Conference Scholarships - Meet Your Tribe

Pikes Peak Writers provides a limited number of scholarships to our annual conference, thanks to the generosity of donors. We ask those who receive Scholarships to Pikes Peak Conference to share a bit about their experience attending Pikes Peak Writers Conference.
Today, we hear from Roberta Crownover, not only a 2017 scholarship recipient, but a top contender in the 2009 Paul Gilette Writing Contest (now known as the Zebulon).
Scholarship applications for Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2018 will be accepted from November 15, 2017 through January 15, 2018.  You can find more information here.
If you'd like to donate to our Conference Scholarship fund, you may do so easily via PayPal.

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A Kick in the Stomach

So, I was hanging things up on my wall the other day, like you do, and I found my framed certificate for Third Place in the Short Story division of the Paul Gillette Writing Contest at PPWC. The year was 2009.
That kicked me in the stomach. 2009 was only a few years ago. The places I've gone since have been so amazing that I can't believe that since that day in October 2008 when my husband said, "Why don't you submit to this contest?" I've covered the distances and built the words and worlds I have.
"Are you nuts?" (This is probably a PG-13 version of my response. No, no probably about it.) "I don't have anything to submit. I've got days before the deadline. I can't do this." I lay my head down on my desk to contemplate my futile attempts at self-expression.
My husband, being a different kind of anal-retentive personality than I, went to the garage and grabbed a banker's box full of paper, which he proceeded to drop on my office floor, spreading dust mites and mold spores throughout.
"What the hell...?" (It's hard to jar oneself out of a good primadonna moment, ya know?) I said while coughing.
"Your writing. From the last twenty-five years." He leaned against the door jamb and smirked. "Every time you asked me to read something, I saved it."
My eyes narrowed. I considered my options. I could kill him or hug him. The best option was to see what he'd scrounged. His sentencing could wait until I discerned whether his gift was worthy. Outwardly scowling, inwardly piqued, I turned my back on him and began to rummage through my past.

Meeting the Person I Once Was

It's a curious thing, meeting the person I once was. The stories I wanted to tell then are lovely reminders of children's birthdays and bedtime stories. There are also angst-ridden bursts of "I need to scream this and don't know how." Sometimes, the two are interwoven. I found myself, more than once, rocking back on my heels and congratulating my former self for not being as stupid as I remembered me being.
2008. Nearly nine years ago.
It still took me a while to get busy.

Writing with Intent

Writing with intent is a process of learning and exploring. I'm not sure I knew that when I started college at the ripe old age of forty-five. I surely didn't know that when I actively started writing my fiction later.
Like most of us, I have always wanted to be able to say "I am a writer." Like all of us, I believe that I have worthy stories to tell. And like many of us, I doubt my skills.
This is where the circle's ends meet. 2008.
I showed in the short story category. I attended Pikes Peak Writers Conference. It was amazing and terrifying. So many people who all had stories to tell.
I'm not a fast learner. It took some time, some years, and a lot of encouragement for me to begin to believe in my stories and my words.
There were some rough landings. When I had to rewrite the first many pages of my novel to reflect my changed understanding of who the characters were and, importantly, who my audience was, I lost hope. For a while. Until some members of the writing tribe came and kicked me in the butt.
Then, to steal a line from "High Hopes," I picked myself off, dusted myself off, and started all over again.
Every time I did so, I learned. I'd find myself treading deep waters and somehow wade to shore.
That somehow was often through the Pikes Peak Writers Conference and the regular events PPW sponsors.

We Writers Are Not Alone

Perhaps the most important facet of all this for writers to remember is that we are not alone. We do have a tribe. Our tribe is eclectic and sometimes eccentric.  It's not easy to pick us out in a crowd. We might have the tallest high-heels, or be dressed in our jammies. It's possible that we appear to be normal people. We might even think of ourselves as normal. (We writers are allowed our delusions, too, ya know.) But we share our stories.
We share our stories. And, because we want others to remember them, we strive to learn the craft.
2017’s conference was another amazing learning experience. All of the presenters I heard offered me new insight into my work. Listening to Donald Maass opened me up to allow odd moments of discontinuity in my characters’ thinking to permit a different kind of aha for both writer and reader. I’m afraid I’m still better at it in relatively shallow ways, but I’m working on it.
There’s another thing I should mention: I’m more than a little terrified of people not liking my work. But that, too, I’m working on. The tribe is keeping me at it.
And now I have something else to hang on my wall – the best of the best rejection letters. This is getting to be really fun.

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Roberta Crownover writes historical fiction and teaches history at a local community college.  Roberta can be found online on Twitter.

A Three-Pronged Approach to Finding Agents

By Karen Albright Lin

A savvy agent can spot timely and quality writing. Editors count on them to bring them great work.

They say it’s harder to get an agent than an editor. I’m not sure who “they” are, but I’ve found that is not true. I’ve signed with several agents, some of them for one-book contracts, others for overall career management—book-length nonfiction, novels, and screenplays.

I teamed up with them in three different ways.

joesandymimsuccess.com

Conferences:

Beyond scheduled pitch sessions, there are many ways you can link your name to your face so your story idea will get more than cursory attention. For many years I’ve attended, volunteered at, and taught at conferences where schmoozing in the bars, at meals and during hotel room parties facilitate personal connections. Occasionally a deal is made at a conference. One agent offered to represent me after I told her about my nonfiction book over dinner. She had a personal connection to the topic, something I wouldn’t have known without chatting with her about where she came from. During a workshop, a Hollywood producer heard my pitch for a novel in progress and later asked me to turn it into a screenplay so he could market it for me. One of my editing clients signed with an agent during a conference weekend solely on the strength of her high concept pitch.

Contests:

If you can afford the fee, entering a good quality contest is well worth your investment. I entered ones that offered feedback and had acquiring-agent judges. The feedback was invaluable when coupled with my critique group and beta reader input. Winning or placing added to my bio and put me on the stage. This exposure to industry insiders made all the difference on my path. An attending agent, who I didn’t even know was in the audience during an awards ceremony, contacted me with an offer of representation because of my moments of glory. She auctioned one of my novels. Though, in the end, it didn’t sell, I had someone in my court working on my behalf for a couple of years. All because I invested in entering that contest. Likewise, on the strength of screenplay contest feedback and honors, I’ve gotten work-for-hire screenwriting assignments, a director/producer interested in using one of my scripts for a webisode, as well as an offer of representation from a Hollywood agent and a paying screenwriting blog column, with all of this leading to work as a script doctor.

Query Letters:

Learn to write a quality query letter that sells you and your work. An agent can’t resist a marketable idea when proposed in a competent letter. You are introducing yourself, your connection to that agent, what you are writing, and why it will put the agent’s child through college. Rarely will you find an agent who puts money second to the quality of work. Much to the chagrin of brilliant literary writers who fail to gain traction, it’s a business, not a mission. This ad for your product needs to grab that agent and hold on so tightly that he will stare at the ceiling at night contemplating which imprints will want that book, imagining your blog tours, and counting your million plus Twitter followers hopping over fences to get to your signings.

The query letter can be a follow-up to meeting an interested agent at a conference. It can be a cold query to a recommended agent, one you are being referred to, or one who is listed in books such as the current Guide to Literary Agents or Writer’s Market. There are numerous online sources for finding and evaluating the fit of these agents. I have three favorites.

Query Tracker is the Match.com of the literary world.

Absolute Write is like a gossip site where you can find recommendations and cautions.

The Predators and Editors site is like the Consumer Protection Agency, Better Business Bureau and Consumer Reports all rolled into one.

I hope this three-pronged approach helps you find an agent, too.

About the Writer:  Karen is an editor, ghostwriter, pitch coach, speaker and award-winning author of novels, cookbooks, and screenplays. She’s written over a dozen solo and collaborative scripts (with Janet Fogg, Christian Lyons and director Erich Toll); each has garnered international, national and regional recognition: Moondance Film Festival, BlueCat, All She Wrote, Lighthouse Writers, Boulder Asian Film Festival, SouthWest Writers Contest, and PPW Contest. Find out more at www.karenalbrightlin.com.

Letter From the Editor - Make it Snow

We've nearly made it to spring. Around here that can mean gorgeous, sunny days and rising temperatures, or more snowfall than we've had collectively for the entire winter. Usually it's a combination of both.

Now is a good time look at your writing habits and see if they're working for you. Are you accomplishing a blizzard of writing? Or are you basking instead? Somewhere in between? Look at what's working for you, and what isn't, and change the things that aren't. Spring cleaning doesn't just have to apply to dust bunnies and winter clothing. Then again, it probably wouldn't hurt to do a little office spring cleaning. After all, if your writing space is cluttered, that may distract you from getting anything done.

Writing distractions and space were addressed at the Write Your Heart Out event we hosted in February, but the good news is that the presentations given at WYHO were miniature versions of workshops that will be presented at conference in April. If you need help figuring out beneficial changes to your work space, be sure to look up the workshops having to do with the topic. JT Evans and Chris Mandeville spoke on space and time, so you'll want to look them up in the program.

With conference fast approaching, we will have profiles of faculty, keynotes, editors and agents going up 2-3 times per week, most Tuesdays and Thursdays, and occasional Saturdays. It's worth stopping by on those days to see who you might be interested in seeing at the conference, and which agent or editor you might want to pitch to. If you intend to pitch, you should definitely know the background of the editor or agent you'll be selecting. Your genre should always match up with what they're accepting, and especially with what they've specifically said they're interested in. Do your homework for the best results! We hope to help you a bit with that by doing these profiles, but a short profile cannot take the place of in-depth research.

If you aren't attending conference, no worries! We will have plenty of content that has nothing to do with conference, whether that's a piece on ghostwriting, tips for writing fantasy, or an essay on reading. While conference is our big event each year, it is by no means our sole focus, and we hope to bring you great monthly content of both conference and non-conference interest.

Have a wonderful month, enjoy the warm days and the snowy days, and work on turning your writing into a blizzard of accomplishment. In like a lion!

Shannon Lawrence
Managing Editor, Writing From the Peak
Director of Non-Conference Events

January News, Events & Links

PPW News

Pikes Peak Writers is presenting a free half-day writing workshop February 23rd at the Colorado Springs Marriott.  PPW invites you to "Write Your Heart Out" with presentations by multiple PPWC 2013 presenters.  Whatever "writing your heart out" means to you - whether that's banishing the inner editor, organizing your schedule/writing space, or putting "heart" in your prose - this half-day event will have something for you.  Appropriate for fiction writers of all genres at all levels of ability/experience.  Start your writing year off right with this FREE half-day workshop from Pikes Peak Writers!  

Saturday, February 23rd, 1:00 to 5:00 P.M. (doors open at 12:30).  
Colorado Springs Marriott - Library, 5580 Tech Center Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80919.

Space is limited -RSVP required: rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com.  For attendees under 18 years of age, pre-authorization and parental permission slip are required.  Please inquire at administrator@pikespeakwriters.com.

The Pikes Peak Write Brain, always a free event, will occur Tuesday, January 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M., at Penrose Library, the Adult Room (please note, this is a different room than usual, due to a scheduling conflict), 20 North Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.  There's plenty of parking, and it's free after 6 P.M.  The theme of the Write Brain is Resolved to Write - The Body and Soul of Writing, presented by our very own Aaron Ritchey.  For more information, please view the Events Tab above.

PPW Night at Poor Richard's, will be Monday, January 28, from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M., in the bookstore.  Come enjoy wine, chocolate and coffee, and chat about writing.  Open to topics of discussion and questions.  More information on the Events tab.

PPW Open Critique Night will occur Wednesday, January 16, 6:30-8:30 P.M at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts.  The first 8 to RSVP may bring 8 pages of their manuscript to critique.  More information on the Events tab.


Other "Local" Events

Agent Sara Megibow, of the Nelson Literary Agency, is leading a 2-hour workshop on How to Get Your Book Published.  This will take place Sunday, January 13, 1:00 to 3:00 P.M., at Denver Jewish Day School Discovery Lab. Cost is $50. 

Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District will be having their annual meeting Saturday, January 19, from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M in the East Library Community Meeting Room.    Immediately following the business meeting (likely between 10:30 and 11:00 A.M.) will be some great programming: Vincent Colicchio will present "How to Turn Old and Discarded Books into Works of Art."  "Describing the 21st Century Library" will be presented by Humphries-Poli Architects.  Finally, attendees will be introduced to members of the Manitou Springs Public Library staff and Manitou Springs Friends, as they have joined PPLD.

Lighthouse Writers has some great January workshops touching on many different genres and topics.  They are also having a Open House & Faculty Reading on Saturday, January 5, from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. at Lighthouse: 1515 Race St, Denver, CO.  For other events, click here.  For a full listing of their workshops, click here.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers will host Bree Ervin, who will be presenting Writing Sex in YA on Saturday, January 12, 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.  Click here for location and programming information.

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of American will have Tom Adair presenting "Fingerprinting Techniques" on January 10 in Denver.  For more information, click here.

Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group has various meetings throughout the month for critique and discussion.  Visitors are welcome.

The Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women will be presenting a Writer's Workshop February 13, 2013, from 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. at the PEO Chapter House on West Cheyenne Road.  Cost is $23. Workshops will address memoir writing, publishing on the internet and blogging for writers.  There will also be a special experience dealing in the interconnectivity of the arts.


Publications Open for Submissions & Contests
Please note: Inclusion of links in this post does not equal sponsorship by Pikes Peak Writers or a relationship between the two entities.  Please always be sure to pursue due diligence before submitting anything to a publication or contest.

The Great Novel Contest opened January 1.  Cost is $40 to enter.  It's sponsored by the Columbus Creative Cooperative.  The winner will receive their choice between $1000 and a publishing contract with Columbus Press. Closes the last day of January, or sooner if 200 entries are received.

The Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women has opened their annual Flash Fiction Contest with the theme "Hidden Amongst These Worlds."  Deadline is May 1, 2013.  Cost to enter is $10 first entry, $8 each subsequent entry, and $10 for optional critique.  $100 first prize, $50 second, $25 for third.

Cemetery Dance is accepting fiction submissions until all 2013 slots are filled.  Paying market.  Looking for horror, dark mystery and suspense.  May query for non-fiction and artwork.

Belladonna Publishing is looking for Gothic fairy tale submissions for their anthology Black Apples.  Paying market.  Closes January 15.

Indigo Mosaic Publishing is open for submissions on multiple anthologies, including Chocolate Dreams.  Each anthology pays in royalties.

World Weaver Press is seeking submissions for an anthology entitled Far Orbit: Speculative Space Adventures.  Pays $.01 per word.  Open January 1 through March 31, 2013. 

The Delizon Annual Short Story Competition is on for 2013.  Cash prizes for 1st through 10th place, with 1st being $1200.  Deadline April 15, 2013.  $25 entry fee.

Electric Spec is taking submissions of speculative fiction.  They prefer science fiction, fantasy and the macabre.  Paying market. 

Carina Press is accepting submissions in multiple arenas.  They pay 40-50% royalties, digital first, print maybe.

Sylvan Dell is open to submissions of creative and educational books for kids, primarily in earth and physical science.  Paying market.

Any questions on these events or links?  If you belong to an organization that is taking submissions, hosting a writing contest or presenting a workshop or other enrichment for writers, locally, please email the editor at editor [at] pikespeakwriters [dot] com.

About the Writer:  Shannon Lawrence is a mom of two, a freelance writer and aspiring novelist.  She lives in Colorado Springs and is inspired by the beauty of Pikes Peak and the Rockies.  After years of letting her writing fall by the wayside, she has recently thrown herself back into it.  Her main focus is fantasy and horror and she has just finished a Young Adult Fantasy novel.  She has a flash fiction piece featured in the anthology Sunday Snaps: The Stories, due out in late 2012.  She has also discovered a love of photography and enjoys photographing the breathtaking Colorado scenery and wildlife, as well as her children.  She blogs about reading, writing and photography at www.thewarriormuse.com. 

Rocking the 2013 Pikes Peak Writers Conference

By MB Partlow

Who is going to rock it, April 19-21, 2013?

Everyone who attends.

Our keynotes? Oh, yeah. We've got Libba Bray, Barry Eisler, David Liss and Amber Benson. Rock stars in their fields, one and all.

Editors? Only the best, from the likes of Del Ray, Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins, Sourcebooks and Bell Bridge Books. These are the people who know the industry inside and out.

What about agents? We've got half a dozen coming. You know what they want? They want pitches! When do they want them? At our Conference!

This year's theme is Writing From the Ashes: Never Lose Sight of Your Dreams. Everybody hits a bump in the road. Or two. Or twelve. Every. Body. Some bumps are the size of pebbles, and some look more like a mountain range, but we all hit them. We want our conference to inspire you to pick yourself up after one of these bumps and keep on writing.

You can pitch your completed manuscript to an agent or editor at no additional cost! This is one-on-one face time, and we fill the slots on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that the earlier you register, the better your chance of getting one of the agents or editors you want.

You can participate in one of our Read and Critique sessions. Unfamiliar with R&C? No problem. With R&C Author, you get a small setting, where you read your first page to a published author. With R&C X, you read your first page to an agent or editor. In R&C 123, our designated reader will read your first page to a panel consisting of one agent, one editor and one published author. Every single one is an opportunity for immediate feedback.

Back by popular demand is Thursday Add-on Programming. The topics this year cover writing personal nonfiction, writing historical fiction, pitching, the query letter lab, publicity and more. You'll get two 3-hour workshops, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, plus a box lunch. That is a bargain!

Have I mentioned that registration is now officially open?  It is!  For all the juicy details, updates and a link to the registration page, please visit http://pikespeakwriters.com/html/ppwc.html.

And don't forget to stay tuned to this space. We'll have a Conference Countdown every third Friday of the month, plus in-depth interviews with as many of the faculty as we can fit in!

Make plans now to join us for the 2013 PPW Conference. We'll have something for writers at every stage of their career, and you get to spend an entire weekend rubbing elbows with the best kind of people we know--other writers.

(And could someone please loan me an exclamation point or two? I've used up at least three months' allotment here.)

MB Partlow

2013 PPWC Programming Director

Programming@pikespeakwriters.com

Author Fest 2012 - A Partnership

This Friday is the seventh annual Author Fest of the Rockies, held in Manitou Springs.  This is the first year Author Fest has been a standalone production, no longer associated with the Manitou Springs Public Library District.

Pikes Peak Writers is proud to be a partner in this year's Author Fest.  From behind the scenes help to speakers and special events, it's been a delight to be a part of this wonderful annual event.  Intended for both readers and writers, this is a unique event that takes a full conference and makes it friendly to anyone interested in books, not just those who write them (or hope to).

Author Fest will be held Friday, September 28 and Saturday, September 29, from 9am to 4pm both days.  The cost is $75, covering both days' programming, as well as breakfast and lunch.  It's located at the Business of Art Center, 515 Manitou Avenue.  See the website for more location information, including free parking locations.

The keynote speakers are Stephen Coonts, Stephen Graham Jones, Barbara Wright, Barbara Samuel O'Neal and Jessy Randall.  A phenomenal lineup!

As part of our partnership with Author Fest, Pikes Peak Writers is presenting three classes, free to the public.  You do not have to be attending the rest of the conference to attend these presentations.  These classes are as follows:

Friday 11:00 to 11:45am 
What Can a Writer's Conference Do for You? presented by: Bonnie Hagan 
Long-time member of the Pikes Peak Writers Board of Directors, Bonnie Hagan, will share tips, tricks and tidbits for getting the most out of a writer's conference. BONUS MATERIAL: as Director of the 2013 Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Bonnie has agreed to share a "sneak peek" and reveal exciting information about her plans for the next PPWC.

Friday 2:30 to 4:15pm
Get Ready for NaNo! presented by: Chris Mandeville
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is coming up fast. Are you ready to write 50,000 words in thirty days this November? This intensive workshop will help set you up for a successful NaNo experience whether you're a first-time participant or seasoned veteran. Topics include goal-setting, scheduling, plotting/planning techniques, character exercises, and a host of tips and tricks to keep you from getting stuck during your thirty-day writing spree. Bring a pen and paper to take notes and do writing exercises. 

Saturday 11:00 to 11:45am
Critique Groups: Discussion and Demo presented by: Deb Courtney and Mary Karen Meredith
Should you be in a critique group? What are the options? What are the dangers? Learn how to choose a group or create one, as well as the types of rules and safeties that should be in place to ensure the group stays positive and professional. After the discussion, Deb and Mary Karen will demonstrate appropriate, constructive critiquing in an “open critique” forum. Attendees are encouraged to bring the first page of their work-in-progress for the opportunity to receive feedback.

Finally, there is a free book signing on Saturday from 2:30 to 4pm.  You do not have to be a conference attendee to attend this signing, and it's free.  You can purchase books directly from the conference to get signed, if you like.

For more information, you can visit the official Author Fest of the Rockies website at www.authorfest2012.org.  

Will you be attending the Author Fest?

About the Writer:  Shannon Lawrence is a mom of two, a freelance writer and aspiring novelist.  She lives in Colorado Springs and is inspired by the beauty of Pikes Peak and the Rockies.  After years of letting her writing fall by the wayside, she has recently thrown herself back into it.  Her main focus is fantasy and horror and she has just finished a Young Adult Fantasy novel.  She has a flash fiction piece featured in the anthology Sunday Snaps: The Stories, due out in late October 2012.  She has also discovered a love of photography and enjoys photographing the breathtaking Colorado scenery and wildlife, as well as her children.  She blogs about reading, writing and photography at www.thewarriormuse.com.

Top Five Conference Myths by F.T.Bradley

It’s almost time for Pikes Peak Writers Conference! Conferences are exciting, and for writers, they’re a great chance to meet other publishing professionals, learn more about the business, and make some new friends. It’s a way to show you are serious about this writing thing, even if your mother/best friend/fill-in-the-blank tells you it’s a waste of time. You’re a writer. Back off, non-believers.

            Since I have a dozen or so conferences under my belt now, I thought I’d share my mistakes, and some conference myths I bought into. So you don’t have to go there.

Myth 5: My pitch needs to be perfect

My first pitch session went like this: I was pitching a women’s suspense I’d written to a nice young editor with Bantam Dell. Man, was I nervous. I practiced for a week, and then the day leading up to my actual sit-down appointment. When I sat down, I pretty much froze. It’s the nightmare pitch scenario, right? So this sweet editor asked me about my favorite books, we talked, and then I told her about my project. She requested the manuscript—despite my terrible pitch.

Reality: you need to know what your book is about, but don’t get too hung up over a rehearsed line. Answer this question: what’s your book about? Relax. Unless you’re a Hollywood scriptwriter, your pitching skills don’t have to be perfect. Just be nice, and show your passion for your story. Research the person you’re pitching to, so you can talk about favorite books in case things go south.

Myth 4: I should get as much face time as possible with these important agents/editors

Conferences mean lunches and banquets, so you usually get to sit with an agent/editor/famous author. Awesome opportunity to pitch, right? I used to think so.

You want to know the truth? The way to get the most from any time with a publishing insider is to shut up, and listen. Gather information, let them share their expertise. Ask a question or two, but don’t monopolize someone’s time, whether it’s at a dinner table, during a panel session, or at the bar for drinks.

 

Don’t start every sentence with, “In my book, my character Johnny…” It does the opposite of what you want—that in-your-face selling just turns people off. Listen instead. Then after the conference, you can still send this person a query, referencing your conversation. They’ll appreciate you remembering something they said rather than your pushy pitch, trust me.

Myth 3: I need to wear professional attire

True story: I was getting ready to pick up a NY editor from the airport, and wore my comfy jeans, sneakers and a black sweatshirt. I’m a casual person, what can I say. My husband frowns. “Shouldn’t you look a little more, you know, professional?” I studied my clothes, wondering if he had a point, and changed, just to be safe. So I found my editor in the arrival hall, and she was wearing…

You guessed it: jeans and sneakers. Now, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look nice. But don’t think you’re interviewing for a job here, even if you kind of are. You’re a writer. Wear what you want, because the truth behind this myth?

The writing is all anyone cares about. Honestly.

Myth 2: I should pitch to anyone I can, no matter what their bio says. You never know, right?

After my slightly-botched-but-successful pitching session with the editor, I was on a pitch-high. And it became a bit of a competitive thing to tell other attendees how many requests for pages you’d gotten, so I pitched to a few more agents.

Bad idea. If someone is looking for science fiction and you wrote a romance, why pitch it? Not only are you wasting everyone’s time, you come off looking like an amateur.

Be professional, first and foremost. You want a good agent, not just any agent.

Myth 1: I will find my perfect agent at this conference, and (s)he will sign me on the spot.

No one will admit this out loud, but we all secretly hope that we’ll rewrite debut author history. You dream that you’ll shake that agent’s hand, and (s)he’ll ask for the whole manuscript (because you are that awesome), read it that day, and will sign you as a client before the whole event is over (again, because you are that awesome). Writers everywhere will tell your story in awe, because you are—well, you get the idea.

The truth? The odds of you signing with an agent at a conference are slim; it happens, but not often. And it will certainly not go down that fast. The good news is that there are hundreds of agents out there, waiting to land the next big thing—which is you, of course, because you truly are that awesome. That’s no myth.

Conferences are great opportunities to learn to think of your novel as a product, look at yourself as a professional, and make connections with other people who love books and writing. Don’t hang all your hopes on one pitch. Instead, listen and learn from that person sitting across the table.

Here’s a final bit of advice from the one who made all the conference mistakes, in case you’re still listening.

Connect with your peers.

Those other writers at the dinner table, the people you meet on the elevator on your way to a pitch appointment? They’re the real gems of a conference. Sure, the agents, editors, and famous authors are cool, but they meet hundreds of you over a weekend, thousands in a year, no doubt. You won’t be friending them on Facebook.

Your fellow writers are your strongest allies, the people who get what you’re doing because they’re doing it too. They’re your believers when everyone else says you should probably try accounting instead.

Guess what? When your debut hits the shelves—and it will, because you are that awesome—they’ll be high-fiving you in the halls, and showing up at your book signings. Take some advice from a conference veteran: make a friend, and keep in touch. Oh, and wear something comfortable.

About the Writer:  F.T. Bradley is the author of Double Vision (Harper Children's, Fall 2012), the first in the middle-grade adventure series featuring Lincoln Baker and Benjamin Green. Find out more at www.ftbradley.com.

Her husband's Air Force career has F.T. and their two daughters moving all around the world, but for the moment the family lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. 

PPWC Value by Grant McKenzie

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference has a reputation for being the friendliest writers conference. I have discovered that PPWC is friendly to your pocketbook, as well. I did a little research on some other writers conferences around the nation, just to see where PPWC stood. Turns out, it is one of the most economical conferences in the country, if not the most economical. I didn’t look at ALL the conferences, so I can’t be completely certain, but read on and you’ll be sure to come to the same conclusion I did.

First, let me tell you how I chose which conferences to look at. One or two are currently being advertised on LinkedIn events (along with PPWC), but the majority came from reviews at Writers Digest. These are big name conferences and are considered the same caliber as PPWC. In fact, one conference has literary agent Donald Maass as a keynote speaker and another has bestselling author Susan Wiggs, both of whom will be part of the 2012 PPWC faculty.

I looked at several aspects of all of these conferences, such as fees, add-on days, meals, etc., to see how they compared in those categories, and then I tallied up an overall comparison to see where PPWC would rate. Here is what I discovered:

Rates: This is most likely the first thing people look at when comparing conferences. I looked at two one-day conferences, two two-day conferences and four other three-day conferences. With no adjustment for the number of days (just using each conference’s advertised fee), the average price of a conference is $396.50. If you just look at three day conferences, the average jumps to $443 dollars. The fees for three-day conference ranged from $310 - $595. One two-day conference was $645.  PPWC has, and maintains, one of the lowest rates available.

Add-On Days: This year, PPWC is holding four day-long workshops, including one presented by Donald Maass. PPWC’s rate is $135 for just the Thursday workshops or $85 with full conference. For most of the conferences reviewed, the rates ranged from $99 for an evening (3-hour) workshop to $249 for a full day. One conference charged $199 in addition to their $525 conference fee for a half-day add-on workshop. PPWC has the best value for add-on workshops.

One-On-One:  Most conferences offer some kind of one-one-one time with editors, agents, or other faculty. This time ranges from short pitch/critiques sessions to hour-long manuscript critiques. Most conferences include short pitch sessions like those offered by PPWC or short critique sessions like PPWC’s Read & Critique. About half the conferences I looked at charged extra for one-on-one appointments, but these were usually critiques (not pitches) and lasted from 10 minutes to a full hour. Fees ranged from $30-$140. PPWC rates evenly with other conferences for one-on-one appointments.

Meals: PPWC 2012 offers its attendees two continental breakfasts, three lunches, and two dinners. The lunches and dinners all feature keynote speakers like authors Robert Crais and Jeffery Deaver. No other conference even comes close. The closest offers three continental breakfasts, two ‘afternoon snacks,’ and two dinners, with keynotes. PPWC offers the best deal by far for meals among writers’ conferences.

Overall: Taking all of this into consideration and doing a bit of statistical manipulation (I am a rocket scientist, after all), I came up with a measure of value to compare everything each conference had to offer. PPWC is about 15% more valuable than its nearest competitor and 70% more valuable than the average of all the conferences I examined.

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference has as much or more to offer than any other writers conference out there, and does it at a lower price.

About the Writer:  Grant McKenzie is a renaissance man. A genuine rocket scientist and self-made chandler, Grant also enjoys writing poetry, fantasy, historical fiction, and non-fiction. He has ghostwritten a business/leadership book and is working on a YA fantasy novel for himself. Grant currently serves PPW as the registrar for the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, as well as other non-conference events. 

Going To PPW Conference?

If you're coming to PPW Conference, and you'd like to write for this great PPW Writing From The Peak blog, come see Robin Widmar, the new Managing Editor! We're always looking for great, fun content for writers.

Hope to see you at PPW Conference!

PPW Conference Countdown: Top Ten Ways To Get The Most Out Of PPW Conference by Chris Mandeville

10. Go to the Newcomers Briefing (there are several to choose from) if you haven’t attended before.

9. Engage. Do the exercises in the workshops, ask questions and take notes. Check with staff members for ways you can help, and pitch in where you see the need. Introduce yourself to people. Practice asking, "What do you write?" and "What do you read?"

8. Remember that agents, editors, and famous authors are people just like you—so try not to be intimidated. Strike up a conversation!

7. Remember that agents, editors, and famous authors are people just like you— so treat them with courtesy and respect. Don't corner them in the bathroom or monopolize their time.

6. Don't skip meals. Not just because your brain needs fuel, but because sharing a meal with fellow writers (not to mention faculty members) is one of the most rewarding parts of the conference.

5. Ask questions. Staff members are easy to find, and no question is too silly/dumb/trivial/embarrassing/naïve.

4. Pace yourself. This applies to food, caffeine, alcohol, exercise, workshops, and even socializing. Allow for down-time when you need it, and you'll get more out of the rest of your time at PPWC.

3. Drink water. It's good for you, it's free, and it's especially important at our elevation. Even locals sometimes forget to drink enough water. Try to drink a glass each session. If you wait until you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. This can lead to headache, fatigue, or even altitude sickness.

2. Find the bathrooms (see #3).

1. Make yourself at home. PPWC is YOUR conference. If you make yourself at home—both in terms of feeling comfortable and taking initiative—you'll get far more than you give.

Originally appeared in The Pikes Peak Writer, Volume IX, Issue 2, March 2010.

PPW Conference Countdown: Pitching Advice: A Write Brain Report by DeAnna Knippling

How to Be a Pitch-Perfect, Network-Savvy, Send-it-to-me Star

April 2009 Write Brain

Presenters: Pam McCutcheon and Ron Heimbecher

By DeAnna Knippling

Everybody wants to know how to brainwash agents and editors into signing a contract. Unfortunately, brainwashing is both tricky and illegal, so, as professional writers, we have to learn to catch agents’ and editors’ attention without getting arrested (or getting annoying).

Luckily, pitching is both simple and legal, when you know how. Pam McCutcheon and Ron Heimbecher presented pitching do’s and don'ts and provided a list of essential items to know before you pitch. Remember, the goal is to be able to write “solicited material” on your submission, not to hide the agent or editor in your basement until they give in!

DO:

• Be professional (arrive early, dress for a job interview, be polite!)

• Be patient. Nobody offers a contract before reading the book.

• Know your story. Why is it right for the agent or editor? Who is your intended audience?

• Know the agent—is the agent looking for your type of book? The Internet knows.

• Know yourself. Be able to rattle off contest wins, publishing credentials (unpaid is okay, but self-publishing isn’t), and reasons you’re the perfect person to write this book.

• Practice! Pitch to anyone who holds still long enough for a log line.

• If asked for pages, say “thank you” and “how do you want them?” Get a business card!

DON’T:

• Don’t pitch an unfinished novel (you must be able to complete any edits within six weeks).

• Don’t read your synopsis—it’s too long!

• Don’t say “my mother loved it” unless Mom's name is Oprah.

• Don’t say “It’s the next Da Vinci Code.” Say, “Readers of The Da Vinci Code will like it.”

• Don’t shove your work at the agent or editor. Send requested pages later, as requested.

• Don’t ask basic questions, like how to format your manuscript. Ask us at PPW.

• Don’t argue—say “thank you” even if the agent or editor doesn’t want it.

If you don’t get a great pitch appointment (or the agent or editor is not right for you), cancel or trade the appointment. Or find the agent or editor in the hallway, during a meal, or at the bar and ask if you may pitch or send pages. Don’t corner anyone--rudeness can only stifle the brilliance of your book.

Know the following information before your pitch appointment:

• Log line: a 25-word description of your book (main character, their overarching goal, and what’s stopping the character from reaching that goal).

• Setting.

• The main character’s goals, motivations, and conflicts.

• The ending (yes, you really should give away the ending if asked).

• Why you wrote the book.

• Questions you want to ask the agent.

• Genre, audience, approximate word count, target market, and how your story is

fresh and new.

• Nonfiction books require more information about the book’s intended market,

including why you're the right person to write the book and your built-in audience.

Remember, with practice, even you can pitch without stuttering, whimpering, or

passing out.

Good luck!

Originally appeared in The Pikes Peak Writer, Volume VIII, Issue 3, May,June 2009

PPW Conference Countdown: The Best Of PPW Conference 2010 by Grant McKenzie

For 18 years, the Pikes Peak Writers Conference has provided an exceptional opportunity

for writers from across the nation to hone their craft. This year’s faculty and staff

consistently exceeded attendees' expectations and put together one of the best

conferences to date. As with any event of this magnitude, however, some things stood

out as the best of the best.

Best Read & Critique: All writers need feedback, whether they want it or not. PPWC

offers ample opportunity, in a variety of formats, for writers to have their opening pages

reviewed by top agents, editors, and other published authors. While all these sessions

provide great feedback, Caryn Wiseman’s session stood out for this year's conference

attendees.

Caryn, who is an agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, gave the writers in her

session a “much more accurate picture of how to build a great first page.” She personalized “detailed feedback that varied for each writer.” “Every word was educating” in this session, and attendees learned “how to start a book and really grab the reader’s attention.” Caryn’s “good insights” and “great feedback” provided “a new perspective” for many writers.

Best Friday Session: The opportunity to pitch to agents and editors is a major draw to

the PPWC. Scheduled pitches are usually on Saturday, so anything on Friday that helps

writers prepare is bound to be a hit. Linda Rohrbough’s “Second Log Line” presentation

was no exception.

Linda gave attendees “Courage!” and “A Plan!” for their upcoming pitches. Her

presentation created “clarity for preparing for pitch sessions.” Many attendees found the

“Second Log Line” presentation “tremendously inspiring” and were “SO glad [they]

came to this one.” PPWC will “definitely bring her back again” for future conferences.

Best Pitch: Seventeen-year-old Kelsie attended PPWC for the first time and decided to

pitch one of her manuscripts. Although nervous going into the pitch session, Kelsie was

on “cloud nine” and had “no memory” of the hour or so after the agent requested her

manuscript. She credits this success to many things. First, she had a lot of pitch coaching,

both in seminar and one-on-one. She specifically credits Linda Rohrbough’s “Second Log

Line” presentation as being significantly helpful. Kelsie also says she tries to stay focused

on a project until it is complete before moving on to a new manuscript. That kind of

dedication is what has led to three completed manuscripts. Finally, Kelsie enters as many

contests as possible. She says the pressure of a deadline gives her the motivation she

needs.

Best Saturday Session: PPWC was honored to welcome Donald Maass and Lisa Rector

(Maass) this year. Donald gave the keynote address at Sunday brunch, followed by a 4-

hour workshop based on his book The Fire in Fiction. He also gave a Saturday workshop

on creating tension in every level of your work.

Donald’s Saturday session succeeded in its goal of providing “pointers on how to ratchet

up the dialogue/action on every page to create a real page-turner.” “It was the most

educational and practical of all the lectures,” and was built upon “good audience

participation.” Many attendees thought Donald’s presentation would “strengthen [their]

fiction” and “improve [their] writing.” One attendee even decided to add the material

generated from the workshop lessons to her non-fiction manuscript.

Best Sunday Session: Donald Maass and Lisa Rector make a great team at a conference

like PPWC. Their combined consultation and review donated to the silent auction is just

one of many examples of their teamwork. Although Donald’s Sunday workshop was an

add-on to this year’s conference, Lisa’s Sunday workshop was part of the core conference

package and was widely regarded as the best Sunday session.

Building a story can be difficult, but not nearly as difficult as beginning one. Lisa’s

presentation on “The First Fifty Pages” was “one of the most informative of the

weekend.” Attendees were most impressed with the applicability of the session. Lisa, in

her “very positive & passionate” way, gave her audience “lots of thought-provoking

scenarios to apply to writing” and “ways to improve immediately.”

Other Bests from PPWC 2010

Best Queen of the Universe: Laura Hayden

Best Rivalry: Laura Hayden (Bama) & Tim Dorsey (Auburn)

Best Pitch Switcher: Bonnie Hagan

Best Pitch Apprentice: Jen LaPointe

Best Photographer: Jared Hagan

Best Silent Auctioneer: Chris Mandeville

Loudest Silent Auctioneer: Connie McKenzie

Best Pinball Impersonation: Kelsie Baltrush

Best Alter Ego: Trixie

Best Sashay: Todd Fahnestock

Best Improv Story: Corbin Waggoner

Best Mascot: Ruh

Best Boot Sisters: Terrie Wolf & Deb Courtney

Best Meal: Beef AND Chicken @ Saturday Banquet

Best Elevator: 2

Now that the awards have been announced and the conference is done, I think we would

all agree with the writer who reviewed Lisa Rector’s presentation: “Outstanding! Can’t

wait to get back to writing.”

Originally appeared in The Pikes Peak Writer, Volume IX, Issue 3, May 2010.

PPW Conference Countdown: How To Get Noticed At A Writers Conference by Becky Clark

It’s a new year, full of delicious conferences to help your writing and publishing career. You have pitches to make, loglines to memorize, schmoozes to dominate, and workshops to hijack. We here in BeckyLand are old pros at writing conferences so here are the ten things you must do, assuming you want to get noticed.

• When you check in at the hotel, holler at the front-desk person, “Don’t you know who I am?? I’m a writer! That’s right. A WRITER. And I must have Egyptian sheets with silk pillowcases, several bowls filled with green M&Ms arranged by a feng shui master, fourteen lightly sharpened pencils, and the home phone number of your supervisor … (pause for effect here and lower your voice)… just in case.” Then grab your room key and motion for someone to follow with your suitcase. (Don’t worry. They will. You’re a writer, for pete’s sake!)

• At the conference registration table, push to the front of the line, reminding people you are a WRITER.

• Go through each page of your registration packet while the line backs up behind you. Ask for clarification of each point. After all, you never know if you’ll see any of the conference staff the rest of the weekend. If anyone asks you to move along, remind them that you are a writer then glare at them until they roll their eyes in deference.

• If there are freebies on the registration table, take them all. Duh. You’re a writer! You deserve extra stuff!

• Do your best to reschedule every pitch appointment you were assigned. Even if you don’t need to. Conference schedulers need to be reminded at every opportunity that you — the writer — are in charge. Everything they do, they do for you. The writer.

• Remember that during workshops when agents and editors request any questions be of a general nature, they’re not talking about your question. As a writer, you need to ask them what they think of your manuscript/plot/premise. Even if the workshop is about writing dialogue.

• During every break, squat to peer under each restroom stall. If you see shoes attached to the feet of an agent or editor, bang on their door and start your pitch, handing your entire manuscript to them under the door. They like this because they’re excellent multi-taskers. You need to show them that you are too by your mad stalking, banging, and pitching skillz.

• If you’re not a good multi-tasker, all is not lost. Simply gather up all the toilet paper in the restroom and barter some for an offer to send your complete manuscript to them. Obviously you can ignore any loser in there who isn’t an editor or agent. They can’t help you in any way, anyway.

• At mealtimes dominate all conversation with anyone at your table who can help your career. Feel free to grab centerpieces from nearby tables to design a lovely fortress around you and your new soulmate. Despite what others might tell you, that’s not at all creepy. They’ll describe your undivided attention as “endearing.”

• When relaxing in the bar after your busy day of being a writer, you deserve a strong drink. Several, in fact. There’s nothing more adorable than writers who slur their way through “You Light Up My Life” — twice — on the karaoke machine, freely confess a lifetime of transgressions to all their new BFFs, and vomit in the ficus tree in the corner.

And that’s all there is to it! Good luck!

BIO:
Becky Clark is a popular blogger, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of wildly divergent books — for example, An UnCivil War – The Boys Who Were Left Behind (middle-grade historical fiction); Reading Maniac — Fun Ways To Encourage Reading Success (a guide for parents of reluctant readers); and The Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Cookbook. Her BeckyLand blog can be found at http:/beckyland.wordpress.com and her healthy living website/blog is www.LazyLowCalLifestyle.com. She is a highly functioning chocoholic.

Extended Reduced Rate For PPW Conference

Good news for you procrastinators: PPW has extended the reduced conference rate until April 18!

Nothing says I'm a professional writer like using a conference fee as a tax deduction, so come join us April 29 through May 1... It'll be a blast!

PPW Conference Countdown: April Write Brain--A Conference Primer

Ready for Pikes Peak Writers Conference? Got some jitters? A writer’s conference can be intimidating, so let us take the confusion out of conference.  Come join PPWC veteran, Charlie Rush, PPW President, Chris Mandeville, and PPW Conference Director, Bonnie Hagan, for an overview of conference – and how to get the most out of it.  We’ll talk about what you can expect during the three days of Conference, what not to say to a faculty member, and why lining up early for meals can be important. 

If you’re not quite sure what this Read & Critique thing is all about or if that pitch appointment has given you the proverbial butterflies, we’ve got you covered.  PPWC takes pride in the fact that our attendees are among the best prepared in the country when it comes to talking with faculty about their project.  We’ll make sure you know how to go into your pitch appointment with confidence.  Best of all, this Write Brain will take place at the Marriott – ideal for getting your bearings and checking out the lay of the land

If you’re ready to maximize your conference experience, then we’ll see you Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30 PM at the Colorado Springs Marriott.