OK< here's what happened:
yesterday I went to the launch party of
this book, whose author is a friend of mine. In the course of the evening I was talking with a bunch of people and I asked about reviews, and one lady in the group mentioned a list of papers and magazines, including Caribbean Beat, the inflight magazine of Caribbean Airlines. So my friend pointed to me and said, She wrote that review! Which I did.
Well that lady was most appreciative and she seemd to know a little so I asked her if she was the publicist, and she said yes. So I popped the question: How is Historical Fiction doing? And she said as great as ever.
After which she asked me about my own writing and I found myself telling her about my WIP... she said it sounded like a wonderful idea, and had I met the editor yet? ANd did I have a publisher? (This is Simon and Schuster, by the way) I said no to both, after which she led me over and introduced me to the editor, with whom I had had an email exchange previously - I had sent her a copy of the review, and she had thanked me.
So now she remembered me, and we got talking about my friend's book, and I told her how much I loved it and how much I hope it does well; and she said she too. And I said it's such a shame that more books from this part of the world aren't being published, (hint hint!) and she said yes, what a shame, she loves reading about books from unusual places.
It so happens that one of my unpublished mss (not the WIP) is very similar to my friend's book in several aspects -- it's the book I would use to compare mine to, but has been constantly rejected on account of the background. They are both really recent historical fiction set in Caribbean countries; both are about the struggle for independence, with a family story woven into it.
Would you believe it, I just could not bring myself to tell this wonderful editor anything at all about either of these two novels. I know that it is
just not done to discuss your own books with industry profssionals at social events and so I just kept biting my tongue... it's so sore now!
I also met my friends agent, a Highly Desirable one, who remembered me from a previous submission; she even remembered the name of the book, but has never actually rejected it (this is yet ANOTHER ms). I don't even know if she has even read the partial I sent; she didn't say, I didn't ask, and she wasn't particularly encouraging. I think she was scared I'd start pushing my stuff on her. So I held back. But I told her she'd be hearing from me again, and she will. She said that's OK.
So as far as networking is concerned a very positive evening, but I do wish I had said more to the editor. We had a really, really good conversation and she is just the kind I could work with.
And yes, historical fiction IS required.