Turn the Page Blog
Thoughts, Musings & Advice on All Things Writing
If you’ve haven’t yet struck gold yet in your quest to be published, here is my advice: Keep with it! Make sure you are constantly evaluating what is working and not working – can you tweak your query letter? Are people requesting your proposal or manuscript and then rejecting after that (perhaps your first few chapters are lacking something)?
Is it worth it for me to go to conferences like these? What would the main benefits be? Do you think I could definitely find an agent at one? This is a great question. I speak at writers conferences all over the country, and I enjoy doing it quite a bit. So let me begin by telling you why I attend conferences.
You have signed with a literary agent. You are one HUGE step closer to achieving your publishing dream. But what happens after everything is signed and made official Hopefully your book proposal is in good shape. If it needs some work, your agent will likely tell you what additional information or rewrites they need before moving forward. Once you both agree the proposal and/or manuscript is in the best condition possible, your agent will then start pitching you to editors at various publishing houses. These are editors who have been carefully selected because they acquire books that are similar to yours.
We all have books that have stayed with us long after we read the last page. Some of the books are heartbreaking, hilarious, or full of twists and turns that kept us on the edges of our seats until the very end. Many, however, have stuck with us because they inspired us, and likely continue to do so even today. When we talk about inspiration, we’re not necessarily talking about a self-help book that inspires you to lose weight or end a relationship or change careers.
Writers are generally sensitive, creative souls. If we weren’t, how could we write with such great insight and passion about our chosen topic(s)? Criticism can hurt. Giving your proposal or manuscript to someone to read and to provide feedback on can be nothing short of terrifying. There are few times in a writer’s life where we feel more vulnerable than receiving someone’s blunt assessment on our work – our work that we have spent weeks, months and years working on and dreaming about.
Literary agents often get a reputation for being cruel and heartless. It is true that not one has escaped the task of sending out many, many rejection letters. I am sure that there are a few slightly sadistic agents out there, but for the most part, authors, please know that we take no pleasure in saying no to you and your project!
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