The Con Agent

[carrie_ryan]

This is crossposted from the Manuscript Mavens:

This weekend I went to a local con - ConCarolinas (for a recap, see JP's post here). It was awesome -- totally tons of fun and my first SFF con! Of course, because I didn't even hear about the con until the Monday before and therefore couldn't pre-register, I went rather stealth :)

But here's the thing

Comments

[jessicaburkhart]

I've never been to one, so I can't say for sure. But everything I've read said a con is NOT to best or easiest way to get an agent. As you said, go the query route. :)

[carrie_ryan]

Exactly, queries work!

[carrie_ryan]

You make an excellent point about getting to know the agent at cons. I should have mentioned that in the entry because I think that's a really important aspect of the agent/author relationship (knowing you'll be able to work together) but also the hardest to judge until you meet them or talk to them on the phone. I'm so glad you mentioned that aspect.

But you're right, I think the reason I was so squirmy about this advice is that it didn't seem to be couched as "it's a way to meet an agent," etc. but rather as "it's the best way to get an agent." Especially beginning out I don't want people thinking that they have to spend money to go to cons to get an agent!

And I love long-winded :)

[anywherebeyond]

I have never been to a con where I wasn't dressed as a Green Lady from Star Trek (true) or as the Enterprise's Chief Fashion Officer (also true- it's what happens when your friend has fabric leftover from making his Starfleet uniform, but no edging- mom had pink floral, Chief Fashion Officer was born.)

And yet, I still have an agent. (Two, as a matter of fact!) I think before people start giving out advice in public, they should be brickbatted until they acknowledge, "MY EXPERIENCE APPLIES ONLY TO ME, AND MAY NOT BE UNIVERSALLY TRUE."

[carrie_ryan]

LOL Chief Fashion Officer!

There were a few authors there who were very up front about "this is how it worked for me, your mileage may vary." I think I'm automatically wary of anyone who says "this is the best/the only way to do things." Unless of course, there's an implied disclaimer (for example, I hope I've said enough that there are many ways to skin a cat that people would know that's just how I feel even if I forget to say it).

[cyn2write]

I don't think so. With conferences, appearances matter. And I'd rather just let my work speak for itself. Plus, I've never been to a conference before. All that to change this weekend, though!

[carrie_ryan]

Ooh yay! What conference are you going to? And I think in the end, the work is always going to speak for itself unless you have a huge platform.

[cyn2write]

SCBWI NJ! I am so excited! I think the most important benefit from conferences is just networking with other writers and getting motivated-- you know?

[carrie_ryan]

I totally agree! I was saying to someone else, you get a writer's high going to conferences. And also, I just love talking about books and the industry and all things related. As much fun as it is to talk about these things online, to be able to sit around indulging in it all... just wonderful!

Have a great time at SCBWI NJ! I haven't been to any SCBWI conferences yet. I need to start looking into cons for next year!

[brookesbooks]

When my agent bloggged that she signed me after meeting me at a convention (making the point that while she went to lots of conventions, she's really only signed two people that she's met at a conference)--anyway commenters were quick to jump on the Who You Know band wagon, as if I know people, ha!

Yes, I did (very informally) meet her at a small regional conference (after she rejected me once, btw, and months before she actually signed me)-but more importantly in that time I rewrote the story, was recommended to her by another agent, and had seen online that she was looking for XYZ and my book was XYZ.

The only thing meeting her may have helped me with was getting past her reader. But more than likely, my much improved query letter got me through to the next round all by itself.

That said--I think the good thing about agents and conventions is that you get to see them live and in action--not as just an entry in Publishers Marketplace. You get a better feel for their style and personality and attitude toward their authors.

[carrie_ryan]

Awesome agent story :) I agree that it's so helpful to meet agents in person to get a sense of their style. I also think that you get a good sense for how things work as a whole (so even if you don't meet your future agent at a conference, you can start to see different styles and figure out what might work best for you). I also think you can get a sense of style and approach from blogs for those who can't take the time/spend the money on going to conferences (and also, you make a good point that local cons can be awesome, especially since they tend to be more intimate!).