NZSA National AGM 2019

Photo of Dunedin Railway Station: Wikipedia Commons

This year the New Zealand Society of Authors AGM was held in beautiful Dunedin. I attended the afternoon sessions at the library - here are my rough notes. 

To podcast or YouTube – getting your voice out there: Vanda Symon

• You can use podcasts and videos to read excerpts from your work
• A podcast or video also enables you to record your voice for posterity
• A lot of people are creating video book trailers 

Thanks, but no thanks – why agents turn people down: Chris Else

• Agents work on commission
• Present yourself professionally to the agents you approach
• Don't be cute - be professional
• The agent will want to know the title, genre, length, audience, and about the plot / characters / subject / tone / setting
• They will also want to know about your experience, credits, location and occupation
• Avoid puffery and 'the hard sell'
• John Cranna added that High Spot Literary Agency might be worth approaching 

Getting the good word on copyright: Paula Browning

• Check the IP clauses in your employment agreements
• If someone commissions you, they retain the copyright - not you
• The copyright term for writers is life plus fifty years

Te Reo in your writing – a when to, how to guide: Iona Winter

• Ask yourself why you want to use Te Reo and if it's relevant to your story
• Get used to speaking some everyday words in Te Reo. There are so many free resources out there
• Start with place names, flora, fauna ... be curious
• Te Reo can anchor your writing here in Aotearoa
• When using Māori characters, do really good research and get Māori alongside you from the start
• Chris Else added that specificity draws readers in - it's what readers like