Discovery Day - The Debrief

So yes, I went to Discovery Day at Foyles two weeks ago, the event where hopeful novelists get to pitch their book to an agent. All the way from France to London for a one-to-one slot with an agent from Curtis Brown or Conville Walsh.

CB have already rejected this novel, but I was already booked onto the event and thought it would be a good opportunity to get further feedback. Also, from the group sessions, to ask questions about the publishing industry that seem to be inaccessible from the unpublished side of the wall.

I think it is great that a big agency such as Curtis Brown want to provide access points like this to writers, and that they give up their Saturday to do it. But I also think it would be extremely helpful to streamline it a little more so that writers get the most out of it that they can, considering how short of time the slots are and that people are travelling long distances to get to the event. (And let’s face it, train travel is hardly cheap in the UK).

My one-to-one session was extremely insightful and has definitely given me something to work with for improvement. The group session was slightly more disappointing, unfortunately. Now I don’t want to sound like a naysayer, but I’m a writer, and constructive criticism is the business we’re in. (Um, aside from writing, of course.)

Ten minutes between six people of varying genres, stages of their writing careers, and knowledge is not a lot of time at all and, on reflection, there are definitely some ways to hone those sessions so that they serve a fuller purpose.

First on the list would be to split the group sessions into adult fiction and children’s, just like they did when we were queuing for the one-to-ones. That way, it’s more likely that people will sit with other authors asking questions that are pertinent to their own needs. This could also be true by hosting larger groups for Q&A sessions.

I’m guessing the idea of the group sessions is that they are supposed to seem less intimidating and more focused than a large room of people all vying for the attentions of the speakers, but I do wonder if, by doing this, it actually serves the attendees less. In larger groups it’s more likely that a question you had intended to ask would be asked by someone else, or that a question you would never think to ask turns out to be of high value to your personal situation. But, of course, that is all debateable.

The other major sticking point I had with the group session was the amount of time the agent used explaining the submissions process (that nobody had asked about), when this information is clearly available on the website. I’m sure it was a case of the agent in question wanting to lead the discussion so that we all felt comfortable speaking up, but it used up valuable time for those of us who wanted to get right into the heart of things. Of course, none of us wanted to be rude and look like we were trying to hog the allotted time, but, aside from one person on my table, we already knew this process inside out. Anyone who has gone to the bother of finding out about Discovery Day should have, or would have, read up on it beforehand. After discussing it with some others on our table, I know most felt that this took a lot away from the session. It would have been much more beneficial if the person unfamiliar with submitting could have been directed to the website to find out for themselves so that everyone else could focus on the meatier issues of publishing, representation and their manuscripts.

Some days after, this post was published on The Bookseller website and was much more helpful.

I would say to any writer going to a face-to-face pitch event such as this, do your homework before the event, as much for your own benefit as for the benefit of others. Time is so limited you need to get the most out of it that you can. If you can find the answers on the internet, do that before you go, then you — and everyone else — have more of a chance to ask follow-up questions or industry questions while you are there.

Aside from a little wishful tweaking, generally, the day was highly enjoyable and insightful. The writing community is one of great support and I love how most authors are pretty cool people, and that some are downright eccentric! Being in a room full of them, each and every one exchanging information, or enthusiasm, or Twitter addresses is a fantastically positive energy to be around. In this kind of environment the whole prospect of publishing is so much more tangible.

Writers spend a lot of time alone with their work and, especially if, like me, they live in rural places, it can sometimes feel like being in a bit of a bubble. Stepping out of that environment and mixing with the physical profession is a bit of a poke in the ribs. It becomes more than some dream that is created in the privacy of one’s own home, to the style of one’s own preferences, as and when one wishes.

But it’s also a wakeup call as to how many authors there are out there looking for representation. And that is just one room, in one city, in one country, in all of the world.

Scary? No. More like inspiring.