Most of the talk was about the projects that people were working on or considering. The agent and editors offered advice specific to the idea development and also in dealing with agents and editors in general. (The most helpful advice came from the editors.) Some notes from the conversation:
The most important advice was on the book proposal. It was emphasized repeatedly that the book proposal is the most important part of getting the contract. And that the book proposal should have a heavy marketing component. You need to do your homework and find similar books and also explain what differentiates your book from them (a seeming contradiction). You have to be able to explain what the market would be for your book--where would you sell it and who would buy it. And, as if that's not all, you also need to have a handle on the best way to advertise your book, including making use of your own contacts. Phew!
A recommended book for writing a proposal is Thinking Like Your Editor by Susan Rabiner. In addition to a thorough discussion of what works and why, it contains some sample proposals. You may want to also ask your agent or editor for a sample of one that was successful to them. (Note to NWU: a repository of successful book proposals submitted by members would be a useful addition to the new website.)
When looking for an agent or editor, look to books in the same genre as the one you are writing in that you admire, and read the acknowledgment pages. Also ask fellow writers and colleagues. If using a directory and approaching an agent or writer cold, do your homework and look through the books they have sold/worked on that you admire, or otherwise find a connection to them. The idea here is that when writing your query letter, you should personalize it and mention up front why you selected this agent/editor over all others. (Even if you are sending out 100 letters!)
When looking at publishers, know whether or not they work with agents. At Henry Holt, for example, they always go through agents. Beacon Press, on the other hands, does both. They have an activist agenda, so they will even approach a writer unsolicited if they think there's a project there that they want to pursue!
The publishing industry is in a state of disarray. Even over the past couple months, large houses are merging, shutting down divisions, and laying people off. Most large publishers are looking for the next blockbuster and aren't willing to take a chance on midlist titles.
With memoir, the whole thing is about the writing. There are dozens and dozens of titles out there (especially the death-in-the-family type) that the writing has to absolutely sing. So you really need to have your heart in it and be writing the type of book that you want from the outset. When looking to create interest before pitching your book, try to get excerpts or related articles in literary journals, especially. Agents and editors read them to get ideas.
Beware of agents who charge to read your manuscript. No reputable agent does that, and most editors don't work with these types of agents. Another thing to avoid is services that offer to send your query out to hundreds of agents/editors. These emails are easily identified by the recipient, and they just hit delete without reading them. (On a side note, there's a whole industry of people making money off of writers, so generally beware of anyone selling you anything related to getting your book published.)
They also echoed the advice in my earlier post about developing an online platform and presence for yourself and your book.
The agent didn't really add a lot to the conversation. Her advice was general and pretty obvious: Don't use cute stationary with color or photos, don't be overconfident and sell yourself as God's gift to the publishing industry, and don't call your agent at 4:30 in the afternoon and keep them on the phone, either rambling until you get to your point or asking the same question that you asked to day before at 4:30.
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