Category: Conferences

Penny’s First Booksigning

In case my faithful (snark!) readers haven’t figured it out by now, “Penny” is my new nickname for my Pen Name, previously known as “Alter Ego.” Alter Ego is two words, and Penny is just one, and my fingers are tired because my brain is exhausted because I am still sick (and, apparently, the master – mistress? – of the run-on sentence), so Penny it/I shall be from now on.

Yes, Penny had her first book signing at the Literacy Autographing at RWA National in San Francisco last Wednesday. I, Cindy, have previously signed at the LA, but this year was Penny’s year to shine. Here she is, putting on a brave face while hoards of fans descend upon the much-more-popular author sitting to her left: 

Note how I unintentionally color-coordinated my blouse to my blog! Now how I also unintentionally color-coordinated my blouse color to the RWA bags, which, may I go on record as saying I did not like in the least (color aside). Every year I save my RWA bag to re-use for other purposes. Not this year. Because, while I admire RWA’s decision to use recycled material for the bag fabric, the result was not what I would term “nice.” My roommate’s bag ripped before the conference was over, so I gave her mine. Can’t remember if she took it home or was just separating stuff for packing. Really, did anyone like this bag? I don’t see the point in supplying bags constructed of recycled material if the bag itself winds up in the garbage.

However, I totally loved the conference name tag holders, so there you go. I’ll live with the bag, which isn’t too difficult seeing as it’s not in my possession any longer.

Faithful blog readers, note that I did not Photoshop out Penny’s name card. I assure you, I have the tools to do so. Most of my faithful readers already know my pen name, anyway, but, for those who don’t, consider this photo a little Easter Egg of sorts. A surprise just for you! So you can, you know, go to Amazon (or your vendor of choice) and order my book! Can’t see the title, you say? Well, I’m not about to give that out, although I will concede that “Volume 21” and “Secrets,” perhaps even “Primal” and maybe “Heat” figure predominantly…

Why am I trolling for readers to buy Penny’s first book? Because I only had two copies available at the Literacy Autographing. My publisher had sent a full box of books to the hotel for the signing and then had (thank God!) tucked two more copies into a box of another volume. If not for those two copies, I would have been sitting at my station with a “Sold Out!” (snicker) note on Penny’s name card a heckuva lot earlier than I did. Yes, when I sold out of my measly two volumes, I decided to spin it. Technically, I had  “sold out.” And, I tell you, I could have sold more than double the amount I did, I was that popular. Maybe even triple. Yes, maybe six sales might have occurred had I all the books in my possession! At least five sales, that I know for sure.

Anyone reading this who is not an author, believe me, selling five books at a signing is respectable. Unless you’re a much bigger name, like the lovely author to my left (if you were me sitting in this photo), Roxanne St. Claire. She sold out, too, but I think she started with 30 times the copies I did.

Those who missed me or couldn’t find me (you know who you are and that I love you anyway), check under S next time. That’s after you check under P or K in the event I’m signing as Cindy. If I’m ever signing as Cindy, I should be with the P’s, but you never know what might happen. The one year I did sign as Cindy, I was put with the Mc’s. Go figure.

If you’re still reading (don’t I test your patience sometimes?), did you attend the LA? And did you like it? If it was your first time at the LA, what did you think? Pretty overwhelming, huh?

ChickLit party pictures tomorrow. Tally-ho!

Conference Wrap-Up…Sort Of

I’m back! Unfortunately, I’m also sick. I had a great time at conference, but the tickle that began in my throat during my layover in the Vancouver airport developed into a sore throat in San Francisco. I thought it was just because I was talking too much. And I thought the “swoopy” feelings I’d get walking through the hotel were a result of some don’t-let-the-building-collapse-if-an-earthquake-hits effort. Sometime late Thursday night, after shaking hands with fellow authors, editors and agents at the Literacy Signing, the Golden Network Retreat, the ChickLit party, and various Red Sage events, I realized that something else might have been at work there. Waking up Friday morning, I accepted that I was, indeed, ill. Not so bad that I had to lie in bed all day and miss my editor/agent appointments (you all know how I feel about that), but bad enough that I doubt I made sense during any of them. Fortunately, I was clever enough to let the two agents and one editor know I wasn’t feeling well and probably wouldn’t make sense, and I do believe, between my official and unofficial appointments, and then the speed-dating surprise at the Golden Network Retreat, I came away with several requests for partials and one request for a full. I made sure to jot down the requests on the backs of the business cards I collected, and now I just have to…find the cards.

Friday night was the Amber Quill Press dinner. I was able to keep it together, but collapsed into bed immediately upon my return. Saturday I actually managed to attend some workshops, but the friend I really wanted to see for dinner Saturday cancelled because she wasn’t feeling well. I tell you, good thing the RITA/Golden Heart Awards were wonderfully short Saturday night, or I think I would have fallen asleep during them. I nearly didn’t attend the Awards, but now I’m glad I did, because I really loved the format this year. Because of the giant TV screens, no matter where you were sitting, you had a great view.

Sunday, I fell asleep on the plane before it left the ground! That never happens, doesn’t matter how tired I am. I had a great sleep last night, but now today I’m feeling worse than ever. Managed to unpack everything but the conference notes (hopefully my editor/agent business cards are in there somewhere!!). So this week I’m taking it slow—my high school reunion is this Friday and Saturday night, and I want to feel well. I’ll catch up on laundry, housework, etc., maybe even get my Windows update problem fixed. But I won’t work on the partial and full requests until probably next week.

I took a few pictures and will post them throughout the week. Just not today. Because I’m about to fall asl….

See You in San Francisco!

If you’re going, that is. My first flight is at 6 a.m. tomorrow and I need to get up at 4 a.m. to make the drive, so wish me luck getting to sleep early tonight.

I’m still busy doing last minute packing, getting the family prepped for my absence, etc., etc. When I return, my first priority will be contacting Microsoft to fix the dag-nabbed problem I’ve been having with my automatic updates ever since they introduced SP3 for Windows XP. Note I don’t have SP3, I have SP2, but ever since SP3 came along, I can no longer install updates for SP2 and neither will SP3 install. I’ve heard they’ve had some problems with SP3 and Dell, and, yes, I have a Dell, but I had NO problems installing the updates prior to the advent of SP3.

Most annoying.

I’m usually brain dead when I return from the conference, so spending a day on the phone is as good a task to assign as any. And, you know, I have been trying to fix the problem through support emails, but my support email person suddenly disappeared and has not answered any of my emails since she asked me to send her specific files.

Not impressed.

Of course, when I call for telephone support, I’m given a different number to call for Canada and when I call it, of course the Canadian office isn’t open on weekends, which is when I’d way rather deal with computer problems. During the weekdays, I want to be writing. Alas, I must give up a day. And it’s August 4th.

All this is to say that I might disappear for longer than the time I’m away at conference.

Cheerio!

Pitch Crazy

My Liege has been on holiday all this past week—that puts a crimp in conference preparations, I tell you. My latest obsession is Improving My Pitches. I have a number of pitches, partly because I write under two names and partly because I don’t want to forget about the other stories rambling around in my brain/currently on submission. Next Thursday I have a meeting with an editor who has a requested revision of my pen name’s erotic romance single title manuscript. I also have meetings with two agents (one during the official appointments, another arranged outside of the officials), and, you never know, while I’d rather talk about anything other than my pitches and just get to know them, they might want to hear about the book. I also have an official editor appointment, during which I will pitch my WIP. This is an editor who read another full for me late last summer/early fall and invited me to submit future works. So I’d like to come across halfway coherent to her.

Agh, I don’t like pitching. You’d think I’d be an old hat at it by now. I don’t mind writing the pitches, but, honestly, I’d rather type them up in an email and zip them off and see what happens. Why? Because. It doesn’t matter how much I prepare my pitches, how well I memorize them, I feel like an absolute moron sitting there summarizing my story like a back cover blurb. Or whatever method is your choice of poison. I feel like I’m reading off an invisible teleprompter. Both the ed or agent and I know I’m not “talking about my book,” I’m trying my best not to pass out while sounding witty and insightful. The obvious solution is not to memorize the pitch, but read it off cards. That’s the approach I usually take, but I still feel like a moron giving the pitch.

So why take an appointment? I don’t have to. There’s no requirement. I could just type up the blurb and mail it in a query letter. But for me the whole point of editor/agent appointments, especially agent appointments, is to see what I think of the editor/agent. Is this a person I’d want to work with? That question isn’t as important with editors, because you can sell to an editor who then leaves the house and you’re assigned to another. I’ve had this happen 3 times now with my pen name. I’ve sold three novellas to three different editors all for the same house. That’s actually great experience, if nerve-wracking, because you must learn how to work with different editors who all have slightly different approaches. There’s less turn-over with agents. Yes, you might sign with an agent who later leaves the agency, but usually you have the choice to move with them or stay at the original agency with a different agent. Or…you leave of your own accord and begin the Great Agent Search anew.

I don’t know if there’s a solution for Pitch Craziness. If anyone has advice, bring it on. Not that it will help. I don’t like pitching, and that’s that. Is there anyone who does?

To Mug or Not to Mug

I spent all of Sunday designing business cards for conference. I had to design three cards, because I write under two names. How does she arrive at that math, you ask? I needed:

  1. One card showing my pen name only, which I can tuck into copies of the book Penny is signing at the Literacy Autographing. I put the covers of Penny’s first two releases on this card. Okay, so the second release doesn’t come out until the end of the year, but the title, cover, yada, are there to hopefully garner reader interest (note the adverb).
  2. Another card showing my real name only. This card is to exchange with other writers, which, to be honest, I don’t do a heckuva lot, because it’s the Internet Age after all and I can Google with the best of them. But if someone asks for your card, you don’t want to be caught card-less, so I put the cover for Borrowing Alex on this card to guilt my writing friends new and old into buying a copy if they haven’t already.
  3. The last card shows both my pen name and my real name. This is the card I’ll use for my editor and agent appointments, if the e/a’s want them (I always ask, because, frankly, a lot of editors and agents toss out the cards as soon as they get back to their rooms—what, you thought they had ginormous Rolodexes and backs of steel?). However, as per #2, if the editor or agent WANTS to see your card, you’d better have one.

This is where the mugging comes in. Last year on the ’07 Golden Heart Finalists loop, there was discussion as to whether or not it’s adviseable to put your headshot on your business card. I thought, what a great idea—an easy way to help the ed/agent remember to put a name to a face (that is, if they keep the cards, which they in all likelihood won’t, but let’s continue to pretend they will/do/might). However, then I started asking around on other loops, and the general consensus seemed to be that it’s tacky. Like you’re advertising yourself as a real estate agent or something. Well. I left my mugshot off my card, but when I got to National and saw biz cards with mugshots, I didn’t find them tacky at all. I liked them. And I found them useful for putting faces to names when I developed my conference pictures.

So, this year I’m being tacky or clever (pick your poison). My photo didn’t go on the cards I’ll hand out to readers and other writers, but it dang sure went on the card for editors and agents. If that makes me tacky, I can live with it. God knows I’ve been called worse (like weird).

My Cat Gave Birth…

All over my conference clothes. Eek!

Actually, she didn’t. She can’t give birth, because she’s not pregnant. She can’t get pregnant, because she’s fixed. But here I am, doing last minute conference preparation and shopping, a task that quite frankly bores me out of my mind. I am so not a shopper. I know it goes against the Estrogen Pledge, but there you have it. However, I can’t show up at the RWA National Conference next week naked, so shop and prepare I must.

So I’m going through old conference clothes searching vainly for Stuff That Fits, and it makes perfect sense to pile all the Good To Go conference clothes on my bedroom floor beside my nightstand—a constant reminder that it’s not enough to prepare the stuff for conference, I must also pack it. Except, the cat normally sleeps under the side table near the nightstand, and she leaves quite a mess of hair on her blankets, too. Wonder if she decides to start sleeping on my Pile? Wonder if she coughs up a hairball on my Pile? Wonder if she decides it’s a litter box? What if, if she were pregnant, she decided it would be a marvy-lous spot to give birth?

This is why a writer should never be kept from her WIPs. I don’t know about you, but one day without writing whilst doing something braindead like organizing packing lists is enough to send my muse around the bend.

Agh, I still have business cards to create, pitches to perfect. Why did I leave everything until the last week? Why did I ever think I would thrive on the last minute panic?

Do you love prepping for conferences? Or, like me, does it drive you around the bend?