A few questions (hopefully relevant)

[MLC23]

Okay so I'm going to my first writer's conference in June with my completed manuscript in hand. I'm planning on doing one more revision in the next week or two.

I'm also getting ready to query a few agents before the writer's conference. Here are my questions, and I'd just love a little clarification from the more seasoned writers out there.

1) I've written the first book in a planned trilogy. I've read that I need synopsis of the series complete and ready to hand to an agent who is interested. How long would this synopsis be? And I am assuming I don't send it until they like my manuscript right?

2) What kind of information should I have ready for my conference? I'm planning on a business card, and I'll have synopsis, first chapters, fifty pages, and whatever ready to email or should I have those in hand to give to the agent if they request?

3) And this is a biggie--I'm really shy so how do I approach agents at the conference? That's one of the biggest reasons I'm going, so I know I need to do it, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

[Stijn Hommes]

1) From what I've heard you should worry about selling book 1 first. You can mention it's part of a series, but unless the book sells very well, they won't yet care (sad but true).
2) It won't hurt to have a few copies handy, but it's more likely that anyone who is interested will ask you to email them. Most agents have to travel to conferences too and they don't have the space in their suitcases to carry manuscripts with them.
3) There are usually special pitching sessions at such conferences. Check if you need to sign up for them in advance and read up on how to pitch a novel. You might be nervous on the first pitch, but if you're confident about your book, the shyness should go away.

[Momento Mori]

MLC23:
I've written the first book in a planned trilogy. I've read that I need synopsis of the series complete and ready to hand to an agent who is interested. How long would this synopsis be? And I am assuming I don't send it until they like my manuscript right?

Check any agency guidelines before submitting because some agents have different requirements for what they want to see in a synopsis (and some agents don't want a synopsis at all because you should be able to summarise your story in the query letter).

In general terms however, I've always been told that the synopsis should usually be no more than 2 sheets of paper, double-spaced. Although the first book should work as a stand-alone story in its own right, you can say in the synopsis that there is potential for it to be turned into a trilogy, with two or three lines setting out what those second and third books would deal with.

MLC23:
What kind of information should I have ready for my conference? I'm planning on a business card, and I'll have synopsis, first chapters, fifty pages, and whatever ready to email or should I have those in hand to give to the agent if they request?

Like Stijn said, most agents don't want to be given material there and then. It's a good idea to take an electronic copy of your query letter, synopsis and manuscript with you because if anyone asks you to email it to them, you can do so from your hotel (assuming that you're happy with your revisions!)

MLC23:
I'm really shy so how do I approach agents at the conference?

I think that most agents say they're happy to socialise when they're in a clear socialising situation - e.g. in the bar. If that's the case, then you can always start by offering them a drink, asking them how they're finding the conference. If you recognise any from their blogs and you know who their clients are, you could always talk about one of their client's books or something you've recently read in the genre that they represent that you really enjoyed.

Basically, just relax and be yourself. They're not ogres and they're looking to enjoy themselves as well. Provided you don't run into them in the bathroom and try to pass them your completed manuscript under the stall, they'll welcome the chance to chat.

MM

[Danthia]

1) I've written the first book in a planned trilogy. I've read that I need synopsis of the series complete and ready to hand to an agent who is interested. How long would this synopsis be? And I am assuming I don't send it until they like my manuscript right?

The agent won't be interested in the other books until they know they want the first, so you don't have to worry too much about that at this stage. Having a synopsis is a bonus, but not a necessity. You won't need them until you have an agent and they actually start submitting to editors. When my agent asked me for them, I wrote a two page one for the second book, and a half page for the third. That was enough to sell all three. Your agent can help you with this later. If you want to do them now, one to three pages is standard. Shorter is always better :)

2) What kind of information should I have ready for my conference? I'm planning on a business card, and I'll have synopsis, first chapters, fifty pages, and whatever ready to email or should I have those in hand to give to the agent if they request?

Odds are no one will ask for them there, but it's good to have several packages just in case. Your standard query, synopsis, three chapters works, though some people bring the whole manuscript. (I never did). The most important thing to have, is a great one or two line verbal pitch. Because you're going to be asked "What's your book about?" by a LOT of people, and you want to be able to tell them. This is also great practice for pitching an agent if you get the opportunity. A business card with e-mail, website, blog info on it is a good way to make contacts and hand out information. You'll probably meet some writers you'll want to keep in touch with. (I met one of my best friends at one)

3) And this is a biggie--I'm really shy so how do I approach agents at the conference? That's one of the biggest reasons I'm going, so I know I need to do it, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Treat them like people. They're going to get hounded by hopeful authors all day. Say hello, ask them how they're enjoying the conference, what books they like, compliment them on any of their clients you like, make them feel like you're not just there to pitch to them. Some might ask about your book, but most won't (unless it's at a scheduled pitch session) It's more about making a connection and having something you can mention when you query them later. And discovering if you like them or not and how well you click.

Good luck and have fun!

[MLC23]

Everyone thanks so much for the advice. I guess my next big task is to work on my log line. Yikes! That just seems so hard to put my story into one sentence that just pops. But I'll work on it.

I have the rough draft of my synopsis for my first book done, and it's a tad longer than two pages, so I'll work on getting it tighter. I sat down and did the synopsis for the rest of the series. I'm not going to give that to an agent until they are ready to be my agent, but it was so exciting to actually get the events and outlines down on paper. I'm working on a new novel separate from the series, but it was nice to go back for a bit and see why I liked the story so much in the beginning.

I'll start preparing myself now to be outgoing and friendly. I don't think I'm normally a pushy person--at least I hope not, but I'll be sure to just make friends unless I'm at a pitch session. Thanks so much for the advice!

[MeganRebekah]

What conference are you going to in June?

[MLC23]

BYU's Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference. It's a relatively small conference with workshopping in the morning and then breakout sessions in the afternoon. There will only be three editors and one agent there, but the research I've done on them is promising. I've got family in the area that I can stay with, which makes the conference much more affordable. Hopefully I'll get to go to the regional SCBWI conference in my area in September as well. That one is just one city over, so I'll only have to pay the cost to attend.

[Lisa Schroeder]

I've heard great things about that conference!

Have fun!!