You have six hundred fly-by seconds to make an outstanding impression on a potential agent or editor. You’ve sweated through months to years perfecting your story, making every sentence and scene work. How long will you prepare for the agent/editor appointment? Five minutes? Five hours?

Be Poised, Prepared, and Professional and you may be on your way to a three-book contract . . . or at least stimulate interest in your first three chapters. Follow these guidelines and set yourself up for success.

Be Poised: You’re dressed to impress and you’ve arrived ten minutes early. What are you telling yourself? “I’m so nervous I’ll probably forget my characters’ names.” Or do you think, “I’m ready. I’ll do well.” Practice positive self-talk. Negative thoughts erode self-assurance.

Let your body language reflect your confidence--eye contact, smile, posture, mannerisms, voice--it all impacts this stranger’s assessment of you. Ninety percent of your message is conveyed non-verbally, thirty-eight out of that ninety percent is carried by your voice. How are you perceived? Do you speak too softly when you are nervous? Chew your lip? Fidget? Slump? What impression do you want to convey? Could the agent or editor picture you presenting yourself with poise at book signings and interviews?

It’s natural to be a little nervous. This may be the first time you’ve pitched your story. You could have the same results as C.J. Box at RMFW’s 1999 Colorado Gold Conference. Pitching his first manuscript, Box’s agent/editor appointments led to a three-book contract with Putnam.

P-P-Putnam? A contract with Putnam? With this thought, every proprioceptive stimuli in your body charges into over-drive. Respiration up. Heart rate up. Mouth so dry you’re tempted to lick the sweat off your palms.

What are you telling yourself now? Block those negative thoughts. Debilitating anxiety strikes when someone is not prepared; incapacitating thoughts dominate. You will be ready. No problem. Allow anticipatory anxiety to work for you by motivating you to role-play. It works. Role-play with a writing buddy or friend. Tape-record your pitch. Practice until your delivery is easy and smooth.

Be Prepared: Do your homework. Research the agent/agency and editor/publisher. Go on-line, check websites, ask questions on your e-mail loop, and ask your critique group members. Learn what genres these agents and editors represent, what authors they have acquired, and how well they’ve done.

You know your story better than anyone. Can you share it succinctly as a verbal query letter? Can you present your characters, plot, turning points, and theme in a few sentences? Have you distilled your story into a logline--one sentence? One paragraph? A one-page synopsis? If not, it’s time. Write, edit, and learn to be as comfortable with these tight versions as you are walking in your neighborhood. No matter which way you turn, you always know a direct path home. Take that path. Don’t spend your ten minutes meandering through your story.

Your goal is to set the hook, get the agent or editor interested, and wow them with who you are. If they select your story, they get you. Make them want you.

Be Professional: Editors and agents want to work with professionals--people who are organized, meet deadlines, and make their job easier. They are not impressed when writers try to cram four hundred pages into ten minutes, delineating subplots replete with a labyrinth of twists and…opportunities to get lost in the story.

It’s ten minutes. The agent or editor can doze—eyes open, brain shut—and nod while the excited writer blathers, filling the entire appointment time with their words.

Start with the social amenities. Donate a few seconds to shake hands, to thank them for coming to the conference. Relax. Smile. Connect.

With poise and forethought share your verbal query letter—one paragraph each about the plot, who you are, and what expertise or strengths you bring to the table. Blow you own horn; this is the time to mention your writing honors and awards. If you are writing a thriller, both your Air Force experience and your degree in marketing are noteworthy.

Give the agent or editor a chance to talk. Listen. Mark Ryan (New Brand Agency Group) addresses the importance of listening. “Every second of conversation is an opportunity for you to learn about that agent and the business of publishing. Absorb every word, every intonation, every bit of body language, every silence, and every bit of sub-text.”

Segue into what you know about that agent/editor and their agency/publishing house. Seed the interview with your knowledge of their work. Mention someone they represent who writes in your genre. “I understand you represent Lisa Scottoline. Her stories pull me in from page one; Courting Trouble had the best hook. My writing style is similar in that . . . .”

Pace the interview. Because you’ve practiced the pitch---you will have time for their questions about you and your story--and for you to ask preliminary questions.

Beware! Agents and editors shut down when a writer: - neglects courtesy rituals

- reads from their manuscript

- hands them a manuscript to take home

- attempts to share every plot point

- tells them how perfect their story is

- uses more than their allotted time

Imagine six strangers talking to you--or at you--telling their stories every ten minutes for an hour. Would you be able to remember a few words about each story the next day? Lawyer defends twin on death row. Woman learns dead husband was bigamist. Game warden framed for murder. Baby kidnapped. Lost love reunited. Private investigator stalked.

That’s one hour in the agents and editors day. Imagine forty-eight stories in one day. Add the informal pitches that may be shoved at them in the elevator, at the bar, or at meals throughout the conference. What would set you and your story apart? Be sure they don’t remember you for the wrong reason.

You have six hundred seconds. Be poised, prepared, and professional. Anticipate having a good time. If you enjoy the appointment, the agent or editor will probably enjoy it too--and your first impression may not be your last.

Margie Lawson