Ashley Hodges Bazer - Author
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Adventures in Moderating

4/19/2013

1 Comment

 
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Well, here I am at the Colorado Springs Marriott. The picture is right before the big Friday night dinner. I had just changed out of my staff shirt and into something a little dressier. So...let me tell you about my day!

I started out at the pitch desk. I got to greet a few people before I had to run off to moderate my first session. Thankfully, I was connected with someone who walked me through it. This session was about how to get the most out of any writers' conference. It was pretty informative.

The second session I moderated was author Lisa Renee Jones. She spoke on how to find the right agent. I really liked what she had to say - "The agent works for you." That totally twisted my idea of what a pitch session is about. I was looking at it as an audition. Now, I'm looking at it as an opportunity for the agent...not just for me. Wow! What a change! I feel a lot more confident in that! Not to say that I won't be nervous tomorrow when staring down the barrel of the pitching gun, but it sure alleviates some worry. Lisa also talked a lot about indie publishing. She almost has me convinced that that's the way to go. So much so, in fact, I purchased a book on how to indie publish.

I ate lunch with Pam van Hylckama Vlieg. I was late getting into the ballroom and took the first seat I could toward the back. Happened to be right next to her. I leapt out of my comfort zone and asked a ton of questions from those folks around me. I was so proud of myself. I even spoke with Pam quite a bit, but I refused to pitch to her right there. I didn't think that was fair to her. I wanted her to be able to enjoy her lunch. We connected as moms, so that was enough for me.

I then participated in a Read-and-Critique session with agent Hannah Bowman. For the record, she pronounces her name HAHN-ah. Think Han Solo and add the "ah" at the end. She was really pleasant! I had queried her a while back, resulting in a rejection, but I didn't bring that up. Instead, I read the first page of Xadrez. She gave me some notes to work on, and I so appreciate that. The best thing about this session: it humanized the agent. Hannah wasn't a blurb and headshot on a website...an unapproachable, unattainable lofty deity. Nope. She was a regular human being. I LOVE that realization!

And because I had such a revalation in that, I decided to observe the next session with Barry Goldblatt. I'll be pitching to him tomorrow...and I really, really need him to be human. Watching him...getting a feel for who he is in person...makes such a difference. If I couple that with Lisa's advice, I think tomorrow has some real possibilities.

I spent a little more time at the pitch desk before going to my favorite session of the day. A discussion of the Christian market with author Robert Liparulo. It was enjoyable on several levels: I was with people who spoke my language, God could be mentioned without people cringing, and Robert was not only a nice guy, but quite knowledgeable. He took time with a couple of folks afterward, too. I learned quite a bit, and I hope to connect with Robert again in the next couple of days.

This evening, we had our first dinner. It was really nice. I sat with Chris Mandeville, former president of PPW. She was gracious, kind, and friendly. The folks around me were engaging as well. It was a good time overall, although by the end, I was pretty wiped out and ready to see my kids. I didn't stick around, even though I would have really liked to chat up some more folks. But I have two more days of conference, so I'm sure there will be time.

Oh, I also have to mention the highlight of the evening. I got a headshot taken by an excellent photographer! It's for a specific use on the PPW blog, but the conversation I had with the photographer was so much fun. It was indeed a lovely time.

I don't know what you have in store for me tomorrow, PPWC, but I am ready! And so looking forward to it!!

1 Comment
Teddi Deppner link
4/21/2013 08:39:26 am

So excited to hear that you're intrigued enough about indie publishing to buy a book on it! You have so many stories in you (and even already written) that it would be too bad to have to wait for traditional publishing gears to grind to get them out to your fans. ;-)

Plus, you get to keep more of the money you make with them!

Of course, there are a lot of other factors involved, so it may not be a fit for you in the end. But I'm still glad you're looking into it.

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    Duchess Writer

    Award-winning sci-fi author * Christ follower, wife, and mom * broadcast content producer. And yes, I am a real duchess. http://amzn.to/2eLTlH3  

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  • Home
  • Star Sailors
    • The Commodore >
      • Characters
    • The Princess >
      • Characters
    • The Skyjacker >
      • Characters
    • The Stowaway >
      • Characters
    • The Operative >
      • Characters
  • The Crown's Call
    • Heralds of the Crown >
      • Poison >
        • Characters
        • Deleted Scenes
      • Fusion >
        • Characters
        • Deleted Scene
      • Reconciled >
        • Characters
    • Rise of the Crown
    • Touch of the Crown >
      • Outlaw >
        • Characters
    • Champions of the Crown >
      • Asylum >
        • Characters
    • Fun Stuff >
      • The Timeline
      • The System
      • The Inhabitants >
        • Logia/Lumen/Ghosts
        • Strages/Crepusculum/Legacy
  • Time Spinners
    • In the Beginning >
      • Characters
  • Other Novels
    • Tinsel Pines Tales
    • Checkmate >
      • Characters
    • Once Upon a Heist >
      • Characters
      • Map of Paladia
      • Venefica's Curse
  • Bio
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Promo
    • Mamma Mia
  • Buy
  • Blog