#writingeastmidlands

Last weekend I was lucky enough to get a last minute ticket to attend the second ever Writing East Midlands Conference.  Held at Loughborough University, there was a great timetable of events and talks, with plenty of time for refreshments, catching up with people and eating of cake. 

Timetable for the conference

The Keynote speakers were fantastic, and it was great to listen to author Mike Gayle speak of his tough journey to publication and remember how we’ve all been at that point. 

Mike Gayle

Author Sophie Hannah was hilarious in with her tellings of advice she’d received from very well-meaning people too.

Sophie Hannah

I thought I’d share with you some snippets from the final seminar I went to which was agent Carole Blake talking about the journey from pitch to publication and advice she would give to authors.

Now, I’m not especially speedy at handwriting and taking notes, and my shorthand is so rusty it’s fallen to pieces, so mostly all I have a sentence long clips for you, but you can also get Carole’s book here or here. 

I hope they are of interest, help and guidance. 

Here’s a little of what she said - 

(On subbing) “Be patient.  I have to respond to my clients before my not-yet clients.”

“Learn how to pitch.  Have an elevator pitch, but also a good couple of paragraphs to put in a letter.”

“When I take on a client I want to take on someone who presents themselves professionally.”

“No agent can make money out of one book from an author.  I want to develop an author’s career.”

“An agent wants to know that you’re serious about your writing career.”

“We’re all individuals with individual taste.  If someone says it’s not for me, it doesn’t mean it’s unpublishable.”

“Don’t write for trends, because whatever’s on trend would’ve been signed a couple of years ago.”

“It’s incredibly competitive for agents to take on authors.  Make sure you meet the agent or have a long phone call in case you don’t get on.  I wouldn’t take anyone on who I wouldn’t invite to my house for dinner.”

Carole Blake

“I find it astonishing that anyone would submit to an agency they don’t know about.”

“Don’t stalk agents on social media; it’s social, you don’t want to be pitched at.”

(On synopses) “I must know the ending.”  “Most agents read the chapters before the synopsis.”  “I want to know what happens in the plot, what happens to the characters.  In simple language.”

“I do have sympathy with people who struggle with synopses; it is very very tough.”

“Editors don’t want to take a book to acquisition unless they think it’s an absolute yes.”

(On writing courses)  “Make sure the person on it knows what they’re doing.  Buyer beware.”

(On working with publishers) “Many publishers expect authors to do a lot of their own publicity.  Know what your publisher’s expectations are.”

It was a great day and as always at these things, one of the best things is meeting people, and although I knew nobody when I arrived there, I got talking and bumped into friends of friends in a very warm, welcoming environment. 

Huge thanks to the team at Writing East Midlands who do excellent work for writers.  Check out their website.  Maybe I’ll see you there next year. 

And by the way, the lemon cake was magnificent!