Getting Yourself Noticed Part II

Guest blogger, Camy Tang, the master of marketing oneself, is here to help us get ready for the ACFW conference in a couple of weeks.

For Seniors:

By this stage, you’ve met several agents/editors and feel comfortable talking with them. You don’t have that Oh-my-gosh-you’re-an-editor/agent look or I’m-naked-in-front-of-a-crowd look when you talk to them.

This comfort will translate into confidence when you pitch, and that is very important. It shows the editor/agent that you are a professional, not a new or insecure writer.

PRACTICE!

Yes, I’m yelling. Practice your pitch until it’s smooth and you don’t have to think too much when you give it. Make sure it’s natural, and that you actually sound excited about your story.

Be informed.

Know your story. Know all the aspects about it that you’d put into your proposal—theme, audience, spiritual take-away, marketing plan.

Know the publishing business. Research everything you need before the appointment—what the editor’s house publishes, what they’re looking for, how your story would fit into their stable, what books are in the Christian and mainstream market that are similar yet different from your story.

Be professional.

Don’t dissolve into tears if they’re not interested. Smile and take it in stride. If you have time in the appointment, ask them for feedback on how you could improve the idea, or their thoughts on what would fit better into the market/their stable.

Be time-conscious.

Don’t take up more time than what you’re allotted. You don’t want to wear out the editor/agent’s time with you, nor do you want to be selfish and steal someone else’s time with them.

You don’t want to appear either pushy or selfish to this industry professional. That would be like farting and belching at a job interview.

If you’re not time-conscious, it will give the editor/agent a vague “There was something I didn’t like about you” feeling the next time they see you.

In sum:

Utilize your time with an editor/agent to best effect, giving the best impression you can. Don’t feel like you have to sell yourself or your story to this agent/editor—just concentrate on presenting yourself as upbeat and professional

Camy Tang is the loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick lit. Her debut novel, Sushi for One?, releases in September 2007, and she runs the Story Sensei critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own…), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/.