Last month, I mentioned that agents weren't always necessary. This week (two posts in two months! That's more than I posted last
year!) I wanted to take this to the next step and explain how an author can get their work through the airtight doors of most major publishers to at least get looked at.
Outside of cornering them in a Starbuck's somewhere and crying incessantly until they relent,
a writer's conference is one of the last places you'll find editors willing to actually look at your work, agent or not. You spend time talking to them face-to-face, explaining your vision for your novel, and even answering questions they might have about how you'll pull it off. If they are interested in the book--or sometimes if they just see promise in you as a writer--they'll ask for more material. From there, the ball either gets rolling faster or stops altogether. But no matter what happens, you've just done the same thing an agent would have done with one key difference:
you personally started a working relationship with an editor. Keep going to enough of these conferences with great ideas and they'll get to know your name. Eventually they might even ask to see future work and give you a (moderately) open door for your stuff! Think I'm dreaming? Nope, this is all tried and true and it works. You'd probably be surprised to see how many big-name authors out there don't actually have an agent. They find a publisher they like to work with and they stick with them. Most publishers would rather have an author who'll write lots of stories for them and build a fanbase they can all reap the benefits of. They don't want you shopping around to other houses any more than you want to have to do it!
So what's the drawback, and why aren't more people using this miracle method? Several reasons.
First is
cost. Some writer's conferences can cost you thousands of dollars to attend once you add plane fare, car rental, lodging (if it's not included in your registration fee), and the registration fee of the conference itself. There could also be meal prices to add in there. It's definitely not cheap! But you have to look at the long run of it. If you sell a manuscript (or better yet, get a contract for several of them), you'll feel every penny was well spent. Granted, you probably won't make much in your first royalty payment (a year down the road), but you'll still be published! So if you can pinch the pennies throughout the year, it could be worth your while.
The second drawback is
personal interaction. According to a poll I read several years ago, public speaking was a bigger fear than death to the majority of folks out there! And let's face it: most writers would rather just sit behind their computer screen all day and write. When it comes to a one-on-one situation, they suddenly get the shakes and black out for a few minutes. Now, let's take that tension and jack it up about ten notches by saying
the person you're talking to is the only person in that publishing house that stands a chance of going to bat for you and your manuscript, and if you say the wrong thing they could lose interest in your manuscript or even think you're too kooky to deal with! Think that sounds easy? How about if we add the fact there are literally hundreds of other crazed authors there circling the editors like sharks on a kill just waiting for their chance to jump in there? Yeah, you've definitely got to work up a great push for your idea and be able to present it quickly and clearly. Given the choice of a root canal or meeting an editor for the first time to push their book, it's surprising how many writers would head for the dentist's chair.
And let's face it: if your manuscript isn't any good, all this face time means nothing. They may want to see some sample chapters, but if those chapters don't work your story ends there for them. That's why you've got to have a picture perfect manuscript before you get there. When you get that one chance, you want to show them the best you have, and you have to make it sing above everything else they're going to get at the conference. A few extra dollars (actually, a few extra
hundreds of dollars) can get some editorial work done. Yes, the publishers will have their own editors. . . but you've got to get to that stage first! More money to spend, but it's all worth it if you get a contract.
I can't stress this fact enough. You literally sometimes get
one shot at impressing an acquisitions editor, so you'd better go in there with your game face on. You're not expected to be a professional, but you
are expected to show you've done some research and you have the potential to
become a professional.
Finally, sad to say but the last drawback is
conferences take effort. A lot of writers mistakenly believe success should just fall into their lap. They think if they're good enough everyone should flock to their door to open a bidding war for their stuff. Yes, it takes a tremendous amount of effort to write a novel (even though everyone you know thinks it's easy because they've never tried it), but it doesn't stop there. You have to take it to the next level by polishing, editing, cutting away precious chapters and characters, and then getting out there to make it better by learning from professionals. After all that is said and done, it's time to pack your bags and go flying off to the other side of the country if need be to meet that editor and wow them with your work.
At some time in the future, I might give a few personal do's and don't's about meeting an editor face-to-face (the first time I did it my hands were shaking so bad I had to hold onto the table so I wouldn't look like a caffeine addict on speed). I still get nervous talking to them, but they really
do want to find the next great author and most of them are incredibly nice people.
In closing, let me just mention a writer's conference you should try: The Mount Hermon Christian Writer's Conference in Mount Hermon, California. It's usually held in March, and you get so many representatives from the big publishers and big-name authors that it's just a blast to walk around and see them all. There are some agents there too, so if that's what you're looking for you can find them. The staff there is friendly, the facilities are gorgeous (taking a nature walk among the giant Redwoods in something you'll find inspiring), and the time is scheduled perfectly. You're close to Santa Cruz as well, which makes for a wonderful field trip one afternoon. I have no stock in the conference or anything...I'm just an incredibly satisfied customer who looks forward to it every year. If you don't want to fly to California, there are other conferences all year long all over the United States. Find one close by and get there!
So that's a little direction for you if you're feeling hopeless about ever seeing your work published. Just because you don't have an agent doesn't mean your writing career is over. Get out there, work on your presentation, and impress the right folks!
