How to Present Yourself to a Publisher or Agent at a writers conference
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Laura Popp (Mie-ken, 2009-Present) is a current JET who writes fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults, and is an occasional playwright/film maker. Her short work includes a short story titled “In theShadow Realm” and a documentary she made in Malawi. To read about her amazing adventures all over Japan, go to her blog at laurajanepopp.blogspot.com. (And check out the Authors/Books section of the JetWit Library for a list of more writers in the JET-o-sphere.)
Tired of submitting queries to agents and editors and simply getting form rejection letters or worse, NO RESPONSE? Wondering if they`re even bothering to read your stuff? Frustrated by wanting to submit to publishing houses that only receive submissions from agents and “referred” writers? Consider meeting publishers and agents at a conference!
Recently I returned from a writers` conference in my home in Oklahoma and came back with some great success stories to tell. Even better than the wonderful presentations on writing, polishing and marketing were the opportunities for networking and industry contacts. One literary agent asked me for the first fifty pages of my middle grade novel Dargon, another agent requested a proposal for my young adult novel Treasure Traitor, and a publisher from Simon and Shuster asked to see the full manuscripts of BOTH. A travel publisher also requested a proposal for a non-fiction travel-essay book on Japan, and best of all, a Christian magazine publisher accepted one of my stories on the spot! Of course, most of these are just birds in the bush, if you will, but they are certainly a good start.
So how did you do it? you may be wondering. Well, let me tell you…
Do your homework
Many conferences post information about editors and agents who will be attending in advance. Research them and pick the ones that look like they may be interested in your completed fiction projects or non-fiction ideas. Note that most agents and publishers will ONLY consider finished fiction works and proposals for non-fiction articles and books.
Try to make an appointment
If you have the option to make an appointment, get one early because they tend to fill up fast. If you can`t make an appointment, join them for lunch or dinner. If all else fails, try to catch them after or before a presentation but NEVER corner them in the bathroom. Try to be considerate. They are probably worn out from traveling and busy thinking about their upcoming presentations, so try to catch them at a time when they`re relaxed and not stressed out. At the hotel bar during happy hour is always a great option. You`d be surprised how many deals are made over a beer.
Practice your pitch
Write a two to three sentence pitch that reveals the main character, the main conflict, and the audience for your book. A good way of formulating these is the “Wrath of Kan meets The Little Princess” method, only using books the editor has published or the agent has previously represented. This shows them you know about them and aren`t just throwing your stuff out there to anyone. You don`t have to do it this way, in fact I find it far too formulaic. Here`s two examples of pitches for my books:
Treasure Traitor: Fifteen-year-old Renagada wants nothing more than to live in peace with her best friend. There`s only one problem. Her best friend`s a vulture.
Dargon the Human Slayer: Dargon dreams of becoming a Master Human Slayer like his grandfather. What more could an awkward adolescent dragon want? But when he meets to human siblings who accidently traveled back in time to his prehistoric home, his whole world turns upside down.
From these two pitches, what do we know about the books? In the first one we learn the main character and her problem and also figure out this is probably going to be a book for young teenage girls who like birds. In the second one we learn the main character and his problem and that this is going to be a book most likely to appeal to adolescents who like dragons. There`s our hook and our market, all in one. That`s what the publisher wants to know most. What makes this story interesting and who`s going to read it?
Now the first one is actually a science-fiction/fantasy novel, but I was pitching it to a publisher whose emphasis lies on angsty female teens and their tumultuous relationships. So that`s how I pitched it and when I got into the fantasy elements during our conversation, they didn`t turn her off because I had emphasized the core conflict of the story as Rena`s relationship with her bird. If I were to pitch the same story to a fantasy publisher, I would start with something more like this:
Fifteen-year-old Renagada lives in a pre-industrial world of superstition, where a woman’s only hope of power lies in her ability to control animals and use them to fight in the horrific war tearing her world apart. Rena longs to live up to this legacy, but when she forms a particularly strong bond with a carrion-eater bird named Acha, whom her people fear and hate, she must choose between a life of honor and a life on the run.
Same book but totally different emphasis. These aren`t the greatest examples, but hopefully they give you an idea. If the publisher likes action adventure, put that spin on it. If the agent likes strong female protagonists, throw that in. Practice your pitch until you have it memorized and can say it slowly but with measured enthusiasm.
Stay calm
Nothing ruins a good pitch like an author who simply rattles it off at torpedo speed. Just breathe, smile, and be sure to give the publisher or agent a friendly handshake when you say hello and goodbye. Eye contact is also important, of course. If you stare at your notes while you`re rattling off your pitch, you won`t make a good impression. A very wise agent once told me that ten minutes is not enough to know whether or not he likes a book, but it is enough to know whether or not he likes a person and will want to work with them in the future.
Listen!
After the pitch, it`s a good idea to explain the main plot points of the story in its entirety (don`t make them guess at the ending), but keep it brief! Try to shoot for less than a minute. Allow for a conversation to begin; that`s where the gold lies. Allow them to make comments on your story and ask questions. If they aren`t thrilled, don`t be discouraged! It might not be for them, but this is a golden opportunity to receive professional comments about how you can improve the story or your pitch. And be sure to ask questions of them! What is their favorite book, how does their editing process work, do they actively promote the careers of their authors? You too want to make sure this is someone you want to work with on your life-long dream!
Jackpot!
If all goes well, the publisher or agent will ask for one of three things:
1.) A proposal (and be sure to ask exactly what they want because it does differ)
2.) A partial (up to fifty pages or five chapters of the manuscript)
3.) The full manuscript!
So be sure for fiction works that you have the full manuscript already completed! Most publishers will give you only a six week window to submit after the conference. Be sure to keep to whatever deadline and guidelines they give you. Doing so shows you are a professional and will be easy to work with.
And there you have it! Happy conferencing!
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