Confidence and Passion: A Writer's Essential Allies...or, How To FeelGood And, Hopefully, Succeed At A Pitch Slam

It seems that the idea of change is on my mind. In one of the latest posts in my food blog, Panlasa, I talk about the changes in the way I make some dishes now compared to how I was taught to make them years ago. Here, I'm going to talk a little about the agent pitch session at this year's Writer's Digest Conference and how it has changed and how my tactical approach to pitching my work to agents may have also changed since the first time I participated in it in 2010.

I've participated in the pitch slam three times now. The first was, like I said, in 2010. That was the last year when it was part of Book Expo America (BEA) and Writer's Digest hosted BEA. The subsequent pitch sessions I attended were in 2011 and just this past August. In 2010 and 2011, I'd pitched my first (and, so far, only published) novel, Back Kicks And Broken a Promises. Unfortunately, it wasn't published through an agent, with a bestseller-making bid war and with the engine of a big traditional publishing house behind it.

When I pitched in 2010, I'd really done it just to get the experience. But I'm not going to lie. I did hold on to the dullest glimmer of hope that something might happen and I wasn't going to turn it away if it had. I'd have busted my butt to finish and polish my novel. The conference hosts's recommendation was for an author not to pitch unless his book was  finished or, with utmost certainty, the author knew exactly where his book was going. The pitch session was also part of the conference, not requiring a separate fee. I decided to pitch two agents. One is Asian. I chose her, yes, because of that. I'm Asian and Back Kicks has an Asian American protag, is strong in Asian themes and is set as much in Asia (Singapore and The Philippines) as it is in America (New Jersey). This agent did ask for a submission but she obviously passed and, naturally, I was bummed out. But, I was okay with it. I hadn't felt a strong vibe with her and, really, my novel was only about two thirds done. The other agent I pitched that year, who I pitched because she's from New Jersey, also passed but she was very pleasant, encouraged me to keep writing and said she'd welcome future queries from me.

In 2011, Back Kicks was finished and I was fully ready to put it out to the world. The agents I pitched were very receptive and gave my book - its pitch, anyway - some very encouraging and flattering words. Three of them - I pitched five in the time I had - said the story reminded them of Junot Diaz's Pulitzer Prize winning The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao. All five agents requested pages and/or the book's synopsis. Alas, they all passed. So, feeling that my book was ready to go out and wanting to put some closure on it, I self-published it through Abbott Press, the then brand new indie publishing arm of Writer's Digest Magazine, in 2012. A year later, I made further revisions and updated my book with Abbott. Now, I can say I'm truly done with it. I'll still promote it and such but, in my mind and heart, it's a done deal and I can't and don't want to change it further. The agents I pitched in 2011 were YA generic, literary or adult fiction focused. 

This time, I didnt just go in with the idea of a book or a newly finished manuscript. I went in with my heart and my mind. Huh? Back Kicks, like many first books, is semi-autobiographical. This can work both positively and negatively. For me, while there is a story with sub-plots, arcs and strong characters, I think it worked against me. I never like talking about myself. In typical writerly mystification, I have self-confidence and self-esteem issues and I don't think my life is very interesting yet I can write about parts of it, albeit fictionalising it, and share it with the world. So, because of my lack in self-confidence and, perhaps an artist's self-loathing, I likely didn't present myself all that passionately about my own book. 

In 2014, it was a lot different. For one thing, I thoroughly researched my targets and went with the agents who, based on their bios provided by the conference organisers, were close to being a 'perfect fit.' What I've written is a YA fantasy auctioneer called Sky Warrior. It's a fun, educating and entertaining novel that I would want to read, even if I hadn't written it, and wish were a movie. There's nothing high falutin' about Sky Warrior. There's multiculturalism, action, martial arts, magic. What's not to like? Perhaps the difference in 2014 is that I'm coming to terms with what I want to write and not what I think I should be writing. At least for me, talking about and reading Back Kicks was like touring my own head. With Sky Warrior, it's a case of being taken somewhere far away and very different from where real life lives.

I pitched five agents last August. One was a movie producer and she asked me for a business card. Her partners have since passed but we're keeping our lines of communication open in case her partners change their minds and if I have anything else she might like. Two agents passed at The Pitch Slam but their bios didn't state they weren't into 'high fantasy,' which is what one of them called my novel. They both complimented me on my pitch, however. The other two were super excited. One, after I finished my pitch, said, "You had me at gung fu." Naturally, I was jazzed. I've since followed up with her and I'm still waiting to hear back. The other one was even more enthusiastic and we discovered that our sons both enjoy Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender. I've followed up with her and she replied and she asked me to give her more time and said she'll get back to me soon. That's better than getting the broom. 

So, if I can be so bold as to offer any kind of advice about pitching to agents, it's this: be passionate and know who you're talking to and/or know who you want to talk to. Nothing may come from what happened at The Pitch Slam last summer. Of course, I'm hopeful something will especially in light of how enthusiastic the agents I pitched responded to my novel. But, if nothing does, I know I can go with Sky Warrior to other agents feeling confident and passionate about it. And, nothing is more contagious and fostering in trust than confidence and passion. 

Managing Emotions

It's been about three weeks since the Writer's Digest Conference and Agent Pitch Slam and I hate to say it but the high from the experience is coming down. Before the conference I sent a dozen query letters out to agents. At the slam, I pitched six agents and they all requested material from me; two asked for the full manuscript.

Since then, I've received four rejections. It's expected, and only one of the rejections came from an agent I pitched face-to-face, but it's still a downer. I know getting published is a process in and of itself and it can take years from typing the first word of the novel to getting published. It took me seven years to write my novel from concept and all of its transformations to its final form. Since 2009, when I pitched two agents at the pitch slam at Book Expo America, I've been trying to get an agent. I didn't think I'd have much success then - they both asked for pages but politely decline and one of them said I could query her with future projects - but this time around the responses seemed so positive and excited that I can't from feel hopeful. And, when three agents said my novel sounds, in scope and feel, like Junot Diaz's Pulitzer Prize Winner The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, I couldn't help from feeling that I may actually be on to something.

I'm old enough and experienced enough - I had a screenplay in the late 1990s that garnered agent interest but, unfortunately, things didn't progress - to know not to get my hopes up and that these things take time and that not every agent will be right for my work but, I'll be honest, it's getting harder and harder to plod along and push through. I've entertained thoughts of self-publishing and calling it a day but, then, I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't see my writing pursuits through to the end. After all, I write not because I think I should or because it's a viable work or career opportunity. I write because, like many of us scribes, I have to.

I guess, as I get older, I'm feeling more pressure to have done something with my life; not that getting a Master's Degree, becoming a husband and father, becoming a Tae Kwon Do master, trying our for an Olympic team, being a stuntman in a commercial, and getting articles published and getting paid for them is having done nothing but there's still something lacking. It's more than a desire or a wish but something deeper. It's somethign I've always wanted - to do and become something bigger and more meaningful than I already am - but it's gotten stronger since becoming a father.

Anyway, if I was venting then I'm done. However, if anyone has input or tips to get through the waiting, I'd love to hear them. For now, I'll just wait and keep checking my email (something I probably shouldn't do but it's easy to do with the iPhone) and work on my next novel. Thanks for 'listening' and, for you fellow writers out there, happy writing and good luck.