Making a Conference Notebook
There’s nothing worse than waiting in line for your editor or agent appoint wondering about the unknown…nothing worse EXCEPT walking into that meeting unprepared when the editor or agent asks to see your One Sheet OR your first chapter, and you fumble through your papers to find it OR don’t have anything to offer.
That’s why putting together a conference notebook is essential to showing the editor you’re a professional and serious about your writing.
Supplies you’ll need for your conference notebook:
(1) 1 1/2 in binder
(10-20) plastic pages to put your papers in (I’m totally at a loss to what you call these things!)
(1) pack of dividers
(2-3) Baseball card pages or business card holders. You can get these at Walmart
Business Cards
Thank You cards with stamps
List of cell numbers for those you want to connect with at the conference
Goal sheet
Agent and Editor list
Volunteer work dates and times
“People I want to meet in real life” list: These are internet friends that will be attending ACFW, many of whom I have never met in real life.
Now we’re ready to put together your notebook. Just so you know, I don’t have the market on a conference notebook, so feel free to share what works for you.
I put everything in the plastic sheet holders. On the first page or in the little pocket on the inside cover I put the phone numbers, my conference goals, and “People I want to meet” list. For example: Meet with so and so. Pitch to this editor. Ask this agent these questions. Start planning now because I guarantee once conference rolls around you’ll be too excited, overwhelmed or nervous to remember everything.
Leave the first plastic page empty so you can put all your registration stuff in. Honestly, I can’t even remember which editor I signed up for. So I’ll be needing to check this section often.
In the next clear page put your agent/editor list you printed out and highlighted from online. Then refer to it often, especially before you sit down at one of the editor tables for lunch.
Then add your business card holders. These are great for collecting agent/editor and author cards as well as holding your own business cards. One year I printed out my pitches on labels and stuck them to the back of my business cards. It made a great little cheat sheet!
Business Card tips: Your business card is an investiment in you. When I was starting out I went to www.visaprint.com which makes a great free card. They have a small line on the back that says Business Cards are FREE at www.vistaprint.com. But this year I splurged a bit for a better card that matches my brand. One thing I’ve learned is that editors and agents don’t want to take your card. They’ll give you theirs. But it’s nice to have a card just to pass out to friends.
What to put on a card? I don’t want everyone knowing my address, so I put my name, my email, blogs, website, facebook and twitter address.
Next, add your dividers and use them to separate your WIPs. In the first section fill your page up with several One Sheets.
After the One Sheet, I put a couple copies of my first chapter and in the next sheet my proposal. I’ve had editors request to read my first chapter and synopsis which can be a good and bad thing. I remember one year letting an editor take my not so perfect proposal with her. I intended to rework it and submit later. A month later I received a rejection letter and I didn’t even know I submitted. So caution, if they ask for your synopsis and you give it to them, make sure it’s your best work. Otherwise just tell them you’d like to edit it once more and you’ll send it later.
In the next section do the same for your other WIPS.
You can also keep a couple copies of your resume or author One Sheet. On one side I have information about me as a person and writing, on the back I had short pitches about each of my WIPs. If you have a series you’ve completed, consider making a One Sheet for them.
Last conference I actually went a step further and made individual editor and agent folders, putting everything I wanted to take with me into that folder. You can always change it out as need arrives, especially if you’re carrying around your conference notebook.
What about you? Do you have any tips and tricks to help you stay organized?
