Excelent Blog Entry I found: How to: 7 Tips for Pitch Sessions with Editors and Agents

I'm preparing flights (found one for WAY cheaper! SOLD!) and accommodation and visas and ra ra ra for my trip overseas which, if you read this blog at all is also going to include the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators LA Conference (woot!).

Found this blog post today on Jennifer Lawler's site, which makes me realise I should really be prepared. I have a couple of months, but I don't want to leave it to the last minute. Some of you may be heading to conferences at the moment and going through the perils of pitching. I know the NESCBWI conference is on at the moment cos an agent who has my full manuscript is there right now. So she's busy and not getting back to me.

Anyhoo, here's the blog post. Really worth thinking about before attending conferences. And I think conferences and workshops are a must for writers.

Also, I started a new blog, for my more non-fictiony type of writing which I'm doing a lot of at the moment. So you can visit me doing other stuff at http://www.sairzthatwriterchick.blogspot.com

And I'm on Twitter! http://twitter.com/SairzBillington. Enjoy!

http://jenniferlawler.com/wordpress/?p=133
How to: 7 Tips for Pitch Sessions with Editors and Agents
It’s that time of year when writers throw themselves into a panic over conference pitch sessions with editors and agents. As a veteran of approximately five million of these sessions, I wanted to weigh in on what has worked best for me.

The most important thing to remember is that you’re not going to sell your book in a five-minute (or even a ten-minute) session with an editor. So relax. What you’re trying to do is start a relationship. That’s how books get sold. If you can just have a conversation with the agent or editor, you’re way ahead of the game. So while it’s important to think about what you’re going to say ahead of time, if you get too focused on you and your pitch, you won’t listen to what the editor or agent is saying. It’s hard to make a connection with someone if all you can think about is your own agenda.

That said, here are 7 tips for getting ready:

1. Figure out how to describe what your book is about in a couple of sentences. Practice these sentences in a couple of different ways, but don’t memorize them. Know what shelf your book will fit on in the bookstore (this is true even for cross-genre or sub-genre stuff – figure out who your main audience is and where they’d look for your book.) Look up a few titles of books similar to yours so that the agent or editor can relate to what you’re trying to do.

2. Be prepared for obvious questions: Why are you the right person to write this book? What made you decide to write this book? Who is the audience for this book? How will you research and write it? Again, think about what you’ll say but don’t try to memorize the answers.

3. Be prepared for not obvious questions. This is a matter of knowing your subject matter thoroughly, and understanding what you can bring to the table. I’m written a ton about women and martial arts/self defense, so I blinked when an editor said, “I’m trying to expand my line of how-to books for men. What could you do that would help them improve their training?” Fortunately, I knew a lot about martial arts in general (not just as it specifically relates to women), so I was able to formulate a credible answer.

Also, a little honesty goes a long way: “I think I know the answer to that, but I’d better double-check. May I email you the actual stats on Monday?”

4. Ask your own questions: What are you looking for? What is a common mistake writers make when pitching you? What is the most important thing a writer can do to make their book proposal more appealing? Use the time to listen, not just to talk.

5. Don’t get freaked out if the editor or agent hates your book idea. You can take the time to ask some of the questions in #4 – “Okay, then, what are you looking for? What would you like to see come across your desk today?”

Once I could tell that nothing I ever did in this lifetime would be of interest to a particular editor, so I just suggested we wrap it up and asked her if I could bring her a cup of coffee so she could have a little break before the next writer showed up. No, this never resulted in a book deal, but we ended the session feeling fine about each other and life went on.

6. Breathe. Like most people, I have a tendency to talk fast when I’m nervous or excited. I also talk too much. When I go on and on, I lose my listener. I start to sound like I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. Now I have a little rule. I allow myself to say two sentences, then I shut up and give the other party a chance to say something. This gives me a chance to breathe and listen. Then, if indicated, I say two more sentences. No one seems to think I’m strange for doing this. In fact, it actually turns out to simulate a real conversation remarkably well.

7. Have a way for the agent/editor to contact you. No agent or editor is going to want to lug home fifty-seven book proposals and thirty-two full manuscripts, but there’s nothing wrong with having one sheet of paper that gives your contact information and a brief overview of your book idea. That will help the agent/editor remember you. The way to offer it is to hand over your business card (if requested), and then say, “I do have a one-sheet here, if you’d like to have that.”

What do you do to make pitch sessions go better?

The ups and downs of lately.

Well.

I didn't think I had anything too interesting to write of late because it has mostly been filled with the torture of writing a 2500 essay for my Authorship and Writing class. It's worth 50% of my mark, and since everyone in the class agrees that it is the most hideous question of all questions ever, it's been really really hard to write. Which is why I'm here and not writing my essay. Because I don't understand my essay. And if I don't understand it, then I doubt my lecturer will understand it.
So now I'm here.

There have actually been some ups and downs of late, nothing too dramatic, or I'm just riding a perpetual wave of "meh, whatever" like calm. Aside from the constant moaning and complaining about my essay.

Received my passport. Yay!
Crappy photo - of course. Boo!

Went shopping with my sister and bought a new phone that is made of awesome and does NOT turn off mid-phone call just cos it feels like it. Yay!

Also bought lots of snazzy new clothes so that I don't feel quite so much like the country bogan that I'm ever so slowly turning into. Yay!

Spent lots and lots of money. The Rudd Stimulus package money that I erm...haven't received yet. Boo! (Or - you're a tool, Sarah!)

Had my feature article on Uni students and financial woes published in Lots Wife Magazine in Melbourne AND The Star Newspaper in Gippsland. Yay!

Did I get paid for either of them? No. Boo!

Have been officially accepted into Leeds University for next semester. Yay!

Have been going around checking out flight details for my little sojourn across the USA with Eleanor, and then over to Europe. We're talking $3800! Boo!

Student Visa for the UK is $290! Boo!

Tourist Visa for USA is free! Yay!

Application Visa for USA is $180. Boo!

Have been writing "The In With Santa" in Script Frenzy which I started writing 2 years ago, but never finished. I'm pleased with how it's going. Yay!

Have stopped writing "The In With Santa" until I get these stupid assignments finished. Two due on Monday, one due on Friday. Boo!

Bought tickets to see Mark Watson and Danny Bhoy at the Comedy Festival next week. Tres excited. Yay!

Will have to miss some classes and Badminton to go to them...meh. I can live with that.

Went home to celebrate my birthday early with my family, we went to Dutchie's Stone Grill Restaurant on Phillip Island. I'd never been there before. You cook your food in front of you, on - surprisingly - a stone grill. Was fun and different. Yay!

My sister is paying for half of my passport and my parents are paying for one of my visas for my birthday. Yay!

My doggie Tessa gave me a birthday card, showing that even though she tries to fake me out sometimes, she really loves me. Yay! (The card was written in my mum's handwriting, so I guess mum helped her).

Decided to go out and buy dinner tonight in congratulations for writing...erm...200 words of my assignment. Yay!

As I was rounding the roundabout, a single mum with no car insurance ran into my car and put a big ol' dent in my door. Not exactly Boo, but aw... I feel bad for her. NO CAR INSURANCE.

Tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY! I'm turning 25! Yay!

I will be spending it writing and stressing about assignments. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

That's all.

Love Sairz

It's not actually half bad...

Well I braced myself to read some terrible writing last night. You wanna know what I did? I printed out my entire NaNaNoWriMo 08 book (okay, so only half of it because the printer got stuck and I choose to ignore that it needs to be fixed until I really really need it again) to have a read. Why was I sure this was going to be such a bad read?

Cos it TOTALLY changed throughout NaNo. It was supposed to be all bloggy, about a girl who's blog turns into an agony aunt situation with kids from her school, and soon she finds she's being accosted by kids in the bathroom wanting help with problems when really, she's 15 years old and a lot of the time is giving really bad advice.

So yeah, that was the premise but then it took this huge tangent and the whole blogging thing was forgotten and it all sounded like too much work so it took me 5 months to get up the courage to read it. I decided that it would be more interesting to read, god help me, than stupid academic books for my assignment due in 2 weeks.

A couple of weeks ago I had a bit of a think about this book I was afraid to read because of the sheer enormity of editing that would be involved, and I realised that the tangent it went on, well I kinda liked that. So it wasn't really going to be a case of fixing the end, but maybe bringing the START in line with what happens later.

Well I had a NEW revelation when I started reading it last night. The blogs she writes? Totally awesome. I really have a strong character voice in there. I'll post her first blog - which isn't going to be part of the finished product - below. The regular narrative though, seems really weak in comparison. So I've decided to keep the TANGENT plot, but do it through a diary format, blogs and emails between her friends, which will hopefully help me keep her voice.

MJ, the main character has been bugging me lately. Every story I've been trying to write she's popped up in, in disguise. Like underneath the character of Ruby Vega was MJ playing dress ups. So it's good that I'm keeping her original story. Plus she gets two sequels which I'm sure she's happy about.

Wow. I sound like a crazy writer lady.

On another note, my Screnzy is going well, even though I'm totally cheating and not writing a WHOLE hundred pages in the 30 days, but writing the final 52 to make a 100 page screenplay, it feels good to be nearing the deadline. I've done 9 pages so far and it's coming along fairly well.

What's my Script Frenzy about?

This:

See that? Parents fighting? Little girl telling Santa what she wants...? My Santa shouldn't be that old, but whatevs. Okay so I've made better mock ups and it's not exactly how I picture it but anyhoo. That's what it's about.

I can't really remember what else I was going to say now. Which leads me to think I may have to get up and go do some research for my journalism article, or ee gads read something that I can hopefully reference in my writing assignment. And get ready to go to my Psychology lecture.

Oh! Before I do that, guess what I've been reading this past week and got completely hooked on? I didn't think it was going to happen because yes, I love Meg Cabot but didn't think I'd get into her younger stuff. I wanted to give them ago, because my next BOOK (as opposed to movie which I'm writing now) is about an 11 year old.

Gotta say, they may be for the youngin's but Allie Finkle can teach us all a few lessons. Well done Meg for some great books. I read all three.

Okay well that's it from me.

Below is MJ's first blog entry so you'll get to see what she's all about. She's being little miss agony aunt. Which in the actual book, I've decided she won't be.

Hope you enjoy!

Subject: Boys. AGAIN

Okay guys and gurlz, Miss Jem here, ready and willing to answer all your questions about life and love. I don’t know why you ask me but you do so here I am answering away. No refunds if you don’t like the answer. My opinion is my opinion and I really don’t care if you disagree. Why no refunds, you ask? Cos you’re not paying me! Cheapskates. But whatever. Here we go.

Today’s q:

Dear Miss Jem,
My boyfriend and I have been together like a month, and he’s so nice and sweet when we’re alone but when we’re at school and around his friends he blows me off and treats me like any other girl. What am I doing wrong?
From Sad Girl

Well Sad Girl, I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. I think your boyfriend has a disease that lots of boys get. It’s called buttfacedom. When boys are around their friends they turn into complete morons, have you ever noticed that? But because girls mature at a much, much faster rate than boys (I learned that in Health yesterday – it makes so much sense!) when you’re alone he’s probably overcome with your aura of maturity and adjusts his behaviour accordingly.

So I say just ride it out until it becomes so annoying that you have to go up to him while he’s in the middle of his friends and yell in his face to either grow up and acknowledge you, or dump him HARD in front of all of his friends, preferably the whole school or shopping centre or wherever you are. That way there’s no doubting whether you were the dumper or dumpee. God it’s horrible being the dumpee. Especially when they don’t actually do it but move onto slutty girls without even a ‘it was fun while it lasted’. Don’t be the dumpee!

But back to your problem - I see it all the time at school, girls wondering why after hooking up at a party, the boy isn’t talking to them, like at ALL at school. People can be totally two-faced. Like the Ho Bag (the evil boy stealing whore), she’s all giggly and cuddly and cute as a button when she’s with Cam but as soon as he’s gone she’s all squinty eyed and snarling and throwing the basketball at my face or back, rather than my hands, in P.E. She’s such a cow. But she has to be nice to Cam because he wouldn’t be with her otherwise, would he?

They’re so stupid. I hate them both.
I don’t know why you people ask me these questions about your boyfriends and why he hasn’t called you yet because I’ve never had what I would consider a good proper relationship and if you’ve been reading this blog at all you would know that. I live a truly sad, pathetic life in which I have a thing with a guy last year, where we’re hanging out but not dating but there is a bit of making out and then the next day he’s gone off to be with the Ho Bag. Probably because she’s a slutty McSlut-slut. But is that really what guys want in a girl? Someone experienced who’ll do whatever? Clearly it isn’t cos I’m so not a slutty McSlut-Slut but Cam still wanted to patch things up for a bit when he and Ho Bag were having a fight. But I didn’t fall for that. Well, not very much anyway. Being a place holder sucks.

Regardless, my boy experience is hardly worth mentioning and I say the Ho Bag and her play thing can go puck themselves. They’re both dead to me and that’s my final word. Actually I guess I have had a little more experience but it so doesn’t count.

Hope that answered your question,
MJ
Posted by Miss Jem @ 8:43PM

Sairz's note - so yeah. That's MJ for ya. What a pain in the arse.

The Screnzy....mwahaha!

Screnzy's on, people!!

Okay so the mwahaha was maybe a bit of overkill, considering it's more of an exciting thing than an evil thing. But it just felt right for some reason so I went with it. Now I've wasted a precious few seconds of your life with my rambling on about somethng not even minutely important. And now I've wasted a few more seconds...moving on.

Screnzy, woo! Last year's Screnzy didn't go so well because I had an extremely stressful April. But those issues are long gone and I think, aside from the masses of assignments due this month, it should all go smoothly. Plus I'm not as stressed? Ya wanna know why?

Because I'm cheating.

I'm actually using the imposed deadline of Screnzy to finish a screenplay I started writing two years ago. And it was coming along pretty well, too! All in all, as half a first draft's go, it's a pretty good one. So I'm finishing it. I have 48 pages written, and have 30 days to write another 52. I think I can do this. Less than 2 pages a day, I mean, come on!

However, I have been sitting at this computer for probably 2 hours now and have become extremely absorbed in FaceBook, email and other people's blogs. And through other people's blogs I applied to a couple of literary agents. So it's not like I was TOTALLY unproductive.

Anyhoo. Screnzy.

Answers at last

Well it's been a little while since I blogged and I gotta tell ya - it's cos I've been busy. But I say that every blog. I now go to Rock n roll dance lessons Mondays, Badminton Tuesdays (hilarious with 3-4 people per team, so you get hit with the shuttle cock a lot. Especially from a person who will remain nameless. "OMG, Sorry, sorry!" he starts the night with, but by the end it becomes: "I can't help it, it's SO funny." Hmm. And then I go to gym Thursdays and Fridays and I haven't found the time to do my mental health walkies in the evening! Except for the time I was wide awake at 2am and thought I should go but then decided against it. I was trying to make myself more tired, not more awake.

Uni is back - can't remember if it was or not in my last blog...anyhoo I'm read-read-reading but not the fun stuff. I'm trying to keep up with the 50 - 100 pages each class sets me for the week, let alone any FUN reading. Or writing.
And at the moment, this is my second week of placement in a grade prep-one class. I'm having lots of fun, really like the kids but they really can be exhausting.
It's especially interesting for me to do reading group with them every morning, and see what they think of the stories. If they can read them. They ARE grade prep and one we're talking about here.
The library got a shipment of new books today and I spent my lunchtime in there poring over them, looking at the publishers and reading the blurbs. Clearly I'm very excited about kids books and what's new in the market. What people are writing about, what kids are reading about and what publishers are buying.
I was interested to find that one of the grade six girls's favourite book at the moment is about a cane toad who's family is being wiped out by floods and people, and he stacks up his dead relatives in the corner of his room. It's by Morris Gleitzman, and though it sounds kinda disturbing, she says it's funny. It'd have to be, wouldn't it? :)

I received some good news and some disappointing news - after a lot of work and a long wait, Allen & Unwin have decided not to publish my book, Life was cool until you got popular. I was spared the moment of receiving the manuscript back in the mail, because I was at Uni and haven't seen it yet, but next time I go back to my parents place it'll be there waiting for me. It's disappointing cos I really thought this was it, this was the beginning, and I KNOW it's a good book, but clearly it wasn't meant to be. Not as a Girlfriend Fiction title. I can sort of see that it doesn't fit neatly into the Girlfriend Fiction mould, they're mostly serious books and mine's a little more out there. But she had lovely things to say about it and more constructive criticism for me should I choose to take it on.
I waited a day and sent it to another publisher and today I've sent it to an Agent as well. I feel I'm getting a bit better at criticism. :)

Continuing on with bad news, one of my dogs passed away. Horrible day. He's been sick for awhile and my parents decided it was time to have him put down cos he wasn't doing too well. So that morning my father met me halfway between our homes and I got to say goodbye and tell him what a good boy he was. And not twenty minutes later, on their way back home he slipped away. It makes me sad thinking about it again, but it's so much better for him to have gone that way, don't you think? And he was an old fellah, he'd had a good life.

Okay. Deep, calming breath.

Good news however, is that I'm being published, though not fiction. I have the movie review and another piece being published in Lots Wife, and a newspaper article in a local paper as well.
Plus, I found out something interesting about the Writers Digest contest I entered last year. I came 88th, which I was thinking, you know, that's average. But then I discovered I came 88th out of 17,000. Not something to be sneezed at, anymore, eh?

Since I can't concentrate on a long piece of work at the moment, as soon as I get some writing time I hope to start some chapter books and juniuor fiction. I have a gazillion ideas, as well as ideas for creative non fiction for kids on topics such as space and australian history. As a writer, I'm definitely learning that you can't pigeon hole yourself. You have to branch out and that's what I'm starting to do.
That's about it from me. Must go and cook and prepare for placement tomorrow.

Ciao,

Sairz

Crazy busy

WELL.

Things are happening. Alas, no news yet from Allen & Unwin as we pass the one month since resubmission mark, but I'm gonna go with the "no news is good news" philosophy.

I'm making the most of being at Uni, and the different ways of getting published and have to say was kind of sneaky, contacting the Clayton campus's magazine to see if I can write for them. Well it turns out I can.

My pitch for an article went well and I worked on it over the last couple of days and submitted it Sunday night.

I also got sent to an advanced screening of 17 Again

(teen movie, right up my alley) which was awesome. I'm not actually allowed to talk about what I thought of the movie yet (I had to sign something for Roadshow) but it was screened in Gold Class, and it was just professional reviewers and I had Pete Hellier and Carrie from Rove sitting -reclining - behind me. Guess they're having Zac Efron on the show when he's around for the premiere next week. Or late this week.

Was pretty cool.

So that's 2 bits being published. Plus seems like my campus's mag is going to be more active than last year, as there's a meeting on Wednesday about it so more publishing opportunities! No payments, but the advanced screening was a pretty good perk.

I've actually decided that movie reviewing is an area I wouldn't mind persuing as a way of making an income. However my inbuilt perpensity to think the best of people and things may hinder me a little. I'm likely to never say: "That was a shite movie." Which the newspaper may not like, but I'm sure production companies will love me for.

Yesterday was a public holiday which hindered my plans to send off my SCBWI work in progress grant application - wads and wads of papers - so fingers crossed, sending it today, the 10th will get it to America by the 15th. Hmm. Think I'm sending it express post.

Getting passport photos done today. Pretty exciting. :) Sure to be horrible photos - but aren't they all? But the PASSPORT is the exciting bit.

Getting a bit scared of my next placement at a primary school which starts next week. I shouldn't be, but I am. We have to teach small groups and report on it. And of course we're being examined as we do the teaching, and come up with lesson plans and stuff. Eep. Feel a little out of my depth here, but I'm sure it'll be fine. I worked with small groups last time, it just wasn't official and being assessed.

I'm determined to get back to writing Sam. I'm thinking about him a lot but haven't put fingers to keyboard about him for quite some time. What's stopping me? Probably the lack of research I've done. However, the need of research doesn't come into it for awhile so I should just start writing. I think that was a pep talk.

Okay, better get the day started.

Gonna go and see Watchmen today after class with some mates, and then make a fool of myself on the badminton court. Last week we played 4 against 5, so funnily enough there were others there to hit the shuttle cock when I missed it. Though I did get hit BY the shuttle cock alot. Huh.

Have a good day!!

Sairz

Back to the grind

As I write these words I am sitting in the library at my University on the first day of lectures, amongst lots of studious type students mostly looking at FaceBook and their uni timetables. It's good to be back.
I'm back on res with heaps of friends around and last night a group of 10 of us went house crawling, I guess you could say. As in we started in one house and decided to go and visit lots of random friends we hadn't seen since we'd all gotten back (most people only came back yesterday, I've been here for 3 days). It was interesting when this hoarde of people crashed the UBER exciting events in house 7. They were eating dinner.

I've re-decided (AGAIN) on what book to write, and I'm writing Sam Wyatt and his urban fantasy epic. So I've got lots of books about magical properties in stones and gems, espionage and natural magick in my bookshelves at the moment. And text books but they're not as important.

My character MJ will NOT go away, which is kind of annoying. I think the story about Ruby Vega - Ruby was actually MJ with a new name. She's constantly in my head and is demanding to have a book written about her, but I'm happy with my decision to write Sam's book instead. MJ needs to wait until she has the RIGHT book, because the ones I've been trying to write for her have not been working.

This morning I secured a venue to run creative writing workshops for kids in years 7-10, which is totally awesome but it's also a little scary cos it means I really have to do this. Teach teenagers how to write. It should be fine, I mean I'm so passionate about the subject and I've been to some workshops and observed how THEY do it, so I know it'll be good, but I'm still scared. I've set the beginning for a month away, to give me time to find some students and really work out what we're going to do. Should be a decent income, too which is the MAIN reason I'm doing it.

I have a meeting in a couple of minutes and then my first lecture for the year, so I better skedaddle.

Oh! Who's doing Script Frenzy this year? (www.scriptfrenzy.org)

Starts April 1st, lets get our game face on.

Sairz