It was a big decision. A costly decision. Should I attend Thrillerfest XVII in person? The deciding factor–if I’m ever going to get an agent for A Dangerous Gamble, this is probably what I have to do.
The conference exceeded my expectations. The workshops in Craftfest provided stimulating advice–the ones that stood out for me were given by Donald Maass, J.D. Barker, Karen Dionne, Tosca Lee, Jeffrey Deaver, and Joseph Finder.
But the main reason for going was Pitchfest. Three-and-a-half hours in a large ballroom, a couple hundred hopeful authors milling around, lining up to get their 3-5 minutes to pitch to an agent. Often I waited in line for thirty minutes to speak to one agent. By the time all was said and done, nine agents were sufficiently intrigued by my pitch to ask me to send them some of my writing.
Only time will tell if any of the nine agents end up representing me. But the encouragement I received and the contacts I made were worth the effort and expense. Even if no agent materializes.
