Andrea and Josh went to Hermiston to visit their dad's family and they packed a boatload of things to do while they were driving. Hmm, guess that would be a carload, actually.
Last night, Andrea's Kindle fell off her suitcase just as her brother walked by, which meant that it fell right under his foot. I got a frantic, teary phone call at 10:20 PM. Josh had reassured her he would but a new one, thinking they were $14 instead of $114--turns out that won't work so well with a 10-year old's bank account balance.
I called Amazon as soon as they came home. A live person answered within one minute, and he offered a generous deal: they would send out a new Kindle already loaded with her books; I send the broken one back in the package with a pre-paid label. All this for only $65!
And so one of my fears of buying an ereader was erased. Super Amazon, duh-duh-duh-dun!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Pitching Over Meals at Conferences
I shared this on the ACFW Course Loop, but since so many people are getting ready for conferences, I thought it was worth repeating.
I've pitched many times over tables at ACFW and OCW, where I'll be next week. Honestly, it is a little nerve-wracking to talk about your baby in front of a table of other people who want to talk about their babies as well.
Etiquette matters! If everyone does their part, it can be a fun experience. If one person monopolizes the conversation, it can be awkward. Be conscious of the time you take. Have a short spiel, then be prepared to answer any questions the editor or agent might have. Encourage other writers at the table. Be genuine.
Two table stories: Last year, I accidentally threw asparagus on Allen Arnold's lap during a meal. Could have been disaster, but turned into a great email conversation starter when we began communicating about my new project.
In 2008, I sat at Andy McGuire's table. He'd asked for my agent for the first chapters of Undiscovered a few days before, so when it got to my turn at the table, I had no idea how to pitch. I gave a two sentence description of the story and mentioned he'd asked for the pages. "Yes, I got them," he said. Then ... crickets. Deciding I didn't need an oral rejection in front of eight other people, I motioned for the next person to go. Not a month later, he'd signed me for a contract with Moody. The Familiar Stranger has since been nominated for a Christy and won a Carol.
Just goes to show that you never know what might happen during a meal!
I've pitched many times over tables at ACFW and OCW, where I'll be next week. Honestly, it is a little nerve-wracking to talk about your baby in front of a table of other people who want to talk about their babies as well.
Etiquette matters! If everyone does their part, it can be a fun experience. If one person monopolizes the conversation, it can be awkward. Be conscious of the time you take. Have a short spiel, then be prepared to answer any questions the editor or agent might have. Encourage other writers at the table. Be genuine.
Two table stories: Last year, I accidentally threw asparagus on Allen Arnold's lap during a meal. Could have been disaster, but turned into a great email conversation starter when we began communicating about my new project.
In 2008, I sat at Andy McGuire's table. He'd asked for my agent for the first chapters of Undiscovered a few days before, so when it got to my turn at the table, I had no idea how to pitch. I gave a two sentence description of the story and mentioned he'd asked for the pages. "Yes, I got them," he said. Then ... crickets. Deciding I didn't need an oral rejection in front of eight other people, I motioned for the next person to go. Not a month later, he'd signed me for a contract with Moody. The Familiar Stranger has since been nominated for a Christy and won a Carol.
Just goes to show that you never know what might happen during a meal!
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