A Tale of Two Conferences

In April, I attended Chicago Spring Fling. It was my very first romance writers conference, and I learned a lot. I decided I could pursue a writing career, and I joined RWA and the Wisconsin chapter shortly afterward.

In June, I attended the Write Touch Conference in Brookfield, Wis.  It was equally educational, although my experiences at the two conferences were very different.

Chicago Spring Fling was like attending a Big Ten university, with many classes to choose from, famous speakers and crowded lectures. It was easy to hide in the back of the room and be quiet. Much like when I attended UW-Madison, however, some more outgoing people made a point of saying hello and drawing me into conversations. Everyone who registered was promised exactly one pitch meeting, and I got my first choice. The meeting was very brisk, and although the agent was cordial and professional, she was not very enthusiastic about my project. To be fair, I was still learning the proper vocabulary to use to define things like genre and heat levels, and I was too nervous to come across as confident and enthusiastic myself.

The Write Touch Conference was like attending a small liberal arts college. The class sizes were smaller, and there was only one track. There were high-quality instructors who were able to interact more with attendees. The registration form asked us to rank our top three choices for pitch meetings, and I assumed I might get one of those if the slots weren't all full (I registered shortly before the deadline). Instead, I got three pitch meetings, and all three resulted in a request for a full or partial manuscript. One of my meetings was the last in a particular editor's block, and she was kind enough to spend a little extra time critiquing my pitch letter (I asked her to do so when she invited me to ask any questions I might have of her).

They offered different ways of learning and processing a lot of new information, and I came away from both conferences far more knowledgeable than I was before I attended.  In future years, Write Touch will be alternating years with Chicago Spring Fling. That makes a lot of sense, and I'm sure there will be some terrific synergies when people don't have to split their time and travel budgets. However, I'm very glad I had the opportunity to attend both conferences this year, when I needed a crash course in the business of romance novels.

Learning to Pitch

No, I'm not talking about baseball. I decided several months ago that the time had come for me to buckle down and finish my novel. Then, around the beginning of the year, I started researching what to do with it. I started with the excellent Romance Writers of America website. I looked around for upcoming workshops that were within driving distance. I was fortunate that Chicago Spring Fling was held this year. In addition to the opportunity to hear from one of my favorite romance authors, Mary Balogh, the event was filled with educational workshops and offered those who registered a pitch appointment with one of the several agents and editors in attendance. There was also a Pitch Perfect Master Class offered by author Carrie Lofty.

In preparation for the event, I realized that I had to create a pitch letter. What, exactly, is that supposed to look like? I had no clue. Thanks to the Internet, I found this useful article. So, at least I was able to come up with something. Of course, after taking Carrie Lofty's class, I realized that I should scrap it and start over. I didn't realize that an "elevator pitch" should not contain the same elements as a cover blurb.

I also learned the importance of defining the genre. There are a wide spectrum of genres under (and just outside) the romance umbrella, some of which were new to me. I had never heard of "new adult" before. I did not know the difference between "women's fiction" and "romance". I was aware of paranormal romance but did not know about the increasingly popular urban fantasy genre. I was also unaware that m/m romances were now being published and marketed to women.

Then I had my pitch meeting with an agent. She was very kind and patient. I was very anxious and struggled to describe my book. She asked me about the heat level, and I did not know how to describe it. I cited some published authors with a similar heat level but lacked knowledge of the appropriate technical jargon. Thanks to All About Romance, I now know what terms to use.

I have never been good at self-promotion, or selling anything. I am shy by nature. I always felt uncomfortable selling Girl Scout cookies or band candy (and my parents weren't willing to take order forms to work and solicit their co-workers). I am also terrible at first impressions. I tend to reveal myself slowly.

I realized I had done the same with my characters, which is a problem in a novel. Most readers decide early on whether they like the main characters or not, and that first impression will influence their perception of the rest of the book.

Now I have been revising. I am working on more showing as well as telling and cutting some of the backstory. I know who my characters are and what motivates them, but readers will only know what I tell them.