editors Archives - L.J. Taylor Books

2013 San Francisco Writers Conference

Posted on March 11, 2013November 3, 2014 by LJ

So last month I hopped a five hour flight to San Francisco to attend the 2013 San Francisco Writers Conference. It was my second time attending the conference and I must say that the experience was well worth the time and money.

The conference had great seminars, inspirational speakers, fantastic networking opportunities and, for those seeking publication, lots of access to agents and editors.

One of the best features of the conference is that each attendee is allowed two short consultations with an independent editor as part of the conference fee. You could use that time to get feedback on your book pitch or a critique of the first few pages of your novel. You could even ask about the market for your book.

I found the independent editor consultations at the San Francisco Writers Conference to be an invaluable resource. I asked one editor to read the first few pages of my suspense novel and provide me with feedback. She loved how I began the book and the storyline. She also let me know that there was definitely a market for the book and a real possibility that it would be made be made into a movie. Needless to say, I was on top of the world after that consultation and oh so inspired.

My consultation with the second editor was not so positive or inspiring. I asked her to look at the first few pages of my legal thriller and she told me the same thing the agents who've been sending me rejection letters said: the book starts off too slow, in the wrong place and my opening scene tells the reader very little about the heroine (i.e. inadequate character development).

At first she said that I need to rework the first chapter, but when I told her about the comments I've been receiving from agents, she said that I probably needed to rework the entire book to make it more character driven. That was the last thing I wanted to hear since I had already revised the book and thought I was done with it.

The independent editor's advice to rework my legal thriller was reinforced by a seminar on characterization that I took the next morning. During the seminar, Ellen Sussman, the author of French Lessons, told us about how she once drafted an entire novel that was plot-driven instead of character-driven, and that her character development suffered as a result. I asked her what she did to fix the book. She said that she re-wrote the entire book from scratch and it came out ten times better than it was before.

I was horrified. The idea of rewriting my 330 page suspense novel made me want to run out of the room screaming. I now understood why some writers prefer to scrap whole projects and start new ones rather than do extensive revisions. The lawyer in me kept looking for a shortcut or a loophole – anything to avoid completely rewriting the book. To tell the truth, I'm still looking for an easier way to fix the character development issue without having to rewrite the entire book. The task is so daunting to me that I haven't begun the rewrite. In fact, I've done no writing at all since the conference. But I will. I want to get this bad boy published and I want it to sell, so I will do whatever I have to do to get the job done right.

The rest of the conference was both fruitful and fun. I read a couple of poems aloud at the open-mic session. I consulted with editors of large publishing houses regarding my suspense novel during the Ask-A-Pro session. They liked both my pitch and my story idea. One editor even agreed to review a portion of the manuscript and consider it for publication. I attended some great seminars about self-publishing and am seriously considering it for my Brooks Sisters' series.

All in all, I'm glad that I attended the conference. I learned a great deal, re-connected with old friends, recharged my batteries and came back with some great marketing ideas.

Maybe I'll see you at the conference next year.

Peace

Nanowrimo (National November Writing Month) 2011

Posted on October 16, 2011November 3, 2014 by LJ

It's almost that time of the year again when maniacs all over the world sign up on a website (www.nanowrimo.org) and vow to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1st and November 30th. And when I say all over the world, I mean all over the world. There are Wrimos (Nanowrimo participants) in Africa (including, but not limited to, Israel and other countries in the Middle East), Asia, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and God only knows where else.

On one hand, I can hardly believe that an entire year has passed since Nanowrimo (National November Writing Month) 2010. On the other hand, I can barely remember what I wrote during the last Nanowrimo. That's probably because this year, after writing a draft of my fourth book during the month of November, I worked hard at rewriting my first book – a “romantic” suspense novel – increasing it from 57,000 words to a full length single title manuscript of 94,000 words. My reasons for putting the word romantic in quotes is the subject of future posts.

Normally, I write a book during Nanowrimo and then refuse to touch or even look at it again during any other month of the year. This year, I was determined to break that cycle and complete a polished full-length novel that I could submit to agents and editors. Thanks to seminars called “Fast Draft” and “Revision Hell” given by an author named Candace Havens, among others, I am well on my way to achieving that goal. I'll tell you more about those seminars in future posts.

Although I have been participating in Nanowrimo since 2007 and have managed to “win” every year by whipping out 50,000 words, I think this will be my most challenging year ever. I have a mediation and a trial scheduled to take place in November. I am a member of a gospel choir that is now in “concert mode” for an upcoming performance in December at the Arscht Center in Miami, Florida (with Take 6 and the Miami Mass choir) and I have embarked on a professional campaign that has me attending and participating in all sorts of events, lunches, meetings, conferences, etc. in addition to my normal job duties. Needless to say I am a tad bit busier than I normally am this time of year.

With all of that being said, I am determined to whip out another book and win Nanowrimo once again this year because, well, I am a writer, and as the head of my writers group likes to say: “writers write.”

One of the secrets to being a successful author is to be prolific. For me, that means I have to write at least one book a year. I hope to increase that to two or more novels a year, but I need to start somewhere. My goal for this year is to write a new first draft of a novel and to complete revising two of the novels I have written already. It sounds daunting I know, but I've already gotten further than I ever have before in revising my first book.

If you think you have a novel in you, you should participate in Nanowrimo this year. The accountability inherent in the program together with the pep talks, the resources on the Nanowrimo website and the fellowship with other writers is invaluable. That's why I'm able to write first drafts of novels during the month of November. Pick up a copy of Chris Baty's book No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days and sign up on the Nanowrimo website. You'll be that much further to making your dream a reality.

My handle on Nanowrimo is Candique. If you sign up, you can make me one of your buddies. I'll be happy to support you every step of the way. Let me know how it goes.

Peace

Thrillerfest VI

Posted on August 12, 2011 by LJ

Last month, I attended Thrillerfest – an annual conference put on by International Thriller Writers – for the very first time. The conference was held in New York City at the Grand Central Hyatt Hotel, July 6-9, 2011.

Thrillerfest is an event devoted to thriller writers and thriller enthusiasts. Every year, bestselling authors such as R.L. Stine, Ken Follett, Jon Land, John Lescroart, Diana Gabaldon, Steve Berry, and more participate in the conference along with some of the top agents and editors in the industry.

The conference is divided into three parts: Craftfest, Agentfest and Thrillerfest. I attended Craftfest and Agentfest but did not stay for Thrillerfest. Next year, I will be sure to rectify that.

Craftfest is a day and a half of writing seminars given by bestselling thriller writers on such interesting topics as forensics in fiction, writing suspense, how to keep relationships alive without killing the pace of your novel, point of view, psychic distance and passive voice., ways to make your thriller ring with emotion and how to write compelling and believable villains. The seminars were interesting and informative and I learned new things in each of them.

The event that gave me the most bang for my money was Agentfest, which was held on Thursday, July 7, 2011. Because the conference is held in New York, which is publishing Mecca, Agentfest offers unprecedented access to the most top-notch agents I have ever seen in a single setting. More than fifty agents participated this year.

Agentfest is a version of speed dating with agents held over a two and a half hour period with a short break after the first hour (to allow the agents an opportunity to breathe). Agents looking to sign up the next bestselling novelist are seated in alphabetical order in three large rooms. Writers hoping to find an agent to represent them line up and then head into one of the three rooms to pitch their novels to the agents of their choice.

Since there are a lot of writers participating in the event and some agents are more popular than others, it helps to have a game plan. Being the maniac that I am, I researched the agents participating in Agentfest beforehand. By the time the event began, I had a chart in hand listing the agents I wanted to pitch and the book best suited to pitch to each particular agent. I had to do that because not all agents would be interested in hearing about a romantic suspense novel. So, I pitched my mainstream suspense novel to those agents and my romantic suspense novel to the agents who represented romance authors.

My plan of attack was to first pitch those agents on my list who had either no line or only a short line of writers waiting for them. After I picked off the low hanging fruit, I got in line to see the agents I thought would be the perfect fit for me and my novels to the extent I hadn't already pitched to them. I had time left over after that, so I pitched two agents who were not on my list but who were available. One very kind agent was even willing to hear my pitch after the event had officially ended.

It proved to be a wildly successful afternoon. I was able to pitch to a total of fourteen agents and every single one of them asked me to send them anything from the first 25 pages and a synopsis to a full manuscript. Many of my colleagues did not enjoy the same measure of success. Apparently, all of the preparation I had done for Agentfest paid off. That preparation included evading the persistent advances of a fellow writer the night before Agentfest and returning to my hotel room alone to hone and practice my pitches.

Speaking of fellow writers, Thrillerfest offered great networking opportunities. The night before Agentfest, I met a group of writers at a cocktail reception who invited me to have dinner with them afterwards. That group included one of my personal idols, Jon Land. He is the writer of amazing thriller novels featuring a hero named Blaine McCracken. I followed that series avidly during my spy novel craze in the late 1980's and 1990's and devoured every single one of those books I could find. He now writes great novels featuring a heroine named Caitlin Strong who is a female Texas ranger. It was amazing to be able to meet him and tell him how much I enjoyed his work. He turned out to be a very nice man who offered to help me with my pitch for Agentfest.

I missed the Thrillerfest part of the event which, according to the program, offers additional seminars on writing and publishing topics, including a bonus session given by the C.IA. on how to make your spy novels more realistic. It also offers even more networking opportunities.

All in all, I had a great time, met some great people and had a very productive conference. I will definitely attend Thrillerfest next year and stay for the entire event. Maybe I'll see some of you there.

Peace

Romance Writers of America’s Annual Conference 2011

Posted on July 22, 2011 by LJ

Most people who take a vacation head to the beach or go on a cruise or attend theme parks with their children or go to visit their families. I headed off to attend two writers conferences in New York City and killed two birds with one stone by spending time with my family over the Fourth of July holiday. The first conference I attended was Romance Writers of America's (RWA) 31st Annual Conference which was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. First, let me say that it was a fabulous location – right in the midst of the madness as I like to say. I love New York for many reasons not the least of which is that you could get all kinds of food there – whether you go out to a restaurant to eat with friends or order it delivered to your hotel room while you feverishly work on your pitch for your novel. But I digress.

This was the second RWA annual conference I've attended. The first time was last year in Orlando, Florida. At that time, I was amazed at the quality and proficiency of the seminar programming, the networking and the inspiration I received from the speakers which included one of my personal idols – Nora Roberts. This time, I was equally impressed. The speakers at the conference included best-selling novelists such as Madeline Hunter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Steve Berry and Tess Gerritsen – the author of the novels that inspired one of my favorite television shows – Rizzoli & Isles.

The first thing I did when I got to the hotel was drop my bags in my room, register and race into the keynote luncheon where I caught some of Madeline Hunter's keynote address. She talked about her journey to publication, trends in the industry and what it takes to be a writer. Her speech was very inspirational to say the least. Fired up, I next headed to the PRO Retreat. You see, once you've submitted your manuscript to an agent or editor and are rejected, you qualify to advance to the level of PRO membership in the RWA. I am now a card-carrying member of that club.

The PRO retreat is a series of workshops designed to get RWA members who are serious about and ready to get published over the hurdles they face on their way. Once a member gets published, they rise to the level of PAN (Published Author Network) membership in the RWA. The PRO retreat offered a wealth of information, great opportunities for networking with other writers at the same stage as me and great raffle prizes. I won a free critique of the first 25 pages of my novel by a published author. That will prove invaluable to me since most agents and editors decide, based on the first few chapters, whether they're interested in reviewing the rest of a manuscript.

The next day I pitched my romance novel to an agent and an editor. The editor wasn't all that interested because my book is a romantic suspense/legal thriller she thought would be best suited for another division of her publishing company headed by another editor. However, the agent – a well-known and highly respected player in the industry – seemed excited about the storyline and requested to see a portion of the manuscript and a synopsis.

While at the conference, I attended a series of well-designed and informative seminars on everything from the writers craft to the writers market to the writers life, including, but not limited to, seminars on how to write better sex scenes, advice from the pros on the romantic suspense market, how to turn rejection (of your manuscript) into an advantage, how to write better dialogue, etc. One of the best seminars I attended, however, was given by Candace Havens – a bestselling author and writing guru – called “Fast Draft: How to Write Your First Draft in Two Weeks.” If you thought National November Writing Month a/k/a Nanowrimo (where you draft a 50,000 word novel in 30 days during the month of November) was a whirlwind experience, Fast Draft is like a hurricane by comparison.

In Fast Draft, you create a first draft of a 280 page novel (70,000) words in 14 days (20 pages a day). She says it takes about three hours a day to do. After you finish your first draft, you take a break (usually two weeks) and then edit the novel into something that is publishable. You can do this any time of year with the help of a few fellow authors to provide support either online or in person if they live in your area. Candace Havens used the Fast Draft technique as a way to be more prolific as an author at a time when she had a very demanding 60 hour per week day job. I plan to give Fast Draft a try. I'll let you know how it goes.

Since there were more seminars I wanted to take but couldn't get to, I ordered the conference CD's which will have mp3 files of all the seminars, panels and speeches presented at the conference for $99.00. I am sure that will prove to be invaluable.

Did you attend the RWA annual conference this year? If so, how was your experience? Have any questions about the conference? Ask them and I will be sure to answer.

Peace

Scriptfrenzy – It’s Almost That Time Again

Posted on March 26, 2011 by LJ

To do, or not to do, Scriptfrenzy this year? That is the question. For some of you, the question might be: “What the heck is Scriptfrenzy? ” Scriptfrenzy is a wonderful event where writers all over the world sign up on a website – http://www.scriptfrenzy.org – and vow to write a 100 page script within 30 days from April 1 to April 30th. It could be a stage play, a movie script or a script of an episode of your favorite television show. It's a great exercise for novelists and scriptwriters alike because it forces you to focus on dialogue and to plot out your story in three acts scene by scene. I used it as a tool to plot out and visualize my third book and it was very useful.

So, should I participate in Scriptfrenzy this year? You see, I have a nasty habit of starting new projects and finishing first drafts, but then not completing the editing necessary to get the projects ready for publication. On one hand, my participation in activities like Nanowrimo and Scriptfrenzy since 2007 have resulted in my having first drafts (and, in one case, a nice chunk of a second draft) of three novels and a movie script. On the other hand, none of those projects are complete enough to send out to agents and editors for review. I think the problem is that I love to get together with fellow writers during Nanowrimo and Scriptfrenzy in cafes to write and I do my best work under pressure. It has to do with having a set time parameter in which to complete a measurable task and doing it in a group setting with all of the attendant cheerleading, accountability and support endemic to such an exercise.

Writing is normally a solitary task and, although I am a solitary child, it's hard to self-motivate to complete a rewrite of something you've already “finished.” I put the word “finished” in quotation marks because a first draft of a novel or a script is usually far from finished and you rarely even finish a first draft in 30 days. This is especially true if you have a full-time job, gospel choir practice, a diet and exercise regime, a blog and maybe a husband and some kids (I don't have those last two items, but some do). Events like Scriptfrenzy and Nanowrimo get you fired up and motivated to get some writing done. Unfortunately though, they require you to work on new projects and not existing ones.

When I pitched to agents at the San Francisco Writers Conference, they were happy to hear that I had written three novels. Agents and editors want their writers to be prolific – the more product, the more sales. However, they also want writers who timely complete their projects.

So, knowing that I have to finish editing my second novel and then complete the rewrite of my first book and the editing of my third book so that they are ready for Romance Writers of America's national conference in June and Thrillerfest in July, am I really going to throw myself into writing a new movie script in April? You bet I am! Why? Not only because I'm just crazy like that, but also, when I finish editing and selling (I'm claiming it) my other works, I'm going to need to have new projects in the pipeline. Moreover, I need an outlet for the new ideas rattling around in my brain. You wouldn't believe the things that rattle around writers' brains. I find it best to only express those thoughts with other writers for fear of being locked up in a loony bin.

If you have a story idea rattling around in your brain and you can see it play out on a stage or on a big or little screen, you may want to seriously consider participating in Scriptfrenzy. If, like me the first year, you have no clue how a movie script should be formatted, invest in a copy of “Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need” by Blake Snyder. It is fabulous and proved to be an invaluable resource for me. Also, check out Scriptfrenzy's website (http://www.scriptfrenzy.org). It will give you leads on scriptwriting software (which formats scripts for you) and other great resources. I used Celtx. Also, download scripts of a couple of your favorite movies to see how they were done.

I have to go now. I have a book to edit and a script to plot out. Let me know if you decide to participate in Scriptfrenzy. If you're in Miami maybe we can get together for write-ins.

Peace

Writers Resources: Audio Downloads of Writers Seminars

Posted on July 22, 2010 by LJ

You might think of me as Johnyta come lately, but I recently discovered a wonderful resource for writers: audio downloads of writers seminars. The Romance Writers of America (“RWA”) offers audio downloads of the seminars given at its annual conferences in 2008 and 2009. www.rwa.org The seminars are given by bestselling authors, editors of large publishing houses and the like. The topics of the seminars run the gamut from seminars on the craft of writing to seminars on writers' careers (i.e. networking, building an audience, surviving tax audits) to seminars on getting published (i.e. genre jumping, what editors seek, what bestsellers have in common). There are also downloads available of seminars on how to do research for your book and the writers life (critique partners, finding your muse, etc.). The downloads are $8.00 each ($12.00 for two-hour seminars) and are a great value. Those who can't afford to attend the conferences can take advantage of one of the main benefits of attending for a fraction of the price.

The seminars are not limited to how to write romance novels either. The craft seminars are applicable to all genres of fiction. They cover such topics as how to write good dialogue, how to set the pace in a novel, how to build suspense, points of view, how to effectively edit the novel, the art of backstory, etc.

I downloaded a seminar on how to do successful re-writes that will prove invaluable in reworking my romantic suspense novel and editing my second book. The author fully explained and helped me to understand some basic concepts of novel writing that I didn't know about. Some examples of the things I learned from the seminar are: (1) every scene in a novel should have a purpose, (2) every chapter of the novel should have a hook to make the reader want to continue to the next chapter, (3) if you start the book with too high a level of tension, you will have no place to go afterward, and (4) it's a good idea to ratchet up the tension in the book by increasing the stakes. These concepts are extremely basic for experienced writers, but are not so second nature to novice writers like myself. Hearing the author who gave the seminar talk about how much work her novel needed before it finally got published and became a bestseller made me feel better about my works in progress.

Check out the seminars on the RWA site and let me know what you think.

Peace.

Finding The Time To Write

Posted on April 13, 2010 by LJ

As usual, I am trying to do way too much. I'm working on editing my romance novel so that I can send a polished product to the editors and agents who have requested to see it. I started drafting a science fiction script for Scriptfrenzy. I'm working out and doing what I have to do to make sure I have healthy food choices available to me so that I can continue my weight loss journey. I'm helping to plan a party for a friend. I'm reading books on how to find time to write and 101 ways to improve my writing. Oh, and did I mention that I'm a lawyer who works full-time? So all that other stuff takes place in my spare time. The end result: I am one tired chick.

On my doctor's advice, and in accordance with the book “Time to Write” by Kelly L. Stone, I decided to try to go to bed earlier so that I can wake up early in the morning to work out and then do an hour or two of writing. But, instead of heeding the advice in the book and taking it one step at a time by setting my alarm clock five minutes earlier each day to gradually ease myself into a routine, I psychotically set it to wake me at 6:00a.m. on Monday morning.

Since I have this thing about trying to get every second out of the weekend and I usually watch Iron Chef America until 11:00p.m. on Sunday nights then putter around chopping fruit, brushing my teeth, washing my face, picking out my clothes, etc., I didn't get into bed until midnight and I didn't fall asleep until darn near 1:00a.m. (I watched a re-run of NCIS I had saved on the DVR).

Needless to say, when the alarm went off the next morning, I swatted the snooze button ten times and woke up closer to 7:00a.m. I dragged myself out of bed, worked out, edited my romance novel for half an hour, showered, dressed, packed my lunch and headed off to work.

When I got home that night, I was too brain dead to do anything more than have dinner and veg out in front of the television.

On Tuesday morning, I tried it again. I got into bed at 11:30p.m. and laid there with my eyes wide open (but with the television off) until after midnight. I then tossed and turned and barely slept because I was so expecting the alarm to go off at 6:00.m. This time, I only hit the snooze button once.

I dragged myself out of bed, worked out and edited my romance novel for an hour and forty minutes.

By Thursday morning, I didn't have to hit the snooze button at all. One of my favorite songs was playing on the radio: “Get up” by Mary Mary. The song is really uplifting and all about waking up, doing what you've got to do and really living your life. It was so appropriate that I hopped right out of bed.

I've been doing this for two weeks now and I've made more progress with editing my romance novel than I have in ages.

The early morning writing schedule isn't the only one that works, however. According to the novelists quoted in Kelly L. Stone's book (many of whom are bestsellers), some writers who work full-time or who have small children write late at night when everyone else is asleep, on the train when commuting to work, at work before or after business hours, or in large chunks of time on the weekend. Others write in ten and twenty minute increments or whenever they can find the time. The key is to be flexible and creative and have a burning desire to write.

It really is possible to find time to write – even with a schedule as crazy as mine.

My Experience at the Silken Sands Writers Conference

Posted on March 23, 2010 by LJ

I've just returned from the Silken Sands Writers Conference in Pensacola, Florida. The conference is held every other year (they alternate years with the Southern Magic Conference given by the Birmingham Chapter of Romance Writers of America).

I had the most wonderful time at the conference and learned a great deal. Although the Gulf Coast Chapter Romance Writers of America is a close-knit group, everyone at the conference was very friendly and made me feel welcome.

The conference was attended by heavy hitting industry professionals who made presentations and/or participated in agent/editor consultations. I pitched my romantic suspense novel and received no less than three requests to see it – two from top publishers and one from a top agent.

The seminars at the conference were very informative and wonderfully presented. I learned the best way to create new worlds for science fiction and fantasy novels, how to self-edit my manuscripts so that they have the best chance of getting published, how to keep my muse happy, how to find time to write in my chaotic schedule, and so much more. I'll be able to use what I learned at the conference right away since I now have to timely whip my manuscripts into shape and send them off the agents and editors who have requested to see them. I also plan to write a fantasy novel for this year's National November Writing Month.

The best part of the weekend though was the chance to network and get to know industry professionals and writers in various stages of their careers – from the not yet published to bestsellers. Talking with the other writers helped me to learn about resources that will take my writing to the next level and to make new friends. I will definitely be back in 2012.

A Woman in Search of a Genre

Posted on March 17, 2010 by LJ

I recently attended the San Francisco Writers Conference and one of the things I learned was that, in order to effectively pitch a novel to an agent or an editor, a writer must be able to specifically identify the genre of the book as well as the demographics of the audience who will want to purchase it. It is not enough to say: “I'm writing fiction and the book will appeal to everyone.” It's not even enough to say: “I'm writing womens' fiction and my target audience is all women.” You've got to be able to say something like: “I'm writing a romantic suspense novel that is similar in nature to those written by Nora Roberts and I am going after the women who buy her books.”

While identifying the genre and the market for my romantic suspense novel was relatively easy, I struggled with identifying the genre and the market for my second book. I thought it was enough to say that I was writing womens' fiction and then to describe the storyline. I was wrong. At the conference, I attended a “Talk to the Pros” roundtable session. That's where ten writers sit at a table with an editor (most likely from a major publishing house) and pitch their novels. The editor then provides feedback to each author in front of the others so that they can all benefit from it.

When I pitched my second novel to one of the editors, she said that it sounded like a good story. She asked me to identify the genre that the novel fit into. I said that it was womens' fiction. She asked me to identify which category of womens' fiction. I didn't know. I didn't even know that womens' fiction was broken out into categories. She asked me what other writers had written similar books. I didn't know that either. You see, although I am an avid reader, I don't typically read what I had written (I read spy novels and romance novels). I also hadn't done my research prior to attending the conference.

My second book is about a young African American woman who gets involved with the wrong guy (the head of a burglary crew) and ends up going to jail as a result. In fear for her life, she never gives him up to the authorities. She also keeps the fact that she is pregnant with their child a secret. She has the child while in prison, but doesn't tell him. When she gets out, she is determined to make a better life for herself and her son. However, that gets threatened when her ex-boyfriend sues for full custody of their son. In a desperate effort to keep her son, she decides to turn state's evidence against her ex-boyfriend. The question is: will he let her live long enough to do that?

Upon hearing the storyline, the editor opined that I was writing gritty urban street fiction and suggested that I read books written by authors who write in that genre. One of the authors she named as an example was an author named Honey Bee. After the session, I went back to my hotel room, fired up my laptop and did some research. I looked up Honey Bee and other authors who were known for writing gritty urban street fiction. After reading snippets of their books on Amazon.com, I decided that the editor was wrong. While the storylines of those books were compelling, and some of them had done quite well in sales, they were written in street vernacular with lots of slang and “cuss” words and were set in the projects. My book was not.

I figured that the editor had stereotyped the genre due to the storyline and the fact that the main characters were African American. When I got back from the conference, however, I did more research and discovered that she was right. I found two books in the urban fiction category whose main characters had recently been released from prison and were trying to turn over a new leaf when their pasts caught up with them. The books were written in plain English too (as opposed to street vernacular). While my book wouldn't be characterized as gritty urban street fiction, it could be characterized as urban fiction and be compared to those two books, among others.

I am attending another writers conference soon and, armed with this new knowledge, I should be able to more effectively pitch my books to agents and editors. I can also search for and target agents wo have successfully represented authors who write urban fiction. Who knows, I may not have to search for an agent much longer.

Peace.

The Benefits of Attending a Writers Conference

Posted on March 6, 2010 by LJ

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the San Francisco Writers Conference. It was a great experience. I had been to the Maui Writers Conference several times before. I always came back from those trips refreshed and renewed and having learned a lot about the craft of writing.

I didn't have high expectations for the San Francisco Writers Conference. I doubted that it would be able to compete with the wonderful experiences I had in Hawaii. Boy was I wrong. I don't know if its because I have now written three novels and I am at a different stage in my writing journey (the godforsaken land of editing), but I got so much out of the San Francisco Writers Conference that I came back fired up and with an action plan that I have already started to set in motion.

I learned about the need to have a platform (an audience who would look forward to reading your work) and how to go about developing one. I learned how to best to pitch my work to agents and editors. I learned how to find the agents and editors who would be most receptive to the type of books I write. I even learned that my romance novel would be difficult to place because it is short (57,000 words) and that if I want it to have a greater chance of getting published, I need to expand it to at least 75,000 and preferably 90,000 words.

I got very helpful feedback on the first few pages of my suspense novel – Dreams Deferred – from an independent editor and invitations from six well-known and respected agents to send them my manuscripts for consideration. Now if I could just finish editing the darn things and get them out the door . . . But that is a topic for another day.

The point is, there are numerous benefits to attending a well run, well attended and very well put together writers conference – from the writing seminars to the ability to consult with independent editors to the ability to network with and pitch to top agents and editors, to the fellowship and inspiration one gets from mingling with other creative minds. I will definitely be back next year – not to find an agent, but to learn more from the seminars and to pitch my next book.

Peace.