It’s back-to-school season, which means both traditional-calendar educators and authors are getting back to work. It’s an exciting but draining time of year. New kids are awesome but exhausting, and educators are trying to get everything in place for a successful school year, including author visits.
Every time I speak with educators at conferences, the subject of author visits always comes up. How do you arrange one? How do you deal with the money part? What about selling books? Arranging an author visit can seem intimidating at a glance, so today I’m going to break down how to go about arranging an author visit and how to have a successful visit on the day-of. Like everything in school, success depends heavily on the work done in advance.
How to Find an Author for a Visit
One of the questions I hear regularly is: how do you find authors for an author visit? I think this really means how do I connect with authors or find authors who are local to me, but first I’ll address the larger question of how to find authors to invite for a school or library visit.
Mock Newbery Clubs are a great way to discover authors & spur passion for reading.
First, keep a list of the books you really love. If you’re anything like me, it can be hard to remember what you read yesterday, much less last year. Also, regularly solicit favorite books from students and keep a list of those authors and books handy, too, for when you’re trying to think of authors to invite to a school or library. I use Goodreads to track what I read, but you can also use Library Thing or Reader Tracker. Tracking your reading can also help you identify areas where you are under-read to broaden and diversify your reading life.
Another way to find authors who live in or visit your area is by contacting your local bookstores. A relationship with a local bookstore will not only identify opportune moments to invite a visiting author, but will also help you execute your author visit with ease when it comes to ordering books. Attend local book festivals, book signings, and readings to make connections with authors from your area, and ask for author recommendations through your local Library Associations. There are also booking agencies such as The Booking Biz, Provato Events, and Phil Bidner’s recently announced Author Village. If you are interested in arranging a virtual author visit, author Kate Messner maintains a list of authors who Skype for free (more on Skypes below).
You can also find authors by connecting on social media. Authors love connecting with readers. No really, they do! How do you connect? If you read an author’s book and love it, tag them in a tweet or Instagram or FB post. Many authors will respond, and even if they don’t, they are sure to be smiling. Then, when you reach out to inquire about an author visit, you can introduce yourself by mentioning that you recently tagged them about loving their book, which gives you a nice segue. I’m socially anxious about reaching out to people I don’t know, so I understand the feeling!
How do you reach out once you’ve found an author whom you would like to invite? It’s simple: email or use the contact form on their website. That’s what the websites are there for! Authors and their reps are happy to hear from you. It’s okay to write with questions or rate inquiries. Your questions are not a burden. Just remember to be respectful of the author’s time by replying to their communications. No one likes to be left hanging!
The Money Part
Now let’s talk about the biggest stumbling block for many schools: funding. Author visits are so valuable for students, but it can be challenging to communicate that value to administration and parents. If you find yourself needing to justify the expense of an author visit, here are some key points to support your argument:
Author visits inspire children’s writing. Seeing how hard an author works draws direct parallels with student life and fills students with confidence. Seeing how an author generated the story can spark student imagination, and getting to know the author makes writing more aspirational and attainable, from idea to revision to final draft.
Presentations can complement school curriculum. When you are seeking an author, look to see if their presentations fulfill specific learning objectives. If you need to cover a particular topic, ask the author if they can do a presentation on that topic. They probably already have! This way, your author visit does not take away from scheduled learning time.
Author visits promote reading. All students, and especially reluctant readers, benefit from hearing the inside scoop on how a story becomes a book. Hearing about the author’s struggles allows the students to connect directly with the narrative and understand why the author made the choices they did. This supports making predictions and inferences, and other good reading traits.
The creative process can seem magical and unreachable, but authors are ordinary people. When a student meets an author, they are better able to visualize themselves as creators. Students will learn that the strongest trait of a writer is persistence, and that their dreams are worth following. Author visits have the power to change lives.
Some schools hold specific fundraisers to support their annual author visits. PTAs are often eager to support such events, but it is best to get the ball rolling early so you aren’t short on time. Read-a-thons or write-a-thons are great fundraisers that tie in. Bookfairs are also a good opportunity to incorporate fundraising for an an author visit. Partnering with local community organizations such as Kiwanis, Friends of the Library, and Rotary can also be successful, and once you get on their list of causes to support, you’re more likely to receive funding in the future. If your school qualifies for Title I funds, you may be able to apply some of that funding to an author visit. There are also quite a few grant opportunities available for arts education, which you can read more about here.
There are also ways to partner with authors to reduce your expenses. Many authors are happy to connect with multiple schools in a district, and will offer a discount for booking multiple events. This is especially helpful if you need to pay travel expenses. Connect with other schools in your district and also with the local libraries, which may have funds to support an author visit. It might seem reasonable to ask an author to waive their fee in exchange for book sales, but most authors only make about $1 for each book sold (after they earn out their advance, which may never happen). Even if you sold 100 books, that’s less than $100 in the author’s pocket. Publishers do not pay authors to go to school visits, and most authors can’t afford to do visits for free, though some donate one or two visits per year. Negotiating rates is a reasonable thing to do if your offer is reasonable. It can be tough to talk money, but when in doubt, ask!
Skype visits are a great option if you have a limited budget. As mentioned above, some authors Skype for free. These visits are usually around 20 minutes long and limited to Q&A about the author’s work. Some authors charge a nominal fee for Skypes, and most charge for longer Skypes that include a presentation. If you have not Skyped before, it’s as easy as making a phone call or Face-timing! Google hangouts are another option. Make sure to do a test run with someone off site prior to your Skype date, to make sure your speakers and microphones are working.
The key to funding author visits is setting your goal well in advance, so that you have time to get the funds in place. An annual tradition such as a penny drive can support having author visits every year.
Selling Books at an Author Visit
Book sales might seem daunting to arrange, but kids need this opportunity to connect with the author and translate their excitement from the visit into reading and writing. Selling books is not the primary goal of an author’s visit, but they want kids to have this special moment. Here are some book sale tips to help make the process as stress-free as possible:
Ask if the publisher has a school visit program. Some publishers, like Penguin, will ship books to the school for free, sell them at a reduced rate, and accept all returns with free shipping as well. The only thing you must do to take advantage of such programs is start early. You need plenty of time, usually 6-8 weeks–to arrange for participation in these programs.
Ask your local independent bookseller to manage the sales. Often, indies can provide a reduced price for larger orders of books or books going to schools. Sometimes, there can even be a fundraising component to the book sales. Approach stores early for best results.
Send home fliers well in advance (2 weeks minimum), and then send them again on the day the author visits. Most authors can leave signed stickers (called book plates) for the books that are purchased after the author visit. No author wants to leave a child without a signed copy!
Plan for signing time during the author’s visit. Sometimes it is convenient to have the kids bring their books by the library during lunch, or to leave 5-10minutes at the end of each presentation for signing. Do not underestimate the power of meeting an author for just a minute and getting a book signed. Coordinating signings isn’t always easy but it is worth it!
Ask your PTA to get volunteers to handle book sales. Often checks can be made out to the PTA, which can pre-pay for the books or pay the balance after sales are complete. Collecting payment for books is no different than collecting payment for a field trip, and it means so much to the kids.
Yes, we posed for this photo! 😀
How to Have a Successful Visit
Once you’ve found an author and agreed on a rate, it’s time to prep for your visit. First of all, make sure there is a written agreement in place that protects both parties from unforeseen circumstances. Most authors will provide an agreement letter or contract. Read your contract carefully to plan for the equipment you may need for the visit: a projector, a remote control, a white board, a drawing pad, or other supplies. Also consider when and where you will distribute bookmarks if the author is providing them, and make sure you have all the necessary paperwork (such as background checks) in place.
The most important part of prepping for an author visit is getting the students engaged and excited. Make sure you have multiple copies of the author’s books available in the library, and book talk the books with each class. Many authors have electronic previews of their books to introduce the title to students, so be sure to ask. Reader’s guides can offer samples and activities to do in connection with the visit, and authors love to see student work based on their books, be that biographies, book reviews, or artwork. Students can even use their work to introduce the author at the event.
Have students prepare questions for the author ahead of time. This can be a fun activity where each class votes on their preferred questions as a group. Be sure to connect with the author on social media to build enthusiasm and post information about the upcoming visit where parents and staff will see the news and in e-blasts. Some schools even invite parents to come to the author’s presentation, which makes a nice full-circle moment for families.
Mock Newbery clubs are also a great way to get parents involved. Parents and students can each read the books selected by your club and join in discussions. Incorporating an author visit or Skype with a Mock Newbery author can be really inspiring for both kids and adults.
Logistically, it’s important to plan your itinerary for an author visit carefully, with time for classes to switch out, sign books, and maybe even eat lunch with their visiting author! Authors will also appreciate having a place to take a short break and guzzle some snacks in between presentations.
More than anything, authors want visits to schools and libraries to be inspirational and fulfilling for everyone involved. You can trust that they are preparing for the visit as much as you are. We share a common goal: literacy engagement. By the time the author visit arrives, the whole school will be buzzing in anticipation, and afterward the enthusiasm will last for weeks. That is the value of an author visit.
Today, I’m sitting at my computer wondering what day it is, mainly due to spending the last few days at nErDcampMI, the annual grassroots education summit hosted by Colby and Alaina Sharp in Parma, Michigan. nErDcamp is more than just a literacy event–it’s a meeting of like minded nerds from across the Midwest and the country, all in service of books. So yes, it is basically the best thing ever.
Things I learned at nErDcamp 2016:
I need to work on my selfie game. These educators are ON IT.
The brain power at nErDcamp is something you can feel in the air.
Kathy Burnette opens NerdTalks
I could listen to picture book author/illustrators talk ALL DAY.
Deborah Freedman, Greg Pizzoli, and Lauren Castillo
Panels with kidlit authors are the most fun.
Me with Adam Shaughnessy, Aimee Carter, John David Anderson, Kate Beasley, and Kelly Barnhill
That Mr. Schu really knows how to work a crowd!
I love talking with readers. You guys are the best.
Kids are amazing!
Opening of nErDcamp Jr.
I have major serious face when I teach stuff.
Teaching a workshop on developing voice through letter-writing with 6th graders.
Volunteers make the world go round.
Passing out character names for our voice exercise
Once a nerd, always a nerd. Thank you nErDcampMI!!!
For those who are curious, the voice exercise I taught to the 6th graders is based on this post on writing craft that I wrote for Adventures in YA Publishing. The students were each assigned a character (name, age, one-word description) and asked to write a letter from that character to someone else in the character’s life. I asked them to think about who their character might miss, or who they were mad at, or who they needed to share a secret with. The kids all caught on very quickly, and the surprise was that at least three students shared each character prompt, so they also got to see how their writing voices varied as we read their letters aloud.
I just had the incredible fortune to attend the Writer Unboxed UnConference, a unique gathering of writers in Salem, Massachusetts for a week long study of writing craft. I’ve attended several conferences in the past few years, but this one was like no other. Our entire focus, every single day, every session, was on craft alone. No pitching. No marketing. Nothing but WRITING.
Yeah, it was pretty much heaven.
Now that I’ve had a few days to decompress from taking in all of that information, I wanted to throw out a few notes on the theme that connected nearly all of the craft sessions: focusing on STORY.
It’s super easy to misconstrue plot for story, so that’s the first bit of info to note. According to the brilliant Lisa Cron (highly recommend her book WIRED FOR STORY):
Story is how what happens effects someone in pursuit of a difficult goal.
Plot is HOW that happens.
Story is change. It is the Inner Journey. It must be defined to choose a plot.
Plot is externalization. It is the Outer Journey. The specifics are flexible. In a way, it doesn’t MATTER what your plot is, only how it creates a sense of meaning and journey of change.
If you’re anything like me, it’s a relief to think this way. It’s a relief to LET GO OF PLOT. To know that what matters is nailing the emotional journey of your character, especially in the first draft. Now, of course I believe that certain external specifics are better choices than others, in terms of suiting your themes, maximizing your conflict, and maintaining the pace of your story.
How to put this connection into action?
There are two opportunities: before you write, and during revision. Before you write, it’s key to identify the core elements of your STORY.
What is your character’s emotional arc over the course of the story? How do they start out? How do they change by the end? Even if you have zero clue about the plot mechanisms that will get you to your conclusion, you need to have this transformative process in mind for your characters. Note, that’s ALL of your characters. Ask yourself the same questions about your secondary characters. Let them star in their own complicated stories. If you begin drafting with some of this character backSTORY in mind, you’ll tap into the heart of the story more effectively.
Notice how I capitalized part of backSTORY? That’s because I see so many worksheets asking ten million questions about character traits that honestly don’t teach you much about your characters. Instead of figuring out their favorite flavor of ice cream, ask the heavy questions: what happened in your character’s past that changed his or her life? How was this moment a turning point in your character’s life? How did this event leave your character with a false self image, a falsity that they will not shed until they complete the journey in your narrative? Dig in for the tough stuff, and you’ll have your backSTORY.
Once you hit revision, you have another chance to evaluate your PLOT choices.
Look at the progression of the overall character arc, and examine the effectiveness of each subplot and scene. Do all of your choices support your core story? Is there a way to increase the conflict by choosing a different inciting moment? By shifting to a new quest or subplot? By changing the setting and characters present in a scene?
Once you have a draft to work with, you can hone in on the right plot choices, the ones that increase tension and raise stakes. Remember, changing your plot choices is OKAY. Your plot is just a series of steps from point A to point B. You can change those steps out for a yellow brick road. You can cut through the woods instead of following the stream. You really can steer that path where you want it to go, because plot is a function of STORY–and YOU are the storyteller.
I just got back from this year’s BEA event in NYC, and I want to summarize a few things for those of you who wonder what happens there, or what this BookCon thing is, or what’s going to happen to BEA in the future…which is a big question, for sure.
BEA is short for Book Expo America.
It’s a trade show held at the Javits convention center in NYC each year (until 2015, that is). If you’ve never been to a trade show, imagine an enormous building the scale of a concert hall, lined with booths and banners. What’s in all of those booths? Publishers, but also companies that are related to publishing (including printing services, toy companies, app groups, etc).
For most people, the only parts of the BEA floor that hold interest are the publisher’s booths. During the show, you can get ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) of books from these booths, as well as line up to get books signed by certain authors (there’s also a large Autographing Area for this specific purpose). What this means overall is that you end up walking around a crowded convention hall, trying to decide which book to line up for, if the line is too long, or if there might be a book drop (an unscheduled release of ARCs) at any of the big booths.
Yes, you can get a bunch of books for FREE at BEA…but that’s changing.
While this year’s event is fresh in my mind, here’s what I think is coming: BEA as a trade show has lost some of it’s past functionality. Meaning, there aren’t a TON of publishing deals going down at the show compared to the past. Publishers are seeing less incentive to spend a lot of money on the event (and that means fewer free books for attendees).
Plus, the books they are giving away aren’t intended as awesome presents from heaven–they’re intended to help market the upcoming books and build buzz. That’s why the event is traditionally limited to publishing professionals, including bloggers. Bloggers and avid readers will promote a book and build buzz, and therefore are worth the investment. The general public isn’t considered as great of an investment when it comes to ARCs.
This year, I also noticed that the ARCs were even more tightly controlled than last year. Many book drops were scheduled, instead of being randomly set out. Some of the book drops even required lines, which meant that over all, you weren’t going to grab as many books (because there is only so much time, and you can only wait in so many lines).
So, professional or public, BEA is changing.
It’s not so much about the books anymore.
Instead, BEA is evolving into a more consumer-centric event with the advent of BookCon.
Now, BookCon came about in a way that was uber confusing for a lot of attendees. Last year, BEA offered Power Reader passes, which were one-day passes for the public to attend the show on Saturday. This was the only opportunity for “non-publishing” people to attend this show. Usually, you have to be an author, blogger, or publishing professional of some sort to attend (again, that whole “investment” concept).
But back to BookCon. This year, after Power Reader passes were sold, attendees were informed that a new event was taking place–BookCon–and that their Power Reader passes were being reassigned to this event. Most people crossed their fingers and hoped for the best: that BookCon would be the same as Power Reader day last year.
Well, it wasn’t.
And it’s not going to be in the future, either.
BookCon is run by the same entity that runs ComicCon. They are focused on consumers, celebrity, and drawing large amounts of revenue by bringing those two entities together. Like ComicCon, BookCon was focused on panels. Panels are basically presentations/Q&As with important people of some sort–in BookCon’s case, the panels were mainly focused on authors and celebrities with tie-ins to publishing or book-to-film projects (like TFioS, Stan Lee & Marvel books, Dystopian panel including Veronica Roth). Yes, there were panels on other topics like diversity, but by and large, the panels were focused on presenters with some clout behind their names, culminating in the TFioS panel with John Green.
So, what happened at BookCon?
Basically, thousands of people showed up and lined up for different panels or a few select book giveaways on the BEA floor. By noon, publishers on the BEA floor started packing up. Their trade show was over, which was utterly confusing to many of the BookCon attendees hoping for free books. There weren’t a lot of those on Saturday, because BookCon attendees are perceived as the general public, and remember, they aren’t the intended audience for ARCs. But there were a lot of opportunities to line up and see celebrities, as well as a greater emphasis on poster, sticker, and button giveaways.
So, if you’re considering attending BEA next year, while it’s still in NYC, here are a few important details to keep in mind:
BEA is evolving toward a pop culture event for consumers centered around books and authors, as quoted from this PW article.
BookCon organizers have announced the intention to hold MULTIPLE BookCon days in 2015, with an increased focus on consumer attendance and revenue generation, as described here.
BEA is moving to Chicago in 2016, and the word I heard is that many publishing pros will not be able to justify attending, and so the event is likely to evolve even further toward the ComicCon approach. Meaning, there will be a focus on books and authors, but in the celebrity-viewing sense, with fewer free books.
Many authors attend BEA because it’s in NYC, and they get a chance to meet with their editors, agents, and publishing friends while in town. Many of us are only at the show itself for smaller periods of time, so a lot of the fun stuff you see on Twitter and the like is not even at BEA itself.
So, consider all of this before you invest in attending–what will you get out of BEA? Or BookCon? They are fun events, but also events with a very specific purposes, and those purposes are changing. In the future, I think BEA will have less and less emphasis on books, and more on cultural tie-ins that tend to be more lucrative, as evidenced with the shift toward BookCon. It’s something to keep in mind.
Aaaaand, it’s June. WHAT? How did that happen? For me, the time warp through spring was induced by writing like crazy, the school year ending, and most importantly, attending BEA and NJ’s SCBWI conference for the first time! Prepare yourself. This is a story best told through pictures.
Best part of ANY pub gathering–catching up with friends! Ella Schwartz, Heidi Schulz, Jen Malone, Me, and Rebecca Sutton. Our cool green lanyards were even cooler in person. And seriously, I could have just gabbed with them all day.
But I had to go run around the floor grabbing swag like this Pigeon puppet from the Mo Willems series!
I also had to go take breaks periodically to sort through the sometimes ridiculously thick books I’d been given to decide what I wanted. Tips: There’s a bag check downstairs. Use it, but really, who needs more than two bags of books? Try to be picky.
I also roamed around with friends, taking pictures of stuff like this to show my kids (It’s a Pokemon. Don’t worry, I didn’t know either, but I was offered the opportunity to have my picture taken WITH it.)
To cap things off, I sat in stunned silence with a group of equally confused attendees and listened to some earnest yet inexperienced actors quote Shakespeare’s Star Wars. And then Leia hula-hooped. It was a glowing LED hula-hoop, naturally. After that I had the opportunity to sit down with my lovely agent Pete Knapp and talk my face off, which was awesome!
Fast forward to NJ-SCBWI a week later in Princeton, NJ. I was lucky enough to receive a tote signed by illustrator/author Peter Brown, who started the conference off with an incredibly well timed, self-deprecating speech dedicated to his Mommy.
Again, the best part was hanging out with my writer buddies, like fellow MG writer Ronni Blaisdell! Awkward selfies are the BESTEST!
Believe it or not, I also learned some things too, instead of coming home with twenty pounds of books as at BEA. One of the best sessions I attended was run by Lexa Hillyer of Paper Lantern Lit (a literary consultant & story architect), wherein she produced this rather special diagram on 3-act plotting. Now, I’ve studied 3-act structure before, but this was the first time I heard someone outline it so specifically for novels (especially MG/YA novels). Study it. Google 3-act structure. You won’t be sorry.
I also attended an incredible workshop run by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen on creating realistic contemporary characters. Besides wowing us with her streamlined and easy-to-digest presentation (Prezi.com), she also took us through all of the techniques for building characters that your readers will connect with, from the character’s qualities to their dialogue to their actions, in incredible detail. I’m reserving some of what I learned in this session (as well as Lexa’s) for future blog posts.
And then the conference was over, and I drove home in a daze. I absorbed so much information and met so many people in the past week that I don’t know quite how seasoned authors do it all the time! I know many of you might be in the position of trying to decide on a conference or event to attend. FYI, BEA is a tradeshow, not a conference. Go there if you love (free)books, and walking around all day, and gabbing in a busy, fast-paced environment. SCBWI conferences, however, are great places to meet other writers, find critique partners, and network with people in the publishing industry. Most regions have their own chapter and conference, and based on my experience, it’s a good place to start (especially if you want the opportunity to pitch your work to agents/editors).
Now that I’ve gone to both, I think I’m on the look out for a craft weekend or retreat that’s more focused on writing and less on breaking into the industry. Although I will likely still attend BEA and a regional conference every year–this year, I spent Sunday afternoon lunching with best-selling author Lauren Oliver and chatting with her about craft, and story-telling, and the way of writing. And let’s face it, you can’t beat that.
Working on business cards, sifting through sketches…
So excited to attend my first BEA this year. I’m only going for one day, Saturday, but I intend to tear it up. Hope to see you there! I’ll be at SCBWI-NJ the following weekend in Princeton, so I’m happy to say I’m finally reaching my goal of attending a writing conference. One step at a time, one step at a time. *grins*
On Saturday, I abandoned my family to go spend the night with strangers–well, not total strangers. My crit partners! I may be in the revision cave, but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to leave it. Especially if it’s for work purposes (please ignore the wine).
Across digital lines of communications I’m quite tight with my CPs, but in real life, I’d never met one until this weekend. Fortunately, none of us turned out to be large, hairy bald men impersonating women on twitter. We were all, in fact, totally awesome, insightful, supportive, and incredibly creative.
Can I just say, if you have not taken the time to hang out with other writers, make it a priority. I know it’s hard to find people. But offer to host, to organize, to drive–whatever it takes–and make it happen! Why? Because writers are the best people for other writers. My CPs did not in fact think I was crazy when I showed up with this:
Really! Instead, we all talked about revisions, and how we handle them. And what we’re working on. And everything we’d ever worked on. And what we might work on in future. And basically everything else in our lives, all in a couple of days that felt more like a week away from the kiddos (one of whom projectile vomited into the sink less than an hour after my arrival home).
So, after blabbing endlessly for hours, skpying with three other writerly friends, and spending a long, quiet stretch of Sunday in our PJs simultaneously clicking away at our laptops, I left with a renewed sense of purpose in my work, hope for my friends, and a big stack of additions to my TBR pile! Thanks, girls. It was lovely.
So, awhile ago I made a resolution to attend my first writer’s conference within a year, and this past weekend I attended an SCBWI-NJ workshop! Yay! First of all, let me say this moment was very exciting. I felt like attending this workshop was my coming-out party of sorts, wherein I revealed my writerly identity to the world. Sure, I have CPs and a writer’s group, and I’ve written a couple of MSs at this point . . . but this was the first time I showed up as a writer in PUBLIC.
It’s a good thing for me that a lot of other people showed up, as well, because I got over those nerves quickly as I surveyed the room of attendees and realized we were all in the same boat together. Sure, some of the people there had agents or published books, but every single one of us still had some kind of writerly aspiration we were working towards, whether that be getting agented, or published, or re-published. I was among friends.
Why did I go to a Conference?
The event I attended was a single day free workshop offered by SCBWI-NJ. I begged my husband and kids to drive me there through post-Sandy roads, detours, and traffic so that I could get a taste of what a writer’s conference would be like. Granted, I’ve gone to a whole lot of professional design conferences and trade-shows, so I knew what to expect from the conference environment. What I was interested in learning was what really gets discussed at these events, and what I might stand to learn from biting the bullet and paying for a larger conference in the future.
The Scoop on this Workshop
While I listened to the wonderful Leeza Hernandez introduce the industry professionals participating in the day’s workshop, I started to take notes, and then thought better of it and started live-tweeting the event. After all, the most important soundbites would surely be under 140 characters, so why not share with my writer buddies as I learned? Read on for my favorite soundbites from the workshop by topic.
State of the Industry
The workshop opened with remarks from a panel of industry professionals including agents Ted Malawer and Rachel Orr, and editors Jenne Abramowitz, Paula Sadler, and Sara Sargent. The remarks spanned common topics of interest from what’s trendy, to personal interests, to discussion of the Penguin/Random merger, to some very insightful remarks about publishing and writing on the whole.
Phew! That was a lot of info, right? Great info and good insights into what these agents and editors are looking for, though!
Series Paperbacks with Jenne Abramowitz
Am I particularly interested in writing a paperback series? Not so much. But I am interested in Jenne, because she has SO much experience in the publishing industry, and I just knew she’d have some really interesting remarks to share.
Crit Groups
I also attended a Crit Group Session with Sheri Perl-Oshins, but didn’t tweet during the session as it was a real workshopping expercise. Sheri shared a lot of great insights into how to form crit groups and how to run them. The biggest takeaway I had: Set Expectations Up Front. As long as you discuss how swaps will work, schedules, and expectations, you should have an okay crit experience–but remember, not everyone will be a great match. Connect with writers via Twitter and FB and through your local library, or however you need to, because feedback is critical to producing great work!
Q&A with Agents
The final session I attended was a Q&A with Ted Malawer and Rachel Orr. I was really looking forward to this session because these agents are both, well, funny. And genuine. And in general, it was an informative and fun session. But there were a lot of questions that quite frankly could be answered online with a quick trip to their agency websites, or using google. At times I questioned how much agents really enjoy a Q&A. Having been on a pro panel myself as a designer, I can say that nothing sucks the life out of you like mundane questions or self-promoting questioners.
What Did I Learn?
I learned that I would like to go to another writer’s conference, but I need to be careful about the focus of the conference I attend. I don’t want to throw myself into pitch sessions. I’m not terribly interested in Q&A’s. What I really love to talk about is writing. The deep, underlying mechanics of writing. Characterization. Plotting. Settings. Word devices. Sentence Structure. And I also LOVE books. I love authors.
So, perhaps what I need is a writer’s conference that’s more about writing than publishing. I trust publishing will work itself out with time. That’s not what I want to focus on right now. So I’m considering BEA for the love of books, or another SCBWI conference (if it offers more content-oriented sessions). If you know of a great writer’s conference, please share! I hope to meet you there one day.
Today’s guest post is about taking the leap and attending your first writing conference. It’s certainly something I’ve thought about doing. I live a stone’s throw from NYC, so I really have no practical excuse not to pick one and go. But therein lies the problem: how do I pick one?
Well, I met fellow writer Jessica Vealitzek a few weeks ago, and heard she was attending the Backspace Conference in NYC–something I’d failed to pull the trigger on. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind giving us some insight into how she picked the conference, and what it was like to attend. Without further ado, here’s Jessica!
Hello, everyone!
I attended my first conference last week and lucked out. Backspace provided exactly what I was looking for–a welcoming “formal” entrance into the (physical) literary world.
Why a Conference?
Last January as I was writing my first novel, The Rooms are Filled, I wanted to have something to aim for. Backspace not only provided a deadline, it offered a place to meet other writers, agents, and authors, and, in a sense, celebrate the completion of my novel.
Jessica and writer Regina Swint
Why Backspace?
I’d never heard of Backspace until a fellow writer mentioned she was going. I researched it and other conferences online and this is what sold me: rather than speed-dating agents in 1-minute pitch sessions that, I gather, agents hate as much as authors, Backspace provides a workshop setting. You bring your query letter and the first two pages of your manuscript, read them aloud to a small group of writers and two agents, and listen to the agents critique it. The hope is that one–or heck, both–of the agents will ask to read more of your manuscript. But even if that doesn’t happen, the workshop gives you the chance to start a relationship with agents interested in your genre. Plus, wouldn’t you rather have an agent read your actual writing than try to sell it orally in an elevator pitch?
As an MFAer, I’m familiar and comfortable with workshops. If you’re not, don’t be afraid. The criticism is never or never should be, offered harshly. You also get to hear the critiques of others’ writing, giving you a whole picture of what those particular agents look for when they read submissions.
Beyond the agent workshops, there were panel discussions led by agents and published authors on the craft and industry of writing, such as, “What Literary Agents Want,” “Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing,” and “Developing Characters Readers Care About.” Writers also had the option of adding, for an additional cost, a one-on-one session with an agent for ten minutes (and ten pages).
On Saturday, the third and final day, I attended the afternoon group workshop with agent Donald Maass, who is a recurring participant. The four hours flew by faster than any MFA class I ever had and included an incredible amount of smart “Shoot, why didn’t I think of that?” advice.
On the street in NYC
The Downside
Backspace, as I understand it, is more expensive than most conferences ($500-600). On top of that, the hotel is in the middle of Manhattan )better access to and for agents), which means just about everything else is expensive. Backspace organizers do a good job of providing as much info as possible on cheap alternatives and they will also pair people who want a roommate.
The Best Part
I suppose a literary conference in New York could have been intimidating, filled with snobby literati (dressed all in black, of course, and carrying their own copy of Ulysses). But from the authors to the organizers to the agents, the people were friendly and laid-back, helpful and interested.
Writers Kathryn Maughan, Mary Kay Jennings, and Regina Swint
Which leads me to what turned out to be one of the best parts: meeting other writers. the atmosphere was supportive, not competitive. I received encouragement that I will forever be grateful for, and I found an online critique partner. I left the conference not overwhelmed, but inspired. Which, as eery writer knows, is worth gold.
About Jessica:
Jessica Vealtizek is a former statewide political communications director, exhibit writer, and reporter who was recently certified to teach high school English. But all of that was an excuse to avoid doing what she always wanted to do: write a novel. Lucky for her, she got pregnant while student teaching and is now at home raising her two young children–while writing her first novel, The Rooms are Filled. She also writes for Rebellious Magazine.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
I love to doodle (and I’m a huge Richard Scarry fan), so I’ve hidden doodlebugs throughout this website. Count them and contact me, and I’ll send you a personal doodle! Only count this guy once!
Have students prepare questions for the author ahead of time. This can be a fun activity where each class votes on their preferred questions as a group. Be sure to connect with the author on social media to build enthusiasm and post information about the upcoming visit where parents and staff will see the news and in e-blasts. Some schools even invite parents to come to the author’s presentation, which makes a nice full-circle moment for families.
Today, I’m sitting at my computer wondering what day it is, mainly due to spending the last few days at 
