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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Top 5 Things to Avoid Telling Editors and Agents at Conferences

Since several of the Alley Cats are en route to the ACFW Conference today, it seemed like a good time to recap some conference etiquette. So if you find yourself at home, take notes for the next conference you attend. :)

Here are my top five things you should never, ever, ever tell an editor or agent at a writers conference:

5. [in one-on-one appointment] "This manuscript is my best work yet. Oh, and by the way, my mom wrote half of it."

4. [to Amish fiction editor] "I don't get all this Amish craze. Who gives a rip about bonnets and buggies?"

3. [at the lunch table] "You've got a strawberry seed the size of Russia between your teeth."

2. [at the dinner table] "I came out of the womb with a pen in my hand. Wanna see pictures?"

1. [sliding proposal under agent's hotel room door at 6am] "Newspaper delivery!"

Have you made any embarrassing comments at a conference that you're willing to share? How would you tell an editor or agent they have a strawberry seed between their teeth?

*This list was originally posted on www.sarahforgrave.com on June 29, 2011.
**Photo by Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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3 comments:

  1. Joanne SherSeptember 22, 2011 at 6:48 AM

    Giggle giggle giggle.

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  2. Jeanne TakenakaSeptember 22, 2011 at 9:42 AM

    Fun post, Sarah. I'm not sure how I'd tell an agent. One thing I wouldn't do is point and make hand motions to catch his/her attention from across the table and tell them. :) How would YOU tell them? :)

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  3. Krista PhillipsSeptember 22, 2011 at 3:57 PM

    LOL! Great list, Sarah!!!!

    Embarrassing comments... other than my complete fumble in my first pitch and the time I asked an agent "what are you writing" because she said it was her first time, so I mistook her for a "conference newbie writer"... yeah, nothing:-)

    Strawberry seeds... It depends if I know said editor/agent, and/or if I plan to pitch to them!

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