I have to say, looking at the website, her choices do seem like they're pure fluff, not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just too bad there's not some well-publicized happy medium between Ripa books and Oprah books.

Bang. All better. "I want to see my lawyer right now."

JohnS, I've never actually laid eyes on the woman. But hell, if she can push me into best-seller-dom? Hell yes.

Susan, total agreement. Oprah is nauseatingly pi for my tastes.

SUSAN, from Marlene, who put it all down in writing for me:

Tell her to chill. (Ask her who the agent is...I may know him/her.) Write out her pitch on a little index card, so she feels in control, but she shouldn't read from it...can peek and refer to it. (Practice her pitch out loud and/or to a writer friend so she can see if she likes the sound.) Make it as "high concept" as she can, i.e., four lines or less. They eat that stuff up.Don't tell the whole story. Come in, shake hands, introduce herself.

I think if it's a one on one, she might feel more comfortable just telling the agent she's got a regency historical and asking questions of the agent...then the agent will ask questions of her to get some story details and she will pitch without having to formally present. I love the question approach...get them talking and they think you're brilliant.

Bottom line. She will be asked to send a partial. EVERYONE IS ASKED TO SEND A PARTIAL. So she should relax and know her work will speak for her. These people are just that..people-- and they know you're nervous.

When leaving, she should hand the agent her business card (with the title written on the back), make sure she gets a card from the agent, say thank you and go home and get that partial in the mail.

xxxm

So, there speaketh the agent to whom you will be sending your novel, and if you have the name of the agent you're meeting, let me know so I can pass it along. If Marlene knows her/him, you could get some early help.

And I hope this helps.

Deb, if you're still around, could you get on AIM? I have college-visity info.

On my way, babe.

Deb, that definitely helps. Unfortunately, I won't find out which editor and/or agent I'm meeting until tomorrow at registration, but the agents are Susannah Taylor from the Richard Henshaw Group and Natasha Kern. Taylor was my first choice because she mentioned an interest in the Regency and because her bio struck me as kind of quirky and cerebral, but both seemed like good options. The editors are Lauren McKenna from Pocket Books, Kathryn Lye from Harlequin/Silhouette, and Lyssa Keusch from Harper Books. Just based on their lines, I listed Harper as my first choice and Pocket as my second. If I draw Harlequin, I'll just give up my place for a late registrant, because my book just ain't one of theirs.

They're not one-on-one meetings--it's groups of 4-5 writers each in 20-minute sessions with the agent/editor, so you get about five minutes each. I'm going to try not to go first.

I'm going to draw up one more draft tonight that gets the core plot pared down to a paragraph, with a few more paragraphs focusing on style, characterization, theme, etc. that I can include if the situation warrants. Then I'm going to lay it aside until tomorrow night, because there's a "Hone Your Pitch" session after the opening dinner, and hopefully I can get some feedback there.

Susan, I sent that info to Marlene.

I have to say, looking at the website, her choices do seem like they're pure fluff

This is on purpose. Her picks are meant to be fluffy beach read kind of books.

Oh, Susan?

From Marlene, this morning:

BTW,if she's conferencing and pitching, why hasn't she sent the pitch HERE???? Hell, why hasn't she sent the mss here? I am waiting for a wonderful regency historical to cross my desk because I have an editor who would KILL for a great read.

That's all. Now I'll go back to getting ready to leave for NY.

xxm

I told her I'd poke you. Don't worry about it not being perfect, or trimmed, or ready - I told her you were trimming and whatnot, and told her it was less plot and more character/story, and those are the ones she loves the best.

Just send stuff, will you? Tell me first and I'll do the joint email.

BTW, you can now tell other agents, in all truth, that you have an agent - Marlene Shannon-Stringer, Barbara Bova's partner - who has asked to read it. Because as the above email shows, she has.

edit: she added the following, and note the bit about the short summary thing:

Point is, you have to hone your pitch when you don't have someone willing to read. She's past the pitch to me part. (Although a one para pitch in a cover letter makes my life oh so much easier.) The pitch is to get them past the no thanks I'm busy stage. I'll read something someone I respect recommends.

There you go.