I apologize that it has taken me so long to get something up about this. I got back from the conference Sunday February 14^th for Pete’s sake! I also feel this is not my best post but it seems if I don’t get something up it will never get done. Somehow I got so wrapped up in conference stuff that I got out of the daily writing habit I worked so hard to build up. Now that I am out of the habit (I did write some before now but everything feels like pure crap  and I don’t want to post it. Not that this is any better but I had to quit procrastinating.)

By way of making excuses: once I got home, there were kids to catch up with, a hubby* to thank, a class to prepare for, a contest to enter, and then there was the flu which I and my two girls came down with the Thursday after I got back. They are mostly recovered, I am still dragging. Ugh.

Ok, so there was so much about that conference experience I want to comment on I may post a few things separately. This first post is just a general gushing about what it’s like to fully immerse myself in something I am passionate about for three whole days-in a city I love to boot. The children were not interrupting my thoughts every minute, so I got to fully absorb it all. How glorious to sit and talk with people who are doing exactly what I am doing and a lot of them aren’t getting paid for it either! There was a huge sense of camaraderie; nearly everyone was helpful, friendly and cheerful.

The only exceptions were one agent, (I steered clear of him anyway after reading his bio beforehand, but he still managed to put a damper on one of the panels by offering uninspiring comments and then falling asleep. This just reminded me why trusting my instincts about people is generally a good idea.) and two other attendees, both women.**

I arrived in San Francisco on Thursday afternoon, happy to have made it through the plane ride without throwing up. I was sick with whatever I picked up from Bianca the day before. I planned to order room service and try to recover in the room. At the airport I met two other ladies who were on their way to the hotel and conference. We shared a cab back to the hotel. One woman was a lot of fun and I spent some time with her throughout the conference, and the other turned out to be an editor at a NY publishing house. Coolness. ***

This editor gave me some of the best advice early on-hopefully I don’t butcher her words too badly. She said not to stress about meeting the right agent or editor at the conference because I probably wouldn’t. The agents and editors were there for me, to ask questions and I should soak up as much as I could. She said to enjoy everything and not stress about the rest of it.

By Friday morning my stomach was still funky but that didn’t dampen my excitement at having the whole conference waiting downstairs. It could have been worse. I was still able to focus in the workshops and reveled in the sense that I was exactly where I was supposed to be and my mind was absorbing information I needed to know. I sat in classes on the romance genre, and another one given by an editor who went all the way back to the early days of Rolling Stone! He said now was the best time to be a writer (useful to hear early on since I would hear my share of discouraging news later) plus several more all on issues relevant to something I needed to be working on. For each segment of 45 minutes there was a choice of four different classes I could attend. At the end of the day I was wiped out. So much to learn and remember.

Friday flew by. Saturday flew by. On Saturday evening I met with a few editors and got to pitch my book or ask questions or both. I got a lot of input and varying perspectives on my book’s subject matter and plot. The editor I rode with in the cab spent an extra half hour with me at the end of the day giving me feedback and advice. The one thing this experience has taught me is that these are all real, reasonable people-not the scary, mean, harried monsters I imagined as I was prepping my pitch. I am so glad I decided to do this before PNWA. I think I will enjoy that conference much more now that I have an idea what to expect.

A lot of the agents did look tired though. All the stuff I have read about them being an overworked bunch seems accurate. I approached one agent as we left a conference room and while I pitched my book to her a line of anxious looking women at least four deep took shape to the side and behind her. She was helpful and encouraging and when you see how much they have to deal with you appreciate that even more. It is amazing that they stay in such a good mood through the constant pitching, questions, insulting come-ons and weird queries they have to deal with. Some of the things I heard people had done and were planning to do struck me as just plain idiotic. People seem to lose all sense of decorum when trying to get an agents attention. I wondered if they cared at all about making a bad impression, or were they just concerned with being remembered for something even if not the quality of their work.

People watching was a great way for me to allay my fears that I was the worst writer out there, or knew the least about everything, or whatever. I am still curious about where I fit in. Now I have more confidence knowing that I am not totally clueless.

I still wish someone could tell me how much more work was ahead of me, what I need help on the most, what information is vital to my success, and what I don’t need to worry about at all. I was happy to learn that there are a lot of people like me out there who are just getting started. I met many more who are farther along but were so helpful and supportive. One romance writer had me wanting to start writing for that genre. There is a one great bunch of fun, enthusiastic women. Apparently that in one genre, like Young Adult, that hasn’t suffered since the economy tanked.

By the end of each day I was wiped out. What I really needed was another two hours to do like I did back in college: go over my notes and rewrite everything so it would make sense later. Instead I opted for sleep so I would be fresh in the morning and still got about five hours of sleep each night.

My spirits were at their lowest point by Saturday evening. Over the course of the day, and through some of the editor meetings I absorbed some disheartening news, mainly about what a long arduous process this is likely to be.****

Sunday morning came. I lucked out and was in the first group of speed dating participants. I went in to a room with about ten other agents. Me and the rest of the people scheduled for 9 am lined up in front of an agent. Every three minutes a bell would ring and another participant would be allowed to pitch to that agent. After pitching the first agent, I got in line for the next pick. I had fifty minutes to pitch to as many as I could. I didn’t make it to everyone I wanted but I was close. I had researched all of them in advance and knew which ones were best for me. It was a good thing that I ranked them by how close a fit I thought they would be, as well as pitching to two of them in the lobby the day before. Some agents had lines so long that I could have only stood in line for that one agent before my time was up.

I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the city, planning my next visit and all the things I would not miss next time.

For now, I am focused on finishing my rewrite so I can send the first chapter to the agents who requested it. I am relieved that I can focus again on improving my craft, getting to know my characters and making my novel better. That was after all my goal, or one of them. I feel that on every front I got what I came for. I sat in classes learning how to use the internet more efficiently for research, tips for revision, learned what the acquisition process looks like and what to expect from a reputable agent plus loads more.  I met agents and editors. I met some talented writers who I am now in contact with beyond the conference and whom I hope to see again next year. I got to see what the conference atmosphere would be like, and I worked through most of my fear of agents so I can get more out of PNWA.

I would like to post something about the process of putting my pitch together because man that was long and arduous but well worth it. If that’s something you’re interested in, keep your eyes peeled and your RSS feed locked on.

For now, thanks for all your support and encouragement as well as all forgiveness for my being such a huge flake over the last couple of months.

More to come…

Footnotes

* My beautiful husband managed to handle the children for three days by himself and there was not a drop of guilt or resentment waiting for me upon my return. I can’t say enough about the man I married. I should probably post something separately for him. I am getting so much done in large part because he has been so great around the house; taking the kids, doing housework, and generally being supportive- though he visibly tunes out when I start talking about craft, so I spare him the details in appreciation of this fact. Here is a good time to mention that it is so much more productive to focus on the positive in the man and not on what he can’t do because let’s face it, no one can be all things to all people, including husbands who are often expected to be; studly provider, caring father, patient shopping companion, date planner, reservation maker, and a patient ear when trying to hash out the days writing dilemmas. 

**This I chalk up to how excellent I looked thanks to the lovely ladies at the South Center Nordstrom. When I went in there I was the far-from-glamorous housewife you all know and love. They spent over five hours with me picking out just the right outfits for this weekend. The only reason I can think of for why these two women at the conference were not as friendly as I wanted was because they were simply jealous. I think I looked and aside from my rumbling tummy, felt great. I suppose it is possible they were in the midst of their own personal problems and couldn’t be cheerful when yours truly came around attempting to engage. Now that I look back I may have seemed a little like an eager puppy dog, but what can I say? It was my first time.

*** For my non-writer friends let me sum up why this is such a big deal. Just getting access to an editor, and an agent who can get me access to one, is a big reason why I attended the conference. You can’t just send your manuscript to an editor at a publishing house anymore. Most of them don’t take anything unless you have an agent.  

**** So much is out of your control, even after you have produced stellar work. The one workshop I skipped was on self publishing. (I wish I hadn’t but I was too tired by then and wanted to prepare for the rest of the night.) After hearing the amount of effort that goes in to trying to get published it starts to look like a good option, especially now that so many good editors who used to work for major publishing houses are now freelance because of all the lay offs. Hiring an editor and paying to publish your own work, especially since either way you have to do the promotion, it looks like it might be a way to go.