20 Tips for Attending the Romantic Times (#rt15) Convention
The huge Romantic Times Booklovers Convention starts next week. This will be my second RT, and this time around I know better what to expect. For those of you who are about to go to their first RT, here are a few of the most important things I learned last year.
First off, this event is massive. It was even bigger last year in New Orleans, but there are a LOT of people and a LOT of things happening at the same time.
Organizing your time is crucial. There are ten things going on almost all day, and when you add in the social events, you’ll find things from about 9 am to 11 pm. Then there are going to be 20-30 people you know who you’ll want to talk to.
Decide what you want to get out of the event. You might want to connect with readers, or learn something about writing (craft) or business of writing. You might just want to hang out with your publisher. You might want to be a reader and go to panels about books/genres that you like to read.
Or you might want to do all of these things. RT is expensive, so you need to really think about what you want to accomplish there.
That’s why figuring out your schedule is a good first step.
Take a look at the online agenda before you leave home. Link: https://www.rtconvention.com/agenda. Notice that events are classified as reader/craft/business/social.
- MARK the events that sound interesting to in advance, while you have some quiet time. Then choose the ones you really want to attend, your priority events. This way, if two events are on at the same time, you will remember to go to the one you most want.
- Once you have the priority events selected, then find the second-most important events.
- Use the Online Personal Agenda feature (click “Add to my agenda” then you can print out the list and highlight, make notes, etc. Keep the list handy so you can find your own schedule. Even if your friends/roommates aren’t going, make sure to attend the panels you want.
- Don’t try to go to a panel during every time slot. That’s what I did last year. I learned a lot and met a lot of people, but I was exhausted! I burned out by Saturday and then missed some events I would have liked to attend.
Once you have your schedule sketched out, you’ll know when you’ll have time to wander around, visit the book/swag rooms, chat with friends, eat/drink/sleep.
Not everything is happening in the scheduled panels and events.
There is the book room where you can pick up 4-5 books for free. The earlier you get into the room, the better selection, but there is also a line. How important is it to get there early for you?
You’ll find small groups of people chatting in the hallway. I stopped and joined conversations with total strangers if I overheard something interesting. I met some agents/publishers that way. Even if you don’t join a conversation, eavesdrop on what they are discussing. You might learn some useful industry information. You might hear about another event that’s worth attending.
A couple at the Heather Graham costume party dinner. An event not to be missed!
Charlaine Harris was just lovely and charming.
Some general tips:
- You’ll be talking A LOT. Even if you already talk a lot at home, you’ll double or triple it. Bring hard candy, cough drops, etc., to soothe a sore throat. You WILL have one.
- Bring a water bottle (or pick one up at a swag table). Usually the panel rooms and hallways have water dispensers. This also helps with all the talking.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Bring a sweater/jacket because the conference rooms can get cold.
- Bring an extra suitcase for books you’ll collect at the event. Even if you don’t read a lot of het romance, pick up and read books by the bigger authors so you can see what’s selling in the wider marker.
- Have one notebook for notes from the panels you attend. Stuff any handouts in there. I used the back of the notebook for notes/names/email address, etc., from other conversations I had with people I met.
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A nice display in swag alley
Talk to total strangers. I made a point of talking to the person in line with me while waiting to get into events, or the person sitting next to me at an event. I met a lot of interesting people. Remember that they are either readers or writers, and you can learn something from them about what they like to read, or a writing tip.
- Dress up a notch rather than jeans and a T-shirt if you want to present a more professional appearance to industry people you might meet. If you want to make a big impression on readers, wear something that goes along with what you write. I’ll wear my chef’s hat at the signing, to help promote my Delectable series of books about chefs and winemakers.
- Take a chance and go to a panel for a topic or author/genre you don’t know anything about. You’ll probably learn something and might find something you want to read.
- If you liked a panel, go up to the person and let them know. Introduce yourself. This is a great way to network.
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My second suitcase (full of books) at the end of RT14
Don’t be afraid to ask for photos with big name authors. They are generally very gracious and very appreciative of their readers. But don’t monopolize them if there is a line of others waiting to talk/snap pics.
- Try not to spend all of your time with people you know. Split up, observe things for yourself. This also frees you up for point #10 above.
- Collect business cards of everyone you meet. I did that and contacted some of them after the event. It makes a good/professional impression, especially on industry people. Or you can follow up with a reader you gave a book to.
- Find out where the quick places are to get food. The hotel restaurants tend to fill up or take ages to feed you. Ask someone else or the RT staff/volunteers. They’ve been there for days before everyone else arrives.
- Carry a few of your books with you. I met a lot of people who asked if I had a book (to sell or to give) and I didn’t have them on me last time. I had to hunt them down to give them the books.
- Ask other authors you meet for a tip or some advice, either about the con or about writing/career. They are a great resource and since most of them are with big/more mainstream publishers, you are going to get a different perspective than from people you know in your own genre.
- Ask readers who their favorite authors are. Grab a book by one of these if offered at an event or book room. See why this author has a lot of fans, and you’ll probably find something useful for your own writing.
- Smile.
- Follow up with a couple of people after the event. E-mail a panelist and tell them you liked their talk, or just say Hi to someone you enjoyed chatting with. This is especially important if you made an industry contact and want to continue a discussion or have them as a resource in the future. 99% of people don’t follow up, so be the 1% this time around and make a great impression on someone.
- Stop, sit down and just process what you’re seeing/learning every now and then. (Use that same notebook). Note down what swag items people like, what kind of promo ops you might want for next year, which panels were popular (so you can pitch one for next year).
Have you got your own RT tip that I haven’t mentioned? Please leave a comment to share your advice with someone else.
6 Responses to “20 Tips for Attending the Romantic Times (#rt15) Convention”
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My tip is the bar is a great place to network even if you don’t drink. In fact it’s probably better not to drink if you’re trying to make a good impression. Caveat: sometimes the bar was overwhelming, like the worst high school cafeteria “who will I sit with?” ever. That’s ok. I took a seat at the actual bar and then didn’t move for two hours bc I started talking to the unknown person next to me and before you knew it we had a group around us! RT folks are really friendly!
Other tip: plan to take breaks! If I don’t schedule an hour of downtime to read or visit the pool I’ll burn out. And if I don’t schedule it I won’t do it.
Those are great tips. Luckily, Dallas doesn’t feature absinthe, though that was definitely part of the fun in NoLa.
I’ll look for you in the bar in Dallas.
I remember you! We sat together last year at the Heather Graham event. (That’s my purple mask in the photo.) Anyway, I’d add that the concierge is a great resource for food and entertainment. Don’t forget to eat. 🙂
Hi Elia! It was such fun hanging out and chatting with you at that dinner! Hope you’ve had a great year. Will you be in Dallas? And I have been checking out restaurants on Yelp this afternoon. Some decent ones within walking distance.
I will indeed be in Dallas! I arrive Wednesday morning.
I’m excited about all the eating. There are two conflicting “top 10 Dallas BBQ” lists and I need to be the deciding factor.
Let me know if you need some help with that! I love BBQ.