Wednesday, September 11, 2013

ACFW prep!

So, I am off to my first ever ACFW conference. This year it is in Indianapolis and I am rooming with my friend Jess and pestering tons of my favourite authors and publishers.

Getting ready for the conference took a lot of work.
First, I had a prep call with my agent to ask dumb questions which she very wonderfully answered.  Then, I navigated around my goals for the conference ( the first and foremost goal was to jump up and down and hug people and socialize) and then I did all of the administrative work that it takes to get ready for editorial pitches.

this is my fav. image to pair with Sound Beyond Hearing

My first novel is currently out on submission; but my novel-in-progress is not the novel I anticipated writing next; but such is the way of the world.   So, I knew I needed to be armed with the following

  • business cards (my corporate ones from my day job wouldn't count)
  • writing samples of both the completed MS on submission and the MS in progress
  • one-sheets
  • the materials requested by the different editors I am meeting with ( they all wanted to see different things as befitted their agendas and their hope for the interview): including a proposal, a proposal and a first chapter, a copy of the MS, etc.,

plot of new novel!



this pic of the Ward captures a lot of the new book

The people at Staples and I have been very good friends!

Because I have changed my next novel and have been going in a different direction, I also had to re-vamp my one-sheet so that it features the completed novel and also gives a snapshot of the new novel.

Ye olde Sound Beyond Hearing plot 



I'll be in touch and keep you posted from the Conference 

2 comments:

Andrea Cox said...

Rachel, have a blast at your first ACFW conference! I hope your meetings go well and that you connect with folks who see the potential in your stories. They sound fabulous to me!

Blessings,
Andrea

Anne Mateer said...

Have a great time, Rachel! That is such a fun conference for so many reasons. I wish I could be there this year and meet you face to face!