One of the other perks is that I got to
attend the Debut Authors’
Breakfast at ThrillerFest. ThrillerFest is a whirlwind of a conference held in
NYC each July. I attended author panels on things like craft, character, and
marketing/promotion, and a special State of The Market, which included
something that made this psychologist very happy—data and statistical analyses!
Then there were talks by the master authors like Heather Graham, George RR
Martin, RL Stine, and Lee Child who, despite writing deviously entertaining
thrillers, are all hilariously funny.
But back to the breakfast. Imagine your
wedding day. You’re
sitting up on the dais with your wedding party, looking down at the attendees
in their finery. Now, replace that image with the same thing, except you’re not
in formal wear, and instead of hundreds of your family and friends seated at
the linen-decked tables, it’s a bunch of thriller writers, and your book cover
and head shot are being projected on two large screens flanking the dais. And
you get to give a speech.
Though you may be shuddering at the thought
of talking in front of such an impressive crowd, it was a wonderful experience.
Everyone was immensely supportive, and though we were on display, there was an
overall very low-key vibe for the whole thing. Not only was the breakfast an
opportunity for the debut authors to introduce themselves to the greater ITW
community, it was a unique opportunity to meet one another. This year’s group is a very accomplished bunch! From
special ops ex-military, to a microbiologist, a former detective, and
professionals of all sorts. It was exciting to learn how they brought their
unique expertise to their fiction.
We also had a closed-door chat with a
senior thriller writer who told us the ins and outs of the business and a
special dinner for just us debuts and the Debut Chairman, fellow Triada US
Literary Agency author of THE HEMINGWAY THIEF, Shaun Harris. (New York really
has some of the best pizza anywhere.) And, we got a bag full of goodies!
Following the breakfast, the debut authors all participated in a signing, and I
even got to sign some stock copies of BROKEN CHORDS for the famous Strand
Bookstore. (Eep!)
I wonder who will be up on
that dias in 2019 …
