Today, guest blogger and former Amphorae Publishing Group editorial intern, Erica Nolan, shares her experience as a first-time conference attendee. Learn more about Erica on her travel blog Fernweh Follies, where she publishes articles about local, national, and international adventures. Follow Erica on Twitter and Instagram for more of her work.
My day at the 2017 All Write Now! Conference held in July started with iced coffee and nametags. Try as I might, I’ve never been able to convert myself into a full-blown morning person, so the caffeine was a must to give my enthusiasm an accelerated boost.
Surprisingly, the excitement of the conference participants had the same effect. As I handed them their swag bags and directed them toward the critique and pitches schedule, I felt my own eagerness build. I had never attended a writer’s conference, and now I was attending one as an editorial intern—and working alongside people that were living my dream as writers, agents, and editors.
My first session of the day was, “20 Things You Need to Know Before You Seek an Agent or Publisher” led by Writer’s Digest senior online editor, and the event's keynote speaker, Brian A. Klems. He spoke with ease about sending your work to many agents, not just one, along with how to conquer the dreaded query letter, as well as the pros and cons of self- and traditional-publishing.
Throughout his presentation, there was always an underlying theme: persistence. Brian assured all of us that getting published takes time for everyone. Even him.
“A writer’s drive is one of the most important strengths they can have,” he said, “but it also doesn’t hurt to have over 20,000 followers on Twitter, either.”
Brian, along with the other editors I met while working at All Write Now! Conference debunked the societal myth that all editors are like Sandra Bullock in The Proposal. As an aspiring editor, I already knew Hollywood’s portrayal of publishers was false. Secretly, though, I think each editor hopes they will become the Raider of the Literary Lost Ark and find the next golden idol of literature (or am I the only one that wants to be the Indiana Jones of publishing?). Yes, editors seek grammatical perfection, but, those tiny characteristics are often trumped by an editor’s desire to help writers succeed.
Take Brian as an example. Roughly 50% of his session focused on questions from the audience. What they wanted to know, not what he’d prepared. As an editor, and a writer who had already thrown himself into the literary lion’s den and come out with a published book, he focused on what the other writers wanted--and need to know.
Plus, he encouraged everyone in attendance to email him once their book is published, "so I can give you a virtual high five.” I always tend to become a bit of a fangirl when I meet people that have accomplished the goals I have set for myself.
Like Brian, my goal is to become an editor. His session taught me that I will definitely need to find the balance between writer and editor, so that I can be supportive and empathetic, and critical when a manuscript is placed in front of me.
I also attended award-winning novelist, Deborah Raney’s workshop entitled, “Nuts and Bolts of Fiction Writing.” She focused primarily on five reasons editors may throw a novel in their slush pile:
1.) Abusing adjectives and adverbs
2.) Point of view mistakes
3.) Telling, instead of showing
4.) Talking heads, and
5.) Starting in the wrong place
For me, Deborah’s session felt repetitive at first, since, as an editorial intern, I have learned to find these errors in a work pretty quick. However, as I glanced around the room, I saw that “Aha!” moment grace the faces of authors in the audience. It was then that I remembered what I had forgotten.
As a writer, I know how easy these errors slip into your work. Talking heads (several POVs), and telling, instead of showing, have shown up in my own writing—even as an editorial intern. I find I still have to make a conscious effort to avoid these pitfalls when I’m working on my own fiction. That's when I had my own “Aha!” moment, realizing—yet again—how an editor can only be successful if they truly grasp the writing process and know about the craft of writing and how to help writers avoid mistakes.
A good chunk of my day was spent assisting editors, agents, and publishers keep their critiques and pitch sessions on schedule. During that time I had the pleasure of meeting Julie, another volunteer at All Write Now! Conference. Her daughter, was a conference first-timer, like me. More surprising to me was that she was only fourteen years old!
For me, this brought home one of the most important points Brian Klems discussed during his keynote speech:
“Don’t wait till tomorrow.”
While this was meant for everyone at conference, I realized this advice applied to me particularly. I remembered during my undergraduate career that my professors encouraged my peers and I to frequent the Missouri writer’s conference circuit. But, during my first few years in college, fear and self-doubt kept me from going. Then, during my senior year, I was burnt out as a writer and had begun to question if pursuing a career as a writer was a good idea at all. Yet, here was this young girl, fearlessly putting her work up against people that—frankly—could be her grandparents, and who had many more years in pursuing and perfecting their craft. Her drive and courage were inspiring.
I finally saw that at some point, no matter what we do or pursue, fear is going to weigh us down, and, if we allow it, will keep us from our goals. So, attending this conference reignited a spark in me. Particularly, I was reminded why I want to be an editor, and why I love the writing community as a whole.
Whether one is a writer, an editor, an agent, or a publisher, we are a resilient bunch that support each other tenfold. I experienced this in how everyone at the conference welcomed one another and offered their support.
I can’t wait to go to my next writer’s conference, and I encourage everyone—writer, editor, or random bystander—to come to the All Write Now! Conference next year. You won’t regret it.
Erica Nolan is a professional proofreader from Saint Charles, Missouri with a travel problem, and a former editorial intern at Amphorae Publishing Group. She is currently the content manager of her travel blog Fernweh Follies, where she publishes articles about local, national, and international adventures. Follow Erica on Twitter and Instagram for more of her work.