8.07.2014

Avoiding the Biggest Post-Conference Pitfall

Over 1,200 children's authors and illustrators are coming down off the high that was #LA14SCBWI this past weekend--the 2014 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles. At any given time, hundreds and hundreds of other children's authors and illustrators are coming down off the highs inspired by the myriad of writers and illustrators workshops that are going on all the time all around the country and all around the world. Inspiring speeches are ringing in our heads and our hearts. Thoughtful critiques are giving us confidence. Amazing meetings are translating into new friendships. Smart experts are giving us the tools and techniques we need. And we're ready to get back into our work wholeheartedly. And it's all great great great...except for one thing: Impatience.


The downside to a successful workshop or conference is often the fear and panic (mixed with genuine enthusiasm!) some authors and illustrators feel that if they don't do what an editor suggested right away, or if they don't follow up with an agent right away, or if they don't submit their work right away, their opportunity to be published will be lost. And so, before the jet lag's even worn off, they rush rush rush to revise those first ten pages that were critiqued or the image in the portfolio that was critiqued...and then they press "send" to submit the manuscript or art samples. And what's just happened? That author or illustrator has just started to unravel the threads that the conference or workshop had so expertly knitted, and they've done themselves a huge disservice--they've stepped right into a post-conference pitfall, one from which it's not always so easy to get out.

Here's the thing: there's not one editor or art director or agent out there who wants to see a project before it's ready. There's not one editor or agent who gives a critique of the first ten pages of a manuscript and expects to see a revised manuscript within the next few days! Nor is there any art director who gives feedback on an image in a portfolio and expects to see a fresh new portfolio within the next few days! In fact, quite the opposite.  What any editor or art director or agent expects after a workshop or conference during which they've offered advice is that artist will take their time, will think, will craft--and will do whatever is needed in the way of time and work to apply what they've heard about ten pages or one image to the entirety of their work, be it a complete manuscript or a complete portfolio.

This is what I know to be true: You can't write the best first page of your work without writing the best last page of your work.  So that means if you're excited about doing revisions on the first ten page that were suggested during a critique, then you need to be excited about doing revisions on all the other pages of that manuscript, all the way through to the last page, and then back to the first page all over again.

Take your time. Respect the process. Respect the people from whom you've gotten the feedback to begin with by not rushing without thinking. Avoid the pitfalls. Do your best work. Be your best. The rest will follow.



21 comments:

  1. Excellent, timely advice, Emma! I hope many will see and heed your words. It is so easy to get impatient with the process, but it does us absolutely no good. Although I'm not coming off a conference high, I do sometimes get impatient with the length of time revisions take. I need to assure myself over and over that it will be worth it to take this time now, and I'll regret it if I don't.

    Thanks, Emma!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Beth! It's always worth taking the time - and the extra time - to feel confident you're sending out not just your best possible work, but work that's ready to be sent out!

      Delete
  2. Brilliant. We writers need to craft crock pots, not microwaves! Thanks for the wise words, Emma.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the metaphor! Thanks, Vicky!

      Delete
  3. Thanks! Very Timely advice as I was starting to panic and feel overwhelmed by all the "work" that was generated by the feed back from a June SCBW! conference that I still hadn't finished.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Di. Feedback from June is still pretty new and fresh; so don't beat yourself up over the timing of things and just honor your own process as you work and revise.

      Delete
  4. Most excellent advice. Revisions take loads of time to craft well. They need percolation time, just like your first 50 drafts!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Joey Welsh8/08/2014

    Well said Emma. Enjoyed your presentation on indy publishing. Looking forward to exploring the links on your handout.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Joey. Very glad you were in the Indy/Self/Hybrid workshop and I wish you all the best with your publishing decisions.

      Delete
    2. Thank you for the good wishes. One question I had, but we ran out of time at the presentation, is about distribution. Do many self-publishers use distribution? Is it necessary to get your books into book stores and libraries? I work with a handful of non-book store retailers and direct sales with them is straightforward. I'm curious if libraries are open to direct relationships with small publishers.

      I worked with SPU in the past for distribution, but the sales were not game-changing. I'm hoping to release my third children's book in early 2015 and my hope is having a third book will provide more opportunity in the market.

      Delete
    3. One thing I've learned - and heard from self-published authors - is that the more titles you have available, the easier it is for readers to discover your books, so having your third book (and fourth and fifth...) out there will give you more of a platform. Many self publishers do indeed need to sort out distribution and ideally, you'd want your books to be available for purchase across as many channels as possible - bookstores, online, etc.

      Delete
  6. thanks for that reminder, Emma. Sometimes my dog-like enthusiasm leaps over the fence before the paint is dry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers, Larry! Definitely let that paint dry!

      Delete
  7. So well said! I write by the seat of my pants but revise like a snail racing a turtle, hoping to incorporate the best revision ideas.throughout my work.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sherry, I like the way you put it. That's how I draft and revise, too, although I'd never put it in such apt words before.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey Emma....good advice to all! taking that breath to 'listen and look again' is hard sometimes.....or it can take forever to get to! this is a good guide for writers and artists..... happy summah' to you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just back from SCBWI Carolinas and this is making total sense. Emma I was in the PALS class. Had to leave before tomorrow's session. I hate that. But I I have much to work on in my character's landscape and emotional climate. Thanks so much for the input!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you were in the PAL session, Joyce. Enjoy the writing prompts and exercises - and allow yourself to be surprised by what you find as you further explore the emotional and geographic landscapes of your story and characters!

      Delete
  11. Thank you, Emma. As always, sound advice. I just returned from a NF retreat and have been diligently working on the revising before sending!

    ReplyDelete