Monday, April 19, 2010
I’m Off!
Pirates. I’m leaving…on a jet plane…I do know when I’ll be back, though. (Anyone get that reference?) Tomorrow, after a 3+ hour plane flight, Jane will be picking me up in Minneapolis and taking me to her house for a few days of pre-convention madness. We’ll throw together stuff for the newbies, shop (look out, Mall of America!), help each other out…and hopefully work at polishing our pitches to a grand shine.
Pitching. I wrote a blog about this last year right before RT. And it’s a topic I should be good with by now, but I’m still learning stuff all the time. Terrio sent me a blog last week that was brilliant regarding pitch preparation.
I especially liked what he had to say about having a statement of some sort ready regarding your target audience. After toying with a statement for The Kraken’s Mirror, something along the line of … “My book will appeal to women who want to read about something other than bulimic twenty somethings getting all the action…” Terrio talked me down to a more proper statement. How does this sound?
My book is for the empowered older woman who wants to read about characters she can relate to. The baby boomer who doesn’t consider herself sexually dead at 50.
I feel pretty good about The Kraken’s Mirror, though it should be the tougher sell. But I know there is a market for this story, it’s just convincing the pubs/editors/agents that I know what I’m talking about! It’s really just a romantic fantasy, with a twist or two.
I’m a bit less sure of my urban fantasy. In so many ways, it should be the easier sell, but I’m not feeling it as strongly. For example, my target statement? Eh.
My book is about a woman’s journey back from the abyss of despair in a world changed by a massive displacement of time. It should appeal to women in need of something to believe in. (See I know a great song called Something to Believe In by Clannad so I get that reference in spades. Will Lori Perkins?)
Sounds pretty wishy-washy to me. So, the question is, can I fake the confidence with the UF that feel with the RF? And how much does confidence come into selling your book at an in-person pitch?
I hear they want you to be confident and enthusiastic. Not pit bull confident or golden retriever enthusiastic…but somewhere in between. I mean, nowadays, the author plays such a large part in the promoting and winning-readers side of things. Almost makes one long for the days when the author was an invisible bookworm tapping away at a manual typewriter in some backroom, cut off from the rest of the world… (Nope. Not for me, but it sounds romantic, don’t it?)
I’m ready to take the dive into playing the idiot for the public. I swear, the older I get the more ready I am! I just know I’ll have no dignity.
I mean I bwah ha ha’d when I pitched to Heather Osborne of Tor last year! (I swear, I wanted to die. I wonder if I blushed?) But then again, it was fun. (I do hope to have a chance to pin Heather to a wall and ask about my submission. Oh, that would be bad, right? OK, I hope to buy Heather a drink in the bar and ask her politely if I should assume my submission to her, requested last year, is dead in the water since I haven’t heard anything. All the time, smiling and being polite…) (I can do that.)
If I had a good cackle, I’d probably cackle when I pitch The Kraken’s Mirror to Samhain.
I will practice decorum. No pirate hat when I pitch. (That’s for the rest of the convention and particularly for the parties.) I’ll make sure to wash out the comb-in hair color before I head for my appointments. Keep the rum drinking to a minimum until after the pitches are completed…keep the Ativan handy but only for comfort’s sake…
Yes, my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… But I’ll miss ya, crew! I hope the internet connection will be adequate for me to check in now and then. Be good without me and don’t let Mattycakes play bartender. And keep Jack out of my secret rum stash!
Anyone else have any conference plans in the next few months? It not a writing conference, then how about any other sort of conference? (I have BayCon, a sciencefiction/fantasy con at the end of May, a Pirate Festival in June and a Steampunk Con in Seattle come November, all on my calendar.) Any have any advice for me? Come on, someone rewrite that audience statement for me! Please! If you could make up a conference, with dream authors, actors…whatever…what would it be called and who would be there?
I’m calling today a Friday, even if it’s not!
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58 comments:
I haven't got any conference plans the next few months. I'll have a newborn. Maybe the NJ RWA Conference in the fall, but I'm not sure. We'll see how this kid is, if I'll be able to escape for a few days in the fall.
I'd like to go to Nationals next year. It's in NYC, so that's nice and close to me. We'll see how the year pans out. :)
Your audience statements sound good, Chance.
Bon Voyage, Chance! No pitching advice from me, I'm afraid. I thought the being confident and enthusiastic one was pretty good. Have a great time and enjoy being with Jane! (and I did get the Leaving on a Jet Plane reference!)
I'd like to go a visiting this year at Nationals, but I'm playing it day by day. No definite conference plans.
Dream conference, huh? It would have to be at a spa somewhere warm. I would love a few days together with all my internet friends. Sitting around talking books, eating good food, drinking good wine, maybe a few margaritas... That would be fun!
I love this blog. Yep, got the jet plane reference. And I so love the excitement that bubbles right before I fly off somewhere. Which I would love to be doing right now. Except not northern Europe for a while, I guess.
I think that second target audience one needs the word "damaged". That's how I think of Ivy, as damaged. And she's trying to get back to something resembling normal. Or as normal as that world could be.
Right now I have my eye on Nationals at the end of July. On top of the excitement of seeing all my friends I only see this one time a year is the excitement of getting back to Nashville. I loved living there but it's been 13 years since I left and that's too long!
I think I just hit my quota for throwing around the word "excitement" so I'll stop now. :)
I was gonna say "Have a great time", but it's obvious you WILL. I'm really excited for you, and hope you get to do live updates for us!
I like the idea of the "audience statement". I haven't really thought about that too much, so I think I'm going to ponder that.
The only thing I can add is from when I went to the Agent Pitch Slam in NYC last year. I pitched to a couple editors in addition to agents. I let each one know I read their blog (if they had one), or mentioned an upcoming book -- it was an easy way to start a conversation with them, and afterwards the pitch wasn't nervewracking, and they seemed more interested (i.e., no glazed expressions). LOL
I was hoping I'd go to Nationals this year, but alas. Maybe next year since I'm closer to NYC. Oh, Marn, I went to the NJ conference a couple years back and it was awesome! Mmm. That's not too far away from me either. . .
Marnee - Yeah, I imagine this year you'll be a little...round to be converence hopping. Though I can see you wanting to make the great escape come fall! Good luck on making that happen!
I enjoy conferences...I always spend some time feeling like a lost soul, clinging to walls and wearing my cloak of invisibility, but the rest of the time will be fine!
Only have one person I'm hoping to duck completely and that ought to be easy...
I may have to plan and budget for NYC if more people go... Might work out as RT is in Los Angeles next year, so it's a NO FLYING con for me. Yip!
Irish - I like your conference... let's see, we'll call it... Writing When Wet Conference! Any particular authors you'd like to invite?
There's a quota on excitement? Well, OK. I won't start allowing that for myself until I'm on the plane. Actually, that's about how it would be anyway. Until I'm on the plane my word will be...nervous. Or anxious.
I like the idea of redirecting the second statement around the word damaged ... then I can tie in healing or letting others help her heal. There's a line from a Leonard Cohen song...something about bless the crack, it lets the light in.
Hmmmmm.... I can figure this out!
Yoohoo! Nashville will be fun! I can't wait to experience that hotel!
Donna - Good advice, I will be sure to peruse Lori's blog again before I leave. I'm not sure who edits what at Samhain and to be perfectly honest, I've only read a few of their authors. But I'll go download a few brand new releases before I leave so I can read them and be ready to comment.
Great way to break the ice. I know Lori is a Yankees fan... I know nothing about baseball, but maybe I can look up how they are going and say congrats...or condolences...
It's not often the Yankees need condolences. They pay highly to make sure of that.
I admit, the hotel is like 75% of my conference excitement. It's so amazing. And I never get nervous about flying. It's never been a big deal.
I like this idea of having a way to break the ice with the editor/agent. I'll be sure to include that when I research who I'll be pitching to at Nationals. Of course, since there's this crazy hierarchy to who gets to pick appointments first, I'll be lucky if I'm not pitching to the hotel janitor.
I don't need to make up a conference. It'd be the Harry Potter Convention; and if we were lucky, it'd have J.K. Rowling and actors from the Harry Potter series. And I'd lose my bloody mind running around, trying to meet everyone and play quidditch. (Plus get my books signed...I'd hope J.K. would sign some books.)
I cannot help with the audience statement. I couldn't even identify my audience. "Um, my book is for people who aren't fundamentalists and aren't going to be pissed off I have Adam and Eve going through a divorce and having sex."
Hel! Of course, The Harry-palooza! and I can see you there, taking over and taking no prisoners. Or taking many, many prisoners. My, the ship would be full of Hogwart characters!
I do think your audience statement needs work. ;)
My audience is full of people who wonder, what would happen in the Garden of Eden after god let the original couple back in. How long does first love last? (You have to include the phrase original couple. Or first couple... No, I like original couple better.)
The janitor?! HA! Hey after working so many conferences, he or she, might be a good person to bounce ideas off of! LOL!
I'm no so much nervous about the flight stuff. It's the delay stuff, the rescheduled stuff, the getting to the airport on time stuff. I'm really OK with flying anymore. But very glad this one is a short flight!
Lori's blog isn't a lot of help...she posts maybe 4 times a month... But I can say I read her book and commented about it on FB! Have no idea what books Lindsey may have edited at Samhain, though...
Good luck, Chance! Sounds like you are going to have a blast!
A word of advice? Well this is just my opinion ... I think that you should get rid of the word older in your pitch. As it has negative connotations … bad karma vibes… Since , according to my dictionary, older means: obsolete, outdated. And it is synonymous with negative imagery words like: antediluvian, antiquated, antique, archaic, bygone, cast-off, crumbling, dated, decayed, demode, done, early, erstwhile, former, hackneyed*, immemorial, late, moth-eaten, of old, of yore, old-fashioned, old-time, olden, oldfangled, once, onetime, original, out-of-date, outmoded, passé, past, primeval, primitive, primordial, pristine, quondam, relic, remote, rusty, sometime, stale, superannuated, time-worn, traditional, unfashionable, unoriginal, venerable, worn-out.
Try a more positive word like “seasonedâ€. Which means experienced, and is synonymous with words like: accomplished, adept, battle-scarred, been around, been there, competent, expert, familiar, hardened, instructed, knowledgeable, matured, old hand, practiced, prepared, pro, professional, qualified, skillful, tested, toughened, trained, tried, vet, veteran, weathered, wise, worldly, wise.
Remember Chance, you are not just marketing your book. You are marketing your target audience. not born yesterday, no rookie, old enough to know what she likes, and young enough to still do it.
Women who are Experienced, not expired, so they will be Inspired to buy your book. Because you:
A. You are one of them, so you Understand them.
B. Because you understand them. You understand their needs.
You readers: not born yesterday, no rookie, old enough to know what she likes, and young enough to still do it.
Facts you can use to sell your seasoned woman books:
The female life expectancy in the US is 80.69 years.
In 1990 women 45-49 were 2.84% of the total US population.
In 2000 women 45-49 were 3.63% of the total US population.
In 1990 women 50-54 were 2.35% of the total US population.
In 2000 women 50-54 were 3.19% of the total US population. Bottom line, Chance? You are writing for an Expanding, under represented market. A market that has lots of $$$$ to spend. Make your marketability and your Potential profitability to a publisher part of your pitch. Just my opinion though ...
Chance, have you Googled their names? Sometimes they have interviews on other blogs, things like that.
And I died laughing about the janitor -- my BFF had her son in a teaching hospital, and they had tons of people coming to see what was going on with her before she delivered. She swore the janitor had his arm up there before it was all over. LOL
Sorry about the length of that post.
I know that some of you hate research so here yah go :
Age structure: shows the age of the population by sex from 1950-2010.
(2009 est.)
0–14 years: 20.2%
(male 31,639,127/female 30,305,704)
15–64 years: 67.0%
(male 102,665,043/female 103,129,321)
65 years and over: 12.8%
(male 16,901,232/female 22,571,696)
Chart and figures for United States AGE DISTRIBUTION:
http://www.censusscope.org/us/chart_age.html
They must have HP conventions somewhere. Surely this is not an untapped market. If they don't, you should organize one in your neck of the woods, Hellie. You would quadruple the tourist dollars in your town!
I'm not sure what conference I would create. But we'd hold it somewhere tropical. Hawaii or Jamaica. Oh, or maybe we'd take it to Scotland in August for the Tattoo. Which reminds me, next week kiddo's class is taking a feild trip to the International Tattoo around here. I have magnanimously volunteered to chaperone. It's for the good of the kids.
Julie! Thanks for the stats! I can use those! And yup, I like seasoned a bit better. It's one of those facts...being older...that has a built in negative connotation. Something I'd like to change, BTW!
Donna - I just friended Lindsey on FB... Lori Perkins Literary Agency doesn't have a website. Which floors me a little, but she claims they have one under developement. She also runs Ravenous Press...so it's an interesting situation I'm walking into. But I think she sounds fascinating and I'm looking forward to meeting her...
*waving hand wildly
"What is International Tattoo?"
Chances motto - never be afraid to speak up about what you don't know or you never will get to know anything new!
I have an appointment to scurry off to, will be back in 'bout 90 minutes!
I got the jet plane reference. In fact, now I'm singing. :)
Pitch sounds good to me, Chance. I'm sending tons of good wishes to you.
I'd go to Irish's conference, but generally speaking I'm just not enamored of conferences. Maybe I ODed on them during my academic career, or maybe I'm just too much the introvert. Now if I really could be invisible, I might attend one. :)
Here's the explanation from the website:
Tattoos have evolved from a European tradition dating back to the 17th Century. They are ceremonial performances of military music by massed bands. Each Tattoo is different and influenced by the culture of the country in which they are presented.
Here's the link to the one here in town.
http://www.vafest.org/2010/tattoo.php?tc=4
And did I mention it's filled with men in kilts?
I'd attend Irish's conference too. A spa weekend to relax and talk and have no other responsibilities for a week? Oh yeah, I'm there.
I would love to go to a Tattoo. I think I have some music from an Edinburgh one on a CD somewhere. Men in kilts. Sigh.
And I would love Irish's conference, but I'd be in the spa or at the bar the whole time -- so they'd have to rearrange the conference rooms if they expected me to attend any of the classes. LOL
Heck, sounds like I just want to go SOMEWHERE!
The next HP convention will be in Orlando, imagine, imagine. *LOL*
My neck of the woods doesn't geek about about HP as much as I do. My neck of the woods geeks out about tractor pulls.
Hellie - That's the point, you bring IN the HP fanatics. Double the population!
Donna - I'm with you. Where should we go? And can we be there by five today?
I googled Facebook for Harry Potter fan sites (thinking I could find something near home), and I found a Harry Potter Pick Up Lines instead.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hogsmeade/Harry-Potter-pick-up-lines/288992882683?ref=search&sid=505945488.2516454744..1&v=wall#!/pages/Hogsmeade/Harry-Potter-pick-up-lines/288992882683?ref=mf
Okay, most of those I don't understand, of course. But this one is cracking me up.
You know, the Sorting Hat placed me in Gryffindor. I think it's because like Godric Gryffindor himself, I too have an impressive sword.
Mmm, by five? I've still got hot curlers in my hair and I have to put my face on.
Maybe we should do some time travelling. LOL
Chance, I hope you don't trigger any volcanic eruptions while you pitch. We have enough atmospheric ash already!
The Kracken's mirror sounds an intriguing title. Any connection with the Greek myth, where Perseus looked at the reflection in order to slay the Gorgon?
Having read one of your books I'm confidant you can succeed. I am acknowledged as a stern critic of manuscripts for publication so rest assured, success is within your grasp. *fingers crossed under table .... only kidding!*
Good luck and enjoy!
Well, of course. I'm not going anywhere with you until you put your face on. *rolls eyes*
Fine, lets go back to Golden Age of Hollywood. We could totally be Ziegfeld girls.
Mmmm, Ziegfeld girls. I was thinking of something a little more, oh I don't know, kilt-ish? LOL
I'm kind of like Janga - a bit introverted - so throwing a lot of my favorite authors in the mix may freak me out a bit. Although I'd love to hear some of them speak. There is nothing like listening to a good speaker, one who really inspires you.
I've seen Susan Elizabeth Phillips and she's fun. I've met Eloisa James and she's charming and very down to earth. I think Jennifer Crusie would hit it out of the ballpark as far as speaking goes. I've heard Lisa Kleypas is a wonderful speaker, as is Christina Dodd and Connie Brockway.
I'd probably be with Donna, though, too busy in the spa to attend any sessions.
Terri, that Tattoo field trip sounds awesome.
I was at the Grand Ole Opry hotel for a conference around 1995-96. I remember it being pretty incredible. I also remember having a 6 month old baby I had to leave with it's daddy alone for 3 days so I was a little distracted. LOL
OH! That sort of tattoo. OK! I have tattoos, I can go there! In fact one of the newbies has her own tattoo place. Wonder what I can swap for a recolor....???? She's only an hour or so south of Columbus, I'm sure Jane wouldn't mind... ;-)
I think we can get the authors to lecture while doing the spa thing. A massage while being told how to had dynamic energy to your opening... Nice men in towels standing by taking notes for us all.
Oh...I like the The Sorting Hat has spoken and it says I belong with you. Simple and to the point.
Ah, Q! Yer making me blush! No slain Krakens in this one. Friendly kraken, in fact, match-making great albino kraken.
It's quirky.
*giggle
Now, Hel! Aren't you glad you're going to Hogwarts!? We're all thrilled for you and expect a total wizard geekfit from you as you prepare to leave and when you get back. And for months afterward.
So, one thing I'm still unclear on...what do men in kilts have to do with tattoos?
Woo-hoo, Chance! Have a great time at the conference. Your pitch sounds great to me (especially being a 50+ woman who is not dead sexually). You should have a large audience for such a story.
And I do remember the song. My fondest memory of it is sitting on my dorm room bed, end of the year. Spring breezes blow the curtains in the window at the end of the hall. Someone has on the radio and Jet Plane is echoing through a near-empty building. I'm thinking of Jack and how the next day I will be on a jet plane bound for Florida, far away from him. Melancholy but sweet.
OK...check out her page. She does some nice work!
http://www.tattoosbyceleste.com/color..html
You're gonna do great Chance! Julie gave you some great marketing ammo to back up your pitch.
Being the little birdy I am on Twitter - I'm pretty sure Heather from TOR was excited the other day by a Kraken story(pretty sure it was her)...interesting and made me think of you. Plus, I've seen the sparkles she is planning on wearing in her hair at RT and think she wouldn't mind an invitation to the bar!
Dee - Isn't if funny how some songs will really spark the memory? I loved Peter Paul and Mary's rendition... Always makes me feel like there's some great adventure afoot.
Scapegoat! I wish it were my story! Dang, maybe I'll see if I can finagle another pitch appointment with her! Sparkles in her hair...love it. I'll be sure to tease her with my assorted Kraken pins. (Did I tell you I got a button machine and went a bit button mad? I'm taking over 100 to the con. But a bunch of them are for the newbies.)
One of the newbies has promised to show me how to twit. I mean tweet. ;)
If you hear what she likes to drink while your off twitting about... I mean tweeting about... ;) let me know so I can have the right drink ready for her.
And thanks for all the advice, sweetie. I thought I might have to toss the whole first chapter, but you gave me some great ideas to simply revamp it. Been considering pirate festival details I can use to add sparkle... Thank you!
Definitely inviting Crusie and Lani to our spa conference. Gah! That would be awesome.
Irish - I was living in Nashville in '96 & '96. To think, we were right there! You have to see what they've added since then. Well, was the gondola and waterway in when you were there?
Dee - I really wasn't sure where you were going with that. LOL! I was getting a little nervous.
Chance - Did you miss the word "International"? Think bagpipes and drums.
So, Bo'sun...there are kilts because this year it's being held in Scotland? Or is it always held in Scotland? Hey, just because I have a few doesn't mean I know all there is to know of tattoodom.
OK...blushing furiously. Last Chance pointed out I was totally missing the tattoo in question. She got to be in Colonial Williamsburg a few years back and saw some drum and fife stuff... So... I get it now!
But come on, that was pretty funny that I was going in the exact opposite direction! LOL! AT ME!
Thank you, Last Chance! LOL! I thought I was going to have to smack her around there for a second.
Chance - Come here. Lean in a little more. Now, follow the movement of my fingers on the keyboard. They are holding an International Tattoo at the Norfolk Scope at which military bands from all over the world will perform. Hence the term "International". This will include bands from the Scottish Highlands as well as Russia and Asia and lots of other places.
I gave you a link, darling. CLICK IT.
LOL!
K, you can lean back out now.
Hey, I'm pre-flighting here! But I like the other sort of tattoo also!
That reminds me, I need to check out your friend's tattoo link.
Those are some amazing tattoos. And crazy bright colors.
That tattoo mixup was kind of fun!
Thank God nobody threw in the little guy from Fantasy Island. Oooh. And it even goes with "De plane" pic at the top. LOL
Okay, Donna wins the limp swizzel stick award of the day.
LOL!
LOL -- why does it seem like this isn't an award I'm gonna want to put on my resume?
Someday, when we on the Revenge all be famous and living our our private Caribbean island...the limp swizzle stick award will be quite prestiges! So...hang onto it!
Good to know! I will treasure it -- and do my best not to lose it before we take over the Caribbean island. :)
Maybe I should get a tool belt so I can carry all of the limp sizzle sticks I plan to accumulate. LOL
A modern day reticule! (If I got the lingo right...)
Yes! A swizzle stick reticule! Every girl should have one!
Where did all those exclamation marks come from? Yeesh. LOL
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