Time to Find an Agent - Hello ThrillerFest, AgentFest

After about seven years and a handful of completed drafts, it's time to get serious and find an agent. My manuscript isn't going anywhere without representation, and a manuscript sitting in my desk drawer will generate damned few readers and even less money.

Or, as a friend said in a recent text message, "Quit picking at my scab or it will never heal."

From the beginning of this journey, I was steadfast in a specific process. Write the book, polish the book, find an agent, the book.

Today, the fourth draft of Dead Odds is in the hands of three people, including another novelist and a longtime (non-book) editor (but book enthusiast). Soon it will be in the hands of another professional (also non-book) editor.

While they read, a fourth draft morphed into a fifth draft, which incorporates minor language changes and ever-more scene tightening.

Regardless of the shape of the latest draft, though, my texting friend is right. I love this book, but enough. My wife is ready for me to tell her another story. I've already started on the next book, at least in my mind. An outline is not complete.

Before I can go there, I need to go somewhere else: New York.

ThrillerFest Includes Writers, Agents, Fans, Publishers

The annual ThrillerFest conference commences in two weeks in Manhattan. It's where the world's best writers of mystery, suspense and thriller books gather to teach and to meet their fans.

Writers, published and non-published, attend to learn more, to find a new agent or to find a publisher for their latest book. The day and a half of the conference revolves around teaching.

I blame Steve Berry and Shane Gericke.

When he was in Orlando a couple months ago, Berry spoke and then taught a three-hour workshop at the University of Central Florida about suspense writing. That day, he encouraged anyone with a completed manuscript to attend ThrillerFest.

"There's no other place you can talk to this many agents on one place," he said.

Hmm. Seed planted.

AgentFest Is Where Dreams Can Happen

The next thing I knew, I'd found an incredibly detailed blog post about the AgentFest part of ThrillerFest. Written by Gericke, "your friendly author captain," the post answers almost every question a newbie writer can think of.

[caption id="attachment_306" align="alignleft" width="250"] Novelist and author captain Shane Gericke[/caption]

There are any number of anecdotes about writers landing agents at conferences like this, although at most conferences they don't pile 40-plus agents into room and unleash the writers without an appointment. This is legit professional speed dating. Don't forget your log line, kids.

Gericke also was kind enough to answer more questions via email, and he was generous in his advice and in his time. I have to say, that went a long way.

The conference is not inexpensive. The hotel, the Grand Hyatt, is expensive for working stiffs and mortals, though it's a bargain by New York City standards. And there's airfare.

In other words, you have to be committed to make this happen for yourself if you want it to happen.

In the end, too many published writers said the same thing over and over again: You have to have an agent. Even if you self-publish and are successful, you will still want an agent.

Said Berry: "This business is to complicated and things change to fast to go without one."

Taking a Plunge by the Hudson

I joined the International Thriller Writers. I reserved the hotel room. A few weeks later, I registered for ThrillerFest. And then I bought a plane ticket. Cha-ching.

It will happen or it won't. Either way, the manuscript won't publish itself. And I'll never sell the first million books without getting the novel published and selling the first copy.

I can hardly wait to snap a picture of the author scrum before the agents.