So. Saturday morning after breakfast we had a 1-hour editor/agent panel. We had two editors, one from NAL and one from Tor, and two agents, one who does all romance and another who does romance, mystery, general fiction, nonfiction, and maybe more that I've forgotten. She's also a lawyer specializing in literary contract law. I'll call the agents Michelle and Elaine, because those are their names.

Got further confirmation of it being a bad time for trying to break in as a historical author. Angst, angst, angst. However, no one thinks the historical is dying, and there's always room for someone with a good story and a unique voice. What's selling really, really well now is anything paranormal and chick lit or romance with a chick litty vibe. Which does me no good whatsoever. It's not like I can drop everything and write vampires or chick lit.

(That said, I loved the Tor editor so much I was half tempted to turn James into a vampire and Jack a werewolf on the spot so I could pitch to her. (Tor being a fantasy/sf publisher, that's the only kind of romance they buy.))

I also really liked Elaine--I'd had a good feeling about her ever since I looked at her agency's website, and was delighted to hear that as a reader there's nothing she likes better than a good historical. Michelle seemed really nice, too, and she represents several authors from our chapter. But she was almost too happy and bubbly for my taste.

So. Panel over, and it's pitch time. The pitching was in 20-minute group sessions that went on throughout the day Saturday. I'd requested early sessions, since I had to leave mid-afternoon to make it to the M's game/Edgar farewell/Ichiro worship session. So I pitched to the NAL editor at 10:30 and to Elaine at 11:00. I'd revised my pitch on the fly into a succinct, hooky description of both my books, with a closing statement on why I think romances with a Napoleonic War focus are an underdeveloped niche within the popular Regency setting that could have a really strong reader appeal.

There were five of us in the NAL session, and as luck would have it, she went clockwise, which left me to go last. Two of the first three writers used a good 7 or 8 minutes each, and when the moderator came by with the 2-minute warning, two of us hadn't even started yet. (I don't blame the writers, BTW. They hadn't realized the pitch sessions were going to be group rather than one-on-one, so they hadn't known to prep a punchy pitch.)

So I have now discovered that if I really have to, I can pitch two novels and talk about my general vision as a writer in approximately 45 seconds. And, if the comments two of the writers made to me at lunch are to be believed, do a pretty darn good job of it. Apparently the editor thought so, too, because she wants a partial of Lucy to see if it'll fit their traditional Regency line. Unfortunately, she wasn't so interested in Anna, because they're really only looking for new writers doing the traditional London Season/country house party/ballroom/drawing room story. War-torn Spain with a commoner hero, NSM. More on that later.

Incidentally, of the five of us, she only requested two partials. The other was from the other person who had to pitch in 45 seconds. Coincidence? Maybe, but I still say the moral of the story is Don't Ramble, even if you have time to.

Five minutes to catch my breath, and I'm right back in to pitch to Elaine. There were only three of us, so it was a much more relaxed session. She had the opposite reaction to the NAL editor--she wasn't that crazy about Lucy, but she thought Anna sounded like a really compelling story idea. Since Anna isn't finished yet, I'm to send her a partial and synopsis of Lucy as well as a synopsis of Anna. I could be overly optimistic here, since she only has the capacity to take on a handful of new clients, but I have a really good feeling about her.

I'm feeling discombobulated over the NAL editor's preference for Lucy, because everyone else who heard me pitch--other writers in my sessions, the group I practiced with on Friday afternoon, etc.--prefers Anna, and my marketing plan, such as it is, is to finish revising Lucy, finish writing Anna, and use the latter as an initial hook that might lead to the sale of both novels. I was sure that if I had to sacrifice one book for the sake of the other, it'd be Lucy. It never remotely occurred to me that the reverse might happen. I angsted over this for most of Saturday, but decided I should save the angst unless and until NAL asks to see a full. If they reject the partial, I worried over nothing. And if they request a full and eventually offer me a contract, well, then I'll be in a better position both to talk with them about my other work and my long-term goals and to get an agent to advise me.

(Amy, deb, or any other expert types--let me know if I spoke too freely anywhere above and I'll delete/edit. I'm still learning what's kosher and what might get you into trouble.)

Susan roooooooocks.

It sounds like a really worthwhile conference, Susan, and go you on the 45 second pitch.

(BTW, was the Tor editor Anna Genoese? From interviews I've read with her she comes across as a very cool person.)

Yup. Anna Genoese--very smart, snarky, and funny.

I don't think you said anything remotely trouble-worthy, Susan, and yay for a worthwhile conference experience. I think you're right about rambling, too -- I used to have to listen to those pitches and I always preferred someone who give me the gist in a couple of sentences without explaining every minute of backstory, blah de blah de blah.

And this?

If they reject the partial, I worried over nothing. And if they request a full and eventually offer me a contract, well, then I'll be in a better position both to talk with them about my other work and my long-term goals and to get an agent to advise me.

...sounds sensible.

I was just afraid I was showing myself to be a bit of a diva by being all concerned about my career direction when I haven't even sold yet. I get the impression most of the other unpubbed writers in my chapter, if they sold a particular type of book, would be happy to write five more books for the exact same line even if they'd been planning to do something completely different. Hence, I wonder if I'm too cocky, when I haven't even sold my first book, to have such definite plans for who I'm going to be exactly when I'm finally Somebody.

Hence, I wonder if I'm too cocky, when I haven't even sold my first book, to have such definite plans for who I'm going to be exactly when I'm finally Somebody.

That's, uh, crazy talk. Fond hairpat. There's a big difference between wanting to write anything, anytime to be published, and knowing what interests you to write about, and therefore what really might reflect your passion (and influence your voice). I think most writers who try to write to market to get sold are going to sell themselves short in one way or another -- if the book of an author's heart is a sweeping historical, attempting a sarcastic, up-to-the-minute chick lit might work out, and, you know, really truly might not.

I think you're very wise to consider what you want to be writing, and to try as hard as you can to make that happen. I've written stuff simply for pay before, when it had no resonance (and often very little interest) for me, and it can suck with a capital S.

The other thing is (as Elaine-the-agent pointed out during our session) is there's nothing to prevent the same writer having books with two different publishers. I'd hate to do that with Lucy and Anna, since they're linked stories, and I fondly think that anyone who reads Lucy is going to be curious about what happens to Anna, especially since she's becoming a more prominent character in my rewrite. But, it could be done--I'd just have to change Anna's name and demographic details. I don't wanna, but if that's what it took to sell both stories....but it's early days to worry about crossing that bridge.

Oh, and I decided I need to make a 5-year plan, and I may have found a good match for a critique partner.

ETA--Amy, did you get the email I sent to your gmail address about Laurie Brown?

Amy, did you get the email I sent to your gmail address about Laurie Brown?

Um, stupid me opened the account and since forgotten to check it. I'll look now. And then it's off to bed...