Preparing for a Writing Conference

Don't wear your regular "uniform"!😅

1.      How to Dress:  Dress for a conference in business casual. You want to be relaxed, but yoga clothing isn't the right outfit for this event.Conferences are packed with long days and exciting classes and sessions. You’ll want to feel comfortable, confident, and professional. Sometimes rooms are hot and sometimes they’re over air-conditioned, so be  dressed for all options. Specifically, I like to wear casual dress pants or even a nice pair of jeans and a shirt/blouse that I feel good in, plus I bring a light jacket or sweater. If you didn’t break the bank paying for the conference, buy yourself something cute, so you can add to your confidence quotient!

2.     Question Two:  What three things I wish I knew before going to my first conference:  

• Make Authentic Connections:  Do investigative homework on people with whom you'd like to connect (the faculty), so you can have authentic conversations—that means something deeper than "please love my work". For example, you may research the faculty on the internet and find out that Mr. Blue loves yoga and so do you—Awesome! There’s a connection! Mrs. Green grew up on Mars and so did you—Bingo! Another connection. Mrs. Orange’s favorite show is "My Cat from Hell" and what? So is yours!  The faculty members are humans (shocker, right 😊), and at conference events where everyone wants a piece of them, they are craving real conversation. It's nice for both you and them. Plus, when you follow up with a query, it makes it easy for that faculty member to remember you. You’ll open your letter with a reminder, “Dear Mrs. Green. It was fun meeting you at XYZ conference and discovering we both attended Rocket Middle School on Mars.”
  
• Be prepared with questions: If you've signed up for a one-on-one critique, go into it like a business meeting rather than a hope for an offer of representation. That sort of hope leaves you nervous and jittery, so instead, approach the meeting like you would with anyone else who you’d hire to consult. THAT MEANS show up prepared with a list of questions about your work—for example, questions I’ve asked in the past (since I write kid-lit) included "Can these words be used in a middle grade novel?" and "Is this skewing middle grade or young adult?"  or "Am I achieving the inciting incident quickly enough?" or questions on voice or plot points or  "Can you recommend any comparable titles?" For me, it helps to know which current books my project would be shelved next to; for you it might be which books you could look at as mentor texts. Other questions could include, "What do you recommend as next steps" and—the biggie—"Would you be interested in seeing more?" Why not go for that question—but save it for last so it doesn’t mess with your brain. It’s okay if they say no.
  
• Remind Yourself: a “Pass” from an individual is not a Rejection from the Entire Industry   Every book is not everyone’s cup of tea. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter was rejected by 12 publishers before it was picked up. Kwame Alexander’s book, The Crossover, was shopped for almost seven years before it was published. It ended up winning the Newbery Award and easily became a New York Times Bestseller! Bruce Cameron’s novel, A Dog’s Purpose, was rejected by one publisher after the next because the year before, Marley and Me was released, and so since Marley and Me was a smashing success, publishers thought they couldn’t compete. Publishers rejected A Dog’s Purpose with a note saying it was “too similar”—but then a new and naïve assistant editor found the manuscript in the slush pile and championed it to publication. The novel soared to the top of the New York Times Bestseller’s list. So there you have it. A “pass” from one person is not a rejection from the entire publishing industry. You must be diligent in reminding yourself that taste is subjective. The PARADOX: it’s also important to listen to what the critiquer has to say. They are industry professions and have solid and sound advice—it’s why you sign up for a one-on-one critique. Here is the guidance I received from two brilliant ladies, Anna-Maria Crum and Hilari Bell: If one unbiased critiquer gives you advice, you can consider it and then keep it or toss it if the advice speaks to you; if two unbiased critiquers who are not speaking to one another give you the same advice, you must seriously consider; if three unbiased critiquers who are not speaking to one another give you the same advice, you must make the change in your manuscript.     
• Come Prepared:
  
  Buy a special notebook and pens/markers—I’m a paper nerd and love doing this before a conference! Bring these items to your critique and write down key points. You think you'll remember what you're critiquer says, but the time flies by and you'll wish you took notes. I promise! Also, take notes during conference sessions—your brain is going to tell you that everything you hear is so life-changing that of course you'll remember it, but trust me when I say you won’t! Not only do I take notes at every conference, but I took fantastic notes at my first event and still enjoy referring back to those tidbits today.  
• CONFESSION—And why I give you this advice: I didn’t take notes at my first one-on-one critique, because I was so star struck and hopeful that the editor would want to publish my manuscript. I stayed in a daze the entire critique time, and so I didn't walk away with ways to improve my manuscript. Prepare for your critique like you would any business meeting. Accept that it is highly unusual for an offer to be made on the spot—not because your writing and projects isn’t brilliant, but because so much more goes into an agent’s decision to represent than just the single project.
  
• More on Agents:  Finding the right agent/author (or agent/illustrator) relationship is critical, because essentially, it’s a life-long match. As such, the agent needs to vet you and it’s important that you vet them. The vetting process can be like dating, both parties are considering the working relationship and an offer of representation is the marriage proposal. New authors tend to want “someone—anyone” to get their work out there, but you should consider that agents come in all forms. Take time at a conference to meet and talk to agents to discover their style and determine if that is the right style for you. For example, some agents are editorial and they'll work to help you edit the manuscript prior to submitting to publishers—I personally wanted and needed that kind of agent (shout out and mad-love for my agent, Jen Rofé!). Some agents are not editorial—that works better for many of my friends. Some agents are new and energetic but have not fully established their reputation. How do you feel about that? Some agents have HUGE names because they have major clients. You’ll need to decide if that’s important to you. As a newbie, if you land with that type of agent, it might mean you end up as their lowest priority, or it might mean the agent has tons of experience and big-time clout and can take you and your work far (I’ve seen both happen to authors).  For me, as I attended conferences and met agents or listened to them on agent panels, I discovered who would be right for me and who would be a horrible match.

3.     Have I participated in seminars/intensives offered at conferences, and what seminar/intensive was the most helpful?

YES! I’ve participated in a few after-conference intensives (usually a three-hour seminar) and I’ve chosen different ones led by all levels of professionals—agents, editors, and authors. For me, the most useful intensives have been the author-led workshops. What is best for you depends on what stage you’re at in your writing and publishing process. Early in my process, I attended a three-hour roundtable where participants read the first five pages of their manuscript and received instant feedback from the agent. That was extremely informative —not because of the feedback I received on my work, but because hearing feedback on fifteen different projects helped me grow my own writing. At that point in my writing career, I found it easier to discover or recognize mistakes when it didn’t feel personal, and then I used that knowledge to fix my own writing problems. Another seminar I attended was “How to do School Visits” with Suzanne Morgan Williams and Bruce Hale—Wow! That was fantastic and so helpful since The 11:11 Wish was due to release soon, and I had no idea how to handle school visits. Another workshop I attended was with award-winning author Linda Sue Parks. It truly helped me dig into my work and improve my craft.  My favorite thing about seminars/intensives is how they small and personal feeling, since they are usually limited to a small handful of participants.

4.      How did you refine your pitch 

Time to SHARE YOUR PITCH

Practice with people. Practice with strangers. Practice with your barista. Say, “I’m writing a book, can I tell you about it?” And then be prepared to talk for thirty seconds, saying something substantial that will hook the listener’s interest. It’s tough. You write a 50,000 word manuscript, and then you need to be able to cull it down to something meaningful and with meat in a few short sentences. The book Save the Cat by Blake Snyder has an entire section about pitches. Read it! He says to read current movie pitches and he says pitching to strangers while you’re in line at a coffee shop or grocery store can be your best gauge of true interest. It can also help you become less nervous when it really matters. If you practice your pitch to a stranger and their eyes glaze over, you’re not ready, but nothing is lost. If you say it and the person asks you questions, awesome! You’ve captured their interest. I might get this quote wrong, but Andrea Brown, founder of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, likes to say a pitch should be like a skirt: long enough to cover everything, but short enough to keep it interesting. Keep the listener engaged and curious. For fiction, I love to start crafting my pitch with the Save the Cat formula: On the verge of a Stasis=Death moment, a flawed protagonist Breaks into Two; but when the Midpoint happens, he/she must learn the Theme Stated, before All Is Lost.

5.       Is there anything else?

Yes! Read the faculty members’ work (their books, their clients’ books) prior to attending a conference. Here’s my article on WHY this is so important: http://kimscritiquingcorner.blogspot.com/2016/07/top-five-reasons-reading-prepares-you.html

Carry a water bottle,  bring healthy snacks to keep your energy up, and treat yourself with kind words, a grateful heart, and believe you are deserving of good things to come!

  

Fast Five with Andrew Karre, Dutton Books For Young Readers

Fast Five with Editor Andrew Karre

Andrew Karre is the executive editor at Dutton Books for Young Readers. He is also on the faculty for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the SCBWI fall conference

WHEN:  September 19-20, 2015

WHERE: Marriott Denver West, 1717 West Denver Blvd., Golden, CO

How to Register:  Follow this link to Register or type in: https://rmc.scbwi.org

Hi, Andrew!

Thank you for agreeing to this interview. I have about ninety-nine questions I’d like to ask you, but I’ll keep it to this fast-five (ummm, so I cheated a little with multiple questions wrapped in one, but I’m excited. That’s how I roll J).

1.      Me:  Help! Nobody wants to come across as a rookie. I noticed in your interview in 2013 with Ashley Hope Pérez she asked “What are rookie mistakes you see first-time authors make?” Your answer was, “Rushing through revisions.” Please give us another rookie mistake to avoid.

Andrew:  Valuing information over intrigue, especially in first chapters. Where the beginnings of novels are concerned, I value intrigue over information, feeling over knowing, magical confusion over mundane clarity.

Much like a good magician, an experienced novelist knows that she must keep things moving quickly and perch at the ragged edge of comprehension in the beginning of a novel. There is a sweet spot of confusion that an inexperienced writer will shy away from but the master will aim for.

(Andrew edited Ashley’s books, What Can’t Wait (2011, Carolrhoda Books),  The Knife and the Butterfly (2012, Carolrhoda Books) and Out of Darkness (2015, Carolrhoda LAB)

2.       I recently attended the SCBWI International conference in California where a panel of editors was asked a series of questions. Let’s imagine you are part of that panel—you’re  in Los Angeles, the sun is shining, and you’re about to go to the pool bar and order something exotic, but first you must indulge and dazzle the audience with answers to the following questions:

a.        What hooks you in a manuscript?

A confident, bewildering, and enthralling first chapter. If I read the first pages and am completely confused but my heart rate is elevated, I know I’m reading something special.

b.      What turns you off when reading a manuscript?

Condescension and careless clichés. Children and teenagers who fulfill adult wishes.

c.       What’s on your #MSWL (for those of you on Twitter, #MSWL is where agents and editors post their Manuscript Wish List)?

I try to avoid specific topics or subgenre wishes. I rarely find them helpful. There are qualities and characteristics that I wish for though: Stories of children and teenagers from authors whose stories and life experiences are outside the white mainstream of children’s lit. Books by serious writers who know in their bones that writing about children is as high a calling as any in fiction.

3.      Please tell us about your move from Carolrhoda to Dutton Books for Young Readers, and also please tell us about the shape and plan for your list.

I am very proud of what I accomplished in my six years at Lerner and am grateful for the creative freedom I had there. When the opportunity arose to work for Julie Strauss-Gabel and contribute to a list as exciting and discerning as Dutton’s (and to do so without leaving my home in St. Paul) presented itself, however, I knew I had to take it.

I intend to publish a diverse list of risk-taking, provocative, and thoroughly entertaining YA and MG fiction and nonfiction (probably around nine titles a year, eventually). I hope the books will continue to be surprising, and I plan to value care and craftsmanship in writing and storytelling as highly as I always have.

Follow up question:  How does working remotely affect your job?

After more than a decade spent working in various offices surrounded by colleagues, I now work in the attic of my home in St. Paul (“attic” is probably misleading. It’s finished and quite nice). Working remotely has gone well—even more smoothly than I’d hoped. The Dutton team is small and used to being flexible. They’ve been great about keeping me in the loop. (Plus I travel to New York regularly). Remote editors are not entirely uncommon in publishing, and there are more of us all the time. I think experienced editors can edit and advocate for our books effectively wherever we are.

At Dutton, I do far fewer books than I did before, and so I have the luxury of focus and time to be extra maniacal about all the details of how my books are published. So even though I’m remote, I am very aware of what’s going on with my books.

4.      What role do you expect authors to play in the launch and promotion of their books?

I expect authors to be honest with themselves and with me about their comfort levels where promotion are concerned. I hope they’ll work with us to channel their efforts into forms of promotion that suit their personalities and talents and that will get them in front of an audience.  I’ve seen enough books and authors in my career to know there’s no one way to make a successful book, so we spend a great deal of time discussing the promotional strengths of an author and the opportunities her book presents. And every author has promotional strengths and all our books have opportunities.

Follow-up question: Would you like to add anything more on your thoughts on claiming social media real estate?

As a practical matter, any aspiring author should own her domain name and recognizable identities on major social media (as in, your real name if available and if that’s what you write under).

5.      I recently wrote an article (bought by Stephen Mooser for The Bulletin pub date TBD) titled, Reading for a Rich Conference Experience. In the article, I propose conference attendees read books written, edited and/or agented by the faculty of a conference they plan to attend. Not only does it make for a richer conference experience, it’s a great vetting tool to discover if an agent or editor is a good match for the attendee. I’d like to put my money where my mouth is. Please provide a list (broken out by genre, if you will) of books you’ve edited over the past year or two.

This is a good idea, I think:

YA:

Sex andViolence by Carrie Mesrobian (January 2015) Morris Award Finalist

The Story of Owen by E.K. Johnston (January, 2015)

Infandous by Elana K. Arnold (March, 2015)
No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (January, 2012)

AMatter of Souls by Denise Lewis Patrick (April, 2014)

Brooklyn,Burning by Steve Brezenoff (August, 2014)

Nonfiction:

FourthDown and Inches by Carla Killough McClafferty (September, 2013)

MG:

(I’ve done relatively little MG recently.)

Thank, Andrew! 

For other great interviews with Andrew Karre, please visit:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/63248-four-questions-for-bunker-diary-publisher-andrew-karre.html

http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2015/05/cover-reveal-interview-author-ashley.html

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/58786-defying-orthodoxy-carolrhoda-editorial-director-andrew-karre.html

http://latinosinkidlit.com/2013/12/19/the-road-to-publishing-a-q-a-with-editor-andrew-karre/

Critique with Writers House Agent, Dan Lazar --First Three Chapters of Your Manuscript #KidLitForHaiti

KID LIT FOR HAITI:  Dan Lazar is donating a critique of the first three chapters (up to 50 pages!!!) of a middle grade or YA novel. Auction Closed! Thank you for participating!

I met DanLazar at the SCBWI conference in California; since then, he has been a generous source for quotes and interviews for the articles I’ve had published in the Bulletin (SCBWI’s member magazine). Dan is an editorial agent and has an impressive client list.

Writers House is one of the largest literary agencies in the industry. As a company, they represent a wide range of adult and children's fiction and non-fiction.

Dan is always on the lookout for distinct fiction and great, lively non-fiction. He represents adult and children's books (and for children's books, he focuses mainly on middle grade and YA). For fiction, he love stories that introduce him to new worlds -- or even better, recreate the ones he may already know. He also especially loves historical fiction of all kinds. For non-fiction, he enjoys memoirs, narrative non-fiction, all stripes and studies of pop-culture, and even small gifty books that strike his fancy and make him smile. He’s a huge fan of graphic novels and memoirs. And as the oldest child of six who has changed many, many diapers in his life, he’s equally intrigued by any book with unique views on parenting and family life.

Dan’s interests include: Literary and commercial fiction, Women's fiction, Historical fiction, Thrillers, Mysteries, Gay and Lesbian, Young adult, Middle grade, Graphic Novels or Memoirs, Judaica, Memoir, Narrative Non-fiction, Fitness, Pop-Culture, Humor

Dan has represented many adult titless, and he represented the following sales in kid lit:

Children's titles include:
DORK DIARIES, Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin) -- TIMMY FAILURE, Stephan Pastis (Candlewick) -- POPULAR, Maya Van Wagenen (Dutton) -- JUST JAKE, Jake Marcionette (Grosset & Dunlap) -- LIFE OF ZARF, Rob Harrell (Dial) -- MOSQUITOLAND, David Arnold (Viking) -- GALACTIC HOT DOGS, Max Brallier and Rachel Maguire (Aladdin) -- STARBIRD MURPHY AND THE WORLD OUTSIDE, Karen Finneyfrock (Viking) -- THE ODD SQUAD, Michael Fry (Hyperion) -- DESMOND PUCKET MAKES MONSTER MAGIC, Mark Tatulli (Andrews McMeel) -- THE MONKEY GOES BANANAS, CP Bloom (Abrams) -- THE ORIGINALS, Cat Patrick (Little Brown) -- THE BOY RECESSION, Flynn Meany (Little Brown) -- SERAPHINA, Rachel Hartman (Random House) -- CHEESIE MAC IS NOT A GENIUS OR ANYTHING, Steve Cotler (Random House) -- THE POPULARITY PAPERS, Amy Ignatow (Abrams) -- BROTHER FROM A BOX, Evan Kuhlman (Atheneum) -- THE DEFENSE OF THADDEUS LEDBETTER, John Gosselink (Abrams) -- I'LL GET THERE, IT BETTER BE WORTH THE TRIP, 40th Anniversary Edition, John Donovan (Flux) -- MIDDLEWORLD, JP Voelkel (Egmont) -- WILL & WHIT, Laura Lee Gulledge (Abrams) -- ALFIE IS NOT AFRAID, Pat Carlin (Hyperion) -- 33 MINUTES, Todd Hasak Lowy (Aladdin)

This auction: is for a three chapter critique (up to 50 pages!!) of a Middle Grade or Young Adult manuscript with agent Dan Lazar (critique via email). If you are the winner, please format your pages in Times Roman, 12 pt. font, double spaced.

How do I bid?

Place your bid in the comment section by increasing the previous bid by increments of $10. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; I can be reached for questions in the comment section here or at  ktomsic@gmail.com . 

When does the auction for a Dan Lazar critique close?

**This Auction will close on December 12, 2014**

Official UPDATE: Auction items close on their respective date at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST)

here's the math time for U.S. residents (you can simply Google the time comparison if you live somewhere else in the world) :

 Pacific Time is one hour behind mountain time; central time is one hour ahead of mountain time; eastern time is two hours ahead of mountain time so:

11:59 om MST = 10:59 pm Pacific Time or 12:59 am Central Standard Time or 1:59 am Eastern Time

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

What happens if I win this item?

I will contact the winning bidder (remember to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donationlink and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with Dan  

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:

You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.

Top Ten with Literary Agent Tricia Lawrence

TOP TEN: Info/Advice/& Fun Facts with Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency (EMLA)

The Rocky Mountain Region of the SCBWI looks forward to the wisdom of Tricia Lawrence. She will serve on this year's conference faculty for the September 20 & 21, 2014 LETTERS AND LINES CONFERENCE. If you haven't registered, we are accepting walk-in registration on September 20 at 7:45am or September 21 at 8:15 am at the Marriott Denver West, 1717 Denver West Boulevard, Golden CO 80401. 

Who is Tricia Lawrence? Tricia is the "Pacific Northwest branch" of Erin Murphy Literary Agency (EMLA)—born and raised in Oregon, and now lives in Seattle. After 19 years of working as a developmental and production-based editor (from children’s books to college textbooks), she joined the EMLA team in March 2011 as a social media strategist.

As associate agent, Tricia represents picture books/chapter books that look at the world in a unique and unusual way, with characters that are alive both on and off the page, and middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction that offers strong world-building, wounded narrators, and stories that grab a reader and won't let go.

You can find Tricia's writing about blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, and other social media topics at http://authorblogger.net/ and at http://trishlawrence.com/

THE TOP TEN WITH TRICIA:

1.       SUCCESS STORY:  Hi, Tricia! Thank you for serving on the RMC SCBWI faculty and for agreeing to this interview. I love starting with dessert, so please tell us a yummy conference success story.

My first PB client is the past conference coordinator for Western WA, Kerri Kokias. I met her as a brand-new agent (not yet repping picture books) looking for a critique group and we hit it off. Of course, she will say I made her work. I made her write a ton. And I did. But when I was ready to sign PB clients, she was my first one. We are friends, crit buddies, and then author/agent. And it was the best decision I made! She is AWESOME! 

2.      PUBLISHING PATH: I’ll bet your experience as a social media strategist serves you and your clients well now that you’re an agent. What smart social media tips can you provide?

For my full-throttle social media for authors, you'll have to come to my workshop. In the meantime, look back over your social media content. Is it 80/20 (content/marketing)? For marketing, I mean "come buy my book" or "come to my book signing" and by content, I mean "there was this fascinating article I just read about bullying, which is one of themes of my next book" or "We need diverse books shared this article that really spoke to me about the important of diversity" and don't pitch anything. Just share, share, share. And if it has a theme to it, all the better. See you at my workshop!

3.      YOUR NEXT CLIENT: I understand you represent Picture Books, Chapter Books,  Middle Grade, and YA. At every conference—regardless of genre—agents say they are looking for great and compelling writing. Please give us more insight into your preferences.

I love all sorts of styles in kidlit. I do love a mystery, I love dark novels, dark young readers. For novels, I'm looking for the character I've never met  before, but I feel as if I know already. Someone who just walks off the page into my life. Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE series was that for me. Karou is someone I've never met before, but I now feel like she's someone important in my life. Challenge: how would you do a mystery PB?

4.      READING: I believe in order to be a great writer, a person should be prolific reader. I also believe when writers research and shop for an agent, they should read the agent’s client’s books in order to understand if the agent is a fit. Tricia, are you an editorial agent? Also, please tell us about some of your clients’ books.

I am an editorial agent. My books don't start coming out until Fall 2015, but in the meantime, on EMLA's website www.emliterary.com you can see what our agency is publishing month to month. Any of those would be a great idea to read. Robin LaFevers' HIS FAIR ASSASSIN series, GRAVE MERCY,  DARK TRIUMPH, and the third in the trilogy, MORTAL HEART. Anything by Deborah Underwood or Pat Zietlow Miller or Liz Garton Scanlon, picture  book wise. Anything by Trent Reedy, Conrad Wesselhoeft, Laurie Thompson, Laura Resau, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Ruth McNally Barshaw. I could go on  and on and on. I'm a huge fan of EMLA books!

5.      FAVORITE BOOKS: What were some of your favorite books as a child, and what are your current kid lit favorites (other than the ones you represent J)?

Favorite series: Narnia. Second favorite series: Little House on the Prairie. Current kidlit favorites are FLASHLIGHT by Lizi Boyd (a work of art), I WANT MY HAT BACK by Jon Klassen, LET'S GET LOST by Adi Alsaid, GAIJIN by Matt Faulkner (my client, but I didn't rep this one).

6.      What’s on your wish list of future projects to represent?

I'm looking for innovative picture books, using other genres to tell a story in that format (murder mystery, horror, etc.). I'm looking for retro illustrations that are just alive. I'm looking for a super-duper chapter book series or two a la Penderwicks or CLEMENTINE. I am hungry for more girl middle grade. I'm also looking for amazing YA fantasy, fractured retellings (so, instead of fractured fairy tales, take a classic work of literature and crack it open). I'm wild about anything Bronte, Dickens, Hugo, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky. I was raised on these books, so if you're doing something innovative and new with them, bring it to me!

7.      What can you tell us about the state of the publishing industry?

In total flux. Indy bookstores are growing. The industry seems to be able to handle the massive changes being thrown at it. It's a great time to be an author or illustrator. If you're hesitating, why? Go for it! Write!

8.     How does the answer above influence you as an agent?

Always figuring out how to represent my clients better, how to inspire more authors/artists, how to be more creative myself! I feel as if I'm in a continual college semester, with always changing classes and I'm always carrying too many credits and wanting to learn more.

9.      A benefit for attendees of the Letters and Lines Conference is getting to walk away knowing the faculty on a more personal level. One fun fact about Tricia is that she Tricia loves hiking, camping out in the woods, and collecting rocks. She loves BBC America and anything British. She has way too many books and not enough bookshelves. Please give us one more fun fact!

 

If I am at a beach, I pick up pockets full of rocks and shells. If I am in a parking lot, I pick up rocks. If you show me a rock, I will want it. I have now shared my rock obsession with my neighbor's 3-year-old and she comes up to me now and asks for rocks. :) Funny how I always have one to give her.

10.  What’s your final word (for today) of advice that you would like writers to walk away with?

Writing is not easy. You are walking in footsteps of so many great writers and also great souls! Do not be discouraged! Press on! Don't give up!  Write, write, write.

Thank you, Tricia!

For submission guidelines, please visit the EMLA website and follow the guidelines. 

Submission Policy: Good news-- if-- you attended the Letters and Lines Conference! 

EMLA is closed to unsolicited queries or submissions BUT Tricia is open to queries from attendees of conferences where she speaks. If you met Tricia at the conference or have a referral, please paste your query into the contact form on our contact page. Please note that EMLA is no longer responding to queries or submissions from those who do not have a referral or have met them at a conference. Those sent in hard copy form via post or other means will receive no response from EMLA, and those sent via email will receive an automated form rejection.

***This is your big chance to query, so take the time--polish your prose--use advice your received at the conference--seek out a critiquing group--repolish your work--read the submission guidelines carefully--polish one more time--AND THEN send your query. Good luck!