The SDSU Writers’ Conference is just a few months away. Now is the time to finalize the first 10 pages of your manuscript if you plan to do an advance reading, and polish your pitch if you plan to schedule a consultation with the agents and editors of your choice.
Appointments open in early September. The SDSU conference was among the first to pioneer these 1:1 appointments, giving writers unprecedented access to top-tier publishing professionals — many of whom interact with unpublished authors only through conferences.
The best use of the advance reading opportunity is to have a completed manuscript. So often, an agent or editor is impressed enough with the first 10 pages to request a look at the entire manuscript, and so often, the manuscript is not complete. Connecting months later with the agent or editor is still possible, but why lose that critical momentum? However, some writers, like 2016 Conference Choice winner Beston Barnett, view the opportunity as dipping one’s “toe in the water.”
If your manuscript is nearly complete, perhaps this is the nudge you need to bring it over the finish line.
The 33rd Annual SDSU Writers’ Conference is Jan. 20-22, 2017 at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley. Register now for three amazing days that could change your writing life.
