Archive for the ‘Agents/Editors’ Category

Just an FYI. So keep an eye on your email. If you don’t receive yours by this week, contact VIP@dfwWritersconference.org and see why not.

~Jason

Share this article

I’ve said this before, and am going to say it again–don’t forget we will have extra pitch slots available for sale the day of the conference.

No, you cannot purchase them ahead of time for many reasons I won’t go into here. However, we will announce at the conference where they will be for sale.

Yes, we will announce it, so everyone will know at the same time. But here’s a hint…get there early on Saturday.

~Jason

Share this article

You’ve done it! After months, or even years, of toiling and long hours at the keyboard you finally have that next bestseller sitting on the screen in front of you. It’s printed, the acrid smell of an over worked printer fills the air. You’ve jumped online and registered for the amazing DFW Writers’ Conference. You’ve even selected the top three choices of the agent you want to pitch your book to…

Hold on there cowboy, oh siblings of the pen, master of the wordsmith — not so fast. Have you even read it? What about getting it critiqued by someone you trust? And I’m not talking about a spouse, parent, or your best friend since the third grade. I’m talking about someone you know that will give you an honest to goodness, give it to me until I bleed, type of critique. Why?

Well my old pal Ernie Hemingway said it best, “The first draft of anything is shit.” He really did — Google it.

Anyway, that may give us a license to write our novel, but it doesn’t give us permission to pawn our sh… stuff off on agents. Think about it, for an agent this is business, they’re not there to stroke your ego. They make money by representing a story that will sell and quickly. They aren’t going to waste time on a premise that is still three or four revisions away from even being close to finish. Would you buy a car that was still missing the tires and an engine? “Well they will be in next month,” the salesman says. Your response? “Then call me next month and I might consider it.” Or even better. Would you even want to do business with him or would you go on to the next lot?

Now that I crushed your bubble and ready to request that refund, lets think a little more about that pitch session. That agent high on your list might be the one you ultimately wanting to represent you and your baby (a.k.a. your novel). But now you realize that it isn’t ready — what are you going to do? Well consider a consultation.

“Kirk, I already have an agent. I don’t need the pitch session,” some might add as they politely decline the 10 minutes of one-on-one time your registration offers. Really? You don’t need anything else? Have you not thought about the “author platform”? Remember, an agent isn’t just selling your story, they are selling you as an author!

In the 2012 DFW Writers’ Conference Meredith Barnes, formerly an agent with Lowenstien, and now with Soho Press will be providing consultations. And Stacey Barney, an editor with Putnam Penguin Publishing, will be taking pitches as well as providing consultations. But what exactly can you get out of a consultation? Here are some things to consider.

•  If you have been having trouble with your query, or maybe don’t quite know what genre your book fits into, you might want to consider a query letter consult. Bring a print out of your actual query letter with you and they can read, review, and critique it. Even give you advice of genres you haven’t thought of.

•  Lets say that you have been working at developing your author platform. You got a blog, Twitter, maybe even a Pintrest, but your not sure it’s enough and just want some general advice. The consultants will have laptops available and can get onto your sites and make sure it has the right information and offer some tips for improvement.

• One of the things authors struggle with most when getting rejections, is the paranoia of not being good enough, when in fact there just isn’t a market for that type of story. The consultants can help giving advice based by telling you what is “hot” now, what’s trending and being purchased, and where your story fits in today’s market.

• Or perhaps you have some general questions about proper etiquette or publishing in general. EBooks vs. traditional publishing or self-publishing? This is your time to get a straight answer. Or possibilities you haven’t considered.

The thing to remember here is that you only have ten minutes of face time with these professionals. With such little time you need to be clear and precise with the questions you want to ask. Be prepared and edit yourself! Write your questions out before hand and write down some follow on questions in case you breeze through the first one. Also, be sure to bring pen and paper to write down what’s discussed. Guaranteed, when you get back to writing on Monday, your mind will go blank.

So now that you know this opportunity is available get back to EventBrite and make the most of your selection. And if you selected “no” to having a pitch session, consider a consultation instead.

If you need help, feel free contact me at vip@dfwwritersconference.org.

Kirk von der Heydt

Share this article

Your pitch doesn’t matter.

I know, I know, you’ve heard so many people tell you, “You must have your pitch down to a work of art before you approach an agent!”

HOGWASH!

I have been to numerous conferences, and have been on the board for the DFWCON for three years now. Last year I was in charge of the agent pitch sessions.  Never have I seen so many nervous people. It was like they were walking into a game of Russian Roulette! 

I’ve done a ridiculous amount of research on this topic and talked to many agents (you’d be surprised at how many agents you can talk to when you are handling the pitch sessions) and I’ve come up with an axiom that I am willing to share with you all.

Your pitch doesn’t matter!

I can feel your look through the space time continuum.

It’s really simple. Let me break it down for you in a few short examples.

1.       Your pitch sucks.

2.       Your pitch rocks!

And then there’s the “Your pitch kind of hit in the middle.” Let’s not waste time with lukewarm.

Why? Because of this:

Let’s say your pitch sucks. You stumble over your words, the agent looks confused (or worse, looks at her nails!) but she is intrigued enough to have you send her something. (why wouldn’t she have you send her something? You could have all along, without pitching her. It’s called a query letter! Remember this! It’s one more reason not to be nervous in a pitch session.) And after you send your story off, your writing KICKS ASS! Woohoo! The agent loves your story, prose, hook, etc., and makes The Call.

Your pitch didn’t matter, did it?

But let’s say your pitch is so polished I can see my beautiful bald head in it.  The agent asks you to send them your work. But you really suck at writing. I mean, you suck harder than a … (you know it’s really hard to come up with a “suck” reference without being dirty) a kid trying to get a thick milkshake out of a thin straw. But guess what?

Your pitch doesn’t matter.

When the agent gets your sample work, they will probably become faint and perhaps throw up a little in their mouth.  BUT! The good news is, you pitch didn’t matter. Never did, because no matter how great your pitch is, if your writing sucks, you might as well sign up for that “Perfect Prose in 3 Easy Steps” class.

It’s your writing that matters. Your pitch is just a doorway to your work. You just have to make sure the door is open. And it doesn’t even have to be open very much. Just a skosh will do.

So when you are preparing your pitch for your agent, make sure you get it down so you don’t sit there and stare at the poor agent.  But don’t sweat it too much, because—

Your pitch doesn’t matter.

~Jason

Share this article

Second Pitch Sessions

I am happy to announce at this year’s DFW Writers Conference we are offering limited second pitches—for a low cost.

We pride ourselves on not being a “nickel-and-dime” conference, but every year, we hear from folks who want a second pitch session, and are unable to get one. We also usually have some pitch slots left over at the end of the conference too.

How many? It varies wildly.

With that being said, we’re going to be offering the second pitch sessions for $39.00 on a completely first-come-first-served basis.  There will be limited numbers and there is a chance that not everyone will be able to get a second.

This is an experiment to see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out–so be it!

Basically, it’s going to work like this:

Kirk, our VIP director of this year, is going to fill out the pitch slots as usual, filling in all the Saturday slots with everyone’s pitch. Remember, the first pitch is our primary concern, so he may have agents whose pitches go over into Sunday.

Once he has everyone’s first free pitch in, we will have an idea of what slots are still open. Not every agent will have empty slots, and the second agent you want, may not have any slots available.

Once Kirk has all our slots filled out, he will get a count of how many empty slots are available for a second pitch.

On Saturday (the first day of the conference) we will have a station where you can sign up and pay for the second pitch session.  You will get to look at the available slots for each editor and agent before deciding if you want to sign up. Most all the empty slots will be on Sunday.

Now, the onus is on you to know which agent or editor represents which genre. (This is your career we’re talking about here! Make sure to do your due diligence on all the agents and editors.) We should be able to take credit cards and cash, so bring it with you!

We will announce when and where to sign up for the second pitch, soon.  So stay tuned.

~Jason

Share this article

Today’s blog post is by Kirk, our director of V.I.P.s

Last year was my first ever writers conference. I have been looking forward to attending the DFW Con for months. At least since last years writers conference. As the days drew closer I decided that I’d volunteer by picking up one of the agents from the airport and be “host” during the agent’s visit. The nerves didn’t set in until I found myself driving to the airport to get my assigned agent. Images of deities with magical halos and pitchforks filled my head. I’m not sure what I expected, but not what came through security. A 29 year old woman that looked like everyone else getting off the plane. My education about literary agents (and other publishing professionals – aka Colleen and Faith) started there and grew through out the weekend.

Agents are people too…

It’s true. From the first night, I began to realize that the professionals are indeed humans, not some god-like creature (or demon-like depending on the agent). But seriously, they eat, drink, and party like the rest of us. At the evening social events I found it amusing how the writers milled about with one another, too frightened to approach the agents. So the agents did what was only natural, they talked to one another. Eventually, and after several rounds of liquid courage, the writers grew more courageous and finally approached them. The agents received the writers warmly and talked to any person that found the courage. Lesson #1 – Agents are people too, talk to them.

Don’t take it personal…

Rejections can be hard to take as a writer, I know I’ve had plenty. But I’d never expect to be face-to-face with one that rejected my story.  I told myself I would not hold it against him and would talk to him regardless. In with our discussions on weather and TX BBQ, the topic of rejections came up and I found that not all agents enjoy rejecting writer’s queries. Well okay, some queries are really bad and even I wouldn’t feel bad about squashing a bug or two, but in the end it comes down to business. The agent knows his or her client list, (s)he knows what their editors are taking, and they know what will sell for them. Their decisions are based on business sense. Lesson #2 – If an agent rejects you, don’t take it personal.

No means no…

During the weekend I found myself in the company of several agents simultaneously and listened as they compared notes. Some of the stories I heard swore me from ever wanting to be an agent. Being pitched in the bathroom, finding a manuscript on the hotel room’s pillow, and the occasional stalker would scare the bejesus out of anyone. Aside from these extremes one of their most frustrating points are when people feel they have a right to keep submitting the same agent after a rejection. Some agents will provide a constructive critique with the rejection and the writer thinks that means rewrite and send back. Not only is it rude, it’s bad for your reputation as a writer. Lesson #3 : When an agent says ‘no’ – no means no.

“No” doesn’t mean ‘you suck’…

One of the events at the conference was a tribute to the Gong Show from the 70s. This panel allowed the readers to see just how diverse agents can be. At one point several agents rejected a query while another agent leaned into the microphone and announced to the audience “If you are sitting out there, I want your manuscript.” Just proves my last lesson. Lesson #4 – Just because an agent says “no” it doesn’t mean “you suck”.

Kirk von der Heydt

Share this article

Becky Vinter began her career in publishing at the Feminist Press in 2006, before moving to NAL/Penguin, where she edited commercial women’s fiction. She joined FinePrint Literary Management in 2011 and is currently looking for a range of both fiction and nonfiction projects. Becky grew up in London and earned her BA in English Literature from the University of Leeds. She now lives in Brooklyn.

She is seeking: Becky likes the whole spectrum of women’s fiction, from literary to “bookclub” to romance of all sub-genres. She is also in the market for YA fiction with strong female protagonists. In nonfiction, she likes well-crafted narrative nonfiction, including memoir, current events, travel, pop culture, wellness, yoga and food.

Find her at:

QueryTracker

Twitter: @bvinter

Share this article

How many of you came to the conference last year?
<waits for show of hands>

Wow! That’s a lot!  How many of you went to the Gong Show(s)?
<waits again>
Whoa! Even more!  That’s terrific.

The Gong Show, in case you didn’t attend, was where we had The Voice of The Gong Show read (anonymous!) query letters to a group of agents. When the agents were at a point in the query letter where they would stop reading, they bang the gong in front of them.

Once three agents bang out, The Voice stops reading and the host of the show asks the agents why they would stop at that point. Agents get to have fun listening to the letters, and we the viewing audience gets to have fun and we get to learn.  Who knew learning could be so much fun?!

Never let it be said we are one to rest on our laurels. (One? No, there’s a whole group of us!)

This year, we’re going to trick it up a little. On the first day, we’re going to have The Voice read query letters, just like last year.  However, on the second day, we’re going to have him read the first page of your submission. Yep. That first word, that first sentence, that first paragraph, (still anonymously, so the innocent can stay that way) all the way to the end (if the agents don’t start banging that gong).

We are doing this simply because, it’s the writing that matters most. You can have a great query that may elicit some reading of your first page, but if that first page doesn’t hook the agent (or editor) pretty darn quick, you’re wasting your time.

This should make for some pretty interesting feedback and we all will learn something about the thought processes that go into why a work grabs someone and why it fails.

You want to have your query or first page read at the conference (anonymously!) you can either let me know, or you can just bring it with you.  We’ll have a collection spot for them.  Will all of them get read? Probably not. We’ll be picking them in random order, so you may not hear yours—but who knows, maybe you will.

Don’t start freaking out just yet!

~Jason

Share this article

Meredith Barnes is an associate agent at Lowenstein Associates. She is particularly interested in building her nonfiction list, especially blog-to-book projects and projects dealing with alternative lifestyles (such as micro-farming) and social issues. She is also extremely interested in health, fitness, and spirituality nonfiction with a strong author platform, including an online presence.

Meredith is interested in a wide range of engaging fiction for all ages. For adults, she’s looking for literary fiction, women’s fiction and romance, thrillers, and crime fiction. She is open to science fiction and fantasy that has something new to offer the genres. For Middle Grade readers, she is looking for adventure stories that appeal to a male audience. She is not actively taking on Young Adult fiction, although something highly unusual (read: nontrendy) or literary will always catch her eye no matter the target audience. She does not represent early readers or children’s picture books.

For both nonfiction and fiction, Meredith considers more than just the print possibilities. Projects that lend themselves to apps, enhanced ebooks, and other fresh ways to tell stories are especially appealing.

Find her at:

Querytracker

Twitter: @mer_barnes

Blog

Share this article

Jill Marsal is a partner at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. She has been in the publishing industry almost 15 years, previously working as a Literary Agent with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and at Dorchester Publishing, editing women’s fiction, romance, and suspense/thrillers.

On the fiction front, Jill looks for all types of romance (contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, historical, and category), women’s fiction and family stories, cozy mysteries, and thrillers. She is also looking for general commercial fiction and welcomes a dramatic storyline and compelling characters in interesting situations or relationships. On the non-fiction side, Jill’s areas of interest include business, current events, health, self-help/advice, relationships, psychology, parenting, and narrative non-fiction.

Find her at:

Querytracker

Agentquery

Twitter: @jillmarsal

Share this article

We’re proud to announce that the following publishing industry professionals have accepted our invitation to attend the 2012 DFW Writers’ Conference. More will be announced as soon as we have confirmation.

Literary Agents

• Elizabeth Evans, Jean V. Naggar Literary
• Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary Agency
• Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger, Inc.
• Paul Levine, Paul S. Levine Literary Agency
• Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency
• Sarah Lapolla, Curtis Brown Ltd
• Sally Harding, Cooke Agency
• Meredith Barnes, Lowenstein Associates
• Laurie McLean, Larsen Pomada Literary Agents
• Becky Vinter, Fine Print Literary
• Jennie Goloboy, Red Sofa Literary
• Lauren Ruth, BookEnds, LLC
• Alec Shane, Writers’ House
• Marcy Posner, Folio Literary Agency
• Bob Mecoy, Bob Mecoy Literary Agency
• Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
• Ann Collette, Rees Literary Agency
• Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary Agency

Editors

• Stacey Barney, Putnam Books for Young Readers

More details, including the genres they’re interested in and the classes they will be teaching, will be posted as it becomes available. Stay tuned!

Update: Unfortunately Krista Marino and Devi Pillai will not be able to attend this year. We’ll try them again in a future year.

Share this article