Awaiting a Big Apple conference...

Routhwick · Jul 10, 2014

...and crowdfunding is my only way out. (Or is it?)

Weeks after reading a Writer's Digest e-mail on their upcoming conference in New York City, I began setting up a campaign on Kickstarter/IndieGoGo competitor Fundly. (Saw it suggested on one author's post days before I delved into the idea.) Thanks to the kicker—a Google+ lecture by Chanticleer Books & Media's Kiffer Brown—I expressed my desire to go. (Because I haven't gone outside this state in a long while.) Even better: it's after my birthday.

Between then and today, I managed yet another retool of my Marigot Magic project, which I'm also taking to the conference (via the pitch slam).

Continuing to move on today, despite all sorts of setbacks: insomnia, personal chores, obsession with Google+ (where I post every day) and QGIS (a mapmaking program)...

And most importantly, lack of money. Part of my total target—some $1,600—will go towards saving my TD Bank finances (if I make it there). Even so, the New York event expenses don't come easily: $399 basic registration, $549 for the pitch slam, and $209 for hotel booking.

The catch? I have only 21 days to make up for it, and I don't have any precious time to waste anymore. After all, I can't let my inner author down either, can I?

(Note that my campaign page has not gone live yet, so take this into consideration as you discuss.)

BenPanced · Jul 10, 2014

I'm going to be a poop and say this:

There's a local conference the first weekend of August. I found out about it last week. I looked at how much the hotel and conference registration were going to cost and figured I wasn't going to be able to spare that much in such a short amount of time. I'll be sending the group hosting the conference an email to see if it's an annual thing and if so, I'll plan on going next year.

Every year, I plan on going to RT Booklovers Convention. Since it's a huge cost, I start saving in January of the previous year. For example, I'm already saving money for 2015 because registration is opening next month. I've got about 2/3 of the fee saved up already and will save the rest of the funds throughout the rest of the year.

My advice: if you don't have the funds for a conference that's coming up so soon, you should reconsider doing it next year when you've had enough time to save up for it. I'm not comfortable with these fund raising sites, though many people have no problems with them. If you happen to raise enough to go, that's great. But I personally wouldn't rely on the kindness of strangers.

Routhwick · Jul 10, 2014

BenPanced said:
There's a local conference the first weekend of August. I found out about it last week. I looked at how much the hotel and conference registration were going to cost and figured I wasn't going to be able to spare that much in such a short amount of time. I'll be sending the group hosting the conference an email to see if it's an annual thing and if so, I'll plan on going next year.

Every year, I plan on going to RT Booklovers Convention. Since it's a huge cost, I start saving in January of the previous year. For example, I'm already saving money for 2015 because registration is opening next month. I've got about 2/3 of the fee saved up already and will save the rest of the funds throughout the rest of the year.

Thanks, sir. (As for the local conference, are you referring to RT or another one entirely?)

Mr Flibble · Jul 10, 2014

I'm sorry, how much for a pitch slam?

I know things are different in the States but...

How much?

ETA: for context, we generally approach an agent at a con (preferably in the bar

) and er pitch as and when it becomes appropriate...

You might be better served learning to craft a killer query (which will stand in good stead later, believe me)

BenPanced · Jul 10, 2014

Routhwick said:
Thanks, sir. (As for the local conference, are you referring to RT or another one entirely?)

It's for a local RWA chapter.

Mr Flibble said:
I'm sorry, how much for a pitch slam?

RT had a pitch session that was part of the program. No extra charge. There were several editors and agents seated around the ballroom and you had three minutes to pitch. At the end of three minutes, you went to another station. And looking at the agenda, they also had more extensive sessions that you had to register for separately. But no extra charge.

Niiicola · Jul 12, 2014

Is that price for the whole 2 day conference? $500+ just for the pitch session seems veeeery steep. I went to the Writers Digest conference last year, and while the pitch slam was great in terms of getting your work in front of top-notch agents, you only get 3 minutes with each, and I'm not convinced that improves your odds over just plain querying. I think a lot of them were requesting 10-20 pages from people rather than rejecting to their faces, and since a lot of submission guidelines say to send 10ish pages anyway, well, yeah. I say pay the money for a conference where you'll learn a ton about craft, not just to have 3 min with agents you can query for free. The rest of the WD conference was awesome, so if you can get enough money to attend the sessions, definitely do it.

Awaiting a Big Apple conference...

Routhwick

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Routhwick

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Niiicola

Twitchy