Yes, it's an expenditure to go to this we have to plan for, but hopefully, it will bring forth some blessings. How about an agent contract? And every editor I am pitching to gushing over my package and asking for more? This expenditure also, I hope, confirms how serious I am about my writing. It takes a huge investment of time and some money to write successfully, I am finding out.
If you are not going to the conference, all is not lost. Their web site has a ton of great articles from the speakers to bless you and help lift you to the next level.
This year I have really put Edie Melson's "Notebook" idea into practice. I will carry this notebook in my tote bag everywhere I go. It's a 2-inch binder with sections for "pitch packages" for each of my three books that I will hand to agents and editors. There is a response sheet for my notes for each agent and editor I am pitching to as well as a list of the classes they are teaching stapled behind that. My pitch "package" is actually three sheets stapled together:
1) A Cover Sheet giving fast pertinent info about the book (title, genre, completed word count), my social media addresses and home address, phone number, email, etc. and a 100-word bio and photo below that.
2) The FIRST PAGE of my novel (don't they really just want to know if you can WRITE?)
3) A One Sheet with pitch, back cover copy, brief synopsis, marketing ideas, endorser possibilities, market comparisons and my contact info,photo and one photo related to the novel. Boy, my One Sheets are stacked!
If you are coming, I hope to see you at the conference. If not, keep tuned to my blog. I will be sharing the highlights of what happened.
If you would like copies of my cover sheets and One Sheet. Send me an email at elvacmartin@gmail.com
Thanks so much for stopping by! Do leave a comment and tweet this if you think it will help others.
Elva Cobb Martin
