Austin, Texas played host to the 2010 Writer’s League of Texas Writer’s Conference June 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency downtown. The agents and editors conference attracted writers from all over Texas and adjacent states all interested in getting face-to-face time with potential agents and learning more about their craft. The three-day event included several opportunities to pitch projects, attend valuable presentations and panels, and a tremendous keynote address from Calvert Morgan of Harper Collins.
From the open of festivities, the agents were quickly identified and were constantly surrounded by writers. By the end of day two, some agents began to avoid the open cocktail parties and lunches in favor of a few moments of solitude. Still, many writers found success.
Throughout the weekend, several breakout sessions took place in ballrooms across the hotel. From those panels, authors learned the ins and out of the publishing industry from insiders such as publicists, publishers, and even published authors.
One of the first big takeaways was the idea that writers actually have options beyond the major traditional publishing houses. Publishing is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each writer’s needs, goals, market, and style are different, and many publishing models have sprung up over the last decade to meet the needs of those authors not best served by the traditional publishing model. Still, traditional publishing continues to be the best way for debut authors, especially fiction authors, to break into the industry.
Another big concept was the difference between fiction and nonfiction. While nonfiction writers can get away with selling an idea before they write it, fiction authors must have a completed and highly polished manuscript before they even begin contacting agents. Publishing professionals all stressed the importance of a writer honing their skills, arguing that writers must constantly develop an understanding of both their craft and the business.
By far the biggest issue stressed among the panels was the importance of platform. Platform is the group of people interested in the author’s topic and who view the author as an expert on that topic. In other words, it’s the built-in readership for a book. With falling sales and profits, publishers are putting more and more emphasis on the fact that authors need to be engaged with their audience long before they are even published, so that when they have a book authors can actively sell and most importantly, earn back the money the publisher spent producing the book.
I personally sat on two panels that discussed why it’s never too early to market yourself as a writer and how to integrate social media into your overall marketing strategy. Other panelists brought up several key points. First, start marketing yourself as a writer and an expert now. There are several resources that teach writers how to build a platform before the book, including Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz. Don’t wait until you are published.
Panelists also stressed how important social media is to build an audience. Scott Allen of Book Rix described social media as “just another communications tool. Just like your phone or email, social media is another way for you to have a conversation.” To keep it manageable, Rusty Shelton of Shelton Interactive suggested that writers “know what kind of time you have and keep your activities within those time limits.” If you only have two hours a week, then only spend those two hours, but do it every week. Consistency is more important than quantity. Still, all panelists agreed that any effort online needed to be matched equally with traditional marketing strategies. Making appearances, participating in organizations, and getting involved face-to-face with your audience is still a major part of building a name as an author.
As a last-minute change to the lineup, Calvert Morgan who serves as the Editorial Director for Harper Collins imprints Harper Perennial, It Books, and Fifty-Two Stories provided the key note luncheon for the conference. Morgan likened the industry to a cross between a “venture capitalist and a drunken gambler” betting on their dreams in the hopes of hitting it big. He acknowledged the storm brewing in the industry and said “we have put up the storm windows and built an arc out of an iPad.”
Beyond his witticisms and quips about publishing, Morgan also delivered ten important things writers need to find in order to build their career:
- Find time to write: steal time to write as often and frequently as possible.
- Find the off button on your television: eliminate distractions that take time from your writing.
- Find your way to a good bookstore: learn about the books being published in your genre, make friends with book sellers and readers, and learn what people are looking for.
- Find a new writer who impresses and inspires you and do this over and over again: move beyond Stephen King and J.K. Rowling to discover other voices.
- Find a way to understand why those writers inspire you: what tools and techniques do they use and how do they work.
- Find a reader you can trust: not your mom or spouse, but someone who can provide you with critical and constructive feedback.
- Find a community both online and off: build relationships with readers and writers who share your same interests.
- Find an agent who believes in you: it’s hard to handle rejections, but it is all part of the process and the end goal is to find someone who is passionate about your work and will advocate for you.
- Find an editor who understands you: when your agent gets an offer from a publisher, take the time to meet with the editor to make sure you are a right fit.
- Find patience and be helpful to yourself and others: publishing is a collaborative process, be kind to everyone, and treat it like a true partnership.