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The best ways to get your book on a bookstore’s shelves are personal visits to the store, phone calls, and emails.

In 2005, there were 172,000 books published in the United States (I couldn’t find more recent data.) Even with mid-size to large publishers, unless you have a bestseller, your book won’t make its way to all the stores.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a natural promoter. When my husband and I were in the mountains a week ago, we walked into an independent bookstore. I was busily burying myself in the shelves when my husband said, “Hey, E, aren’t you going to tell them about your book?” I glared at him. “No! Shh!”

The next thing I knew, he was at the front desk, politely asking for the manager, telling him all about my book, and prompting me to hand them my card.

That’s why he makes the money for the family.

So here, for my fellow reluctant promoters, are my tips for a job you really must do:

If you’re going in person, bring your business cards. Either write the ISBN # of your book on your card, or have it printed there. If you think you might chicken out of a face-to-face encounter (like me), then bring along a spouse or friend.

On the phone: Large chains have community relations managers (CRMs). Ask for them when you call or else your spiel will be wasted on someone who has a line at the cash register and wants you to call back later.

Small stores get busy and don’t have large staffs. Be sure to ask if it’s a good time for you to talk to them about your book.

Have a script: After getting the CRM on the phone and making sure it’s a good time for them to talk, I usually say something like this:

My name. That I have an upcoming release on ______date for my _____ genre book. Could they order a couple of copies for their shelves? I mention my publisher’s name. I give them the ISBN. While they look up the ISBN on the computer (to see if it’s in their warehouse), I briefly share my good reviews. I have quick summary ready if they ask what the book is about. Sometimes they ask if I’m interested in a signing, so I have my day planner near.

Tip: Barnes and Noble wanted all of the information emailed to their CRM. This was very easy for me. Maybe it was easy for them to delete, too? If I don’t hear back from them via email I’ll have to do a follow-up call.

Tip: Independent bookstores sometimes ask the price of the book, its format (trade paperback, hardback, etc.) and whether it’s possible to get signed copies. Be ready to answer those questions. Link to IndyBound on your website instead of Amazon. Be a friend to independent booksellers.

Tip: Use the American Booksellers Association to aid you in your search. Put in your genre for a listing of bookstores that sell it. Not all stores are members of the ABA, but you get a substantial listing. Don’t spam them…use the site as a tool for focused promotion.

I like to stay organized, but occasionally I get off-course. That’s what happened this past week.

I have a September 1 deadline coming up. Everything looks good, but I decided to write in a subplot. I know…editing is for taking out. But this is a good addition. Really. :)

I have a book coming out on Aug. 1. That’s….Saturday.

I’m about to go out of town to research my Memphis setting for the book due Sept. 1.

And, completely unrelated but just as important—there was a sudden avalanche of dirty laundry. My husband and I returned from our short trip away, my daughter came back from Brownie camp (how could one little girl make so much laundry during a 2-night stay?), and—the mother of all dirty laundry nightmares: my son returned from a week at a rustic Boy Scout camp. He’d conveniently put his horrid, reeking refuse (which used to be clothing) in a black garbage bag. I seriously considered transporting it to the dumpster. I’m proud to say it’s now in the washer sloshing around with about $20 worth of Tide, Biz, and Shout.

So…what to do? It’s no good prioritizing what’s most important. They’re all important.

What to do when it all happens at once:

Empty my mind of everything I can think of that I need to do. If I don’t do this, my mind keeps whirring (especially at night.) Everything goes on the master list. This list is not prioritized in any way. ‘Make reservation at the dog’s kennel’ is right over ‘email agent about next due date for Midnight Ink.’

Break down the tasks into steps. Take, for instance, the August 1 release. I have a couple of interviews to give, several ARCs to send out, guest blog posts to write, bookstores to call, etc. It helps to see it written out instead of having something on my to-do list that says “Promote Book”.”

Prioritize the steps. First I should call some bookstores—the chains, anyway. They’re open Sundays. Then I should send out the ARCs (Monday morning, when the shipping offices open.) Then I should prepare for my interviews and write my guest posts. Then…

Assign days for each task to be completed. I get my day planner out for this part. This goes hand in hand with the prioritization of the steps.

Delegate. No one can write our book for us. But they can blog for us. I want to give a big thanks to Alan Orloff and Galen Kindley for posting such an informative series on getting the most from your writers’ conference experience. I really learned a lot and plan on using my newly-gained wisdom at conferences next year. And…they helped me out when I was getting pressed for time.

My family has helped me out with cleaning, laundry, and errand-running. I’ve had a couple of friends invite my daughter over for playdates the last few days.

I’ve found that I feel back on track and it’s mostly due to having an organized plan of attack. And having some help in the trenches. :)

Hi, Friends. Welcome back. Yesterday we looked at the lighter side of agent pitching in person. Today is all business. We continue with Shirley Kennett, the 2009 ThrillerFest Chair of the International Thriller Writers organization. Shirley’s post resumes below. It’s packed with useful, practical information you can actual use. Let’s get to it…

Your Agent pitching experience need not be a disaster. Of course you’re nervous. You’ve waiting months for this, your stomach is flip-flopping to one degree or another, and you feel like your personal worth is on the line.

So the first piece of advice is this: Rejection isn’t personal. When an agent says no, he’s saying that your work is not right for him. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not an appraisal of your writing because—check the interaction (from yesterday) carefully—the agent hasn’t actually seen any of your writing.

Let’s talk about what you need to accomplish when you pitch, and then we’ll break down each of those things in detail. I like to start with this:

—Sell your story + Sell your character + Sell yourself = Successful Pitch!—

Sell your story

Every thriller story has heat in it, by which I mean the parts that truly excite a reader and therefore an agent or editor. What you want to talk about when you first sit down for your pitch is heat, heat, heat and nothing else about your story. The rest can come later in conversation with the agent.

So what is heat? Heat is the concept of your story expressed in a few sentences, or even a few words. Think sound bytes. This is heat:

—A forensics expert has just hours to unlock the secrets of a decade-old murder and untangle greed, incest, and evil to save the life of the woman he loves.

—A woman flees into the Ethiopian wilderness with a baby whose birth was foretold by ancient legends, and struggles against the hostile land and pursuing enemies to save a child destined to unite warring tribes.

—A CIA agent discovers that deep cover terrorist cells in different countries are receiving directions via typos inserted in online and print publications to launch a dirty bomb attack in six hours—somewhere.

—A man kidnaps the son he believes is a cult member and takes him to an isolated spot for deprogramming. Instead, in a psychological twist, the man succumbs to the cult and becomes enmeshed in violence and a plot to assassinate a presidential candidate.

These pitches are a little long and could certainly use some polishing and tightening. I just made them up, but you’ve been working with a story you’re very enthusiastic about for months, so you should be able to come up with a hot opening. They all include a beginning, middle, and an end (or a strong hint of an end) in 45 words or less. Typical speaking time is about 15 seconds, if you have it memorized. And you will need to memorize your pitch.

Something that may get you started thinking is to do What If exercises. Think of your story in terms of “What if blah blah blah, only to discover that blah blah blah.”

For example:
—What if a detective works on a case originating 20 years ago, only to discover that his life closely parallels that of the victim…will history repeat?

—Or one from a book of mine: What if a woman sold her soul to a demon only to discover that 300 years later she wants it back?

These could make excellent pitches all by themselves. Your What If might be an excellent one sentence tag line for your book, meaning a line that gets repeated over and over like you are branding yourself. (You are beginning to do so right from the git-go.

Sell your character

Once past talking about your story idea, be prepared to talk about a few of the characters in your book, definitely the protagonist and villain. You need to convey your characters’ unique slant on life that distinguishes them from 1001 other protagonists and villains—and why they fit into your story so well.

Mention the setting of your book, since it has such a bearing on the story. Try not to make this a dry recital. Instead, have a few practiced descriptions in mind. Here’s an example that gives an agent a lot of information about your characters and is interesting rather than dry.

PJ Gray is forty-one, a psychologist, a newly-single mother, and pioneer in the field of forensic computer simulation working in St. Louis. She’s professional on the outside, a little vulnerable on the inside, intuitive, quick-witted, and struggling with the gap in respect that cops have for those who aren’t in the Job. Her senior investigator, Detective Schultz, has been saved from premature retirement by her program. He’s skeptical, curmudgeonly, not above bending the law in a good cause, extremely dedicated to his work, and will end up much more than a co-worker to PJ.

Note that this is the opposite of your writing, where you would show all this personality rather than tell it. In a pitch, you are in tell, not show mode. Character is extremely important. No matter how good your story idea sounds, if it is peopled by the dull dregs of the earth, an agent isn’t going to like it. There has to be some visible potential for conflict, interaction, and growth shown in your characters. The agent may ask questions about them. You’re supposed to know them well, so make sure it shows.

Other points to convey: your manuscript is finished and ready for review; the word count (85,000-110,000 could be typical—if significantly longer or shorter, you’ll need to discuss why); some subplots if there’s time, to show the depth of the story.

Sell yourself

An agent isn’t just showing interest in a story, he has to have confidence in your professionalism and has to be able to see you as a person he can work with in a long-term business relationship. Your agent does not have to be your dearest friend, but there has to be enough compatibility to make things work between you.

Show yourself off as a professional. Dress like you would for a job interview. That means business casual clothing at least. That automatically puts you ahead of the poor guy who didn’t get the message and finds himself the only person there in cutoff jeans with holes in strategic places and a Trekkies Forever t-shirt and flip-flops. In general, NY is a dressier town than most. A lot of the agents will be coming directly from their offices, dressed for work. Guys, at least pack the khakis and a collared shirt. Ladies, you know the drill.

Be prepared with a brief, non-wandering bio of yourself. If you have any special reasons why you are able to write your legal thriller or spy novel or military thriller with authenticity because you’ve been there and done that, now is the time to get that across.

If you have any publishing credits, be sure to mention them. If you don’t, don’t raise the subject unless asked.

Come prepared with business cards, and make the best use of them by putting the right information on. Don’t use your day job business cards (unless you have a really, really prestigious day job). On the front of the card, put a photo of yourself if you’re comfortable with that. Name, contact info (no home address needed), and your one line tag line for your book. No fancy script fonts that aren’t easily readable, no neon orange cards, just a businesslike approach. On the back of the card, if you want to include it, provide a longer description of your story, maybe four or five sentences.

Some agents will take your card, some won’t be interested. Don’t press. The reason for the photo on the card is this. One of the great things about pitching at conferences is the personal rapport that can develop very quickly. Your business card will help an agent remember not just your name, but put a face to that name, and a few words about your book to jog his memory. When you do make a submission after the conference, be sure to include your card as a refresher of your identity.

Also bring with you a one page synopsis, actually 3/4 of a page, because the bottom 1/4 should be a brief bio. Have this available, offer it if the agent is interested, and again don’t press. Should you bring something longer? Since you’re going to be carrying around the conference tote bag (looks like a small briefcase) anyway, you might as well put a full synopsis (5-10 pages) and the first 50 pages of your manuscript in there. This is something that you could mention you have, but don’t expect a lot of takers. The idea here is for the agent to say yes or no to your pitch and if yes, request a submission of additional material after the conference. You’ll be told what type of submission and if it should be by email or hard copy. Start working on your one page and full synopses early. They are difficult to write well, and not something to be dashed off at the last minute.

I want to end with some inspiring success stories from previous AgentFests. Here they are:

Jenny Smith: http://www.thrillerwriters.org/thrillerfest/2009/02/agentfest-gets-results.html

Mary-Frances Makichen: http://www.thrillerwriters.org/thrillerfest/2008/10/agentfest-scores.html

Graham Brown and Jamie Freveletti: http://www.thrillerwriters.org/thrillerfest/2008/04/it-could-happen-to-you-at-agentfest.html

Great points, Shirley. I learned a bunch. Hope you found something worthwhile as well.

Shirley can be reached at: infocentral@thrillerwriters.org

I love writers’ conferences. So much to learn, so much positive energy, so many good books to discover. But the best thing about writer’s conferences? Hands down, it’s the collection of writers (and readers, and editors, and agents, and…).

Here are some tips for networking at conferences:

Before the conference
Do your prep work. Effective networking at conferences begins weeks (or months) before the conference. See if there is a list of attendees (authors, editors, agents, fans) posted on the conference website. Go through this list and take note of those people you’d like to meet (make a list if you have to). For those you absolutely, positively must meet, consider emailing them ahead of time to arrange a place to rendezvous. But remember: Nobody likes a stalker!

Get business cards made, if you don’t already have some. There are plenty of inexpensive on-line printers that will do a fine job (I’ve used VistaPrint). Having all your contact info in one convenient “giveaway” beats writing your name, website, blog address, and email address on the hand of the uber-agent you’ve just met. Paraphrasing my grandmother, “Professional is as professional does.”

Stay in the conference hotel. If you can swing it, stay where all the action will take place. Besides being convenient, you’re bound to make friends waiting for the elevator or in the stairwell during the inevitable 3 a.m. fire alarm evacuation.

At the conference
Stick your hand out – often. If you see someone standing alone during a break or at a cocktail hour, introduce yourself. Arrive early to the panels and find an empty seat next to someone. Hang out in the hospitality lounge. Strike up a conversation with anybody who seems interesting. Everyone there is like you–looking to make contacts.

Make it easy to be “met.” Always wear a nametag and display it in a place that’s easy to see. The nametag is the first place my eyes go when I’m meeting someone new–or when I’m searching out people on my “have-to-meet” list. If you write your name on the tag yourself, make sure it’s large and legible.

Don’t hide in your hotel room. You might be an introvert (many writers are), but one of the big reasons you’re at the conference is to meet people. So get out and meet them!

Visit the book room. Booksellers are authors’ best friends. Meet them, talk with them, be extra nice to them. Buy some books while you’re at it.

Hit the bar. The hotel bar is the place to mingle. Even if you don’t drink, think of the bar as the conference meeting place (albeit with plenty of booze). This is where you can meet the authors you’ve read for all those years and hear tons of great stories. [Hint: keep your wits about you, or your drunken escapades might become the punchlines to their stories the following year.] More business gets done in the bar than anywhere else.

After the conference
Follow-up. Remember all the business cards you passed out? Well, hopefully you collected plenty, too. Follow up with the people you met. Drop them an email saying how nice it was chatting (lie if you need to–you can handle a little fiction, right?). Give them book recommendations, or ideas about getting published, or tips on other great conferences to attend. Stay in touch!

Writers make up a great community. Become part of it!

(Of course, on-line networking is important, too. Friend me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and visit my blog. I’m always looking to network with other readers and writers.)

Alan Orloff’s debut novel, DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD, is slated for April 2010 from Midnight Ink. He blogs at A Million Blogging Monkeys and InkSpot. Visit www.alanorloff.com for more information.