Whew, I just finished a fabulous week at Grub Street’s all virtual The Muse and The Marketplace 2021. It was superior, as usual, but even better on Attendify app, from the comfort of my own home office, minus the commute into Boston, or on my feet all day. After 5 days of programs and great information, I’m invigorated to write and rewrite my logline and pitch; start an allisonsloanauthor Twitter account; get my puppy ButskyBean her own Instagram account (watch out Pluto Living, here comes ButskyBean); subscribe to Duotrope.com and Publishers Marketplace; figure out how to “backlink”; write my sexual life story in 5 sentences (a must if I plan to draw readers to my x-rated novels on Amazon
KDP); follow Jennifer Baker’s podcast; figure out if Tin House Publishers is the right route for me to share If I Had Known, my family saga in progress; figure out my comps, find comps, compare comps, comps! Gotta Have More Comps! (“I Gotta Have More Cowbell” on SNL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVsQLlk-T0s)
Shout out to all the great authors, editors, publishers, marketing and promotion experts who shared their time and insights to make this Muse the best yet. Amaryah Orenstein, having you as an agent would be an author’s dream come true! Your suggestions and edits took my novel from okay to HURRAY! Courtney Maum, I love your new haircut, and your direct tell it like it is, here’s the scoop, form an S Corp, work it baby information. Your book “Before and After the Book Deal” is already on its way to my door. Fauzia Burke, you are energetic and such a great presenter you make the hard stuff look easy! Your book “Online Marketing for Busy Authors” sits on my desk and is a cherished resource. Jenna Blum! You are “A Mighty Blaze” and friend of authors everywhere. Lane Shefter Bishop you rock! LOGLINE! Sellitinasentence.com! I already have pages of them written and rewritten. I recite them in my sleep! Cherise Fisher; Dongwon Song; Melissa Febos; Louise Miller; Jennifer Baker; Bianca Salvant! Thank you all for excellent insights into the author agent publishing relationship.
And Thanks to the Grub Street staff who worked on screen and off to produce a virtual conference extraordinaire.