I’m in Brighton, England for this year’s World Fantasy Convention
(October 31 - November 2. Like many of my friends my successes in writing can
be traced back to my decision to attend a conference. But that's only a part of
the story. Showing up is the easiest part. Whether you go to a convention to
enjoy as a fan or to further your career be an active participant.
Making a convention a professional marketing tool is hard work.
We attend writers’ conferences or seminars, to market our writing, and to meet
other writers, agents, publishers and editors. For ease of reference, I’ll
refer to agents, publishers and editors collectively as “agents.” You cannot sit in the seminars and
only interact with the group of people you came if you are marketing.
Every day of a convention is an interview. Every moment of every day is an
opportunity for you to help or hurt your career. So how do you ramp up your
marketing potential at a Con?
Before: Do
your homework.
One of the things I love about World Fantasy is it posts a list
of attendees or "members" so I can see if my dream editor or agent is
going to attend. This year WFC also has a separate list of attending
publishers so if you don't know that Jane Doe is with XY Literary you can
see that XY Literary is attending and investigate further. Conventions are
often crowded. Decide in advance who you'd like to make a connection
with, why, and how.
A few years ago, I wanted to talk to Peter Beagle because I love
his stories. How was I going to meet to him? He was a WFC guest of
honor, and was scheduled for a reading, an interview session, and to
attend the banquet. So, I knew where and when I could find him. But I also
asked my friends if anyone knew him. One of my friends did and she introduced
me. Ask your friends and colleagues if they know the person you want to meet.
Chances are that one of them does. A personal introduction will usually
take you a lot further than cold calling on someone. If the person you want to
speak with is not giving a lecture or otherwise booked to be in a specific
place be prepared to check the Con Bar - regularly.
If you are planning to pitch a story make sure it's finished. "Finished"
does not mean the first draft is complete. It means you have done everything
you can to make the story as compelling and as free from typos as you can.
Prepare your pitches. Ace Jordyn attended last year's WFC with a list of
the people she wanted to meet, and pitches prepared for each work and each
person. Amazing, really.
During: Be
professional and bold.
I've written about this before so I'm not going to delve too
deeply here. Appearances matter. If you want to be taken as a professional,
dress as one. Does that mean you have to wear a suit? No - unless that's your
brand. Look at just about any New York Times best-selling author's website and
you'll see what I mean. Lisa Scottoline, a retired lawyer and writer of legal
thrillers, wears suits. She wore one when she was instructing at the Seak,
Legal Fiction for Lawyers convention where I met her. Because of who she is and
what she writes the suit is part of her brand. Neil Gaiman and Brandon
Sanderson don't wear suits. In fact, I would guess that the bulk of
professional writers don't wear suits. Still, they all look professional. You
should too.
Act professional. Don't interrupt; don't be rude. Enough said
about that.
Go boldly. Go to the places the people you are
looking for are likely to be. Talk to them when you find them. If you can't
find them, ask other people if they
might know where Jane Doe is. You must approach strangers at a convention.
You must ask friends to introduce you to people you don’t know, but
want to. At least one agent has said that she only signs people she’s met at a
convention, and the agent doesn’t wear a name tag. She, like every other agent,
wants to see you’ve done your research and that you’re passionate about your
work. After all, if you’re not excited about and willing to sell your work, why
should she be? Sitting in a corner watching the con go by will not result in
publication.
Strike while the iron is hot. If you are engaged in a genuine
conversation and someone asks what you are working on. Tell them. Don't ignore fellow writers. They might just be the key to later opportunities. And, frankly, most of them are fascinating to talk to.
After:
Follow-up.
Oh lucky day! You spent three hours talking to your dream editor
at the Con Bar. So, now what? Follow-up with that person just like you would do
at any other networking event. Send her an e-mail saying you enjoyed
meeting her at the Con. Make the e-mail specific so that if you drinking a
purple girly drink remind the editor so she, who met hundreds of
people at the Con, has the opportunity to place you. If you were
asked to submit to the editor do so now. It not, just thank her for her time.
At minimum, follow the editor's twitter feed or friend her on
Facebook. Comment honestly on posts. If she posts something you find
interesting you should comment on it. If not, you shouldn't. You are trying to forge
and maintain a genuine connection.
Don't forget your friends. Remember all those people who helped
you research and introduced you around? Thank them as well.
Conventions are one of our most powerful marketing tools if used
correctly. Meeting someone at a convention may make the difference
between a polite “no, thank you” and a sale. Treat every convention like an
extended job interview because that’s what it is. Your primary goal is to form
honest and lasting connections with the people you meet. Succeeding at
that goal leads to success.
Anyway, I'm off to finish my homework before the official start of the conference. Wish me luck.
