by Marcy Collier
Last year about this time, my insides were filled with
collywobbles (see Andrea’s post on 10/5/12 for the definition). Last year I had
attended the Rutgers One-On-One-Plus Conference for the first time. Many of the
Route 19ers had attended or taught at past conferences and gave me all kinds of
tips to ease my nervousness.
Fast forward to October 2012, and I was accepted for a second
year to the conference. I was extremely excited and still a bit nervous, but a least I knew what to expect this year. For those of you who are
attending, I wanted to add my advice and re-post the article that
helped me tremendously last year to get ready for conference day.
Go back
through the mentor list posted on the Rutgers
website http://www.ruccl.org/mentors_2012.html. Sometimes additions are made to the mentor list. Write down the top ten people you’re most interested in meeting. Put
stars by the top three.
I’m sort of a shy person. It was extremely hard me last year
to approach an editor/agent/author. I waited for an appropriate time, sucked up my nervous feelings and went for it.
Have your pitch memorized.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions in your five-on-five
session. Come prepared with a list.
Bring summaries and/or first chapters of other pieces you’re
working on in case you have time left in your one-on-one session.
If you've revised your ms, bring the revised first chapter. I had my mentor look over my revised version during our session and was able to get great feedback on both versions.
Get to the conference early enough. Allow yourself enough time if
you get lost. I got there early last year and didn’t feel rushed. I had time to
go through the mentor list. If you have a smart phone, bring it (on vibrate of
course). Sometimes mentors are added and you may not have notes on them. It is
nice to do a bit of last minute research at the breakfast table if necessary.
Meet new friends and rekindle old friendships. The children’s
writing community is one of the friendliest and most helpful in the world. I feel
lucky to be a part of it and a part of Rutgers
again this year. The time and preparation that goes into this conference makes it one of the best children's writing conferences in the country.
Below is the post from last year along with links of other
posts that I’ve found helpful.
Best of luck. Hope to meet you there!
2011 Rutgers One-on-One
Plus--tips for making the most of the Conference
A round-table with Route 19
Rutgers veterans.
Participating: Kitty, Susan, Cynthia, Dave. They've been
invited to combined total of 10 of these spectacular Conferences. (Kitty's also
served as a Mentor ,
twice.)
BEFORE
Susan: Plan your networking. Find the list of Mentors posted
on the Conference website.
Dave: Then research who and what they've published. Using
Publishers Marketplace, you can go back five years or more and see every book
and writer they worked with. This lets you focus on the Mentors most
appropriate for you.
Susan: From that, create a target list of Mentors you want
face time with.
Kitty: Write questions down in advance so you don't forget
any.
Dave: Make two lists. First, questions about your ms and
anything else you want to discuss with your Mentor . You'll use this list for the 1-on-1
critique. Second list: questions relevant to the writing business, for the
5-on-5 roundtable session.
Susan: Know your lines. Memorize your one-sentence author
bio and your one-sentence elevator pitch(es). Practice out loud until they trip
off your tongue.
Dave: Bring your own business cards. You'll pass them out to
other writers. This is a perfect chance to network, make contacts, and make
your name known.
DURING
Kitty's ABC: Always Be ready to ask for a CARD. (Jot notes
on each card—e.g. "looking for MG or YA"—and build a file of editors
and agents)
Cynthia: For the overall Conference--be bold. You don't have
to prove to people that you're a good writer--they know that already. Don't
hesitate to buttonhole any Mentors you're interested in. Give each a very short
elevator pitch, and ask for their card.
Dave: Feel completely welcome to approach any Mentor . They've all come
to this Conference to find writers.
Susan: Don't socialize at Registration. Well, do—but not
until you check your folder to (1) identify your Mentor; (2) identify which
additional Mentors will be part of your5-on-5; (3) cross those names off your
Target list (because you're guaranteed face time with them); (4) reread the
schedule so you have a clear idea of the shape of the day.
Now you can relax and mingle with the other writers.
Cynthia: In your 1-on-1 critique, be receptive and have the
right kind of expectations. Don't expect your Mentor to offer you a contract--or even to
ask you to revise and submit to them. Do expect to learn a lot from them.
There's a good chance your Mentor doesn't handle the kind of stuff you
write. My first Mentor
was a fellow writer; my second a fabulous editor who didn't edit the type of ms
I'd sent in. But both were great writers/editors, and we really delved into my
ms. I was amazed at what I learned in that short amount of time.
Susan: Don't eat lunch. At least, don't waste time standing
in the long buffet line. Chomp a handful of almonds to stay the pangs, and
"work" the line. It'll be full of Mentors. Grab your sandwich once
the line's gone.
Dave: However, I was surprised to find that because of the
sheer numbers of Mentors present, you'll have plenty of time to approach. And
don't be surprised to see a Mentor
sitting alone.
Susan: But the coach does turn into a pumpkin! The
Conference ends rather abruptly, and most Mentors disappear like so many
Cinderellas, running for the train back to Manhattan . So don't expect leisurely
networking at the end of the day.
(However, if you lodge in a Manhattan hotel, like Kitty usually did, you
can ride the same train. Kitty has done lots of networking on trains.)
Kitty: Wear comfortable clothes, it's a long, long day.
AFTER
Kitty: If someone answered a question or helped you with a
block take time and send them a personal thank you.
Susan: Thank the dedicated and hard-working Conference
staff, too.
Here are some other great links for conference tips:
