave the lap top at home. Don't think that right after that workshop on conflict development, the conference and your hotel room is the time to fix that issue in your novel. Let it sink in first.

Now the hard one, and this is really where the Disney thing comes into play. Yes, I know the mouse is tempting. I am a Disney Freak. I live for Disney. I met my wife at Disneyland. I have been on a lot of Disney Cruises. I collect Disney pins. BUT you paid money to attend this conference. DO NOT waste the time hitting the parks and skipping out on the conference stuff. Go before. Go after. DO NOT go during the trip.


The key to a conference is to think and use it wisely. These are where you need to be, but if you ignore these basic tips, you are simply wasting your money.

Editor/Agent Appointments: Don't Just Sign Up For Anyone

Although I will not be at the RWA Convention this year (bummer me), I do want to remind all of you who are signing up for, or have signed up for editor and agent appointments to do so CAREFULLY! Just because there is an opening does not mean you should be pitching to that person.

One of my authors was signing up yesterday and saw that her choices had already been taken by other authors. This did not shock me in the least bit. Those authors who have won the Golden Heart or RITA or are nominated always get the first pick. But here is the thing. My bet is that many are pitching stories that will be destined for a rejection for the simple fact that the story does not fit with that person they are meeting with.

Too many authors simply grab something and believe "At least I have something and there is always a chance." But, this is where the chapter in your statistics textbook comes into play about Possibility vs Probability. If you have honestly not done your research, or not done it effectively, you may be wasting a great opportunity. Not only are you pitching to someone who will reject you because the story doesn't fit what he or she is looking for, but you are losing out on a chance to pitch to someone who would have said yes.

"But Scott, I don't want to write for those other companies," you might say. That might be true, but if your story doesn't have the voice and style of the company you want to work for, then you are simply out of luck! If you want to write for Harper Collins, or St. Martins, then you need to have the Harper Collins Voice" or the "St. Martins Voice."

This is something that has always frustrated me about pitches at conferences. Too often, people just sign up because there is an opening and not always because it is the right place. This sucks up a space from someone who it would really work for. It is also frustrating, that we get to listen to such a small number of authors. As agents and editors, we listen to two-hours of pitches. That is only 10 authors! Maybe 12 if we can sneak in a couple more.

Look, if there is not an editor or agent there that your story fits with, then DO NOT SIGN UP! You can still get your story to that person via the standard submission process. Now, if you are really going to be proactive and you really want to meet with a particular agent or editor, make it happen by inviting that person to your local writing chapter. Have them do a SKYPE pitch session.

And one final note!!!! If  you do not have a completed manuscript (that means it is 100% ready to go at that exact moment), DO NOT PITCH! You are simply not ready to be talking to an editor or an agent, and again, you are taking up a place for someone who is ready!

Chicago RWA Spring Fling Agent Panel Reflections

I like to do this following a panel discussion, especially for those of you who might not have attended the workshop or discussion, or might not have been in the room (and yes, even for those of you who completely spaced out during the discussion). We had a fantastic agent panel discussion with Ginger Clark of the Curtis Brown Agency; Cory Deyoe of the 3 Seas Literary Agency; Sara Megibow of the Nelson Literary Agency; Marcy Posner with Folio Literary Management, and myself. So, here were some of the higlights from the questions that were posed to us.

For the most part, we all seemed to be in agreement with everything that was asked.

Why don't people submit after a request for material?
This one came up afte we discussed the fact that so few writers actually submit stories to editors adn agents after a request. We all noted many of the same things here. First of all, there were many authors who simply were not ready to pitch. This might be due to the fact the story isn't finished, but in many cases, it was because the writer was not mentally ready to make the jump.
Moral of the story  - Be ready and don't let anyone make you do something you aren't ready for. Along the same lines, only submit when the darn story is finished. No exceptions.

What is the one thing an agent can do that writers cannot do on their own?
Obviously we all discussed the fact that we can help you out with those contracts. We know the business and we know how to get you the best deals and how to take care of all of those "rights". Along the same lines, we all noted that we are more than just the business side of things. We are cheerleaders, shoulders to cry on, guides for career planning and certainly there to help out with building your craft.
Moral of the story - Sorry to say it but agents are not going to go away. Can you do this on your own? Yes. The question is - do you really want to?

How do agents meet editors and how do we decided who to send a project to
This question comes up with a hint to the whole idea that only the good agents are in New York. In an age with so much electronic communications, we all noted this was far from the issue. We all do everything we can during conferences and meetings to build those connections for potential future writer deals.
As far as where we send the project to, we all agreed that this was always on a book by book basis and it is built around the idea that your story has a voice that has to match with the publisher. Along the same lines, we did note that there are certainly editors we like more than others. This means if an editor has done something that didn't quite match with what we like as an agent, the odds are the project will not go to them. This is not a fixed rule, but it is business.
Moral of the story - Your story is special to us when we sign you and we will do EVERYTHING we can to sell that story.

What is the length of time with writers and why do agents and writers break up
We did note that many of us have writers who have been with us from the beginning. We did note that if a break up occurs, in most cases it is due to different visions for the author's career. In some cases, it is because we simply cannot do anything else for you. As much as we like you and your work, sometimes a different leader will help you along better.
Moral of the story - We want to work with you but, as agents, we don't ahve super powers and yes, sometimes we just cannot help you. This is not personal and we have no hard feelings. This is simply a business.

Market trends (of course) Sorry, no firm answer here.

Moral of the story - Writer the best dang story you can and make sure it is marketable. If the story is amazing we can certainly sell it. It may take a while but we can do it.

Qualities of a successful writer
I'll just list the qualities we highlighted: Professional, willing to learn and adapt, discipline
focus, belief in self, thick skin, and sense of humor.
Moral of the story - It is more than the story.

Expectations of a new client
We spent a lot of time on this topic but the nice thing is that it all came back to the single issue. Open communications. We want to know what you are doing, where you are going and what you want out of this relationship. You simply cannot just come to us when you have a problem. This is a partnership.
Moral of the story - While writin may be a solitary activity, publishing is far from it. The more we know, the more we can do to help.

Scott

Notes from the NOLA Editor/Agent Panel

Had a great evening last night with the NOLA Stars and the editor/agent panel. Sitting along with me was also Leah Hultenshmidt and Lori Wilde. I thought I share with all of you who might not have made it, and certainly for all of you who just want a "re-cap".

What is your ideal writer?
It was nice to see this question come up. If you didn't get a chance to read yesterday's post, make sure to read Susan's post yesterday.
Each of us all tended to highlight the same things. Sure, we mentioned the need for a good voice but the key was also someone who wanted to build a career. Lori highlighted the need to take editing notes and certainly to grow from that editorial advice. I know this is somehting I have pushed frequently. We want someone we can really work with and since we do edit, that means we have a big factor to consider.
Favorite set up or theme in stories?
These next two questions really hit home that a lot of writers really are missing the mark when it comes to deciding stories to write. This is just a twist of what we see as a trend in writing. Lori mentioned that Entangled is really looking for stories with those classic "category" romance twists (i.e relationships with your best friends brother, etc.). She did note that since this is a new venture for them, they are pretty much looking for everything. Leah noted that if your story is something that is really overdone, then you have to really find something new and it can't be a simply plot twist. The key example would be those "paranormal brotherhood" stories. These have been really tapped into so finding something new is crucial. As for myself, I stole a line that Leah had in Italy. I really don't want to answer this question since authors will jump on this and think it is what we want. I did follow it up by saying that we really don't want to see carbon copies of things in print.
What do we hate to see right now in stories (the reverse of the last on)?
Extension on the above question. Over-done stories were the big thing. The other note I added was simply not liking stories that look like it is a fill in the blank worksheet. Show that you understand HOW to use those techniques, not that you just used the tecniques.
Thoughts on E-book distribution?
Lori and Leah covered this one since they were the editors. Obviously Entangled is focusing on the digital market. Their big issue was the cost of doing print runs for their category stories. Simply not worth it. Leah noted that Source continues to release both print and e-book of each of their stories and there isn't a single e-line. She did extend on this with some great ideas. It isn't a matter of just providing e-book offers, but more of an issue of how you market the story. It is far too easy to just unload stories to the readers, but how do you "break through all of the noise" and make sure your story makes it to the reader. This is something I have been saying all along.
What is the difference between romance and Women's Fiction?
I fielded this question. You can obviously review my notes here on this blog on the subject and certainly over with the Writer's Digest blog post. The key we all stressed was to simply look at the story arch. If it is dealing with the romance and the relationship and you have the HEA, then it is a romance. If it is on understanding the female world, then we are looking at a women's fiction story.
Our take on the gate-keepers, primarily sites such as Good Reads, Smart Bitches and so forth?
It was nice to see that all three of us had the same thoughts. Obviously we don't want to exclude these readers, but, in reality, the everyday readers are not reading these sites. They are still finding their books in bookstores. Leah noted that she thought she had heard that at least 35% of the readers are still finding their books in bookstores. We all noted that this just provides one more extension for authors to get their books out there to the readers, especially the impulse e-book readers that just like to click and purchase.
What are out submission guidelines for authors who have already been published?
All three of us stated the same thing. If we know of who are you are, then we might ask for less, but we will still be looking for some sort of writing sample. The thing is that you may be changing direction with your writing and we need to get a feel for how you approach your story. I noted that it is always important to see if your voice has kept up with the changing market. Still, the consensus was there that you have no short-cut when it comes to being previously published, although we each did have exceptions.
What is our take for the need for websites for authors, both published and un-published?
Websites were very important. We each had our different takes on this.
Leah noted that she does like to Google an author who has a project she is interested in. For these authors, having something on a website for both published and unpublished authors was crucial. Both Lori and Leah noted that we needed to see the information on your books, reviews were BIG and certainly contact information. A brief bio was great but make sure to control how much you put out there. I added to this noting that I do believe that, like any website design, you want to make sure people will come back to the site. This means to keep an site active - especially with blogs.
How important do we feel social media is for authors?
Use it but don't abuse it. Make sure you have a professional public face and certainly take advantage of it when you are marketing books.
Does being previously published give you an "in" when submitting to editors/agents?
Again, we all returned to the prior question about published authors. We really look at sales and we really look at reviews. The only "in" you get is if you had an amazing career. Still, we all noted that we want to see what you have done and don't be shy about. Tell us. Show us on your website. This is your career and you need to highlight what you have.
What are our submission guidelines and timelines?
I always laugh at this question coming from authors. Sure, we gave everyone our answers on this one and we highlighted the process but, in all honesty, that information is public knowledge. All editors and agents are very clear on our answers for this one. I guess I would also add that if you are at a conference, the odds are you have a chance to pitch to one of the editors or agents. If that is the case, then you don't need to know the answer to this.
Suggestion on this one? Maybe it would be a good idea for conference coordinators to just insert this information in the published material that goes out to the writers at the conference.

Networking at National Conventions

Every writer talks about the networking they plan on doing at a national convention. They talk about the editors and agents they will meet with and the professional writers they plan on talking to. In the end, though, they end up going, having a great time, but failing to meet up with those people they wanted to talk to. Why? Because they weren't proactive.

Unlike smaller writing conferences, the larger scale national conferences are about meeting with people. You might not be able to get a meeting with a person for a long period of time, and you may have to settle with a 15 or 30 minute chat. But to get those meetings requires being proactive.

Now, before going any further, I have to stress that you will not be able to set up an appointment with an editor or agent, outside of the pitch sessions, so that you can pitch your story. But there are ways to make that connection and potentially have a chance to slip that pitch in.

The first is for all of the writing groups that are getting together for lunches, breakfasts or dinners (or even drinks). Talk to your chapter presidents (or who ever is organizing the affair) and get them to invite the editors and agents to stop by. Obviously take the time to offer them a meal, but if that isn't going to work, at least offer a drink and a handshake. We might not be able to meet for the whole time, but we might be able to swing by and say a few words. At least it is something.

The second is to keep an eye out for those editors and agents during the meals. Most of the writers I see are so eager to fill their tables with their friends that they forget about the editors and agents. Find them, invite them in to sit and see what happens. They might already have a previous engagement, but it can't hurt to ask.

I think the biggest thing you can do is just take the time to say hi to the editors and agents in the hallway. If you are standing in line, then talk. This is a conference where being a wallflower will get you no where.

The simple solution - just ask.

Scott

Attention Wisconsin RWA Writers!

Get those questions ready!

I'll be heading there this weekend and I am expecting questions to answer!

Looking forward to coming!

Scott

Conferences are Business

Why are you going to the National Conference?

I ask this, not to get a flood of emails with their top list of things to do when they are at the conference, it is a reminder of what a conference such as RWA National is all about.

I find it amusing that on all of the chats and blogs out there, writers are gearing up for all of the restaurants they will be at, the sights they will see, the parties they will attend and I really wonder, why are they spending so much money for the conference? I know in the past, when I have attended, I find little time to do anything. I take my swim suit in the attempt to hit the hot tub, or my work out clothes, but my day is just too packed. In Dallas, I wanted to do the whole JFK tour, but simply didn't have the time.

From 6:00 AM until 11:00 at night I was working. I attend the Spotlights, I meet with writers, I meet with editors and other agents. I work. I have my complimentary breakfast, eat the dinners and lunches provided by the conference because yes, these are working meals. This is business.

I remember having a conversation with Susan Swinwood from Harlequin one year we were talking about how RWA is really an exhausting conference. From the moment you walk out the door of your hotel room, you are "on." For myself, I start developing a single calendar in my Outlook file simply for that conference and it is booked all day.

Look, if you want to go and hang out with your friends, see the sights of a city, sit by the pool with your AlphaSmart of laptop and write, don't waste your time on the conference. If you want to see DC, go when it is cooler. Stay at a hotel that gives you what you want to be creative and have fun. (Please note, I am not slamming conference hotels or sights, RWA has picked fantastic ones every year. Keep it up!!!). What I am simply saying is that you need to have your priorities straight for a PROFESSIONAL conference with PROFESSIONAL writers.

Still, have fun! I will see you in 2010! For me, this year I needed a break!

Scott

Conference Requests

I love listening to writers at conferences. In the hallways, you hear them overly excited about how Agent X or Editor Y requested a full manuscript. I laugh to myself and will then wander off to my new session thinking about what really went on in that session.

The deal is this. Too often, I have heard editors or agents request fulls from everyone sitting at their table during a pitch session. This is really the case for those group pitches. Now why do they do that?

There are several factors here. In group pitches, for example, the editor or agent really doesn't want to confront someone in front of their friends and say the story is really a bad idea. For all other pitches, it might be that the pitch was not that good and they have to see the story. Sure that might be the case, but in most of the cases, it is the editor or agent being nice.

In other words, as we listen to the pitch, we know you are stressed and tell you that we would love to see the story since, "until I read the manuscript, I can't really tell." Now part of that comment is true. We can't tell. I have heard pitches and thought the premise was out of this world but when I read the story, it simply sucked.

We might also request a full because this is an easy way to sort out the good from the bad. Many times writers will pitch stories that are far from done. Request a full and we know we run them away because the story isn't ready. It's a good scare tactic and works frequently.

But this is what I ask myself all of the time. If editors and agents complain about the number of submissions they receive, especially after conferences, why do they ask to see something that they know they will reject later? It took me 2 hours yesterday reading a stack of submissions and writing rejection letters. Ugh. That was time I will not get back.

The only thing I want you to remember is that a request for a full only means something if they beg to have it on their desk in 24 hours. That is a request worth shouting about. In the other cases, just consider that they probably have requested from everyone. Heck, listen to the editor and agent panels. They often openly admit they will request from everyone.

Wait until you get the request for revisions, or a request for a full AFTER the partial. Then start celebrating.

Scott

Asking Questions

One of the things I love about going to conferences it the chance for writers to ask questions of the professionals. What I find funny, however, is the resounding lack of questions we often hear, or I guess I should say, we don't hear.

On the other hand, what I hear more often is this resounding screaming and yelling by writers not knowing what to do or what to expect. There is constant complaining about not understanding the business or even knowing what the editors and agents want. There are also constant questions about the things the agents and editors really look for with submissions and current projects.

Now here is the thing I find most frustrating about this industry. If there is a need to know, and the editors and agents will answer if the writers ask, why don't they? Just sitting around complaining that you want to know something or you wish Agent X or Editor Y would come to visit your writing group is not enough. You have to take action. That means to ask them to come, ask them to write articles. Do something.

What you will find with this business is that action leads to success. The writers that are successful are constantly working to get their work out to the right people, they are constantly developing new projects.

So I challenge all of the writers and chapters out there for some action in 2009.

If you want to know something from an agent or editor, ASK! - They have blogs, post questions. They have addresses - Write to them.

If you want an editor or agent to visit your chapter, ASK!
If you want an editor or agent to present at your chapter, ASK!

Updates from Italy

Ciao all,

The conference in Matera was great! I have to say, if you ever get a chance to attend this conference, you realy need to do so. The information you get is pretty amazing.

One thing that came up that I thought was interesting. I guess mostly because it is something I have been saying all along (as well as many other writers in the romance market). Do not attempt to write something that is not meaningful to you.

Over and over again (in both English and Italian) editors were stating that too often writers are trying to not simply follow trends, but to write in genres and styles they are really not connected with. The end result is not simply a ton of submissions that are destined to be rejected, but even worse, writers that become very dejected.

The common trend was clear. Write what you know. Write what you have the faith for.

It was also interesting to note that many of the editors were saying that they tend to be open to everything. Now, I understand that there are some guidelines (such as submitting to a house that doesn't publish that genre) but they seemed to be open to a lot of things as long as the work was done well. Now, I have to say, although this sounded appealing, I had a hard time swallowing the idea. I still think that many of the editors are being guided by "trends" instead of good writing.

One more element that came up was the decision making process of acquiring. More and more the trend is leaning toward finding books based on number crunching instead of quality. In other words, they look at the retailers the books go to, check the numbers (essentially doing comps on the books) and then make the decision. Needless to say, as all of the editors and agents stated, they tend to pass on really good books.

I'll throw out some more ideas as the time comes.

Off to a conference!

Scott

Submissions? Where are they?

Riddle me this Batman... (O.K. I'm not sure where that came from in my brain, but it was a great way to start this brief post).

Out of the 15 people I listened to at Nationals during the "official" pitch session, I have seen 4 writer's works.

Huh?

Just something to ponder.

I have a busy day today so contemplate that one.

By the way, fire off some questions you want answered. Let's focus on that for the next couple of days.

Scott

Thoughts on the conference

This year's conference was fantastic. I certainly couldn't have asked for any better trip.

Let me list a few of the highlights:
- Greyhaus's own Julie Stevens wins the 2008 Golden Heart for Romantic Suspense.
- Bronwyn Scott receives another 3-Book deal offer from Harlequin Historicals.
- Editors are seriously looking at several of the Greyhaus Authors...
- Made some great contacts with editors and have some new projects I'll be looking for.
- Met with some great chapters during the conference and talked to others about coming to visit. If I didn't meet up with you, stay in touch.
- Heard some wonderful pitches. Also, for those of you who took me up on the offer of bringing your material to the conference for me to read, I should have an answer back to you this week.


So, what are some projects I am now looking for?

* I would love some great sexy contemporary category romances for the Mills and Boon Modern Heat line.
* I am putting the call out again for Medical Romances again. Unique locals, and very hot and steamy.
* Stories for Nocturne. I am really looking for some unique concepts so really dig for something new. Would also be interested in projects that could be extended over a couple of books. Characters do not have to be showing up in the prior book.
* I am REALLY interested in powerful women's fiction projects that focus on a serious issue for women today. I want the focus of the story to see how their life is turned upside down by this SINGLE (did you notice I said single) issue and how they learn to deal with it. I want strong and not whiney women. I want this to be a book that women readers can learn and grow from.
* I'd love to find writers out there looking to really work seriously for the category lines. I am especially interested in writers that know the line they want to target and can clearly demonstrate what they know.

On the list of topics we'll be discussing in the coming weeks: PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING.

Final Photos From Nationals

Here are some other photos. By the way, if you have some to share, send them to me.



My mommy knows more about books than yours does...



Harlequin Party



Avalon Books Reception



Kilts at the Harlequin Party



Linda Fildew and her historical writers.

Updates from Nationals

This has been a really busy day but I'm finally back at the room.

I had a chance to meet some great people today. If you pitched to me, make sure to follow through and send those manuscripts. I want to personally thank several of the groups that I had a chance to meet with. Although it may have been a brief meeting, I want you to know I appreciated getting the chance to talk to you.

Thanks go out to:
FROM THE HEART CHAPTER
KISS OF DEATH
GOLDEN NETWORK
FF&P CHAPTER

I am sure I'll be seeing a lot of you in the next couple of days as well.

As far as things I've heard, everyone is really looking for new and unique stories (seems to me I say this all of the time). Essentially, if your story is like at least one other person's story out there, in all likelyhood, your story is not unique. Paranormals are still plugging away but they are really looking for some great futuristics (check out the information from TOR). Women's fiction is looking for stories that really deal with women going though something dramatic in their life. It may just be one serious dramatic moment, but show us the growth this person goes through. We want to hear about how these women deal with this stress. Reduce the baggage and focus on that one issue.

I'll keep my ear out there and see what else I can find out.

Scott