At 12 noon today (Wednesday), you can watch my vlog “Are You Ready to Query?”. Though, if you miss it then, don’t worry! Once it’s posted live, you can go back and watch it anytime! In fact, I’ll update this post with the video once it’s up.

UPDATED! The link to my vlog is on the WriteOnCon site here, with comments!

And later tonight, at 9pm Eastern, 7pm Mountain, I’ll be on a live panel event with fellow publishing professionals Martha Mihalick, Joanna Volpe, Jen Rofe, and Diana Fox. I hope you’ll tune in and check us out! Any questions about events, timing, or how to participate, please go visit WriteOnCon.com.

Oh, and if you’re curious about the presentation I did last year, on the Do’s and Don’ts of Querying, you can check it out below!

Can I be frank? I hate these. HATE ‘EM. For me, the ability of an author to tell the story of their book is a wholly different animal than being able to actually write it. But Daphne, you ask, how is a verbal pitch any different than a query letter?

Well, for one thing, it’s verbal, which means you’re not reading your written words directly — which is a no-no in a pitch meeting. And many authors who may be very comfortable with the written words get that deer-in-the-headlights look on their face when asked to just talk about their book.

But more personally, in an exhaustive survey of my past experience with pitch meetings, I have discovered that I’ve rarely gotten anything more out of these meetings than I would have received if someone just handed me their query letter, and I sat there and read it. If I’m intrigued by the story they’re telling, and they tell it well, the most I’ll usually do is ask for the first three pages — which anyone who reads my website and follows my submission guidelines can do! It’s only very rarely that I ask them to send the first five chapters, and I never ask for a full manuscript on the basis of a pitch.

So I want to get your opinion on this: if you’re attending a conference, and you find out an agent who’s attending won’t be taking any pitch meetings, but WILL be doing a workshop, or a panel, what do you think?

I mean, if I had an hour of pitch meetings, that’s maybe 6 to 10 people I’m talking to. Whereas if I’m on a panel for that same amount of time, I could be speaking to dozens — maybe even hundreds. I would so much rather take an extra hour of questions from a room full of people than one-on-one meetings.

Not that I don’t want to meet you individually! I’d just rather do it with a beer in my hand in a more casual setting, when we’re talking about things that interest BOTH of us, and where, if I like what you have to say, I may ask for info about your book.

Your thoughts? Fellow agents — do you have anything to add?

In the meantime, you should read this great post from Diana Peterfreund on a great tool for writers in a scene. A taste:

You know the old adage that stories aren’t interesting if everything could be resolved with a conversation? One way to find out if that’s true is to make the characters have that conversation and see if you’ve still got problems.

Also, if you are going to RWA — or gearing up for ALA, LeakyCon, or any other conference where writers may find themselves in proximity to agents, here’s some great advice to bear in mind. Actually, I once posted something similar myself — worth a reread!

You may think this sounds frivolous, but trust me, it’s not. That editor an agent may bump into at a cocktail party, or share a cab to or from the Javitts Center with, may just be interested in exactly the project the agent’s getting ready to pitch. Without the opportunity for casual conversation, Agent P might otherwise never have known that Editor Q loves horsey books, and used to jump competitively. How perfect for Author W’s next novel, set in the show jumping world!

It’s not just about making connections for specific projects, though. In a perfect world, I’d want to place one of my clients’ manuscripts with every one of my favorite editors, but in truth, that list of “favorite editors” keeps growing, and there’s got to be a limit sometime on the number of clients I take on. But in the casual setting of a BEA party, or serendipitous run-in between the booths, I might find out something about an editor I never knew before, and six months later, or two years, remember that fact and submit the perfect project.

It’s all about connections, and we make them not just at conferences, but at parties, in bars and restaurants, and all over the place — I’ve run into editors on the streets of NYC!

So does it suck that I’m not there this week? Yeah, a little. But I have my spies on the ground, and I’ll make up for it with some marathon chat sessions by phone next week. On the plus side, our feet won’t hurt from all the walking around, and we won’t be carrying several tons of free books we’ve snagged!

Have you ever been to BEA? Got any specific questions about it I can answer? Fire away in the comments!

Let’s start with the easy one first — don’t ever try to slip your full manuscript to an agent or editor while they’re attending to personal business in a bathroom stall. That’s pretty much a no-brainer.

But what if you’re washing up next to an agent in a multi-sink bathroom? Can you talk to them? Acknowledge them? Yes, absolutely. Tell them you enjoyed their panel, if they’re already spoken (and you did, of course), or that you’re looking forward to their workshop, if it’s an upcoming event.

How about in the halls, or the elevator? Same thing, unless they’re clearly on their way somewhere else, and your conversation is going to keep them from making it to that next appointment. Be aware of visual clues to tell if they’re standing somewhere open to conversation, or in the middle of trying to get somewhere else. Remember, agents are at these conferences to meet and talk to writers, too, but their days may be more tightly scheduled than yours. Be courteous, and ask if they have a minute to talk. If they say no, don’t take it as a slight.

Now, maybe you’ve made an appointment to talk to an agent or editor one-on-one, whether they’ve already seen your manuscript, or you’re going to pitch it to them. If it’s a pitch, be ready to TALK about your manuscript, don’t just READ from your query letter. Have questions ready to ask the agent — and if you can, make them specific to the agent, not just general questions, though those can be fine, too.

If the agent or editor is giving you a one-on-one critique on your material, don’t be afraid to take notes or ask them to clarify their comments. And if you want to avoid an uncomfortable answer, don’t ask them if they want to see more material. If I want to see more than what I’ve already seen, trust me, I’ll tell you. Otherwise, please take my comments as a chance to improve your work (if you agree with them), or take the opportunity to ask me for other helpful hints about the querying or writing process (if you think I’m off base).

Try not to argue with the agent or editor you’re meeting with. You are perfectly within your rights to disagree with our comments, but do be aware that it’s hard for us to talk sometimes about a manuscript that doesn’t work, and tell the author why. Let’s not get into a fight about why you think your work is the most perfect thing ever, and I disagree.

I’m sure there’s more tips I’m missing — and there’s a good chance I’ll think of some of them this weekend. But what tips do you have for your fellow conference-goers? And as attendees, what do you wish agents or editors knew? Let me know in the comments!

No travel costs, no hotel fees, not even registration fees! All you have to do is go to WriteOnCon.com and sign up! Want more details? Check out what my fellow live chat panelist Molly O’Neill wrote about the con:

If you haven’t heard about WriteOnCon, go check it out. Basically, 7 kidlit writers found themselves wishing for a *free** online writers conference . . . and then, since one did not exist, and because they are Made. Of. Awesome., they went out and made it happen. (Note to self, never-ever underestimate the power of writers with a good idea…)

Seriously, take a look at the schedule, and poke around on the website. Instead of the in-person workshops and lectures and breakout sessions of a traditional conference, you’ll find editors, agents, and published authors presenting via blogs and vlogs, talking about every element of the industry imaginable, from craft to querying. (Yours truly will be both vlogging and blogging, oh my!).

Wishing for something a little more interactive, or that allows your questions to be answered? Then take part in live chat panels every night (come say hi to me on Thursday evening! Be sure to read the instructions in advance to get registered).

And because a conference wouldn’t be a conference without a chance to meet other amazing writers, there are forums for conversations and critiques and connections.

And it’s all FREE. (A.k.a, no “what should I wear??” panic! You can wear your pajamas!) You can follow along in real-time if you’re able, as the presentations go live, or you can catch up later by scrolling back through previous “sessions.”

I’ve contributed a vlog on Querying Don’ts (goes up at 4pm Eastern on Wednesday), and will answer questions afterwards, plus there’s the aforementioned live chat Thursday night with Molly and agent Michelle Andelman (LIVE at 9pm Eastern). I hope you’ll join us!

Dear Daphne,
Since you mentioned the LA SCBWI conference Friday on your blog, I was wondering if you could answer a question about conferences for me.

As an agent, if you’re interested in a novel’s premise while at a conference, what kinds of materials do you expect the writer to have available? I’m wondering if I need to make hard copies of my first chapter to have on hand, or if it’s more a case of trading contact info with the agent and sending the material at a later date.

I don’t want to arrive at the conference unprepared.

Thanks so much for your help!

Amy

Amy, I’m going to make your packing easier. Don’t worry about bringing hard copies of your material. Make sure you have business cards with your name and contact information, and try to get something similar from an agent if they’re interested in your book. Note also that if you’ve signed up for a critique, the agent already may have a copy of your contact information, and if they’re interested, may already have taken note of your details.

But no, if you’re chatting in a hallway or elevator, and the agent asks for your pitch and is interested, all you need to do is trade information and follow up afterwards. In fact, sometimes not even that. The onus will be on you, the author, to follow up (in most cases), and the agent’s contact details will likely be in the conference materials provided to all attendees.

The week after the conference, send an email to the agent’s publicly-provided email address, reminding them when and where you met, recapping your elevator pitch, and sending the material they requested.

I’ve been to my fair share of conferences, and I can tell you, I’d rather leave with less material than I walked in with, rather than more. Especially now when most agents read submissions electronically, paper is just unnecessary baggage.

Hope that helps, and good luck!

Oh, and did I mention the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II viewing party? or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park practically next door? What are you waiting for?!?

*No, this isn’t an image from the new movies. Yes, it’s just an excuse to coo about how cute Harry and Ginny are. What’s wrong with that?