I'm Back...

 

YAY, I'm home.

The conference was fun but I'm glad to be back.
It always takes me a day to settle into a different place. What about you? Do you have to acclimate when you go somewhere else?

The weather was perfect. The last day there, a balmy 70 degrees. I headed home in shorts. MISTAKE. Balmy wasn't exactly how I'd describe the weather when I got home.

There were about twenty folks at the conference and it was very informal, as in the speakers talking barefoot informal.

I got some interesting information. Plus it was good to reconnect with a writing community. Its all too easy for an author to become isolated.  I can't speak for anyone else but I tend to hole up like a mole.
The first speaker was Nalini Akolekar (in the green shirt)with Spencerhill Associates. A little tidbit of info. Remember Kate Duffy? She was Nalini's cousin.
Nalini's advice to writers looking for an agent: check their submission guidelines and have your concerns ready.
The next speaker was Liz Pelletier(wearing purple), publisher of Entangled. Liz talked about the print publishing process for the large publishing house. The main thing I came away with: the editor doesn't make the decision to publish you. She makes her pitch to the publisher and it goes up the line several times where numbers are crunched and a decision is made on whether the book will make money for the company or not. If you make the cut, I recommend buying a lottery ticket. You've been very lucky.
Sundays speakers were:
Signe Pike and Sue Grimshaw.  Sue is from Random House and did a teleconference. FYI: You don't need an agent to submit to her Loveswept line.
Also pictured above is Cynthia Cooke (green shirt), author of Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies and
Rochelle French (striped shirt) Entangled Editor
Did I mention the food...Oh my gosh, it was almost as good as being on the ocean. The last brunch consisted of Mimosas (I sipped mine while walking on the beach), homemade casseroles, cinnamon bread and homemade coffeecake. I swear I carted an extra five pounds home with me.
So what is currently hot? Contemporary
What is forecasted to be? Suspense, historical and YA
Specific to YA: Sci Fi
What is soft? Urban Fantasy, fantasy and paranormal (sob)
But if your love is fantasy or paranormal, keep writing it. The pendulum always swing back.