The 44th annual Rutgers One-on-One Plus
Conference will be held on October 19, 2013. I had the privilege of being
accepted the last two years. It is by far the best writing conference I’ve ever
attended. Unfortunately, I can’t apply this year because of a conflict, but I
wanted to get the information out to our readers.
To find all of the information about the conference,
go to: http://www.ruccl.org/One-on-One_Plus_Conference.html
Many of the Route 19 writers have attended Rutgers
both as mentees and mentors. Check out these articles to learn about our
experiences.
Here are eight tips when applying for the
Rutgers conference:
1. DO NOT
WAIT UNTIL THE DEADLINE TO APPLY. The council matches the number of mentees
with the number of mentors. Usually it’s
between 70-80. A LOT of writers apply to this conference. The sooner you get
your application in, the better.
2. Be
professional. Type your application. Check for typos. Read all of the
information on the Rutgers website a few times.
3. Submit you best polished work. Acceptance is
based on the strength and quality of your work. The manuscript pages or the
artwork that you send must be your best. Have your critique group read your
submission and application before you submit it.
4. Be honest about the track record of your
manuscript. The Rutgers council works extremely hard to match mentees with
mentors. If the agent or editor has already seen your work and has rejected it,
he or she wouldn’t be a good fit.
5. Send a resume along with your application. List
places where you’ve published (i.e. magazines, etc.). List conferences , workshops or classes you’ve
attended to improve your craft.
6. Once your submission has been sent, do not
send it out to the agents or editors listed as mentors.
7. Don’t forget to include your check, a
S.A.S.E. for notification and a postcard to ensure that your application was
received.
8. Now the waiting game begins. Block off October 19th on your calendar in
case you get accepted. You will be notified by the end of August. I remember
last year, I had been on vacation when notifications were sent. When I picked
up my mail, I was thrilled to see the acceptance letter!
GOOD LUCK!!!
This is a wonderful conference and a great way to meet editors and agents. It's meant for writers who have done their work and are close to getting published. I recommend it to those who have 4-5 completed picture book manuscripts that have been through a serious review process or someone with 2-3 novel manuscripts, again ones that have gone through some type of critiquing. If that's you, GO GO GO!
ReplyDeleteKitty, you are absolutely right. This conference is definitely for people who are close to having their work published. The editors and agents do not get paid for participating in the conference. They volunteer their time and talent in hopes of finding new writers and artists.
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