Dear Cindy,

I'm attending my first RWA National conference this summer. Thinking about the editor/agent appointments is making me crazy. I know they're a huge conference perk and that I shouldn't pass up the chance to meet the editor of my dreams. But if the idea of taking an appointment is making me hyperventilate now, how big of a mess will I be then? How much trouble will I get into if I book editor and agent appointments and then chicken out? Can't I just attend their workshops instead?

Nervous in Nashville

Dear Nervy,

I assume by "chicken out" you mean you're thinking of booking editor and agent appointments at the biggest annual romance writers conference on the continent and then maybe—if, at the time, you don't think you can handle the pressure—you might not show up. Do I have that right?

Nervy, please don't make that mistake! Everyone gets antsy about their editor and agent appointments. EVERYONE. And if someone claims they don't, well, they're definitely not me! I've been to about a half-dozen National conferences by now, and I think I've booked editor/agent appointments at every conference but one. I never ever ever fail to get nervous. It doesn't matter how prepared I am. It doesn't matter if I have my pitch perfected to a tee or if I'm winging it, the day of the appointments I'm very nervous, and sometimes (though it's not as bad as it used to be) I'm even nervous the night before (or the month before). I think some of us are just nervous nellies. It's one of our "things." Part of our processes. We can't fight it. However, the worst thing we can do is succumb to our nerves and ditch the appointment. If you do that, Nervy, yes, you might get in trouble. These things vary from year to year, but writers ditching editor/agent appointments is not new to RWA National or regional chapter conferences (although I can imagine the guilt factor of running into a ditched editor or agent at a smaller conference might curtail skipped appointments to a greater degree than at super crowded National). Some years there are stiff penalties involved. For example, if you book an appointment and then don't show, you're banned from booking appointments for the next couple of years (Don't quote me. I don't know what RWA's rules are from year to year. Maybe some years it doesn't matter if you ditch the appointment, but do you want to take that chance?)

Think of it this way. Your Dream Editor or Dream Agent has a list of names of authors taking her or his appointments. If an author doesn't show up, can you imagine that the agent or editor would think highly of you? Well, okay, they might love the chance to gather their reserves or take a 5-minute nap. But they also might remember your name and then not feel too kindly toward your query...if it ever arrives. So unless you have some sort of emergency or are sincerely taken ill, nerves simply aren't a good excuse. You see, because the appointments are so sought after and because RWA has a system for determining who chooses first (in case you're wondering, current Golden Heart and RITA finalists get first choice, the finalists from the year or two before get second choice, PAN and PRO members get third choice, and the general RWA population gets fourth choice), there are a lot of attendees who don't get appointments with THEIR dream agents and editors. They might still get an appointment, but not the one they so desperately want. They might get their second or third or fourth or fifth choice.

You'll often find these writers hanging around the agent/editor appointment desk at Conference...waiting for some other Nervy to ditch her appointment so they can snatch it up. I think that's where writers in your position make the mistake. In thinking that because it's likely your ditched appointment will be snatched up by some other deserving writer, it's okay to go all, "Oh, my God, I forgot it was this morning!!" (Yeah, right). However, that attitude really isn't fair to the Appointment Desk Ghosts, is it? I mean, why should they have to haunt the appointment desk to snatch up your dregs when they could have booked one with their Dream Agent or Editor instead? They could be attending workshops or networking with their writer buddies they only see once a year. And, by the way, so could you.

There's no rule that says you have to book an appointment. Yes, it's a conference "perk," but in my opinion the appointments aren't the reason to attend the National conference. If the primary reason you're attending conference is to get face time with an editor or agent, well...what if the appointment doesn't go well? What if the editor or agent doesn't request your work? (Yes, it happens). Will your whole conference experience be blown?

You mentioned attending the agent/editor workshops. That's an excellent idea. If you're nervous about taking an appointment, why not not book one and instead take in as many editor- and agent-led workshops as you can? Especially if you're agent-shopping. Attending agent workshops is a great way to determine if you and the agent would make a good fit, if you'd want him or her for an agent—never mind worrying about if they'd want you for a client. It goes both ways. Or, instead of booking an appointment then skipping out and risking getting banned for a year or two, you could become one of the Appointment Desk Ghosts! Or, you could Writer Up and force your way through your booked appointment, come out of it knowing that the first time is over and, quite honestly, if you don't want to, you never have to do it again. You can query your Dream Editor by snail mail. In the end, the result is the same. She'll either buy your manuscript or she won't. And whether she met you during an appointment at the National conference or through a cold query, it doesn't make one speck of difference. The face time is nice—for the writer. For the editor and agent, it all comes down to the writing. If they don't connect with your voice and story, whether they've met you in person or not won't sway them one way or the other. Editors don't buy books depending on the number of conferences a writer has attended. Editors buy books for market reasons, story, voice, what-have-you.

So, let go of your stress. Attend National and have a blast. Book an appointment—or not. The choice is yours. But whatever you do, please, please don't "forget."

©Cindy Procter-King March 2008

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Dear Cindy,

My first novel just came out, and a newspaper wants an interview! I'm panicking. Cindy, I'm shy, and I get tongue-tied easily. I'm afraid I'll say something embarrassing. You're so witty and insightful and brilliant. Do you have any tips?

Saratoga Sue

Dear Sue,

There's nothing that pleases me more than when one of my readers pours on the flattery. Sue, you've hit on the perfect way to ensure your question gets answered rather than one of the thousand others I receive every month. And, have no fear, I will not ridicule or patronize you like I might have done poor Phil last entry. But that's what he gets for not fawning all over me. (Let this be a lesson to future Question Writers).

Sue, my sweet Sue, you've come to the right person! You see, although anyone who meets me would probably argue otherwise, I consider myself shy, as well. Okay, maybe not really and truly shy. It's not like I get all red in the face and throw up on the feet of those with whom I'm conversing—do you? However, I'm definitely an introvert who's become very adept at passing herself off as an extro. And, considering we writers spend great lengths of time alone, I completely understand that sometimes venturing into the public eye via an event as nerve-wracking as a newspaper interview feels very hazardous indeed. I mean, I'd rather strip naked and dance the rumba with George Clooney (but that's just me).

To illustrate just how uncomfortable the idea of my first newspaper interview was, I managed to put it off for three years by informing the first interested reporter that my release date had been postponed and I would call her when the book came out. So...did I ever call her, like, a month later? Um, no. And I felt bad about that, truly. Bad and utterly full of chicken droppings. So I promised myself that, should another reporter ever request an interview, I would force myself, yes, force myself, to accept. Fortunately for you, Sue, this earth-shattering episode happened not too long ago. So you want tips? I got tips. Believe me, if I can survive my first media interview, you can, too.

Tip 1: Set the Interview for the Morning. If you've already agreed on an afternoon appointment, call the reporter back and demand a rescheduling. I made the very big mistake of scheduling my first newspaper interview for late afternoon. I quickly discovered that there is nothing more jitters-inspiring than spending, no, wasting, your day waiting for the reporter to arrive! Think you're gonna write masses on your WIP before she rings your doorbell? Think again! Unless you're very self-composed (and, from your question, I've determined that you are, well, not), scheduling the interview for the a.m. and just getting it over with is the best approach.

Consider how nervous you become waiting for an editor or agent appointment at a conference (and, Sue, I just know you get nervous—sorry, sweets, it comes through in your typing). Wouldn't you rather have an early morning appointment, suffer the torture and indignity of all the twaddle that comes out of your mouth, then spend the rest of your day eternally grateful you didn't score a second appointment? Same rule applies with media interviews. Sure, you might lose a night's sleep, but at least you'll have time to recover.

Tip 2: Conduct the Interview on Your Home Turf. You know, if possible. This goes back to the nerves thing. Just getting in your car and driving to the interview will—I guarandamntee it—make you more nervous.

I'll admit, if you get a request for an interview while at a conference or on a book tour, it's kind of difficult to arrange to meet the reporter at your house. However, if your local newspaper calls and the reporter wants to meet you, say, at the library, ask that she come to you instead. Don't worry, she won't turn into a stalker. Rest assured, she conducts hundreds of interviews a year and could go crazy and kill far more interesting persons than you (or me).

(Note: If you've never heard the reporter's name before, no, it's not too paranoid to check her or him out first).

Tip 3: Check the Calendar. If the date for the interview falls anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks preceding Valentine's Day, prepare yourself that the reporter might consider you somewhat of an expert on romance (you know, considering we write romance) and might ask you questions about what you consider romantic, to be published, naturally, on Valentine's Day. It pays to have an answer prepared, so you don't say something irkful like, "Actually, I consider Valentine's Day overly commercialized and would rather get flowers or chocolates when the TV isn't reminding him to do it."

I speak from experience when I say that this sort of reply generally leaves one scrambling to think of something truly romantic to appease the reporter. Not a position in which you wish to find yourself!

Tip 4: Speaking of Preparation... It never hurts. Sure, there's some validity to the "I'll wing it" theory, and, I must admit, I adhere to this theory myself (preparing worsens my nerves!). However, unless you don't mind sounding like an idiot in print; or you don't have a sympathetic reporter; or you're not very quick with a comeback, think of which questions you really don't want the reporter to ask...and stuff a few clever answers up your sleeve. If you forget them, hey, at least you tried!

And, if the questions are inappropriate or downright ignorant about the genre, it's easier to sidestep them or lead the reporter back to the points you want to make if you're not just sitting there, going, "Uh, um, uh...."

Tip 5: Arm Yourself with Stats. Pop on over to the Romance Writers of America website, click on Pressroom and then Romance Statistics (watch, now they'll change the layout, screwing up my instructions!), then download and print the .pdfs of Industry, Reader, and Romance Statistics. Don't inundate the poor reporter. Pick and choose which information best suits your purposes, read it so you don't sound like you're scanning a teleprompter when you cite your stats, and hand the reporter copies to take with her. She might not make use of the info, but then maybe she will. At the very least, if she reads the downloads, she'll come away more educated about the genre.

Tip 6: Leave Your Feather Boa in the Closet. A little humor can go a long way, however, unless you really trust your reporter (like, she's your sister), why tempt fate by perpetuating the myth that romance writers lounge in bubble baths all day, then churn out a few pages when inspiration strikes? Be true to yourself and not the stereotype.

Tip 7: Remember Your URL! Don't let the reporter leave without mentioning your website and where her readers can buy your release. If necessary, have business cards or bookmarks ready with this information. As nervous as you might be, the interview is a promotional opportunity—so promote!

Tip 8: Don't Bother... Hoping and praying that family members or friends or people you haven't spoken with in ten years won't read the interview. Believe me, even if they'd rather die than open a newspaper, for some odd reason, the day your interview appears will be the one day of the year they actually read the darn paper—and they will phone you or mention the interview the next time they see you. This is the perfect opportunity to correct mistakes or misconceptions that appeared in the article.

Tip 9: Mistakes Happen. No matter how prepared you think you are, resign yourself to the fact that reporters can and do make mistakes, especially if the person getting interviewed is a fast talker. So the reporter writes that you've published ten books when you said you wrote ten books before publishing one...unless it's of earth-shattering importance, I wouldn't advise asking for a retraction or creating a fuss. One of the reasons to conduct a first interview is to get it over with, remember? After that, your goal is to get another interview in timing with your next release. You want your reporter to remember you fondly, not think of you as that twerp who nitpicked over every little detail.

However, do remember the reporter's mistake for next time. And correct the misconception then if you must—again, with the caveat of how messed up the misconception was. Only you can make this call. If it really bothers you, by all means, don't listen to me—correct the mistake el pronto.

Tip 10: Mistakes Can be Avoided... By asking to see a copy of the interview before it goes to print. However, some reporters don't take kindly to such requests, so don't be surprised if they turn you down. They don't like being censored, after all. Kinda takes the fun out of that whole freedom of speech thing.

Tip 11: Thank Your Stars... That your first exposure to the media is a newspaper interview and not a radio or TV appearance. Because, dear Sue, if you think you're nervous now, baby, you don't know nervous.

Good luck, Sue! You'll do great, I know you will. And, if you don't, well, you can blame me. God knows I could use the exposure.

©Cindy Procter-King, February 2006

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