Do You Really Need a Short Pitch for a Conference?

This post from the BookEnds Literary Agency blog was shared around last week: Why Authors Need to Dump the Elevator Pitch. The dreaded "elevator pitch" is suggested in most conference preparation materials as essential—what if you happen to be walking down a hotel hallway with an agent, or standing in the buffet line, or in an elevator together? Surely you'd want to have a few sentence pitch for your book so you wouldn't waste the golden opportunity?

Well, I couldn't agree with the post above more. If you're feeling exhausted after a few days of the conference, imagine how it must be for the faculty. You might want a few-sentence pitch for the new friends you're going to meet at the conference, but definitely not for agents. If they want to hear about your book, they'll ask—and if you've gotten to that point, trust me, you'll have more than a few sentences to get their attention.

It basically comes down to the reminder that agents are people too. If you wouldn't like to be accosted by endless streams of people stammering out elevator pitches while you're on the way to the bathroom, or to your hotel room to lie down for ten minutes before the next round of pitches and classes, then why would you do it to someone else?

If you're planning to attend a writer's conference this summer, we have a series of conference survival tips here on the blog that can help you put your best foot forward!

Writer's Conference Survival Guide Part 2: Conference Etiquette

This week's conference survival topic is etiquette.

As I discussed in the first post of this series on overcoming nerves, going to a conference can be terrifying because of the ever-persistant thought that what you do or say might make or break the rest of your career. While this is probably not true, you do want to make a good impression. Don't be memorable in the worst way possible--as the person who thought the rules didn't apply to him or her.

Which brings us to the first tip.

1. Follow the rules. If the conference organizers ask you to arrive fifteen minutes early for your workshops, or to dress in business casual attire, or to leave your stock of self-published books at home, follow their instructions. It's common courtesy, and I guarantee you will incur the wrath of people who carefully followed the rules to the letter if you think you're the only one exempt.

2. Remember that agents and editors are people too. My friend did a great blog post on this subject, complete with many excellent GIFs. Keep the golden rule in mind: would you want pushy people trying to sell you something while you were in the bathroom, or interrupting a conversation with a friend to thrust a manuscript into your hands?

While many agents don't mind hearing your pitch outside of officially scheduled pitch sessions, use common sense to decide when it's an appropriate time. While hanging out at meals is generally acceptable, or maybe after a workshop session. It's always a good idea to ask first, though. Leading with, "Do you mind if I tell you about my book?" never hurts.

3. Be prepared. Think of the conference like a job interview. You'll make a better impression if you come prepared. Do some research on the agents, editors, and presenters who will be at the conference to determine if they'd be a good fit for your work. There's not much worse than giving your whole spiel to an industry professional only to hear something like, "Sounds great, but I don't represent adult books."

4. Use common courtesy. Here I'm talking about the basics. Turn off your cell phone when you're in a workshop or pitch session. Arrive on time for your appointments. Don't chew a snack noisily while someone is presenting. Don't interrupt if other people are talking, or monopolize the conversation if you're in a group setting. Don't corner agents or editors in a confined space like an elevator. No stalking!

Most of those may seem pretty obvious... but truthfully, I've seen ALL of those faux pas at the handful of conferences I've attended, so maybe it doesn't hurt to point them out.

Next week, I'll be talking about another important aspect of conferences: networking!

Conference Survival Guide Part 1: Dealing with Nerves

Hello lovely readers! I hope the summer is treating you well, and that you're getting a lot of writing/editing/planning done.

Summer might be a slower time for the publishing industry as a whole, but it also means conference season is getting into full swing. Conferences can be a lot of time and work, but they can also be amazing springboards for your writing career.

I also attend conferences and trade shows for my career as a knitting pattern designer--in fact, I just got back from one last week. My husband and I are also gearing up to attending the Midwest Writer's Workshop at the end of this month. Inspired by this, I thought I'd do a series of conference survival tips.

This week's topic is dealing with nerves.

I'm going to start with the obvious. Going to conferences is scary. First of all, you have to meet dozens, sometimes hundreds, of new people. Many writers are introverts by nature, so the idea of making conversation with that many people can be terrifying. Add to this the persistent worry that your entire career might depend on what you say or do at the conference, and you've got a nice panic attack waiting to happen.

My advice?

Fake it.

You can be quaking in your shoes, but the truth is, it doesn't matter as long as you don't act like it. I've heard conference attendees stammer through apologies for being so nervous and seen them actually cover their face with their hands. One lady actually stopped in the middle of speaking and told all of us she needed a moment to take some deep breaths to calm her nerves. The truth is, I wouldn't have known any of those people were even close to that level of nervousness if they hadn't come right out and told us.

Faking confidence is hard, but it works. I've had people compliment me on how relaxed I seemed--when internally I was this close to running screaming from the room. Keep the focus on appearing confident and unconcerned, and I guarantee you'll fool almost anyone.

A few tips: do try taking deep breaths (but not during a speech, please!). Agent Gemma Cooper wrote a fantastic blog post with some excellent tips for conquering nerves that's well worth a read. Most importantly, keep the goal in mind. Whether you're there to pitch your work to an agent or editor, network with other writers, learn from workshops, or all of the above, focusing on the end goal can make all the difference.