As I wrote about in last week’s post, It’s Worth The Fear, I went to a writing conference this past weekend- the Writer’s Digest conference in New York City. Now I feel like a bit of a fraud for previously reporting that I had any element of fear about attending this conference. Sure, I was nervous and a little scared when preparing for the pitch session (more on that later) but I also had a great time, met some lovely people, and learned a lot. I definitely want to go back next year.

About the Conference: I attended several sessions per day, on everything from creating suspense in story, to Goodreads promotion, to the business of publishing. It was a good mix of “writing craft” and “writing business.” I also attended a special Pitch Slam session, where writers are given three minutes to “pitch” their book to agents (explain the book and try to convince the agent to ask for your manuscript). You pitch to as many agents as you can in an hour, bearing in mind there are about 200 writers pitching, and 50 or so agents (not every agent accepts every genre). I did well, partly because I lined up early and researched my picks. I pitched to 7 agents, and all 7 requested materials from me, mostly full manuscript requests (the big coup). That was the “scariest” part of the conference, but thanks to the preparation seminar we’d all been given the afternoon before, I felt ready, and even had fun running from one agent to the next. The best part was having the opportunity to actually meet agents face-to-face, instead of sending queries to an online presence with a list of credentials and maybe a picture. It was easy to get an instinct about which agents I’d feel comfortable working with, and I’m excited to hear back from those people. 

Favorite Seminars: Pitch Perfect, the pitch slam preparation seminar, was expertly run by Chuck Sambuchino of the Guide to Literary Agents blog. Chuck was funny, informative and had the confidence of a practiced speaker. The Ask the Agents panel shed light on what it’s like to be on the other side of the query. The Q&A was lively, and the agents well-spoken. All Kidding Aside: How I Became A Published Author… was another excellent panel where we learned that every author has a very unique journey to publishing- and that the work isn’t done the day your book comes out. I loved Gabriela Pereira’s 7 Steps to Stronger Middle Grade/YA Novels; she was so passionate on her subject, and provided excellent examples in YA literature. I scribbled notes throughout the entire hour.

Unfortunately, I missed all three of the keynote addresses, because unlike most of the participants, I was commuting two hours home and back each day. I wish I had gotten to hear one or two, but I’m very happy with the opportunities I did have at the conference. Next year, I might consider staying closer to the city for a night or two, but this year, with Edwin still so young, I was glad to come home, even if it was just to check in with my family and sleep.

Final thoughts: I need to remind myself that new people, new places, and new experiences are only as intimidating as I make them; I am much more adaptable AND sociable than I give myself credit for; it’s always worth it to pursue something in the field of my passion.

I’m very grateful to my husband, for caring for a sick Edwin the whole weekend without complaint, and my in-laws, who babysat while Nick had a gig and made sure Edwin got some extra grandparent love while Mommy was away. My own parents were away for the weekend, too, but sent me lots of encouraging texts before the pitch slam.

And now it’s time to introduce Words From The Sowul’s mini-series for August! Our theme this month will be PURPOSE. Potential posts will be about finding your calling; working with purpose; parenting with purpose; intentional play; and making big goals more manageable. If you have any thoughts/ideas about posts for PURPOSE, or are interested in writing a guest post on the subject, feel free to email me at leannesowul@gmail.com