RWA Conference

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HCRW at RWA National

July 26, 2010 in RWA Conference | View Comments

This week is the Romance Writers of America National Conference. I’m not going to be there, but if you’re in the Orlando area, you should stop by and say hi to a bunch of great authors, including Heart of Carolina Romance Writers authors! Here’s the schedule (with thanks to Beth Williamson for compiling it):

Literacy Signing – Wednesday July 28
5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Walt Disney World® Dolphin Resort, Pacific Exhibit
Hall

- Elizabeth Amber: Dane, The Lords of Satyr
- Karen Anders: Deliciously Dangerous, Dangerous Curves
- Katharine Ashe: Swept Away by a Kiss
- Jenna Black: The Devil’s Playground, Glimmerglass
- Claudia Dain: Daring A Duke, How To Dazzle A Duke
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How to Get Pitch Appointments

June 1, 2009 in On Writing, RWA Conference | View Comments

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I get it: Some of you are way better in person than you are in query letters. I hate it, but I get it. I hate it because I’m jealous of you people. I’m one of those solitary authors, the ones that would sit inside all day long in front of a computer with no human interaction and probably not feel the need for any, either. In person, I suck. I’d much rather write a query letter. But I get that some of you actually like to pitch.

So here’s how you go about getting pitch appointments:

1. Go to the RWA National Conference. If you haven’t ever been, you need to go. You will learn so much, and you’ll get at least 2 chances to pitch your book. Aside from your official pitches, you can also wait around the pitching area in case someone cancels, or hit editors and agents (very gently, and only if they ask you to) with your pitch at a bar or in an elevator.

2. Keep informed about your local RWA chapters. If you don’t have the time, inclination, or funds to make it to the RWA National Conference, there are chapters all over the United States, some of which sponsor pitching events throughout the year. Find out which chapters are a reasonable driving distance for you, and then look at their meeting schedule. Most of the time, you don’t have to be a member of the chapter to attend a meeting, and even if you have to be a member to get a pitch appointment, sometimes there are last-minute cancellations and it might behoove you to show up and try to grab a spot.

3. Go to smaller area conferences. A lot of RWA chapters put on their own regional conferences that are smaller and less expensive than National Conference. They almost always include pitch appointments.

Swing away!

Thursday Thirteen: Edition #8

July 19, 2007 in RWA Conference | View Comments

Thirteen Things I Learned At Conference

1. If you sit in the front row, you can see a whole lot better. Duh, but I mean sometimes it takes one of my overachieving buddies to make me sit in the front row for me to figure that out.

2. There’s some author who’s come up with some anal plan of action for every piece of the craft of writing that you can possibly think of.

3. I love the people that come up with these anal plans of action and share them at conference because then I learn them and steal them.

4. There are several definitions of “conference head.” The one I’d heard before was the “my brain is full” mentality, when you’ve gone to so many workshops and spotlights and stuff that you just start shutting down. The other definition I heard was more of a professional jealousy bent. “Her editor is better than mine. Her agent has more clients than mine. Her book has a better cover than mine. Her shoes are hotter than mine.” I can honestly say I didn’t suffer from the latter kind, mostly because I do not have an editor, agent, or book cover (really), and also because my shoes were the hottest.

5. Silhouette Nocturne is not acquiring heroes like my hero in Lying Eyes. They want big powerful alphas. Not that my hero isn’t super sexy, but my heroine is the one with the powers. She’s the one with the journey. He’s her supporter, not her protector. Sigh. Let it go. Let it go.

6. Pitching isn’t for everyone. I’ve always felt obligated to pitch, but I’m thinking I shouldn’t. I don’t like to pitch. It makes me very nervous and I’m not good at it. I’d rather write a query letter. So I think that’s what I’ll do from now on.

7. Authors have panties that twist into a knot very, very easily. Do not take away their published author status, or they will come after you. Heehee.

8. Writing should be fun! Fun, I tell you! Yes, you have to treat it as a career if you want to be taken seriously, but it’s also fun!

9. The next big thing in the paranormal romance world is demons. Everyone wants demons. Jenna Black, you are golden.

10. The romance author wears many hats: the author hat, the marketer hat, the workshop presenter hat… and sometimes the large, tacky black swan hat.

11. Sometimes, sitting and chatting with an experienced author for a few minutes is more beneficial than your hours upon hours of workshops.

12. Nora gives impromptu lectures on her smoke breaks. Perhaps I should take up smoking for next year.

13. If you ask most women what the single most disturbing event in their life has been, they will say going through their divorce. Love hurts sometimes. Is it any wonder we want to write about Happily Ever After?

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Lori
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Sonja

I’m Back

July 16, 2007 in RWA Conference | View Comments

I’m back from Nationals and have posted part one of my conference recap over at So 5. Check it out. Tomorrow I’ll fill you in on Part 2, which was the unexpected revelation from Nationals (as opposed to the revelation I sought out on purpose).
Sonja