Day One - Laughter & Lessons Learned

Had trouble with the wireless today, so live updates many not be possible. This is all very different from what I expected and so very different from what my internet researches led me to believe... -Scott Three important things I learned today...

1. The "One Sheet" that so many websites claim are an imperative for selling your novel or book proposal are anathema to the agents... at least the agents at this conference. They arrive by plane and depart the same way. I suppose that carrying a ream of paper in your carry-on bags isn't a desirable thing and the airlines charge through the nose for weighty bags these days.
2. Same goes for business cards.
3. Have two good pitches, both of them short and sweet. One for the halls and elevators and one for the table. This is all you get to sell your idea to an agent or editor.

I can't say as other conferences or agents on another coast feel the same way, but everyone repeats the mantra "Don't hand them anything, it's an imposition and they don't want it". Interesting how different the research can be from the application... Oh! And #4. Terry Brooks is a riot. (Incidentally, so is James Rollins, who was there to introduce him.) Terry had us rolling in the aisles and my wife nodding along as he talked about how weird we writers really are. And when I jotted down my favorite quote from his talk, Terry was nice enough to sign it. Once I find my download cord, I'll take a picture and post it for your amusement.