Part 2: Top Ten Ways to Prepare for Conference Success

This blog is a continuation of the previous blog about conference preparation.

The RMFW Writer's conference starts tomorrow (September 9) at the Renaissance Hotel, Denver.

7.  Bring an idea collection kit.  Yes, it’s nice to have an emergency sewing kit, but not that kind of resource.  At conference, you learn important information about craft, marketing, story ideas, etc. This kit helps you FIND that information later. My kit is in a zipping plastic bag, about 8 inches by four inches, see-through so you can quickly find emergency supplies like paper clips, scissors, highlighters, rubber bands, post-it notes, stick-em ‘flags’ so you can quickly flag important pages and not lose vital business cards; Sharpies so you can post or add info on bulletin boards.  Drop this kit into your conference bag and you’ll be ready to gather important info.

8. Bring a thumb/travel drive of your writing.  No, don’t wave a 400-page completed manuscript at a passing editor or agent.  Travel drives (portable memory drives) are small and can hold query letters,  synopses, first chapters, partials and such of every novel you’ve written.  Should you connect in a meaningful way with an editor or agent who asks for a partial of your pitch story, or another story you’ve written, you can easily take that travel drive to the business office of your hotel and print it out.  It never hurts to be ready when opportunity knocks.

9.  Defeat self-defeating behavior and denial.  Avoid disaster thinking such as,

“I don’t need to practice my pitch.  It will all come to me when I sit down.”  Practice at home.  Prop a doll, a stuffed animal or even a potted plant on the owner side of your desk and take a seat on the public side.  Pretend you’re talking to the agent or editor, and be able to say, smoothly and enthusiastically,

“Thank you for coming the conference.  I’m (your name) and I write (your genre).  My completed novel is about (protagonist’s name).  S/he (describe the inciting incident that starts your protagonist’s story) and must (whatever s/he must do to get what s/he wants), but (describe the antagonist/villain and what makes her goal seemingly impossible), only to realize (describe the growth your protagonist experiences through the course of the novel.”

If you can deliver this information succinctly and comfortably, you’re home free.  The agent or editor may ask questions to learn more–questions like length, where the story is set, particulars about the story, but if you can deliver this small pitch, the publishing pro knows that you have completed the novel, and most importantly s/he knows that you know what your story is about.  You may want to elaborate.  If so, go for it, but not until you accomplish the short pitch above and can deliver it in your sleep because you’re so familiar with it.

This familiarity will give you confidence, and once you have that, your  appointment will be pleasant, not agonizing.

Final tip on the pitch:  save at least ninety seconds to ask a question, something you want to know about your story, the market for your story, whatever.  Allow the publishing pro to talk!  You have endured the many challenges of completing your story, and you have suffered anxiety over this appointment.  The least you can do is be prepared for the meeting, ask a pertinent question, and really listen to his or her answer so you can walk away with a kernel of information that will be helpful to you.

10.  Go forth and mingle!  Conference is time to re-charge your creative battery.  Do that by attending as many workshops as you can.  Conference Goddess Pam Nowak and her team have worked hard to assemble a fantastic assortment of workshops and panels just for you. Be there!  If you’re shy, work past that.  Sit down at a table where you know only one person, or no one at all, and introduce yourself to the person to the right of you and to the left of you.  Be genuinely interested in them and what they can share about their writing and the industry.

Wishing you a terrific conference, and be sure to stop me and say Hi!  I look forward to this all year long!

WRITER’S CONFERENCE – Top Ten Ways to Prepare for Success!

by Janet Lane

RMFW's 2011 conference starts Friday! Click the balloons to learn about the excellent workshops and attending editors and agents.

Time for conference – exciting!  You may have just begun writing fiction, dancing in the joy that comes with it, or you may be a conference veteran like me with over a decade of attendance under your belt.  Or you may be somewhere in between.

You may have an appointment with an editor or agent.  Along with published authors, they will be mingling with writers at several events – workshops, pitch sessions, panel discussions, and even at our tables during meals.

You may be a contest finalist, heart thumping, wondering if you not only accomplished the significant achievement of reaching the finals, but also won in your genre category.  You may be published, with contests far behind you, wondering how all the drastic changes in the industry will affect your career.

Whatever your circumstances, conference is an opportunity to share and learn.

As we prepare for it, consider ways to take full advantage of the opportunities.  Here are some common conference pitfalls to avoid:

1.  Tame the green-eyed monster. Expressing jealousy, trash-talking or minimizing the accomplishments of that writer who is a finalist in the contest this year, or that writer who just got published, or made a certain best-seller list, because you know your writing is better than his or hers.

2.  Come out of your shell. Fight off the Shyness Dragon and Negativity Dragon!  Don’t let them keep you from mingling, making new friends, sharing and networking about industry news and opportunities that might benefit you.

3.  Squelch your Inner Critic. Face your mirror, give yourself a genuine smile and say, “I can do this!”  If you need more, here are some to speak, loudly and confidently, to silence that ne’er-do-well critic:

▪   I am in control of my own thinking.”

▪   “I think only thoughts that create and fulfill the best in me.”

▪   “My mind is constantly in tune with the positive.”

▪   “I am full of great thoughts and positive ideas.”

▪   “My thoughts are bright, cheerful and enthusiastic.”

▪   “I consciously choose what I think.”

▪   “I always choose thoughts that are most positive and beneficial to me.”

▪   “All of my thoughts create healthiness within me.”

▪   “I remember to think positively all day, every day.”

4.  Know when to speak and when not to.  Conference may inspire dozens of new ideas, but be sure your timing’s right when you wish to share them.  Avoid interrupting a workshop presenter or discussion group because you have very helpful and interesting anecdotes, jokes, research, statistics and/or opinions to share, and you’re so eager to do so that your timing is less than ideal.

5.  Open your mind to new possibilities. Does this sound line you, poking your head in from the hallway and listening to 2 minutes of a workshop and thinking you know all that stuff already, no need to waste your time at that workshop?  Be open to new ideas.  Don’t find yourself sitting in an overstuffed chair in the empty lobby while everyone else is in the workshop rooms visiting, getting to know new writers, authors, industry professionals, and exchanging ideas and knowledge.  Get out!  Meet!  Learn!

6.  Make a list now, before conference begins.  Get your money and editor/agent requests in early, allowing for plenty of time so you can book your most desired professional for a pitch session or workshop. Mark with bold felt-tip ink the workshops you want to attend.  Follow up on your best intentions.  If you think it would be helpful to have business cards when you network with other writers and meet editors and agents, design and print them now so you’ll be ready.  Practice your self-introduction so you’ll be prepared to meet new friends and describe your writing and interests. Familiarize yourself with the conference information packet so you don’t find yourself joining the wrong workshop, or arriving late at a workshop in progress because you don’t know your way around the hotel. If during the year you’ve borrowed books and/or materials from fellow writers, the conference is a convenient place to return them without burning extra time or gas or, worse, keeping your friend’s materials when s/he might need them.

Next up:  the final four tips, including one of the most important tips for conference preparation.