NJSCBWI Conference - My Experience

After I posted the conference recommended books, Romelle commented she couldn't wait to hear about the rest of my experience. *winces* You see, my plan was to put the book list out there and then not have to actually share anything else about the conference. Without any big news (y'know, like an agent or a contract) I wasn't sure my conference experience was anything other than pretty standard:

- I learned a ton from excellent presentations,

- I met agents and editors which is a million times better than their online bios,

- I saw old writing friends and made new friends,

- I ate a lot of cheesecake.

Yep, pretty standard really.  But I guess I can be brave and share my other experiences.

I had a manuscript critique with an editor. She gave me an excellent critique which was well worth the money.  Then she asked about me (isn't that so nice when people do that?) which of course I wasn't prepared for. (Funny, I'm pretty close with myself, but it's always so hard to talk about me.)  She also asked if I had an agent. Perhaps she was making polite conversation, but I heard "You should get an agent!" So that was nice. But the best part: an actual quote in her critique: "I think poop is funnier than poo." She gets me. She really gets me!

(by Billy Frank Alexander
via freeimages.com)

I pitched to an agent for the first time, which was not nearly as scary as I expected. (It was Jill Corcoran, who is really kind of awesome. She should just put that in her bio.). After the pitch, she asked if I had the manuscript with me (I did!) She read the whole thing right there (it's a pb, so it only took 1 minute of the 4 allotted minutes.) And she offered a helpful suggestion to amp it up. So that was a pretty solid way to spend a few minutes.

Unfortunately, I spent the next minute picking up all the papers I dumped out of a folder while attempting to smoothly extract my manuscript. She didn't seem to mind. Oh and when I got home that night I realized I had worn edgy gold earrings and a dainty silver necklace all day. (NEVER dress before drinking coffee.) And no one told me. (For future reference, if you see something, say something!) I like to think my hair was in front of my ears, or perhaps I just looked like one of those artsy creative types.

Anyhow, those foibles don't really matter - it's the writing first, right?

Hey how about you tell me embarrassing things which have happened to you at conferences to make me feel better? You're such a palJ