2017 Agents & Editors Conference  
Update 6/19/17- DEADLINES AND TIPS FOR PRACTICING YOUR PITCH
Hello, 2017 A&E Conference Registrants!

The 24th annual Agents & Editors Conference is now less than two weeks away. In this mailer, you'll find the following:
  • Deadlines for consultations and luncheons
  • Tips for perfecting your pitch
  • A link to conference tips and FAQs
  • A chance to submit questions for our opening session speaker, Carrie Thornton
Of course, if you have questions on anything here--or anything else A&E Conference related--give us a call. We're always happy to hear from you.

We're looking forward to seeing you in Austin soon!

-- WLT Staff
Upcoming Deadlines
One-on-One Consultations
Everyone who has purchased a consultation or received a complimentary consultation should have received an email from us last week with appointment information. If you did not receive an email with this information, call us ASAP at 512-499-8914.

The last day to purchase consultations is Tuesday, July 20, no later than noon CST. For an up-to-date list of agents and editors with consultation spots remaining, click here.

Saturday Keynote Luncheon Tickets
The last day to purchase tickets for the Saturday Keynote Luncheon (3-course meal and a copy of Ken Liu's award-winning novel The Grace of Kings) is Friday, June 23. To learn more, click here. If you already purchased a ticket to the Keynote Luncheon you should have received from us an email asking you for any dietary restrictions. Please respond to us by June 23.

Sunday Closing Luncheon RSVP
The last day to RSVP for the Sunday Closing Luncheon, featuring Jodi and Owen Egerton, is Friday, June 23. To learn more, click here. This closing luncheon is a buffet, and the food will be clearly marked for those with dietary restrictions. 
Let's Talk About Friday, June 30...
When you arrive at the the conference venue (Hyatt Regency, 208 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX 78704) on Friday, June 30, you'll head to Registration to check-in with your friendly staff and volunteers. Registration opens at 11:00am (and not a minute before!) on the first floor of the Hyatt Regency in Big Bend A-C (we'll have volunteers at the hotel's entrance ready to point the way).

The day's program begins at 1:00pm with Genre Sessions, small group gatherings led by published authors and industry experts aimed at helping you think about how you'll pitch your project in the context of your genre or category (General Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Picture Books/Middle Grade/Young Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir, Mystery/Thriller, Historical Fiction, and Romance).

After the Genre Sessions, starting at 3:30pm, you'll have the chance to practice your pitch with other conference participants (no agents or editors, no stress) at the Pitch Lab, one of our most popular sessions from last year.

Finally, at the Welcome Reception, which kicks off at 4:30pm, you'll have your first opportunity to talk with and pitch agents and editors.

To prepare you for pitching, we're pleased to share a link to the recording of the "Practice Makes Pitch Perfect" discussion that took place last week (June 15) during the Writers' League's June Third Thursday meeting in Austin.
 
Featuring a former literary agent and a current publishing sales director, this presentation includes many valuable tips and tricks for constructing a great pitch, whether you're meeting an agent in person (as so many of you will be this weekend) or sending a query letter at a later time. We hope you'll take the time to listen in and that you'll put what you learn into action throughout the weekend and beyond.
 
For a description of the the June Third Thursday, including presenter bios, click here . 
 
To listen to the 2017 "Practice Makes Pitch Perfect" discussion on the Writers' League of Texas Third Thursday Podcast, click here.  

To listen to the 2016 "Practice Makes Pitch Perfect" discussion, click here .
Helpful Tips and FAQs
After hosting the Agents & Editors Conference for 23 years, we have come up with 20 great tips for making the conference a success: find them here.

And, we have compiled a long list of frequently asked questions: find it here. (Hint: Will agents and editors be expecting - or even want - to take a copy of your manuscript home with them? No.)
What Do You Want to Know about the Publishing Industry?
Send Us Your "Questions for Carrie"
We're thrilled to kick off Saturday at the conference with a conversation between Writers' League of Texas Executive Director Becka Oliver and Carrie Thornton, Editorial Director at Dey Street Books (and Amy Poehler's editor). If there's a question you'd love to ask Carrie (about how the editor/author relationship works, what excites her about a project, current happenings in the publishing industry, etc), send them to Becka at [email protected] by Monday, June 26. Becka will do her best to include as many of your questions as she can in the discussion at the Opening Session. To read more about Carrie, click here.
The Conference Program Is Here! 
We couldn't be more excited to share with you an early look at the conference program, including the full schedule (Friday through Sunday), bios and photos of our visiting faculty, information on preparing for consultations and the many networking opportunities, details about the Hyatt and dining & entertainment options nearby, and the full list of our panelists, presenters, keynoters, moderators, exhibitors, and more. Every registrant will received a printed program in their welcome bag, along with additional goodies.

To get a sneak peak at the program, click here.
Conference Updates to Come
Be looking for more emails with this information.
Coming your way next week: What to wear, what to bring with you. A final mailer with some last details will be sent on Monday, June 26.

Finally, be sure to visit our website for past conference mailers and check out the A&E Conference FAQs for the answers to questions you may not even know you have. (And, remember, you can also call us at 512-499-8914 anytime!)


This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.

 
Writers' League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts - Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to  www.arts.texas.gov .  
STAY CONNECTED: