• Meeting Kevin Morgan Watson from Press 53 in person. I am so thrilled to be working with him and the press.
• Catching up with old friends like Kevin Rabas, Ann E. Michaels, and Anthony, no matter how brief the visits were.
• Seeing Jhumpa Lahiri in person and hearing how she became a writer.
• Junot Diaz asking for questions shouted out between his readings.
• Attending informative panels by incredible writers, editors, and publishers.
• Having new authors sign books for me and being sincerely happy to do so.
• Meeting people genuinely happy for others to get published.
• A break from the bleak snow and cold wind of Cleveland.
• Coming home with so many great books that I’m dizzy trying to choose what to read first.

I wasn’t inspired to write at AWP like I am when I attend Clockhouse Writers’ Conference. I was VERY inspired to do more on the business side of being a writer. I am committed to sending out work, engaging with writers and presses online, blogging, etc. but I don’t read many book review sites or other writers’ blogs, so those are things I will add to the business of writing.

But I WAS inspired to write on the drive home from upstate New York to Cleveland. I had to pull to the side of road near Erie, PA, get coffee, and write out eight pages long-hand in my journal. Junot Diaz inspired me to write in second person, something I have never tried. My traveling companion Chris inspired the story. Next is to get it onto the electronic page without my inner editor polishing off too much of the story’s rawness.

I have many more ideas for stories, other stories to finish, people to connect with, and more blog posts to write. Oh, and a family, job and a dog to attend to also.

Spoken during a panel on the Nitty Gritty of Publishing. One of the panelists was talking about how many writers think that their audience is just other writers.

To paraphrase: “Don’t think that. All the writers in the country are in this building. I hope your audience is bigger than that!”

That comment sent a roar up from the crowd and for me, a few shivers. Obviously there are more writers in the country and the world than in here. It was a metaphor, but it is exciting to be surrounded by so much talent, and passion, and love for the written word.

Other good advice:

• Everything you can do to promote your book is great – social media, events, etc. Marketing/Publicity departments can only do so much, especially so at the smallest presses.
• Don’t lead with the book. Read other people’s blogs, join in the conversation, but don’t just Facebook and tweet and comment about your book. It’s boring and annoying.
• Be nice to your editor. Stand up for what you believe in but trust that it’s not a battlefield. The editor, publisher, and marketing/publicity people are all in it to sell your book. They aren’t trying to make you a sell-out for suggesting a change in title, cover art, order of stories, etc. Give them a listen and work WITH them, not against them, to get what is best for the book.

Heading now back to the conference and the bookfair. Going to a 3 pm panel on the Future of Fiction. Should be more excellent food for thought.

One look out the window and it’s difficult to imagine spring will ever arrive, despite what the Groundhog predicts.

I am in upstate New York and will leave soon with a fellow writer to drive south to DC. The weather here isn’t nearly as bad as predicted – we are some of the lucky ones. Many other AWP attendees have already had flights delayed or cancelled, or decided not to drive in the icy mix.  But we will forge ahead.

Is it geeky to bring along my books by Junot Diaz and Jhumpa Lahiri in the hopes that they will sign them? I’m not usually a starfucker autographer seeker – I simply want to tell them how much their writing has meant to me and my writing. And to tell Mr. Diaz that his essay on how excrutiating writing can be to one’s psyche was a revelation.

Besides meeting new people and reuniting with friends, I have settled on a few presentations to attend, including “From Short Story to Novel” and “Women Writers and Rejection.” Maybe I should be on that second panel, as I have many years of experience with rejection.

Just the other day I received a rejection email from a top tier publication (which will be represented at AWP). This one stung a little harder than most. I want to go up to the editor and ask in person, why exactly was my story rejected?

Isn’t that what we all want to know?

But asking that, like going to panels that purport to tell you “what editors want,” is a crap shoot. Just like all publishing is.

Editors don’t all want the same thing – except great writing. The same editor may like something one day but hate it the next. Maybe the story “just wasn’t a good fit” even though you read back issues to make sure your work fit in their oeuvre.

I strongly believe that the cream rises to the top. And that some people are published, whether or not they have talent, because of the current zeitgeist (I’m looking at you Snooki). But writing is about the art of creating something. That is where 90% of effort should be. The other 10% should be laser-focused on the challenge of getting published, if that is what you want.

For a long time, I didn’t care if I was ever published. Now, with seven stories published and more on the horizon, I am starting to care much more.

And for that, nothing can keep me from AWP this year.

As of right now, 6,605 people have pre-registered for the conference. That makes me a bit nervous as I don’t like crowds. So besides scanning the bookfair layout for booths I want to visit, I will be highlighting the exits for when it gets overwhelming and I need some air and/or a drink.

I’ve read some how-to lists (such as this one by Caleb Ross). I’ve made a list of things to pack. I have a road-trip buddy (also an AWP virgin) and I have music loaded up for the drive from upstate New York. I will hang out at the Goddard College booth, my MFA alma mater, and the Press 53 booth, who have named me one of their Spotlight Authors for 2011 (yeah!).

I am as ready as I can be – though I am still working on what it is I want to gain from the AWP experience. I can’t seem to narrow it down so I will probably just take it day by day. Hopefully, chronicling my experiences on this blog will help me unite my thoughts into something coherent for myself and others.

The other two are of Abe Smith, (no relation) who I heard read twice: once at the Thin Man and once at the Plus Gallery. I’m going to keep posting after this to give short reviews of the books that I got at the book fair. I’ll post those as I finish them.

Enjoy the videos!