It took me a few conventions to figure this out, but now, even if I have to walk past rows of seats filled with people, I’ll make my way to the front of the room to find an empty chair.

Reasons to sit up front (especially at panels)

• You can see the panelists faces since no one is blocking your view
• You can read the panelists name cards/tents
• You can easily hear what the panelists are saying, even if there is trouble with the microphones

anyway you can

And a final reason to sit in the front row – the panelists can see you.

It’s unlikely they can read the name on your badge, but they will have seen your face. If you’re taking notes during the panel, they might remember that. If you asked a question, they have a face to the voice.

So when you see them again, be it during an autographing session or in the bar, they will have seen you before, and may even remember you.

It’s a touch point, a shared moment, a topic of conversation.

The rest is up to you.

Fhloston Hostess: You have a seat reserved, front row, next to RU-BY RHOD! He’s so talented, don’t you think? I just love him… he’s so sexy…
- The Fifth Element

thanks to karen bc

Negative information about agents is sometimes more prominent than the positive, so I found it wonderful to read all the appreciation that came out for literary agents in celebration of this day. On Twitter, there were even comments by people who were not clients of a specific agent, but tweeted how the agent had helped them out in some way.

Following the #agentappreciationday and #agentappreciation topics on Twitter is also a fabulous way to research agents.

If the agent is on Twitter, you will see their ID (@whatever), which you can then click on to see their Twitter page. Agents often link to their agency or their blog in the top right corner of their Twitter page. Which means following those topics is also a great way to research literary agencies.

Because even if the agent you find on Twitter does not represent what you write, another agent at that same agency might.

Ray Vecchio: Elaine, we really appreciate you.
- Due South, Chinatown, 1.6

you can

Even before you officially become involved with the publishing industry, it can only help you to act as if you were part of it. Treating everyone with professional courtesy shows you are serious about what you are doing and that you are someone existing professionals will want to do business with at some point.

This attitude of professionalism is important in person, and even more so online. Whether you are responding to an email, having a conversation in a public or private forum, or commenting on a blog or social networking site such as Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter – be courteous and polite. As many people as are taking part in the conversation, even more are watching it.

Every now and then there is a small implosion as an author rants publicly against an agent or editor. It never reflects well on the author and from what I have heard, is never forgotten by the agent or editor.

You don’t know who you are going to work with in the future. People often change jobs and sometimes even careers over the course of their lifetime. Someone you meet at the next conference or book signing could be someone that makes a difference in your writing career.

The only way you will know is to act like a professional and treat everyone with respect.

James Bond: Call it professional courtesy.
- GoldenEye

tux take 2

When an online chat is announced (website, Twitter, blogpost, etc.), there will be a URL for you to click on. This will take you to the website that is hosting the chat.

You will type in whatever you want as a username. Sometimes you will be given a password, or sometimes it doesn’t matter what password you type in.

Once you log in, you will see the main chat window and probably a list of the other people who have logged in. You will also have a small area where you can type messages and then click a button so that your message shows up in the main chat window. It’s very similar to an instant messenger (IM) conversation, except there are lots of people and you see can see all of their messages show up in continuously scrolling lines of text.

Depending who is moderating the chat, there will be different instructions. The Knight Agency instructions, which are shown at the beginning of their chats, tell you to type a question mark if you want to ask the author something. Then you are put on a list and they will prompt you when it is time for you to type in your question.

Chats can happen very quickly, with multiple conversations going on. If you are asking a question, type it out before you are called on. Also do a test “paste” into the typing window of the chat program – usually it works, sometimes it doesn’t. If it doesn’t be prepared to type as quickly and as accurately as you can.

If you are going to attend an online chat, be sure to double-check what time it starts and what timezone is listed. Unless there is a cap on the number of people who can log on, you can usually join an online chat even after it has started. If you can’t make time to join the chat as it happens, check out the website of whoever is hosting the chat as they will likely post a transcription of it the next day.

Online chats are great way to spend some time with your favorite author. Sometimes their agent is also in the chat. Chat questions I’ve seen range from specifics about existing books, questions about new books, writing craft, working with an agent, and the publishing world in general. It is a great opportunity to hear what’s going on and how it is done from the people who truly know.

Emerson Cod: Chat!
- Pushing Daisies, “Dummy”, 1.2

urban fish

Sometimes an author’s Twitter name is close to the name on the novel, for example, @rachelcaine and @candacehavens. Sometimes, the author’s Twitter name is not as obvious, such as Jim Butcher tweeting as @LongShotAuthor.

If an author or agent or publisher is on Twitter, they will likely have their Twitter name listed on their website. You can also check out these links to see if there is someone you recognize and want to follow.

• Fantasy Authors, Writers, and Professionals
• 100+ of the Best Authors on Twitter
• Nonfiction Tweets: 70+ Authors to Follow on Twitter

Twitter now has the ability to create a list, which is a page that shows only the tweet from the people that you add to that list. I have a “writing” list, where I’ve put the authors and other writing professionals that I follow.

You can also subscribe to other people’s lists. @jimsissy has a list of “literary agents“.

And some publishers have created lists of their authors, which is a great way to find new people to follow.

• Eos Authors
• ROC Authors
• Ace Authors

And once you start following a few of these people, you’ll see them tweet with other industry people, whom you can then also follow.

Kevin Bacon: No, but Val was in “Top Gun” with Tom Cruise and Tom was in “A Few Good Men” with me. [pause] Huh, that was a short one.
- Will and Grace

When I first got a Twitter account, I poked around for about a day and then deleted it. If you don’t have someone to follow, it’s like walking into a party full of people you don’t know having conversations you don’t understand. Being the introvert I am, I was bored and left.

The next time I got a Twitter account a few months later, I knew some people to follow. Then I looked at who they followed, and followed some more people. I didn’t say much to begin with, still don’t say a whole lot, but I have found value in the Twitter experience.

For me, Twitter adds three things to my life:

• relevant URLs – I follow a lot of authors and agents, and the URLs they tweet are on topics of great interest to me
• another way to chat – I have several IM (instant messenger) accounts in order to chat with different people, so one more makes it that much easier to connect with my friends, both with tweets and direct messages through the Twitter system
• fun – whether it’s the tweet itself, or the picture, or the link to a webpage, I get a bit of fun every day from the information that’s streaming across the little spots of the Twitterverse I pay attention to

There are lots of tools and tips about ways to tweet on Twitter, so find something you like to use that also fits into your life. I have a little pay-by-the-minute phone, so I only tweet from a computer. I like TweetDeck because I can create columns of different people I’m following, so friends are separate from industry professionals. You can also just use your personal Home page after you log in to catch-up on everyone you are following.

winged words

If you’d like to see how a few of the folks I follow use Twitter, here are links to Neil Gaiman, Rachel Caine, Nathan Fillion, Candy Havens, Whil Wheaton, Bob Mayer, The Knight Agency and Your_Novel.

You are welcome to follow me (heidi2524), or just check out all of the people I follow. And if you unfollow me later, no hard feelings, I understand. Twitter isn’t for everyone; I just wanted to let you know if you came to the party, you can come sit by me.

“Man. The boyfriend fled the living room while Jane Austen was on and hid in my office. Now all my computer stuff is upgraded. Sigh.”
- RichelleMead, Thu Jun 20:53 via web”

sky support

Back in the Offline Age, an author’s platform consisted of what media venues (radio, TV, print) the author could engage with to sell their book, because publishers were interested in book sales. 

In today’s Online Era, there is the expectation that you have a website, maybe even a blog and Twitter account. While those can be useful, there are other options that shouldn’t be ignored just because they don’t involve a computer.

An author’s platform is whatever you use to help sell your book because publishers are interested in book sales. See, some things never change.

Here are a few examples, although there are hundreds more …

• If you have a military background and write spy thrillers, you have a platform.
• If you get interviewed by the college radio station and do a book signing in the courtyard afterward, you have a platform.
• If your book trailer is on YouTube, you have a platform.
• If you have a Twitter account with hundreds of followers, you have a platform.
• If you have a CafePress store that sells swag with the emblem of the fictional university in your book, you have a platform.
• If you volunteer at a local charity where you talk with new people on a weekly basis, you have a platform.
• If you get your geek friend to set up a domain and install WordPress so you can have a website that gives out advice about your journey to becoming a New York Times Best Selling author, you have a platform.

Anything you do that increases awareness of your book is part of your author’s platform.

If you don’t have a book yet, then breathe easy because you’ve got time.

• Time to learn how to use Twitter
• Time to make new friends
• Time to write a blog
• Time to read about different types of social networking and decide which ones you want to use
• Time to create side stories and vignettes that can be posted on your website before and after your book release

Time to think about and act upon a plan to reach as many people as you can, so that when you do have a book, you have an audience.

Because that’s what an author’s platform is really all about – how many people will listen when you say “Come read my book”?

Jackie Wilcox: It’s gonna be the cornerstone of my campaign for class president. I’m running on a platform of moral, mental, and social advancement through good deeds. What do you think?
- Heroes, Season 1, “One Giant Leap”