Whew! Great Conference

RWA® 2013

 

You've probably seen a ton of posts on blogs, FB, and Twitter about the 2013 conference in Atlanta, so I'll keep this post short. After the long drive home yesterday, I feel as if I have a bit of a hangover. Although I'm moving a bit slow, my mind is in a whirl, making to-do lists.

 

There are so many reasons to attend a conference such as this. Number one for me is connecting with other writers who understand the ups and downs of the business. Last year was my first conference and this year I enjoyed hanging with friends I'd made and meeting new friends.

 

Workshops are the second reason I attend National conference. I was happy to see so many self-publishing workshops this year. Thank you, RWA! I attended several, along with the spotlights on Kobo and Smashwords.

 

Many chats in workshops and around the lounge referred to a somewhat new term, hybrid author. An author who publishes both traditionally and indie like our very own Terry Spear. I also heard the term tri-published. An author who publishes digital only with a small publisher, traditionally, and indie. The times they are a changing! Yay!

 

~Dawn Marie

Author of  Just Beyond the Garden Gate, A Highland Gardens Novel

Available on Kindle and Nook

 

 

Ah, the yesteryears

It wasn't that long ago (maybe 3 or 4 years) that right about now I would be gearing up to go to RWA's National Conference. I think the last one I attended was maybe 2009. I don't go any more. For one thing, it's pricy. For another, the workshops are very repetitive. And most of my writer friends go to the RT conference, and let's face it -- that's why I go, to hang out with friends.

I'm not saying there's nothing to be learned from the RWA con. There always has been and there continues to be lots of good workshops, parties, presentations, etc. But after my 3rd or 4th one, I found myself thinking, "been there, done that." It was great to be with friends, but I found the whole experience sort of draining, like a huge energy sink.

So I don't go anymore, but I still miss that feeling of excitement, that "ooh, can I get a pitch appointment with so-and-so?" and "let's meet for drinks, there's so much to talk about!" RWA has been slow to change and accept authors with smaller publishers (I was thoroughly snubbed one year by a group of authors who all but turned their backs on me when I explained I was with The Wild Rose Press), so for me there's still a feeling of being the odd person out, even though I have 20-some books under my belt.

I think what I miss is that excitement of being a newbie, of feeling as though each conference was A Chance -- a chance to connect with the right agent or editor, a chance to rub elbows with the Big Ones, a chance to hang out with others who care about writing as a career. Now that I'm 5 years into my writing adventure, most of that excitement has worn off. I'd love to recapture it, but I suspect it's not easy to do.

So those of you going to National, have fun! Enjoy your adventure -- I enjoyed my times at the conferences and who knows, maybe I'll show up at another one again. I know I'll be at RT next year (Kansas City -- my back yard, so to speak). And maybe there's an RWA conference in my future ... you just never know.

A Light Bulb Moment

I hope you will forgive me if I am a little bit tired, a little bit brain-dead, and a little bit late with this post. I just spent and exciting, exhausting, illuminating four days at the Romance Writers of America National conference in Orlando, Florida. Then yesterday morning my husband and I took off for a seven hour drive to visit family in Georgia.

I don’t have the time, space or energy to cover my four days conference experience this morning, but I’d just like to share a couple thoughts with you. The best thing about the conference for me was getting to meet and spend time with writing friends, some I’d never met face to face before. The next best thing was to simply be able to immerse myself in the writing world, away from all the other concerns in our lives.

There were times when I’d see or hear some authors I admire and I’d think, I’ll never be able to… write like that…sell like that…be famous like that… But then other times, I’d be overwhelmed with the feeling that I can do my own version of a writing career.

And though I’ve heard it before – a light bulb went off for me. My writing career won’t be like anyone else’s, just like my writing isn’t like anyone else’s. And neither is my life. But I can make my writing the best that I can make it, and that will lead me to my writing career. The one I’m meant to have.

As soon as I get back from vacation.

So have you had any light bulb moments?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

How to Make the Most of Your Pitch Opportunity

The RWA National Annual Conference takes place in two weeks, and the internet is abuzz with tips on how to sharpen your pitch.

Entire workshops are devoted to squishing characters, plot, goals, motivation, and conflict into the time allowed. With proper preparation, most writers will get a request from the editor or agent they pitch.

You might consider that a success, but the ultimate goal is to sell your book. There’s more to sales than simply advertising. And there’s more to pitching than simply getting a request for a partial. If you want to sell your book, you have to leave your editor/agent feeling like you were worth the time she spent on you. That’s customer satisfaction in the world of publishing.

Speaking of customer satisfaction, think about the last time you felt like you’d been cheated by a salesman. Chances are the problem fell into one of the following categories:

• The product or service was not as advertised.
• The work was not performed on time.
• There was no customer service after the sale.
  
  
  
  Let’s see what these problems tell us about how we should make the most of our pitching opportunity.
  
  The Product Needs to Match the Pitch
  When you pitch at a conference, you are presenting yourself as a serious writer. Inherent in that is a promise that you have taken the time to learn the craft, to finish your manuscript, and polish it to industry standards. If you haven’t done these things, then you’re misrepresenting your product. Don’t pitch before you’re ready.
  
  No matter how well you write, the tone of your pitch needs to match the tone of your novel. If your pitch is plot-based and the novel is character-driven, the editor/agent is going to feel like you misled him. Don’t promise Star Wars and send in Little Women.
  
  
  
  The Product Needs to be Delivered on Time
  If you’re an unpublished author, your book needs to be polished and ready to send before you pitch it. Ideally, you would send it as soon as you got done pitching. But sometimes, something you see at the conference might give you an idea on how to tweak it and make it better. If that’s the case, it’s best to be upfront with the editor/agent and agree on a time frame for submission. You don’t want to leave them with the impression that you can’t be counted on to make your deadlines.
  
  Customer Service after the Pitch
  So you’ve pitched your novel, and sent in the partial. If you’re lucky, this will result in a request for a full. But you might be advised to “revise and resubmit.” This is where you get to show off your customer service skills. Listen carefully and make sure you understand what they’re asking you to do. If you agree to the changes, then make them as quickly as you can while maintaining the quality of writing. The editor/agent will be taking note of how easy (or difficult) you are to work with.
  
  I hope these tips have given you something to think about as you prepare you pitch. For those of you who have pitched before, please share your expertise. What’s the best pitching advice you ever received?