© 2020 Tracy Crump

Have you ever attended a conference that offered appointments with agents or editors and declined the opportunity because you were too afraid to talk to a writing professional? Or maybe you thought your book wasn’t far enough along, or you just didn’t know how to approach a publisher.

Well, let me tell you a story.

One year, I sat on the other side of the one-on-one table offering to mentor attendees interested in writing short stories, articles, or devotions. A young woman named Sharon Muse approached me and said the conference coordinators had told her I was the person she needed to see.

“I’ve written a book and would like to know how to get it published,” she said.

Wait. What?

I told her I’d never published a book before but to go ahead and tell me about it. I spent the rest of the time with my mouth hanging open as she told me about being kidnapped by a client bent on murdering her. She survived only to find she had to fight the justice system as hard as she had her abductor to get him put away. Despairing of ever being free of the man who promised to come back and kill her, she plotted his murder. Wow!

Sharon held up a folder of papers. “Now what do I do with the manuscript?”

You’re asking me?

I gave her what advice I could and pointed her to people who might help. But God wouldn’t leave it there. After returning home, I emailed her with more suggestions. Through several God-engineered connections, I put her in touch with the top agent in the country who sold her book to a major publisher. It released last month with a coveted starred review by Publisher’s Weekly.

All because this young woman took a chance and sat at my table.

At your next conference, take a chance and talk to the very experts who can help you on your writing journey. They all have something to offer, but so many times, attendees avoid them because they feel intimidated. Just remember, agents, editors, and mentors have come to the conference with the sole purpose of helping writers just like you. Don’t let uncertainty sideline you or fear prevent you from forming a connection that could make all the difference.

Don’t miss a divine appointment.
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Tracy Crump has contributed thirty stories to anthologies, and her course on writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul® is one of Serious Writer Academy’s top sellers. Her articles and devotions have appeared in publications such as Focus on the Family, Mature Living, ParentLife, Upper Room, Woman’s World, and Guideposts compilations. She co-directs Write Life Workshops and edits The Write Life newsletter. In addition to proofreading for Farmers’ Almanac, she has edited several books, including Sharon Muse’s Kidnapped by a Client: The Incredible True Story of an Attorney’s Fight for Justice.