Edit. Edit. Edit.
This has become my mantra, a focal point to keep me on task. Now that I’ve told me story, I want to wander off toward the next shiny object. I have a short story idea bouncing around, two new novel ideas I want to test out, and a trip to New York to plan. This last is the most exciting and distracting.
I’m attending my first official writing conference in December. Technically, it isn’t even a traditional conference – where you have sessions discussing the future of ebooks, how to build tension into your scenes, and how to create angst-ridden characters. This one is much more focused. It has one goal, and one goal only – make your book and pitch the best it can be – then try to sell it to a publisher.
Gulp! That’s right, I get to pitch my book to four different publishers. And these aren’t small University presses or dodgy vanity presses. The publishers appearing at this conference include editors from Penguin, HarperCollins, Random House, and Dell. They have job titles like Senior Editor, Executive Editor, and Editor-in-Chief. These are some big boys (and girls) in the publishing world; the ones behind the curtain like the great, and powerful Oz (except they aren’t frauds). Under normal circumstances, you need an agent to get your manuscript through their front doors, a proverbial Professor Marvel from Oz. And I’m not sure about this, but you might need to do more than kill the Wicked Witch of the West to get a meeting.
I’ll be spending four days discussing how to improve my novel and crafting a well-honed pitch (for those like me a few months ago – the pitch is a brief synopsis of your manuscript delivered in the style of a book jacket cover – it’s designed to grab the listener’s attention and make them beg for more). Interspersed with these small groups, I’ll be given fifteen minutes with one of four different editors to eloquently give my pitch without barfing all over him. Then the editor can ask questions and/or send me on my way. If she’s really interested, she can request all or part of my manuscript. And then if she really likes it, I could get a book deal (though I need to get an agent first to negotiate on my behalf).
I know, I know. It does sound too good to be true. And the conference makes it very clear there are no guarantees. I’m more likely to come away from the conference with my soul and novel crushed into tiny little pieces like leaves run over by the car until they’ve become a fine dust ready to puff into oblivion on the slightest breeze. In fact, I’m kind of looking forward to finding out what’s wrong with my novel. I’m so close to it right now, I probably wouldn’t notice if every other word was missing or an orc rambled through a climactic scene. I know there are flaws, and I’m eager to hear from a professional what they are, so I can fix them (or have my brilliance reaffirmed – *insane laughter*).
To prepare for the conference, I’m in lockdown mode. I have more edits to make, then the story needs to get shipped out to beta readers. After I get their comments, I’ll have more edits. In the meantime, the conference assigns pre-work – such as coming with a prepared pitch so I can start honing it immediately.
All in all, dear reader, I’m really excited (except for the bed bugs, I hear there are a lot of bed bugs in New York, yikes). Now back to work.
*folds legs in yoga pose* Edit. Edit. Edit.
Get more of me on Twitter @aereichert.
