Conference Dos and Don'ts SCBWI

 

Hello fellow writers! I am getting ready and getting excited for the SCBWI LA Conference. 

Will you be there?

There are 15 of us coming from Oregon this year. I am so happy to have some other Oregoneons around. But I am also looking forward to meeting up with San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and LA friends!

If this is your first big conference, relax. It's fun, and you will make it through with tons of new, helpful information. This is my first LA conference. But I went to the NY SCBWI Conference two years ago, and so I have some suggestions for you for this conference in LA.

• Wear comfortable/stylish shoes - you will be walking and, in some cases, jogging to your next destination. Wear shoes you can move in without twisting an ankle, yet still look business casual.

• Please, NO workout clothes! Yes, yoga pants are cute and comfortable…but not appropriate for meeting an agent, editor, or publisher.

• Be RESPECTFUL not only to the agents, publishers, and editors but to your fellow writers. Do not interrupt another writer because you really, really want to meet the agent they are speaking with. You will look rude to both. You want to show that you are professional, not pushy.

• Remember this is ONE conference. You will get a chance in your writing career to meet professionals in your industry many times. This is a huge conference, and so many of you might not get to personally speak with the one agent or publisher, or editor of your choice. That's okay. All is not lost. 

• This is a LONG HAUL. Writing is a career, and this is one of several meetings you will attend. Show your best self, but if you make a mistake, don't beat yourself up. You will have other opportunities to prove you are professional and courteous. 

• DO NOT shove your manuscript into the face or hands or purse, or jacket of any of the professionals at the conference. 

Just don't!

• DO take notes. Keep a small notepad in your pocket, or use NOTES on your iPhone. You might be standing in a small group with a professional giving great tips. Don't walk away without making some notes. You will forget by the end of the long day.

• If you are going to ASK A QUESTION, make it a question for all, not just about your book in particular. Everyone there wants a private consult on their book, but that's not what this conference is for…unless you purchased the private consult. Be respectful of your fellow writers, and do not put a professional on the spot about your project. It will not help your cause.

• FLOSS after lunch. At one of the conferences, I attended, I did not check my teeth after eating spinach. I was chatting with a director at Penguin for a while, the whole time, with a huge piece of spinach in my two front teeth. How embarrassing! FLOSS! FLOSS! FLOSS!

• And while we are on this subject, Breath, Breath, Breath! You will be drinking tons of coffee, so brings tons of gum or mints. I once was having a conversation with another writer, and her breath was so coffee-heavy that I had to back up. You don't want your first impression to be bad breath! 

• If you are going to give your BUSINESS CARDS out, be sure to include everyone you are in a group or having lunch with. There will be newbie writers at this conference, and it's scary for them. If they are sitting next to you and you hand your card to 4 writers and not the newbie, it hurts. I know from experience. If you don't want to give your card to everyone, then wait and privately give it to that one special person. But try to be inclusive at all times if possible. 

• If you are seated near a NEWBIE WRITER or pass by one, say hi. Ask them how their conference is going and what they write. We are supposed to support one another. And you never know, that newbie writer could be the next NY times best seller tomorrow! Or an agent in the future. Be kind…always.

• Know that even though these agents, editors, and publishers will be open to your submissions after the conference, they are looking for the best of the best. Do not query too early in your writing process. Take your time. They want your best, most revised work. Do not waste this opportunity. 

• I have noticed that some newer writers think the only people they should try to get to know at conferences are the speakers. This is so false. GET TO KNOW THE WRITERS. The writers at this conference are serious about their craft. They will most likely be published next. Make new friends there, and they may last a lifetime with invaluable insight. 

• Bring a WATER BOTTLE. Keep it full. You will be thirsty from all of the talking and all of the walking. 

• LAYERS - dress in layers. Going outside in LA will be warm, hot even. You want to be able to remove a sweater and have a tank underneath. Inside will be cool, cold even. Tie a scarf to your purse in case you need it.

• Be ON TIME! 

• NO Jealousy toward other writers! If you are envious of something, a writer is doing or has done or knows….ask questions. Jealousy at all about anything is not helpful to you and the conference. Support each other - no excluding anyone for any reason. Be open to someone new, no matter how different they are from you, and your world will grow. 

• Manners. Manners. Manners. Say, excuse me when you are trying to pass by someone. Say please. Say thank you. Manners go a long way for everyone. Hold the doors open. Scoot over. Offer a seat. Be helpful. Smile. 

• SUPPORT other writers. Buy their books. Read their blogs. Talk to them about how they got their agents. Go see the illustrations. 

• Have FUN! Join in. Dance. Cheer. Laugh. The energy of this conference is up to you, to all of us. Let's make it awesome!

Write~on

Angie

See you there!