Win Agents and Influence Editors

yayI’m giving a webinar TONIGHT with book marketing guru @ThomasUmstattd:

How to Win Agents and Influence Editors… at a Writers’ Conference.

Time is 8pm Eastern… cost is only $15.00 and you get approximately one million dollars worth of material. Okay, just kidding. But we think it’s at least a $100 value.

You get:

♦ The live webinar

♦ A recording of the webinar

♦ My upcoming e-book on preparing for writer’s conferences.

An amazing value! Click the link to sign up.

A few things we’ll cover…

  • What turns agents on, what turns them off and what makes them run away in terror.
  • How to avoid the classic mistakes that scream “amateur”.
  • The 5 things successful authors do before the conference to double their chance for success.
  • How to talk to an agent who’s already booked solid (without staking out the bathroom).
  • Tips, timelines, and goals not offered anywhere else.

As a sneak preview of the kind of practical, nuts-and-bolts material we will include… here is a bonus checklist:

10 Things to Bring to a Writers’ Conference

1. Concise and fascinating answers to questions like, “So, what do you write?” and “Tell me about yourself.”

2. Organized thoughts about the book(s) you’re pitching, so you can easily give a 1 or 2 minute pitch when asked.

3. One-sheets for each book you’re pitching—plenty of copies in case agents or editors want to keep them.

4. Business cards.

5. A printout of the first chapter of your novel (or a book proposal for non-fiction). You just need a few of copies since you will show them in meetings but probably won’t leave them with agents or editors.

6. A camera if that floats your boat.

7. A tote bag or brief case (not too big) to carry around your stuff, or simply a folder to hold your papers and keep you organized.

8. A professional-looking, business-casual wardrobe with comfortable shoes. A nicer outfit for the banquet Saturday night.

9. Personal goals for the conference… and an open mind so that you don’t miss opportunities and connections that come your way unexpectedly.

10. A big smile, since it’s the best way to forge connections with others and keep yourself relaxed.

Are you planning to attend any writers’ conferences this year? Which ones… or why not?

Tweetables:

10 Things to Bring to a Writer’s Conference. Click to Tweet.

I’m excited to get one million dollars worth of information for $15 at this webinar! Click to Tweet.

The definitive webinar on writers’ conferences, TONIGHT, by @RachelleGardner & @ThomasUmstattd. Click to Tweet.

Win Agents and Influence Editors at Writers Conferences… a webinar. Click to Tweet.

Click HERE to sign up for tonight’s webinar.

Rachelle Gardner

Literary agent at Gardner Literary. Coffee & wine enthusiast (not at the same time) and dark chocolate connoisseur. I've worked in publishing since 1995 and I love talking about books!

30 Comments

  1. här on March 20, 2013 at 6:26 PM

    Thanks a lot the other point is article. I be able to get that will kind of facts information. friend, and exactly. här http://replayability.com/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=rss



  2. Wendy Heuvel on March 19, 2013 at 11:24 AM

    Thanks for a great webinar Rachelle! I learned a lot and am glad you offered us the opportunity! I hope you and Thomas will do more of these in the future!



  3. Walt Mussell on March 18, 2013 at 9:15 PM

    Rachelle, I’ll be attending RWA Nationals this summer. (I live in the Atlanta area, where this year’s conference is being held.) I’ve attended RWA-type conferences before, but not Nationals. Do you have any extra suggestions for me that I should think about?



  4. Rudy Wilson Galdonik on March 18, 2013 at 2:35 PM

    Great tips.

    I also bring a copy of my registration confirmation. I once flew cross country to a major writer’s conference and when I arrived they didn’t have my name. Anywhere. I had signed up early and fortunately I printed out my registration email. That saved a lot of headaches.



  5. Elisa on March 18, 2013 at 2:25 PM

    With an “ah-ha” moment over the weekend about the potential of going the traditional publishing route, this webinar comes at just the right time! Thanks!



  6. Jaime Wright Sundsmo on March 18, 2013 at 1:18 PM

    I’m coming to ACFW this fall and am STOKED!!! I really want to do your webinar tonight, my problem is I have ridiculously slow Internet (benefits of country living). Is it still a good idea to sign up and then take advantage by viewing the recording, or am I missing out if I don’t make the live webinar?



    • Jaime Wright Sundsmo on March 18, 2013 at 1:20 PM

      nvm. Classic speed-reader error. I see Thomas already advised others to register anyway and review the recorded webinar. Will do.



  7. Meghan Carver on March 18, 2013 at 12:41 PM

    Thanks for the tips, Rachelle. I’m attending the ACFW conference in September and so excited that my first ACFW conference will be right here in my city. Maybe that will keep some butterflies at bay?



  8. […] Read More AT Win Agents and Influence Editors – Rachelle Gardner. […]



  9. Cherry Odelberg on March 18, 2013 at 10:53 AM

    Sounds like a great webinar. My appointmenst run late tonight. Is the content available later?



    • Thomas on March 18, 2013 at 12:42 PM

      Yes. If you register, we will send you the recording.



  10. Robin Patchen on March 18, 2013 at 10:50 AM

    Perfect timing. I’m going to the ACW conference in OKC this weekend. Thanks!



    • Jaime Wright Sundsmo on March 18, 2013 at 1:19 PM

      Yeah, Yeah Robin! I can’t wait to meet up with you 🙂



      • Robin Patchen on March 18, 2013 at 4:58 PM

        I’ll be looking for you.



  11. Cheri Gregory on March 18, 2013 at 10:26 AM

    Timing is perfect — I head to the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference on Friday! (Hoping I’ve done at least a few of the 5 things that will double my success…or that they are do-able in 3 days!)



  12. Jeanne T on March 18, 2013 at 9:51 AM

    I loved your ten tips. The webinar sounds great; I’m going to see about attending. I attended my first ACFW last fall, and I loved it! I met so many people I’d seen online, and I learned so much from workshops. I’m hoping to attend again this year. I have a few things to deconflict. If I don’t make it to ACFW, I’m thinking about attending the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference.



  13. Connie Almony on March 18, 2013 at 9:50 AM

    I’ve gone to ACFW the past two years and loved every minute. However, it’s beyond the budget this year. I do hope to get to the Greater Philadelphia Conference. Looking forward to a new experience there.



  14. Julia on March 18, 2013 at 9:46 AM

    This is going to be my third year attending the Writer’s Digest Conference. It’s always a ton of fun, but I could definitely use some tips for getting the most out of it. I can’t attend tonight–will there be any way to access the webinar at a later date?



  15. Kassie on March 18, 2013 at 9:34 AM

    Dang it!
    1. I’ve made another commitment and will have to miss out on your webinar. Will you have the replay available?
    2.I have got to go to one of these conferences…sounds like something I’m really missing out on. I thought they were just about learning, didn’t know they were wrought with angst too 🙂



    • Thomas on March 18, 2013 at 12:41 PM

      We will be sending a recording of the webinar to everyone who registers. We will also be selling the recording on AuthorMedia.com at some point in the future. But If you want the webinar, I recommend you register now.



      • Alison Hodgson on March 22, 2013 at 2:32 PM

        I registered, but wasn’t able to make it. Have you sent the recordings yet?



        • Thomas Umstattd on March 22, 2013 at 2:42 PM

          Not yet. We are still finalizing the ebook.



          • Alison Hodgson on March 22, 2013 at 2:53 PM

            Thank you. I’m looking forward to it.



  16. Diana Harkness on March 18, 2013 at 7:56 AM

    All of that prep is fine until the overload from all the people, all the voices at the conference causes such high stress and sleep deprivation that I am barely functional. Maybe someone can address that.



  17. Roxanne Sherwood Gray on March 18, 2013 at 7:50 AM

    Rachelle, If writers follow your suggestions, they’ll be so prepared for a writers conference. I wish I’d had all this info before attending my first ACFW conference. The webinar sounds great!

    Here’s a cautionary tale: A friend had all the business items on your list in a folder–and lost it. Though she looked everywhere, the folder never turned up. She’d memorized her pitch and obtained her dream agent, so she had a great conference. But it might be a good idea to keep a copy of everything in a separate place.



    • Jennifer Major on March 18, 2013 at 8:23 AM

      Excellent advice, Roxanne. It’s much easier to come prepared with extras than to be caught with nothing.



  18. Carol McAdams Moore on March 18, 2013 at 7:34 AM

    Thanks, Rachelle! I signed up for the webinar. Thanks for this opportunity! I’m always looking for new ways to promote my work. I recently learned how to add tweetables to my blog posts as a result of reading your blog.



  19. Gabrielle Meyer on March 18, 2013 at 2:10 AM

    I attended ACFW last year and I hope to attend this year. It was a wonderful conference and I had so much fun connecting with online friends and meeting with agents and editors. In my opinion, I had a great conference and it was due to being prepared. The best way to get the most out of your conference experience (and your financial investment) is to learn as much as possible before going. Your webinar sounds like a great way to do that!



  20. Andrew Budek-Schmeisser on March 18, 2013 at 1:34 AM

    The advice is great!

    I’d love to attend a conference, but logistics make it a bit difficult – running a sanctuary for abandoned Pit Bulls is easy to start, but hard to get away from for even a few days!

    Maybe I could bring them with me, let them help distribute push cards?

    They can be VERY convincing.



    • Jennifer Major on March 18, 2013 at 8:22 AM

      DON’T bring Duke!!
      Actually, bring B and her violin AND her duet partner. Charm-o-rama!!! While they draw the crowd, you can slip one sheets to all kinds of people.