Nina Munteanu and Tom Doherty share a panel on ecology |
I'm about to attend (and participate as a panelist and guest
author) tomorrow for four days at the World Fantasy Convention in greater Toronto (The Sheraton Hotel in Richmond Hill). And I’m all
jazzed about it! Why?... Well, let me tell you why…
If you haven’t yet attended a writer’s conference or convention, it’s
high time you did. Because, not only are you missing out on an education, you
are missing out on a sub-culture that may change your life as a writer, help
feed the hungry and align the universe.
The last World Fantasy Convention I attended was several years ago in
2008. It was held in Calgary, Alberta, when I still lived in Vancouver, British
Columbia. The ten-hour drive through some of the most glorious Canadian
wilderness and mountains was bracing and we were lucky that the weather played
fair. It was an auspicious start to a wonderful journey of self-discovery.
Nina introduces Toulouse to author Lynda Williams |
Hosted by toastmaster Tad Williams, this world-class convention
featured guests of honor, David Morrell, Barbara Hambly, Tom Doherty and Todd
Lockwood. The World Fantasy Convention promised great things and delivered
them. And I’m not just talking about that white chocolate cranberry-date-nut
dip that had me loitering at the hospitality suite. Or all those midnight
parties that served savory wine with salted almonds, sharp cheese and colorful
conversation with the likes of David Hartwell, Tor editor and impeccable
dresser (gotta love those ties!). I’m not even talking about the hot tub that
sprung a leak on the 18th floor at 1 am or the entertaining panels
and readings, which rocked for both writer and reader.
What made the con great for me was seeing my writing community (both
writing colleagues and readers who followed my writing) and meeting new people,
all lovers of books.
Nina meets an old friend... |
I was rudely eyeballing someone’s nametag on his chest, when I collided
with the Prince George crowd that included authors, Lynda Williams (herself
responsible for some pretty nasty intergalactic wars), Nathalie Mallet (who
cages princes) and publisher Virginia O’Dine of Bundoran Press (rumored to have
been somehow responsible for the hot tub fiasco). I also chummed with Jennifer
Rahn, author of The Longevity Thesis,
who was charmed by my sly cat (she’s a softy at heart). Toulouse just kept
charming his way through the crowd right to the book fair. We wandered to the
back where Anita Hades of Edge Books gave Toulouse her usual greeting (a feline
move that was a cross between Sophie Marceau and Brigitte Helm; both she and
Toulouse have French blood coursing through their veins, after all—c’est
vrai!).
I’d come a long way from the first writer’s conference I went to as a
budding writer of a few short stories and non-fiction articles…
Toulouse meets all the babes... |
Here’s what author Susan Denney says about her first writer’s
conference: “Going to my first writers' conference was an act of faith. I was just
starting to make some freelance sales when the members of my writers' group
encouraged me to join them at a conference a few hundred miles away. The
expense didn't seem justified to me. The cost was far more than I had earned
through writing that year. But they convinced me at last and it proved to be a
great investment. The benefits of a writers' conference are there for anyone
who has a desire to be a better writer.”
Here are some reasons why you can’t afford NOT to go to a conference or
convention:
Contacts: you will make
contacts with people working in the industry, an extremely valuable asset; this
industry is a social one, based on trust, respect and joyfulness. While there’s
no guarantee that you will meet anyone famous or influential, you will
definitely meet people who know more about writing than you do. Just hanging
out with professional writers, editors and agents is educational. If nothing
else, you will gain some confidence and ease with industry people, who are real
people too. Some may become friends; some may become colleagues; some will
become both.
Appointments: through
agent/editor/author appointments, you will have a chance to have a quality
private conversation with a professional on all aspects of writing and
publishing. This is your chance to pitch your novel or ask that one burning
question. You know you’ll get a candid and professional answer. That in itself
is invaluable and may be enough reason to attend the con. Appointments are also
your best chance of getting your manuscript read. This is because it bypasses
the slush-pile and months of waiting for a response. More and more editors and
agents look to conferences to meet potential authors. For them, meeting an author
in person is a bonus to their gauging potential success in a relationship with
them.
Toulouse meets an old friend... |
Community: you will be
exposed to a community of writers, hundreds of creative people in various
stages of their careers. By interacting with both those you can help and those
who can help you, you will gain a measure of both humility and confidence and
satisfaction. We learn so much by helping others. Simply being with other
writers can help hone your people-skills, the same ones you will need when
approaching agents, editors, publishers and research sources during your career
as a professional. Remember, if you aren’t having fun, you are missing one of
the most important aspects of attending a writer’s conference, and you will
lose your own effectiveness.
Energy: there is nothing
more energizing than a common sharing among those of like-minded thought and
vision. Writing is primarily an individual pursuit, often thought to belong to
the introvert; but, to succeed in the writing/publishing industry a writer must
display staying power, persistence, confidence and enduring energy. There is
nothing quite as inspirational as hearing an accomplished writer provide their
story of victory against odds. I will never forget the moving words of Ray
Bradbury at a conference in Palm Springs years ago. I have repeated those words
many times since. If you come to a conference with the right mind-set, I
guarantee that you will leave with more energy than you came and with a burning
need to write.
Nina meets an old friend too... |
New Markets &
Ideas: conferences attract writers of all kinds. Conferences provide fertile
ground for cross-pollination of ideas, markets and marketing ploys. Writers,
like you, are generally a nice crowd; most are willing and eager to share their
successes and failures. And contacts. Sharing is one of the great things that
happens at conferences. There may be a common pin board set up for people to
share. Most conferences are Twitter and Facebook enabled for quick and easy
viral sharing. If you don’t come away from a conference with at least one new
idea, contact or market, you haven’t done your job: talk to people.
Here are a few do’s and don’ts for when you go conferencing:
1.
Wear comfortable but not sloppy clothing and shoes
(it’s likely that you will be doing a fair bit of standing and walking); you
want to make a good impression. Be yourself and dress accordingly.
2.
Bring promotional material with you (e.g., business
cards, flyers on your book, stories, etc.). Have something to share and
exchange with other writers and professionals. Most conferences also have
tables devoted to shareware. This is your chance to introduce you and your
writing to others.
3.
Take something to write with (e.g., notebook and
pen or iPad, etc.).
4.
Talk to people. Chances are that everyone there is
interesting.
5.
Respect the time, particularly other people’s time,
and keep your appointments and meetings.
6.
Don’t bring your heavy manuscript with you to the
conference. Agents and editors don’t have the time or inclination or space in
their suitcase for it. Use the conference to make an impression and get an
invitation for something later in writing.
7.
Keep all of your interactions verbal and
face-to-face. Don’t rely on memorized speeches or a folded up written pitch in
your pocket. Keep it casually professional. Make eye contact and speak from the
heart. Show your passion.
8.
Have fun. And don’t be afraid to show it; there’s
nothing more infectious and attractive than someone having fun.
Nina Munteanu is an
ecologist and internationally published author of novels, short stories and
essays. She coaches writers and teaches writing at George Brown College and the
University of Toronto. For more about Nina’s coaching & workshops visit www.ninamunteanu.me. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for more about her writing.
If you're attending the 2012 WFC convention in Richmond Hill at the Sheraton Hotel, you can find me at the Spirits Lounge most evenings. I'll be the one at the bar drinking G&Ts and telling stories to the elves and goblins, pixies, fairies, imps and maybe a disguised troll or two...
ReplyDeleteI'll be signing my latest book THE LAST SUMMONER, a historical time travel fantasy, which has been a Canadian Bestseller for two months on amazon.
Cheers,
Nina