Told ya I’d have proof that I was able to get a pic with Nora Roberts. And this time, I wasn’t completely flabergasted (in other words, I didn’t choke on my shoe:) I feel like an amazon next to her, though. She’s so petite and was incredibly gracious. For those that were at the keynote luncheon, she gave a kick ass speech that can be summed up as “stop bitching about how easy it was for other people and get to work”. It was a fabulous speech.
Getting ready for this event was beyond stressful. When I say there was crying and screaming and gnashing of the teeth, there was. It was absolutely brutal in so many, unbelievable ways. The first night there, I wanted to leave and not even bother being there.
Part of the problem was that I was incredibly nervous about meeting all the folks that supported me over the last couple years, through Iraq and back again. Honestly, meeting every single person there was a phenomenal experience that I will blog about later.
No, the best person in the entire conference was someone who didn’t want to be here, who spent most of it pissed off and irritated and stressed out because there were two tired, over stimulated kids who probably never should have come.
The best person here was my husband. Not only did he smile when I told him that the meeting with my agent went spectacularly, not only did he kiss me when I was walking out the door to go to a party while he was trying to put the cranky kids to bed, he also washed laundry. He fed and bathed and entertained our kids while I walked around dazed and pretending to have it all together and that everything was just fine when inside, I felt like I was one false word from having a fabulous shoe down my throat.
My husband has just spent a week with the kids each afternoon so that I could meet other writers, spent time getting to know my agent, and meet people after hours in the bar. My husband made me laugh when I wanted to cry and smiled when I squeeled about meeting Nora Roberts.
He hates stuff like this. He hates being in a hotel room, trapped with the kids and running around like banshees. But tonight, the kids were crying, I was stressed out because I couldn’t get my bra to look right with my dress and my husband is unhooking it with me half ready to cry because I’m going to be late. And he gets me fixed, kisses me and says good luck.
And before you say I’m setting back feminism a hundred years by thanking my husband for doing something that I do every single day, let me expound just a titch. Since we’ve been back from Iraq, it’s been the mommy show. Every night, my kids want me to put them to bed. They want me there, even if I’m just giving them a kiss and a pat on the head before I tuck their blankets around them. So when I’m not there, my husband has to deal with two babies who are not only tired but stressed because they’re not quite understanding that mommy really is just downstairs. For my hubby to step up to the plate so that I could step out, literally, to mingle with publishing people, was pretty awesome in my book.
This man is man of the year in my book. I love him even more because he went through all of this to help me have an amazing first conference. I am so incredibly lucky to have him, unhooking my bra as I run out the door and smiling when I tell him that yes, I am going to sell a book this year.
Thank you, honey, for supporting me when all you wanted to do was scream. I love you.
Today, it’s my extreme pleasure to welcome New York Times Bestselling author Julia London back to the blog. She’s here today to talk about the RWA National Conference and her latest bestselling novel One Season of Sunshine, out now.
Adopted as an infant, Jane Aaron longs to know the identity of her birth mother and why she gave her up. Her only clue is the name of the small Texas town where she was born, so she’s come to Cedar Springs for answers. Handsome ad executive Asher Price lost his wife, the beautiful, mysterious Susanna, in a terrible car crash eighteen months ago. When he hires Jane as the nanny for his two children, sparks fly. Jane finds herself falling in love with both Asher and his children, but begins to suspect that Susanna was not the perfect mother and wife the family portrays her to have been. As Jane gets closer and closer to finding out the truth about both her own and Susanna’s past, devastating secrets begin to emerge that may be more than anyone can bear. Will the truth bring Jane and Asher closer together or tear them apart forever?
What was the first RWA National Conference you went to? What was the one thing you wished you’d known that first time and would it have made a difference if you’d been published or unpublished?
The first one I attended was in Chicago, I think in 2000. I really didn’t know what RWA was at the time. I’d never heard of it before I was published, and my editor told me it was a conference where other romance writers went. So I went, expecting…what, I don’t know. I didn’t know about all the workshops and opportunities to network until I was there. So I guess I would say that I wish I would have known what the conference was really about, what its goals for members were, and how I could have made better use of it than I did. That’s not to say it wasn’t beneficial, because it certainly was. But it could have been more so had I known what to expect.
What are some of the things that writers, at any stage in their career can get out of going to Nationals?
I think first and foremost is the opportunity to meet and network with industry professionals whom you would never meet sitting in your office or at home. That’s where this conference is really unique, I think, in bringing industry professionals to the writers. Second, the chance to meet people with similar goals and experiences, at any level. And third, the various workshops for any stage of your career. Craft, promotion, business—it seems like they cover the full gamut.
What are some things as a published writer that are on your “must do” list at Nationals?
Gossip ☺. Okay, seriously, taking the opportunity to meet with people who can help further my career. For me, that includes my publisher, editor, agent, as well as the people who help me promote my work, such as Writerspace and Fresh Fiction. I try to meet with booksellers and buyers, and of course, readers. It’s a chance to meet face-to-face with everyone who helps make my business a success.
What’s the thing you don’t see people doing at Nationals that they should be doing?
Breaking out of their cliques and meeting new people. It is great to go off and hang with your friends, and I do that every year. But I also make sure, since I go to the trouble and expense of going, to reach out to new people. For me, that is readers and librarians and booksellers. For any one, at any stage of his or her career, reaching out will serve you when you are published.
What are some of the common pitfalls you see folks fall into regarding interacting with other writers/agents/editors?
A couple of things: Remember that people have busy schedules and have taken the time to set them up to see who they need to see. I know some people try to schedule things on the fly, or worse, will come and “join” you when you are having your meeting with your editor/agent/writer. It is best to try and schedule ahead of time. But having said that, knowing that not everyone can plan ahead for whatever reason, it is just polite to ask if it is a good time to interrupt, or better yet, inquire if there is another time the person can meet. I can’t tell you how many times I have been with an editor when someone stops and needs to chat right then, with no respect for my time or the editor’s time.
The second thing is alcohol. Hey, we all love a good party, but loose lips sink ships. I’m just saying ☺. I’ve known of more than one author or industry professional whose drinking reputation precedes her book reputation. Just remember that it’s fun, but it’s also a business conference.
If you were going to give one piece of advice to unpublished authors about attending Nationals, what would it be? What about for published authors?
Take advantage of all the conference has to offer, but don’t be a slave to it. Make it the best use of YOUR time, not theirs. I would say the same for published authors. There are some really good workshops, but there are some really good conversations happening everywhere. If you are a published author, I would highly recommend catching the Madeline Hunter and Sabrina Jeffries PAN workshop on numbers if you get the chance. It’s really enlightening.
We hear a lot about having an ‘elevator pitch’ ready to go at a moment’s notice. What are some things you think are good or bad about the pitch and do you recommend it?
I think you must have a killer pitch that you know will grab the person you are pitching. Remember that these people are getting pitched left and right, they have a million things going on, and the odds of them remembering are pretty slim in the best of circumstances. The pitch cannot sound like any other book out there. You really must have the right grab-you hook. So my advice sounds simple, but it’s really hard: Have the right pitch. To make sure you do, pitch it to friends and acquaintances who will tell you the truth about it. You need the truth, the bold, untarnished truth. And even then, you have to keep in mind that it is all subjective. The perfect pitch to one editor may be the snooze button to the next.
Any final thoughts on Nationals?
It’s a great conference! Have fun and enjoy it!
Thanks so much for being here today. I’ve got my copy of One Season of Sunshine in my TBR pile and I can’t wait to get to it!
Thanks for having me here. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak to your followers and invite anyone who is interested to visit http://www.julialondon.com to read more about me, an excerpt, and about upcoming books.
So, I’m a pretty good communicator. When you look back at my NCOERs and OERs as well as my army school evaluations, I’m always top in communications (wonder where the writing thing comes from, huh). But here’s a dirty little secret: I have NO IDEA who to verbally pitch a book. I tried telling my agent about a couple of ideas on the phone and I could practically hear his eyes cross.
I’m not saying I can’t do it. I’m sure I can, but it takes practice and refining so that I know what I’m going to say and how. I’m better at off the cuff conversations that don’t start with “it’s about…”
I just read Bob Mayer’s recent posts on getting the most out of conferences and I think I’ve decided that I’m not going to stress about my pitches. If I get to meet in person people like Deidre Knight, who held my hand when I made my agent switch late last year and made me laugh when I wanted to jump off a bridge and Jenn Schober, who was instrumental in me getting to the NY Times At War Blog and subsequently the PBS POV blog, I think it would be much cooler (on my part anyway) to say thank you to them and maybe buy them a drink without having The Pitch hanging on my tongue, waiting to escape.
There are authors I want to meet too. I can’t wait to meet Joann Ross and Rocki St. Claire, both of whom held my hand last year during some particularly bad writing business stuff. I want to meet some of the fab authors who sent me care packages last year and I just know I’m going to be embarrassed and not remember all of them. I want to meet Cindy Gerard, who helped spear head the school supply drive for Iraqi kids. I want to meet up with the ROMVETs, fellow veterans and romance writers. I want to meet the RWA-WF group as well as the KOD folks that I’ve seen on the message boards. I want to meet Sarah Frantz and hug her for editing the hell out of me for PBS POV.
There are so many people I need to meet and say thank you to. I don’t want to screw that up by worrying about The Pitch.
Why stress about a pitch?
Mostly, I want to put faces to emails and I want to do this without worrying about my own pitch. Because if The Pitch is hanging over my head, I’ll screw up, act awkward or stressed out and generally look like a douche bag. I do enough of that already. Going to Nationals is going to be stressful enough for me because I’m A) going to be surrounded by civilians in large crowds, B) not going to be in uniform, which takes away a lot of my comfort, C) going to be in heels (enough said) and D) I only know in person maybe 4 people there.
So I’m going to take Bob’s recommendation and relax. I’m going to meet people and go to workshops. And I’m not going to worry about my pitch.
So today, Twitter and the media are all up in arms about comments Gen McCrystal made to a Rolling Stone reporter. Watching the commentary on MSNBC today, you would have thought Gen McCrystal had committed high treason.
Here’s the thing and it is universally true regardless of what profession you are in: Watch what you say and who you say it to.
Early in my military career as a young private and specialist, I made an off hand remark to a sergeant about one of the key leaders in my platoon, never dreaming he would go back and tell said key leader. What followed was a significant emotional event for me in learning the lesson that a, I was wrong for the comment and said key leader turned into a true mentor for me, but b (and more importantly) watch what you say.
It’s a lesson that has stuck with me over the years and one that I have internalized strongly. People around you are probably not your friends and even if they are, their loyalty may be to someone else. Over the years, I have made many aquaintances and few true friends. The friends I do have, however, I trust implicitly. Even then, I sometimes censor myself.
Call it distrust, I call it prudence. When I was having trouble with my former agent, there were two people I talked to about how I felt and what I was going through and I trust those two individuals to keep it between us, not shared on message boards and other writing groups. Everyone else got a censored version and that’s the way it should be. I shouldn’t be posting on my blog all the dirty details and I won’t, because its unprofessional.
When I was having problems with my previous commander, I posted things here that I knew might get back to him. I never posted anything that I would be uncomfortable explaining and, there too, the thoughts and emotions were self censored. On PBS, there are so many things I said in real life that I never would post online.
In developing my public persona, I am highly aware that everything I say and do will be held against me. This is a key thing to remember as I head off to the RWA National conference next month. There will be gossip and drinking. There will be private conversations, but during all of that, in the back of my mind, will be the reminder that I am ‘on’. Even there, when I’m going as a writer and not as a soldier, I am still a soldier and I am still being scrutinized as such.
So I will watch what I say and who I say it to. Just like always, because I would hate for an offhand remark or six to be turned into a public spectacle.
