Editors Are People Too—Networking at Conferences, A Guest Blog by Debra Mullins

I’ve been writing seriously for seventeen years now.  Once I made up my mind to truly pursue this career (which I had dreamed about since sixth grade) the first thing I did was to seek out other writers.  I stumbled across NJ Romance Writers and by association, Romance Writers of America (RWA), joined the group, and started talking to people.

Talking to people is called networking—though I didn’t know that at the time.

I was a shy person, afraid that if I opened my mouth I would come across like a total newbie and make a fool of myself.  Becoming published was my dream.  How could I take the chance of attempting to speak to an editor or an agent or a published author and have some goofy comment ruin my chances of making my dream come true?  Better to stay quiet and hang along the edge of the room and watch people, right?

Wrong.

In the microcosm of a conference setting, what we tend to forget is that these editors, agents and published authors are all people just like we are.  They have likes and dislikes and not just about books.  They have spouses, children, mortgages, car payments, pets, best friends, hobbies, deadlines, fears and dreams just like we do.  Some of them are very social, and they love to go to conferences and meet people and chat.  Others are very introverted and dread cocktail parties and editor/agent appointments as much as any writer.  At a cocktail party, these folks get a drink from the bar and try to find someone they know and stick by that person as much as possible, hoping they won’t have to say much.

Oh, wait a minute.  Isn’t that what we’re doing?

Okay, so the writers are nursing drinks and not talking and so are the editors and some of the agents.  This sounds like a quiet party.  How can we possibly learn anything if no one is talking?

Networking is about meeting people and learning something new.  You can learn things from other writers, and not just the ones who are published.  There are a lot of talented writers out there who just haven’t had their big break yet who might teach you a great new way to research or tell you about a cool website they discovered or introduce you to a friend who just sold her first book.  Remember, today’s brand new author might be tomorrow’s New York Times bestseller!

During my years as a member of NJ Romance Writers, I had many opportunities to come into contact with lots of people through the chapter’s annual conference.  NJRW was famous for its conference, and given the proximity to New York City, tended to attract many editors and agents, some of whom even lived in New Jersey.  I usually pitched in as a volunteer and even ran the conference once.  Having a job to do and being put in a position where you have to talk to someone you have always wanted to meet because of that job is a painless way to network.

Try to remember that the published author, the editor and the agent you are interested in meeting might be just as nervous as you are.  Someone has to take the first step, so it might as well be you!

Let’s talk about some ways to network.

1.    Volunteer. As I said above, volunteering not only puts you in touch with the other members of your group, but you might meet some big time authors or industry professionals this way, in a situation where you are not expected to try and sell your work.

2.    Talking to people at the buffet table, bar, or in line for registration. Let’s say you’re at the buffet table and you happen to be standing next to an editor you have always wanted to meet.  Do you jump in there and push your book while she’s trying to scoop up some salad without getting any tomatoes?  No, the better thing to do would be to make a comment about the food, which is something you both have in common at that moment in time.  Usually the editor will reply, and for a couple of moments you will be just two people sharing a common experience.  After that, one or the other of you might introduce yourselves, and a conversation will usually begin.

3.    Smile. A smile makes you seem more approachable, and for someone who doesn’t know anyone else at the conference, it makes them feel like they have a friendly face to focus on.  When I gave my first workshop to a group many years ago, I was very nervous and couldn’t tell if there was anyone out there who liked what I was saying.  But there was one lady in the audience who kept smiling at me and nodding her head.  This gave me confidence.  I kept my eyes on her through most of the talk, and I never forgot that lady.  That memory is what I carry with me whenever I see her.

4.    Don’t be all business. If you find yourself in a situation where you are in a conversation with the person you wanted to meet, don’t necessarily talk about business right away.  As I said, editors, agents and published authors have lives outside of their careers.  I had an editor who was an Irish girl from New Jersey just like me, and another editor who was a diehard Harrison Ford fan.  My current editor has a weakness for dance movies.  I know an agent who is a single mom, and our children are the same age.  Another agent who is big a fan of Joss Whedon just like me (Joss Whedon is the creative genius behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and the new TV show Dollhouse).  There are lots of things to talk about besides your work, and once the ice is broken, you will usually hear that magic question, “So, what do you write?”

Debra Mullins has been published since 1998 and can consider herself an “award winning author” due to winning the 2003 NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical in 2003.  A former Golden Heart, RITA and Holt Medallion finalist, she has sold 13 historical romances to Avon.  Her newest release TO RUIN THE DUKE is due out in June 2009.  An excerpt can be found on her website www.debramullins.com.