Monday, July 16, 2007

What a Ride!

I'm back from Dallas and, wow, what a ride! I had the most incredible time. I also didn't sleep much, which accounts for why I'm still a wreck today.

I got two requests from my pitches, which was nice, though I have to say the best thing about pitching was discovering it's not nearly as intimidating to do when the person sitting there is someone who's sole purpose for being there is to listen to your pitch. It was, oddly, way harder to do it in a hotel room for the Mavens and Courtney, India, Sara, and Tessa (with whom we had a "pitch giggle-fest" on Friday night).

The most useful workshop I attended was presented by Leah Hultenshmidt of Dorchester and an author, whose name I have shamefully forgotten. It was about how you can use title and premise to hook an agent, editor, or reader before they've even read a page. I've always known I have a title problem with A Scandalous Liaison/Living in Sin/Whatever the Heck It's Called and I know I need to fix that before I start actively cold-querying it. To that end, I'll be running a contest later in the week asking for title suggestions. Whoever's suggestion I use (or build upon) will receive an autographed copy of Barbara Pierce's Wicked Under the Covers. But before I can start, I think I need to post you all a short synopsis/hook, because it's awfully hard to come up with the right name for a book you haven't read and know nothing about. (I came up with a slew of great book titles immediately after leaving the session. Too bad I couldn't simultaneously come up with the stories to go along with them!)

For more about my fun, fun times at the conference, hop on over to the Manuscript Mavens blog, where I have a much longer (though by no means complete) post up (today's not usually mine, but Erica and I swapped).

See you Wednesday!

10 comments:

lacey kaye said...

Can't wait!

Isabel said...

Me too! Welcome back!

Lady Leigh said...

I've been blogging and am so jealous of everyone's experience at nationals! Sounds like you ladies had a blast. I so wish I was there to share!
My book feels so far from my mind right now, though. I'm much more concerned about fancy folds for cloth diapers and setting up my birthing tub. I hope to meet you next year, Jacq!!

Tessa Dare said...

I had the best time with you and all the Mavens! It was an amazing conference - productive, fun, inspiring. Can't wait for SF!

Courtney Milan said...

Hey Jacqueline, I feel your title pain! I don't have a great title, either. In fact, I don't have any title at all. My titling abilities suck, and the only titles I can think of that seem to "fit" my books are titles that definitely do not belong on romance novels.

I take comfort in the fact that I very rarely see "perfect" titles--ones that stand out, are representative of the book, and give you a glimpse of what's inside.

Sarah Palmero said...

I'm so, so sad that I missed you, but it won't happen in San Francisco. Honestly. I swear!

Congrats on your pitch requests!

Beverley Kendall said...

It's really nice to be home. Again, congrats on great pitching!!!

Gillian Layne said...

Hey, I was at that workshop too, and yes it was awesome! Jennifer Ashley was the author, one of my favorites.

So sorry to have been that close to you and missed you. Probably we were sitting side by side and I didn't even know it! I'm just going to announce at the next conference workshop I'm at "I'm Gillian. Do I know any of you folks?" :)

Jackie Barbosa said...

Ah, it's so great to read all these comments and know most of you "for real" (although, honestly, online friendships feel pretty real to me!).

So, CM, are you saying you didn't like my title idea for Legalese :->? I didn't think it was TOO bad (but probably not perfect, either.) Seriously, I know I can do better for a title for ASL, which is why I'm trying.

Sara, the fact that we missed each other was as much my fault as yours. I got engrossed in another conversation at the table and then discovered you'd scooted off to parts unknown before I had a chance to say hi!

Gillian, it's so funny you were in that workshop. I snuck in a little late and sat in the back. But yeah, I think from now on, we should all announce our identities to everyone in every workshop, just to make sure we don't miss anyone!

Cynthia Falcon said...

It was cool to have met you in dallas! Good luck with the novel. It sounds delicious :)