A Winner and Some Linkage

Congrats to T. Anne. You are the winner of Cheryl Wyatt's book Ready-Made Family! I hope you enjoy. Just send me your snail mail when it's convenient.


Some cool links this week. First, Musetracks had an awesome contest where they took some pitches and are posting them for certain agents to peruse over and shop for.

Still on the subject of pitches, Romance University posted an informative interview with author Lucinda McGary.


I know some of you are attending conferences soon. You're working on your pitches and one-sheets. I've never really done either of those, and I'm planning to attend the ACFW conference in September. Any advice for me on this stuff?

Comments

Jody Hedlund said…
I'm in the same position as you, Jessica! I don't have a one sheet or business cards or elevator pitch or anything! But they're all on my to-do list for the summer. I liked Eileen's one-sheet and will probably try to come up with something like that.
Jennifer Shirk said…
Here's a really good article:
http://foliolit.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-get-most-out-of-your-writers.html

and this
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2007/10/pitch-critiques-round-1.html

might help you, too. :)
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Jody,
I liked Eileen's too. It was really nice and professional looking.
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for the links! I'm going to check them out. :-)
Terri Tiffany said…
You are going to the conference? I'm so jealous!! I will be praying you get to meet with a good agent who wants you!
No advice from this newbie! I am learning from YOU! :)
Jessica Nelson said…
Thank you Terri! That would be awesome. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Sherrinda,
I'm still learning too. :-)
Cindy R. Wilson said…
Wow, all these people going to ACFW in my home town. Maybe I should host a party at my house for everyone to meet :) Then again, you all are going to be so busy you probably won't have time for another gathering.
Aaaah, you guys make me blusheth!!

Thanks Jody and Jessica, you guys were hugely helpful with the wording.

I have a very simple business card that matches my letterhead. I have a graphic of a fountain pen on it and then just my basic contact info with my website listed too. I've heard often to just keep the cards simple. But a picture of yourself on one would be a great idea if you can afford it.

The one-sheet, I'm told, is very important for a big conference like ACFW. I guess it plays a big role in helping the editors/agents remember who is writing what when they have so much coming at them in those few short days. And I discovered that they really aren't that difficult to do if you have a skeleton to play around with. I now have to go and get it professionally printed for taking to the conference with me.

Thanks again for all your help, Jessica!

And T. Anne, congratulations on winning the book. It is a great read!
Debra E. Marvin said…
Hey, I hope you are all coming to the first time attendee session at ACFW. I'll be there, excited, nervous and glad for the companionship of other wide eyed newbies.

I ordered a package (a collection of documents that I downloaded) from Randy Ingermanson's website about this subject. It's not his product but he recommended it for anyone who is preparing to go to a conference. I will post the information when I find it.

Thanks for the links!
Jessica Nelson said…
Cindy,
I'd love to meet you! I think Friday night is free time (I think) so meeting somewhere is definitely doable. Even if it's only in the lobby of the hote. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
Eileen,
It's really helpful to look at what you've already done and be able to think about how I can do something similar (set-up wise). Thanks so much for letting us have a look at your one-sheet! Great idea on the cards too.
Yeah, I first heard of one-sheets like a year ago and it just seems like they're getting more and more important.
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Debra,
I'm pretty sure I signed up for it, so we should get a chance to meet. :-)
Do you have a blog now? I'd love to get a peak at some of that info.
Debra E. Marvin said…
Randy's site is Advanced Fiction Writing. He has a product there called How to Survive a Conference ( or close to that title). Take a look and see if you think it would help you. I too, expect to focus on preparing over the summer, so I haven't read it yet.

First I need to practice my short pitch "So what's your story about" and be able to verbalize it without sounding like an idiot (I'm a writer not a speaker, darn it.)
And next would be this one-sheet thingy which should speak better for me, right?

thanks Jessica!
No- no blog. Maybe a website this summer. My goal to have a completed manuscript to push has been slipping away by the month lately.
Cheryl Wyatt said…
Congrats to the winner!

If any of you are ACFW members..there is an EXCELLENT online course that Literary Agent Terry Burns did in April on pitching and promoting. It was probably THE best online course I've ever taken. Then Robin Miller and I did one in May on how to research agents and editors before choosing your conference appointments if you're interested in that. Just search the ACFW archives. Terry's course alone is (in my opinion) worth the cost of ACFW membership.

Hope to see some of you in September at the conference!

hugs
Cheryl
Tana said…
YAY I won the book! I'm so happy, thank you and your son! I emailed you.

Geez a party at Cindy's house? I'm so jealous! Sounds like that conference is the place to be.
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Debra,
I've visited his site in the past and used to get his newsletter. He's such a wellspring of information!!
LOL I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot too. I'll probably stutter. Heh.

Good luck with your manuscript. Sometimes you need a breather before you can jump in. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
Thanks for stopping by Cheryl.
A lady in my crit group took that class. I'll have to go check it out because she was very impressed with it too.
Hope we see you too! :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL T. Anne,
Well, I don't know if Cindy was serious.... but if she is, there'll definitely be chocolate supplied by moi, if you'd like to head over.

You don't mind, right Cindy?
LOL
Danyelle L. said…
Congrats, T. Anne!

Thanks for the links, Jessica. :D I don't know much about conferences, but the literary agent Janet Reid has been doing some posts about conference etiquette that might be helpful. :D
Kara said…
I always got stuck on "descibe your book in one sentence that will entice an agent/publisher"!

The business card thing, I was always told, the simpler the better. And if you get good quality paper you can do them yourself.
Jessica Nelson said…
Hey Danyelle,
I periodically visit Reid's blog, but missed that. Thanks for the tip!
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Kara,
That's a killer, trying to do that. I almost think we should come up with our one line before we even start the book. LOL

True about doing them yourself. There's all sorts of cheap, but professional-looking options, I think.
Jessica Nelson said…
Thanks for stopping by Angela! I think she's excited. LOL
Pen Pen said…
I don't have any pitch experience, but I did help record some of the talks at the RWA convention once--and I saw lots of writers come that were just DRIPPING with the need to pitch their book-they came off as desperate. One of the agents there told me that she rarely considered the first 5 writers in line who pitched cuz they were always the ones who would follow her into the elevator after the alooted time, asking what she thought-desperation!
She said- be confident but not desperate- She said you could have an amazing pitch, but if she thought you'd be too "stage momish" and clingy, she'd probably not want to have to deal with you.
I'm sure ur not that way tho-- u certainly don't seem like that type :)
Just get a great one sheet and don't follow any of them into the elevator...or show up at their hotel room door in the morning :)
Jessica Nelson said…
Oh Sheesh, I hope I'm not that way! LOL! I can't imagine doing that to anyone. I don't want to be desperate either 'cause I'm trying to just chill out and let God take care of stuff.
Great advice Pen Pen! Thank you SO much for commenting because I really think this is something we sometimes struggle with. And how cool that you got to record some of the talks!
Cindy R. Wilson said…
Lol, Jessica. Now I'm seriously considering this :) I love chocolate! I wonder...where in Denver is the conference? I might have to check.
Jessica Nelson said…
Where in Denver? LOL I don't know. At some hotel...it's on the ACFW site but I forgot the name of it. LOL
Karen Hossink said…
So you're going to a writer's conference? Good for you!
I have no sage advice, except, uh, don't use blue mascara, and check your teeth for lipstick before you talk to anyone. *grin*
Jessica Nelson said…
Oh, man!!! I do have to watch the whole lipstick on the teeth thing. Speaking of teeth, it's time for some whitening. LOL
Ooh, thanks for the great links!

That is cool that you are attending a conference, I've never been to one so I don't really have any advice to give, except to take good notes so you can blog all about it when you come back:)

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