RWA Traditional Author Weekend—A Newbie Reflects

On April 6th and 7th, I attended my first literary conference. As an RWA general member, I felt compelled to start participating in events other than the monthly “Power Up” sessions. The conference was instructive, energizing, but mostly daunting.

Back in a previous life, I went to college to become a businessperson. I had zero clue as to what that entailed. Regardless, in the spring of 1990, it sounded like a sensible decision. In the middle of my sophomore year, my roommate badgered me into changing my major to Management Information Systems. I did, because IT grads were paid more than Business Administration grads.

Before I sashayed across the stage to accept my degree, I’d already secured a great job at an agribusiness mega corporation. My starting salary was $34,500, which was an unfathomable amount of money in 1995 for 23-year-old me. I was going to be a bona fide grown-up IT geek. My future was indeed so bright that I had to wear shades.

Until it wasn’t.

FFWD 21 years. I was still a pro geek, but that job had drained all the vibrancy from my soul. I decided to take guitar lessons, because why not? After my lessons, my instructor and I would chat for a spell. I often regaled her with my latest thrift store finds. I thrifted a lot, and this fascinated her. One day she asked a simple question that forever altered my path, “What do you think you’re really looking for at thrift stores?”

The short answer is, “The truth.”

I thought about that question a lot. So much so, that it turned into a novel. My guitar instructor became my writing coach, and during that summer I learned something shocking: I could write novels. I’ve always been told I’m “a good writer,” but I’d never even contemplated a novel. That was crazy talk.

Until it wasn’t.

Things happened, as they do. Things changed, as they do. My initial novel was interrupted by another one, which I completed in the fall of 2019. When I shared this news with friends and acquaintances, they all asked the same question, “When can I buy a copy?”

I had the same question.

After some basic internet searches, I learned that I probably needed an agent. OK, I thought, How hard can that be? I took an online course that purported to help new authors land an agent. It was a week-long with a presentation a day. At the end, I’d learned that writing a book was about 40% of the battle—60% was agents, editors, publishers, word counts, genres, query letters, pitches, websites, discussion groups, social media, newsletters, headshots, and etc.

I was overwhelmed.

I’d always assumed that if I you write it, they will come. The reality is, if you write it, so what? I was completely unprepared for the hustle required simply to get an agent. And that’s just the first step in a daunting journey toward publication. I was frustrated, because I’ve read countless novels from new authors who, like me, just wanted a peek behind the curtain. How did they find an agent to usher them backstage?

I envied them.

That novel that interrupted that initial novel turned out to be a romance novel. While that was sort of my intention, I didn’t feel it was REALLY a romance novel. Regardless, I began pitching it. After at 25 (and counting) polite declines from prospective agents, I decided to join RWA. I mean hell, I wrote a romance novel, why not join an organization of fellow romance writers?

About Traditional Author Weekend…

As a veteran of hundreds of IT conferences, something about multiple sessions during each hour felt right at home. Having to choose which to attend was such a funny familiar feeling. I selected, “Agents and Editors Define the Romance Genre,” right out of the gate. It was an information infusion on par with my double espresso. I was struck by the sincerity and honesty of the panelists.

Hope abounded.

My next session was “Navigating the Submission Process,” by Scott Eagan from Greyhaus Literary Agency. I don’t think I’ve ever endured a presentation that I appreciated more than this one. Paradoxically, I wanted to give up on the whole published author dream afterward. Scott was honest, bracingly so. He tore down all the artifice and romance of the literary industry and presented us with one glaring fact: it’s a business folks! I guess I needed to hear this. It stripped all the romance from writing romance (or much of anything).

I was gutted. Done.

I struggled through the reminder of the presentations. I think I watched 10 of them live and a few more recorded. While I feel considerably more prepared to become a published author, I’ve lost a lot of steam. It feels like one of my recurring dreams. I’m my adult self, but for some inexplicable reason I need to repeat my entire K-12 education. I’m confounded and overwhelmed as I stand outside of Excelsior Elementary with a backpack full of supplies ready for my first day of kindergarten.

The more you know indeed!

As hopeless as I currently feel about publication, I’m grateful to all the agents, editors, authors, and industry experts for sharing their knowledge. I have a lot to ponder, which is a good problem to have. For now, I’ve retreated into the loving arms of Annie Lamont. If you’re not familiar with “Bird by Bird,” get familiar. Annie bears her soul at the alter of writing. And if this doesn’t saddle you with equal measures of grief and hope, I can’t help you.

“Because this business of becoming conscious, of being a writer, is ultimately about asking yourself, How alive am I willing to be?”
― Anne Lamott, Bird By Bird

—
Blake Charles Donley