Writing and Publishing News

The SDSU Writers’ Conference ended yesterday. Attendees are home now, pouring over their notes, trying to remember key points, hoping to shake that sense of overwhelm. They had the opportunity to attend as many as 11 one-hour workshops during the two-day event. There were over 80 workshops to choose from with subjects ranging from “The Perfect Pitch—How to Get to the Top of the Slush Pile” to “Marketing Yourself and Your Book,” From “Craft the Perfect Scene” to “Book Pages to Screen.” I taught various aspects of article-writing. And in between workshops, hundreds of hopeful authors were pitching their book ideas to agents and editors.

For some authors, the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference was all about meeting agents and editors. There were dozens of them in attendance this past weekend—all eager to find the next best seller and the next great author. In fact, I heard a few of the publishers say during their workshops, “All publishers are seeking good books to produce.” One publisher of science fiction even went so far as to say, “Sometimes the first-time author has a better chance at landing a publishing contract than the third book author.”

What’s the best way to approach an agent, editor or publisher—those gatekeepers to the world of publishing? Here are my guidelines:

• Find out which agents and editors will be at the event you plan to attend.
• Do a little research to learn what type of books the agents represent and what books the representative publishing companies have produced, lately.
• Choose appropriate agents/editors/publishers for your project.
• Prepare and practice reciting a brief description of your project. I suggest preparing a really good, succinct thirty-second commercial.
• Create a promo package including a brief synopsis or overview of your proposed book and information about yourself. What is your writing background, why are you the person to write this book and what is your platform, for example?
• Make a good first impression. Come across as a potential business partner with an excellent product, not an emotional writer who believes he has just completed the book of the century.
• Keep to your allotted time with the editor/agent. Generally, the appointments are only 10 to 15 minutes and the time is strictly monitored.
• Always thank the agent or editor for their time and expertise.
• Follow up with whatever they suggested you do (contact them at their home office, add more dialogue in your story, flesh out the main character, write for a wider audience) and resubmit your query, proposal or book (if they requested it) once it is ready.

You never know when you will have the opportunity to pitch your marvelous book to an agent, editor or publisher at a writers’ conference, book festival or another event, so always be at the ready with your 30-second commercial and your materials. And remember to make a good impression the first time and every time.

Learn more about Patricia Fry at http://www.matilijapress.com/consulting.html

The San Diego State University Writers’ Conference is over. The attendees and faculty have headed home to Arizona, Michigan, Seattle, Florida and many other destinations. Most of us are richer for having participated. Those who pitched manuscripts to agents and editors, carried home hope and, in most cases, assignments for creating a more commercial product. Those who came to learn and to network with other writers and authors, returned home suffering from information overload.

Many came to me yesterday saying they were more confused about what to do than ever. I assured them that when they unpack all of their handouts and take time to pour over the material and their notes, they will begin to see a common thread. They will get the message. They will see their pathway to publishing more clearly. And in some cases this will mean changing a long-held belief or perception.

I had a great conference and everyone I spoke with said that they did, too. I don’t think that every workshop leader presented what he/she promised and I hope that I did. It’s sometimes difficult to hit the mark when you don’t know exactly who your students are, how far along they are, what they want and what they need to hear. I try to always ask so that I’m more likely to respond to everyone’s questions and needs. Every teacher has a unique method of teaching. Some ramble in an effort to demonstrate their knowledge of books already published in their genre. Some provide quizzes to kill the time. There were some great powerpoint presentations with statistics and points to ponder. There were demonstrations (one workshop leader wore armor and presented medieval weaponry for those who need this information for their novels.)

It seems to me that the attendees at this conference were more sophisticated and knowledgeable than those I’ve encountered in recent years. It could be because there are more writers’/authors’ conferences held throughout the states. There are also more books available on every aspect of writing and publishing. Despite the huge number of related titles available at the college bookstore set up there at the Double Tree, I almost sold out of my books. This is additional proof bearing out the importance of establishing and continuing to build on your platform. People recognize my name and know of my reputation as a publishing professional.

The organizers sat me next to Dan Poynter at the faculty dinner Saturday night. That was a treat. I used Dan’s Self-Publishing Manual when I produced two books in 1996. I first met him at the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference where I attended his workshop probably about that time. Dan was also a frequent speaker for us when SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) was a face-to-face networking organization. And he’s been a loyal member. It had been a while since Dan’s and my paths had crossed, so it was fun having this opportunity to catch up. We talked about mutual acquaintances in the industry, our travels to various writers’/publishers’ conferences, our respective trips to Dubai and our impressions of the Middle East and the people. We also discussed the industry and did a little note-comparing. It was enlightening and a good networking opportunity.

I was reminded, this weekend, of the importance of networking with our peers, with other authors/writers and with those in complimentary as well as competing professions. And that’s the message I’m going to leave you with this Monday. Reach out, stay in touch, ask questions, listen intently and never stop studying.

Publishing is the dream of many and it is an attainable dream for those who will listen with an open mind and work diligently on their own behalf. And, as I told one conference attendee who has anxious to get published and wanted to know what to do next, “Exercise a lot of patience.”

I did 3 workshops yesterday and attended 3 big networking events. Today, I’m presenting 2 more workshops and I have 2 consultations scheduled with individuals. There’s a lot of networking that goes on at events like this, or there should be. I keep hearing from attendees that it’s intimidating. Some say their heads are swimming with information and they don’t know if they’ll ever sort it all out. By the end of the day yesterday, most attendees were on overload. Some are confused by what seems to be contradictory advice.

I am having a great time chatting with faculty, agents, editors from Grand Central Publishing (Warner), Morrow, etc and, of course, attendees who have come from all over the U.S. One woman came from Paris. When asked if anyone came from farther away than Paris, one hopeful author raised her hand and said, “Cleveland, Ohio.” Maybe she thought the French woman was referring to Perris, California.

It’s a great group of people. Some of the attendees have what sound like marvelous book ideas or books in the works. And some of them will experience the success they desire. All of them will experience a level of success equal to their efforts and their open-mindedness and their ability to make the right choices. What a hopeful author must understand is that the right choice for one author might not be the right choice for him or her.

Presenters frequently receive a common question from conference attendees: “Should I seek an agent or a publisher or should I ‘self-publish’ my book?” I hear others tell hopeful authors the same thing I tell them: “It depends on you and it depends on your book.”

Some people attend writers’ conferences seeking absolutes. But they rarely receive them. Instead, they are given the information, the options, the tools and the resources to make intelligent decisions on behalf of their projects. We arm them with the knowledge they need, if only they will use it responsibility, sensibly, thoughtfully.

We presenters really work for our keep at conferences such as this. But a conference is an equally trying experience for attendees. They have an enormous amount of information and material coming at them. They must listen with an open mind and eventually sort through it all in order to discover the truths that will help them to take their particular project to the limits. What does this mean to an attendee?

· He may realize that he must rewrite his manuscript in order to attract a wider audience.
· He might see the wisdom in writing a book proposal NOW.
· Perhaps she will realize she must start building a platform.
· Maybe she’ll decide that self-publishing is not for her.

What happens at a writers’ conference and the decisions the attendee ultimately makes could very well mean the difference between failure or mediocre to even wild success. And it’s all up to the attendee. The opportunities are definitely there. It’s just a matter of who’s listening and who will actually recognize and act upon the gifts they receive.

Excitement is in the air. Hundreds of writers and hopeful authors are buzzing around the Double Tree Hotel in Mission Valley, California eager to improve their writing and their chances for publication. We drove out of the rain south toward sunny San Diego County yesterday. I mingled with the writers who had arrived by evening to attend the SD State University Writers’ Conference. It wasn’t a full house in the grand ballroom and I heard this was because storms across the country had grounded many planes and made land travel difficult. I’m hoping for 20 to 30 in my workshops today so I can hand out all of the handouts I’ve prepared.

I’m thankful to learn that they have scheduled my 5 workshops with nice breaks in between. Except for the last two sessions, I have an hour or more between them.

This means I can take advantage of the wisdom of Dan Poynter (on self-publishing), Penny Sansevieri (on marketing), Jeniffer Thompson (on web design for authors) and maybe attend a panel of agents.

So far I’ve learned from attendees that they are doing multiple writing projects. One husband and wife team from Arizona have 9 manuscripts ready to go and no idea what to do next. They write in several genres—thriller, romance, historical fiction… They came here for direction, guidance and probably a large dose of encouragement.

Another woman told me about the nonfiction manuscript she’s working on and the many articles she writes for free. She hopes to discover how to earn a living through her writing.

One woman came by to show me her newly published book. She said, “I had an email conversation with you last year. We talked about my book. Well, here it is.” It is a POD publishing company produced book. At first glance, I was put off by the margin space. I tell people to get over their obsession with concerns over margin size, etc. But I also advise that they keep the reader (whether a publisher or consumer) in mind when they put their manuscript or book together. We like to see space around the text on a page, but not too much space. Please, especially when you’re preparing your book for publication, know what you are doing. Learn how to work in an appropriate page layout program or hire someone who can use Adobe Page Maker, Quarks Press, etc. Look at the layout of other books. Think about the reader.

And I met a man who told me about his fiction thriller story. I questioned the term “thriller” for the story he described. He said, “Oh yes, it’s a thriller. I’m not sure I would have been thrilled while reading it. One description of “thriller” is whether or not it “thrills.”

The definition between genres has muddied so much in recent years, that it seems one element included in the book can make the difference—one reference or scene. Choosing your book’s genre appropriately can be quite a challenge in today’s crazy publishing industry.

I’m looking forward to a busy and satisfying day with folks who want to know more about article writing. I hope to provide just what they want and need—guidance, a little hand-holding, a reality check, but also lots of encouragement.

If you’d like to talk to me about your writing project, contact me at plfry620@yahoo.com. Sign up for one of my courses at http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm