Brian and I are heading out on Monday for a road trip from Reno to Anaheim for the RWA National Conference. The Romance Writer’s of America conference is an intense, incredible experience for writers and readers. While it, obviously, is romance focused, it is perfect for us because there is so much that crosses over to Young Adult.
When I first started writing, I wrote romance. I’ve sold two romance novellas to e-publishers. I still have a couple of completed romance manuscripts that will likely never see the light of day, and my one and only self-published titles is a Romantic Suspense. I went to my first RWA conference four years ago, when it was in San Francisco. I’d just sold my first novella, and I was literally on top of the world. When I found out that the conference was so close, I had to do it.
I’ve been to conferences in Washington D.C. and Orlando as well, and I am so exciting to be going again. Especially this year, because I have an agent to meet, and a publisher’s party to go to. And my book sold. My. Book. Sold!
I thought I’d share some thoughts here, for anyone who is headed to conference for the first time.
1. Be prepared to become absorbed into the most amazing group of women. Ever. Conference attendees range from writers who are working on their first stories (or maybe even just thinking about working on their first stories), to . . . well . . . Nora Roberts. And, quite literally, everyone in between. I’m a natural introvert, and I know a lot of writers are, but if you can put that aside during the conference and open yourself up to it, I promise you won’t be sorry. I still have friends I met in San Francisco. And Washington, D.C. And Orlando. I had a wonderful lunch with two writers in Orlando who I just happened to meet in line at a hotel restaurant, and they gave me so much encouragement and advice, that I plan to thank them in the acknowledgements for my book. Don’t be afraid to say hello to anyone wearing an RWA badge.
2. Building on that, get yourself some business cards. Mine have always just had my name, my phone number, my email address, and the genres that I write. (Some people might have a problem with giving out their phone number. That’s fine, just leave it off.) You’ll trade them with other authors, hand them out when you have pitch appointments or when you find yourself with the opportunity to meet an agent or editor. Brian and I have a shared Story Carnivores card to hand out this year (that’s it above.) You don’t have to get fancy. Go to vistaprint.com and order them for cheap. I know, it’s probably too late for this year. Office supply stores sell printable cards. I did that one year, too, and it worked just fine. You don’t need fancy. You just want something to hand out.
3. Speaking of cards. If you have a book to pitch at conference, chances are good that you’ll get at least a couple of requests. Write what exactly was requested on the back of the card the agent or editor gives you. Keep this little stack separate and safe. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to make some kind of modern art with them when you get home. They’re pretty damned cool.
4. Conference is intense. It’s huge. There is a lot of walking. A lot of noise. If you are an introvert pretending otherwise for a few days, like me, give yourself permission to hide in the bathroom for a few minutes, or go back to your room, and just find a corner to sit in and catch your breath. Also, wear comfortable shoes. Please. And stay hydrated.
(Here’s a great video of last year’s literacy signing.)
5. Don’t feel compelled to schedule every single hour of every day. The workshops are incredible, and it might feel like you’re not getting the most for your money if you don’t take advantage of every single one that you possibly can. But there are opportunities outside of the workshops, too. Meeting people is a huge part of conference. Taking a few minutes to share ideas. Also, just keeping your own sanity with a mental health hour is also important to your experience as a whole.
6. Prepare an elevator pitch. We’re talking something you can spit out in ten seconds. I know. It’s scary. And it’s hard. But do it anyway. Even you don’t think you’re going to use it, because if you find yourself sitting next to a great agent who asks,”what do you write?” You want to be prepared. (It happened to me. In San Francisco.) If you have a book written, you should have a pitch for it. There are tons of resources out there that will tell you how to write your pitch. I’ll just say that you should be able to tell what your book is about in one line. You should know its genre and be able to tell how many words it is. That’s it. “I’ve written a young adult book about a girl who falls in love with a space alien. It’s 70,000 words long. I’d love to send you a query, if you’re interested.” (That’s not my story, so feel free to use it if the muse hits you.) Or, “I’ve written a romantic suspense about a woman who stows away in the back of a stranger’s RV to hide from an attacker. It’s 80,000 words long. I’d love to send you a query, if you’re interested.” (That one is mine. It’s the story I pitched at my first RWA conference.)
7. If you want to pitch, you can. Opportunities are everywhere. If you are anything like me, you’ll get addicted to it, as scary as it is. During the pitch sessions, you can wait on stand by, even if you don’t have an appointment. At past conferences I’ve done this and had several 10 minute pitches with agents and editors at all of them. There will be other writers doing the same thing, so you won’t feel weird at all. The agents and editors taking the pitches are so kind. They’ll ask you questions if you stumble. They’ll be interested, truly, in what you’ve written. It’s hard to describe what that feels like. Amazing? Incredible? Yep. It’s also okay to talk to an editor or agent that you meet outside of the pitch meetings. Don’t be pushy or obnoxious. Don’t interrupt an obvious one-on-one conversation. When the moment is right, just offer your card and introduce yourself. Hopefully you can honestly say that you’re a fan of their Twitter feed, or they’ve read your queries before, or you love one of their clients. Then give your ten second pitch. They’ll be gracious. They’ll probably request. If they don’t, they’ll let you know why.
8. If you’re going to pitch, do your research. The RWA website has a list of agents and editors who will be there. Look them up. Pick the ones you hope to meet, those that represent what you write, and research them. Find out who they represent. Check out their blogs or Twitter feeds. Know your stuff. It’s totally worth it.
9. Bring a fresh notebook and a good pen. Trust me on this one. Save it until the very end. When you’re waiting in an airport, or on a train, or eating breakfast before taking off for home, it will happen. All the excitement and intensity of the conference will turn into a burning need to write. Be prepared. I’ve traveled with my laptop, but have found that a pen and paper are best in this moment. I started writing the novel that I just sold on the way home from conference.
10. When you get home, look at all the cards you’ve collected. Find your new friends on Facebook, so you can help each other keep the motivation you get from conference burning. Organize yourself for getting your submission requests fulfilled. And keep writing.
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If you’re in the Anaheim area, next Wednesday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. is the RWA Reader’s for Life literacy signing at the Anaheim Marriott. It’s open to the public. Click on the link to see the list of amazing writers who will be there, singing their books. The proceeds go to literacy programs. We’ll be there and we’d love to meet you!
