Comments on: Which cons should an aspiring author attend?

By: Hezekiah

Hezekiah — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:46:57 +0000

Thanks for the tips!

By: John Brown

John Brown — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:09:17 +0000

I love David. One thing you need to know is that he’s seen A LOT. He’s edited so many folks, done so much. So he’s a treasure trove of knowledge about the industry. I’ve found him very open to sharing his insights. I’m sure he’d be willing to help if he has the time. If you have a finished book, you can run it by him, but you can also ask him, since he knows everyone, who might be a good editor to approach with the project. BTW, David himself has said that what a first author is selling is himself. So just follow the advice here and linked to from here and you’ll do fine. He’s a very nice man.

Don’t think of this as do or die, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break in. That will only stress you out. Instead, think of your chats with each editor and agent as the beginning of trade relationship. You WILL see them again. Some may develop, some may not. But think of yourself as a friendly businessman, chatting business with others. So get tips, see if they’re looking for new stuff. Be ready with your short pitch.

BTW, you should be targeting agents as well. Don’t just focus on editors. Make sure you go with a list of agents you want to talk to.

By: Hezekiah

Hezekiah — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:50:30 +0000

So . . .

I’m attending World Fantasy in October. Using Publisher’s Marketplace and the list of people attending World Fantasy, it appears that there are several editors I may want to target. Tor is my publisher of choice, and there’s this fellow named David Hartwell attending.

I understand you know the fellow, John.

Can you offer me any tips or insights? I picked up a book he edited, The Dragons of Babel, and I plan to pick up your book, so I’ll have a starting point for conversation with him. Those should also give me a decent idea for what types of things he likes/looks for.

But in the mean time can you offer any inside insight? Hopefully I can use all of this information to determine if he’s a good editor to approach.