Monday, August 31, 2015

TBA Monthly wishlist - August 2015

It's time again for the Monthly Wishlist!  Here's the ONE project that each TBA agent would love to see in their submission inbox. If you have something that fits with the below, please check out our submission guidelines and send it over. We can't wait to read!



A super swoony YA romance with a twist – Gemma Cooper



Diverse YA fantasy with lush new settings and a strong female cast – Beth Phelan



Great historical YA please! – Jenny Bent



I love MG and YA books that have a story within a story -- be that a book, play or something else! – Susan Hawk



I would love to work on a speculative novel or thriller with supernatural elements, either YA or adult. Think THE ROOK by Daniel O'Malley, THE MAGICIANS by Lev Grossman, or HALF-RESURRECTION BLUES by Daniel Jose Older. I want to believe in (and be terrified by) magic! – Brooks Sherman



A domestic suspense novel with a really strong sense of place like MO Walsh's MY SUNSHINE AWAY – Victoria Lowes

Monday, August 24, 2015

Subsidiary Rights Deal Announcement

Wow, there is barely room to report all the phenomenal foreign rights deals that have come in the last few weeks.  Deep breath and here we go--congrats to the following TBA clients: 

Cecilia Vinesse’s SEVEN DAYS OF YOU sold in Italy to Piemme at auction, in France to Pocket Jeunesse, in Germany to DTV at auction, in Spain to Urano, and in Brazil to Globo.

NYT bestselling author Lynsay Sands’ ABOUT A VAMPIRE, RUNAWAY VAMPIRE and the next book in the Argeneau series sold in Germany to Egmont/Lyx.

Becky Albertalli’s SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA sold in Sweden to Raben & Sjorgren, in Hungary to Libri, and in Taiwan to Global.

Orna Landau’s THE BET sold in Germany to Hoffman und Campe, in a pre-empt.

Adam Silvera’s MORE HAPPY THAN NOT sold in Brazil to Rocco, at auction.

Stephanie Garber’s HEARTS MADE OF BLACK has sold in a total of 17 territories: in the UK to Hodder in a pre-emptive two-book deal, in Spain to Planeta at auction in a two-book deal, in France to Bayard in a pre-empt in a two-book deal, in Italy to RCS Libri at auction in a two-book deal, in Hungary to Libri at auction, in Finland to WSOY, in Bulgaria to BARD in a two-book deal, in the Netherlands to Luitingh-Sijthoff in a two-book deal, in Brazil to Novo Conceito at auction in a two-book deal, in Norway to Aschehoug, to Piper in Germany at auction in a two-book deal, in Turkey to Dogan-Egmont in a two-book deal, in China to Booky in a pre-emptive two-book deal, in Russia to Atticus-Azbooka in a two-book deal, in Taiwan to Faces in a two-book deal, and in Israel to Miskal in a two-book deal.

Susan Crawford’s national bestseller THE POCKET WIFE sold in Italy to Piemme, at auction.

NYT bestselling author AG Howard’s UNHINGED sold in Italy to Newton Compton, and UNTAMED sold in Spain to Oz Editorial.

Donna Hosie’s THE DEVIL’S INTERN, THE DEVIL’S DREAMCATCHER and THE DEVIL’S BANSHEE sold in Turkey to Marti Yayinlari.

Robin Stevens’ MURDER MOST UNLADYLIKE sold in Italy to Mondadori Ragazzi.

Stephanie Kate Strohm’s PRINCE IN DISGUISE sold in Germany to CBJ.

Lisa Renee Jones’ NYT bestelling TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series sold in Germany to Bastei Lubbe.


Penny Reid’s NEANDERTHAL MEETS HUMAN sold in Germany to Bastei Lubbe.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Bears, Gargoyles and Bananas! Favorite Questions from School Visits

As part of our marketing focus this month, we've talked about making school visits and what an impact they can make in an writer's career.  But we haven't discussed how fun, or how zany they can be.  To get at that, we asked TBA clients for a favorite question, or story, from the front lines...


My favorite question is "Who's your favorite character in your book?" I love it because normally I'm the one asking readers this question, so when they ask me, it takes me a second to answer. (But I don't think what I say comes as a surprise–my favorite is Miles! He's my oldest character, and I see a lot of myself in him.)  
– Francesca Zappia, author of MADE YOU UP (Harpercollins/Greenwillow, 2015)
Twitter: @ChessieZappia




I have been asked the following several times: “Have you ever murdered anyone?” 
– Robin Stevens, author of MURDER IS BAD MANNERS (Simon & Schuster, 2015)
Twitter: @redbrestedbird







I once did an author event here in Australia at a local writing centre.  It was very early on in my career.  The blurb for the event had my photo and the fact I came from Reading, England.  One guy, wanted to know why I was writing under a pseudonym?  I told him I wasn't.  He would not have it.  He was convinced I was writing under a pen name.  Turns out he thought I was Kate Winslet!  He admitted his mistake by saying I "didn't have her feet!"  I've never been back to that centre, but it remains the funniest question I've ever been asked. (And strangest).
– Donna Hosie, author of THE DEVIL’S INTERN (Holiday House, 2014)
Twitter: @donnahosie


Easy! Some authors get asked what their favorite book is, where do they get their inspiration from of if they ever write about real people.  But me, I just get asked about bananas.  Or, more to the point why I don’t like them.  It all started a few years ago when I decided to start a workshop with some dumb facts about myself, including my personal war against the hideous yellow things that people try and pass off as fruit.  Now, I’m not sure if it amuses kids that a grown woman might not like bananas or they just can’t be bothered to think of better questions, but all I know is that whenever I mention that I don’t like them, that’s all they want to ask me about. 
– Amanda Ashby, author of DEMONOSITY (Penguin, 2013)


A fourth grade boy once asked me, very solemnly, “On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being extremely difficult, how hard you would say it is to write a book?” I was touched, because clearly he had thought long and hard beforehand about how to phrase his question. That or he's just a natural-born sociologist. Either way, awesome. I told him that for the first few minutes of plotting, it’s a glorious 2. But most of the time, in the immortal words of Nigel Tufnel, book writing GOES TO ELEVEN. 
– Kathryn (K.E.) Ormsbee, author of THE WATER AND THE WILD (Chronicle, 2015)
Website: keormsbee.com
Twitter: @Kathysby


“Do gargoyles really come alive at night?”
It's my favorite because of how accepting they were ready to be about the world's magic! 
– Mike Revell, author of STONEBIRD (Quercus, 2015)
Twitter: @RevellWriting 








One of my favorite questions of all time came from a small (and very active) boy, who asked me,

“Have you ever told a story about a bear?”

“I have not,” I admitted.

“Can I tell you a story about a bear?” he asked.

“You bet,” I said. I meant, of course, that he should write his story down. Instead, he proceeded to tell me and his classmates the following tale:

“One time, my father and my uncle took me camping. After they fell asleep, I decided that I really wanted to see a bear so I snuck out of the tent, went to the car, and took out a bag of Hershey Bars. I unwrapped the candy, and then laid it all out in a circle around our tent because I know that bears like Hershey Bars.  Sure enough, later that night I heard a snuffling sound.  I opened the tent flap, and looked outside.  And you know what?  There’s something nobody ever tells you about bears.  But I’m going to tell you.  Bears are REALLY BIG!  And that’s why… I PEED MY PANTS!

“I tried to wake up my Dad and my uncle, but they’d had a couple beers.  Nobody was awake but me.  AND THE BEAR!  So I went and hid in my sleeping bag and fell asleep.

“The next morning when we woke up, there were Hershey Bar wrappers everywhere and the bear was gone. My father and my uncle yelled at me for eating the candy and wetting my pants, but I told them, ‘IT WASN’T ME. IT WAS THE BEAR!’

“They didn’t believe me.  So that night, after it got dark and they fell asleep, I snuck out and made the big Hershey Bar circle again.  Sure enough, I heard that snuffling sound.  The bear was back!  And this time, I woke up my Dad and I woke up my uncle.  They looked outside AND THEY FREAKED OUT!  And I said, ‘I bet you want to pee your pants now too!’

“And that’s my story about a bear.”
      
I never know what to expect from a school visit, but I always know it will be some combination of amazing and terrifying and unbelievable and good.  Because that’s what kids are.  And that’s what writing is.  And by the way, my next book has a story about a bear.   
– Paul Acampora, author of I KILL THE MOCKINBIRD (Roaring Brook, 2015)
Twitter: @PaulAcampora


My favorite question of all time is from my very first school visit for Oh. My. Gods., when a sixth grade boy asked, "Why did you write about a girl?" 
– Tera Lynn Childs, author of POWERLESS (Sourcebooks, 2015)
Twitter: @teralynnchilds








I love doing school visits, bookstore events, and teaching at writers conferences, but my favorite events are teaching workshops for young writers. These word passionate kids ask questions on par with those I receive from adults. For example, "How can I make sure my characters' actions remain consistent through the entire book?" was recently asked of me by a ten-year-old novelist.  I hope, one day, she'll sign one of her bestsellers for me.  
– Heidi Schultz, author of HOOK’S REVENGE (Hyperion, 2014)
Twitter: @HeidiSchulz


Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Update on YA/MG Internship Posting 8/12


Remember that post we put about about needing YA/MG interns? We received a lot of interest from many promising readers, and because of the volume, we are now closing the application period.

Please be patient while we work on getting back to everyone. If you aren't selected or if you missed out on applying, be sure to watch this blog for future openings. We post frequently about these positions!

Thanks so much!

Monday, August 17, 2015

[POSITION FILLED] Employment Opportunity: Social Media Assistant

We are looking for a savvy social media assistant for one of our authors. This person will work closely with the author managing digital content, engaging followers, and promoting book releases and events.

The candidate we’re looking for must be:
- Goal focused
- Well-versed in all forms of social media, including Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Bookbub
- Have unique and innovative ideas about how get the author’s message heard above the noise of the Internet
- Know how to run Rafflecopter for giveaways
- Basic design skills for digital promotional material
- Proven experience managing and executing social media campaigns for authors a plus

This is a paid position, part-time and remote.

If you are organized, a quick learner who takes initiative, and feel you’d be a good fit for this position, please send an e-mail with your resume to applyTBA@gmail.com!

We love referrals! If you know someone who would be a good fit, please send them our way.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Interview with TBA Agent, Louise Fury

It's time for our monthly interview with a member of Team Bent!  Up this month, the fabulous Louise Fury...

How did you get into agenting?
In 2004 I married a journalist who wanted to write a book. We spent ages figuring out how to write a query (back when you had to buy a giant book for all the contact info) and then researched editors, trying to learn what we had to do to put together a nonfiction proposal. We sent out about ten queries and received an offer before the week was up. I have a marketing background and since that first sale—and I count that among my sales!—I have been involved in the publishing industry in many capacities. I did everything and anything: Reviewer, marketing consultant for authors, both in e-pub (before it was considered legitimate) and print, as well as for a literary agency and some consulting for a digital press. Because of those experiences I started taking note of market trends and I loved the idea of helping someone make their dreams a reality. Then, Lori Perkins and I started working together and here I am five years later, now at the Bent Agency!

Your background is in marketing; how does that impact your work as an agent? 
Good writing is always in style and always in demand, but I believe if you couple that with good, effective and targeted marketing, you could have a real winner. I am always watching the market and try to keep an eye on trends, author habits, readers’ interest, sales numbers, distribution patterns and what people are interested in. I follow as much pop culture and social media trends that I can and I pay special attention to consumer buying habits. I like to know what readers want to buy, how they spend their money, where they spend their money, what format they prefer (right now) and how they like to receive their content.  I try to help my authors focus on writing good books and then to work toward maximum market penetration.

What’s your favorite part of being an agent?
Reading good stories and manuscripts before they are books. And making dreams come true.
  
Tell us about a book you’ve read recently and loved—something that you didn’t represent.
Just finished reading:
As If! The Oral History of Clueless by Jen Chaney.
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang.
All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior.
Obsession: An Erotic Tale by Gloria Vanderbilt.
The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco.
I am currently reading Nimona by Noelle Stevenson and also The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

Do you recall the first book you read and loved? (Or perhaps a major favorite as a child).
As a child, Enid Blyton’s The Faraway Tree collection. I wish I could find them now!  As a teenager, anything by V.C. Andrews and Sidney Sheldon. I still think about Master of the Game once a week! Plus, all of the Sweet Dreams books.

The natural talent you would most like to have.
I wish I could sing.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
The funny thing is I really haven’t had a terrible one. I don’t accept jobs that I’m not going to like, and I’ve been working since I was 15! I always babysat and my first real job was working for a drug awareness campaign and we handed out bumper stickers on the beach. We spent hours walking in the hot sun and I had a fabulous time. I was a cashier in high school and loved it; even when I was a census worker in college while studying in South Africa, I found it very interesting. I REALLY LOVE to work and the jobs didn't define me, so they never really got me down. I liked to work in any way that I could. Still do. I suppose one bad one, though, was a regular babysitting job with a mother who made my skin crawl every day. It lasted a year and I rented my first NYC apartment with the money I saved. So it was worth it!

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I read a lot so I was interested in every job the characters had in the books. I wanted to be someone new every week, depending on what I’d just read! Lawyer, artist, actress, teacher, librarian. Demon slayer!

Where would you go in a time machine?
High school! I loved it then, so I can only imagine if I could do it again, but with my life experience.

What are some of your favorite movies?
I prefer TV to movies as I like to binge watch. I tend to watch dark TV shows, light movies, and read sexy books! I couldn’t watch a scary movie, but I can watch an entire series about serial killers. But if I had to pick a few movies, I’d say Clueless, Bringing Down the House, Dirty Dancing, and The Devil Wears Prada.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
Move to America, by myself, at 21 years old. And then moving to New York City, by myself, at 22. It was the scariest thing but also the most thrilling!

Pie or cake?
Neither! I like my ice cream topped with more ice cream. 

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

[CLOSED] Remote Internships for Adult Fiction Readers!

There are a few positions open for readers of adult fiction in two different categories. You do not need to have any kind of publishing experience, but you should love to read and be familiar with all sorts of fiction in these categories, particularly with books on the New York Times bestseller list. The internship is a great way to learn more about an agent’s work and decision-making process. Past interns have been writers, librarians, school teachers, MFA students, and passionate readers. You do not need to live in New York—this is a remote internship. We ask for a ten-hours-a-week commitment. Please note that it is unpaid.

The agency runs a monthly educational chat for all of our interns, led by a different agent/on a different topic each time. (Past and upcoming topics include: How publishers create marketing plans, Do we need literary agents anymore?, Digital and social publishing, Literary scouts: What do they do? What are the entry-level jobs in publishing?—we try to make them as useful as we can.) These are optional, and the days/times vary because all the interns have different 'day job' schedules.

Please do not apply if you are primarily a YA/MG reader. There is a post about those positions here.

Adult Romance

TBA is looking for readers that love romance and all its super sexy subgenres, from contemporary to paranormal to historical and suspense—even young and new adult. Tell us which are your favorites as there are several positions open that require specific interests!

General Fiction Reader

We also have openings for readers of general fiction! We'd love to find people that love and are familiar with upmarket suspense/thrillers/mystery (bonus points if you like female-centric), upmarket women's fiction, memoir, and historical fiction. If you enjoy works by the following list of authors, you're on the right track:

Tana French
Gillian Flynn
Lori Roy
Louise Penny
Lisa See
Lily King
Sarah Waters
Megan Abbott
Hilary Mantel
Liane Moriarty

Interested?

1. Send an email to tba.reader@gmail.com and put "Romance Intern" OR "General Intern" in the subject line.

2. Tell us why you want the internship and something about yourself, and include a resume if you have one (although it's not necessary).

3. Include two lists: the last ten books you've read in the category you're applying for and your top ten favorite books of all time (again, in the category you are applying for).

If you've applied in the past, you're welcome to apply again. We usually get a great many applicants and the application period will close fairly quickly; watch this space and @beth_phelan on Twitter for details!

Jenny Bent closing to queries for one month!

Jenny Bent will be closed to queries until September 12, 2015. 

If you queried before this announcement (made at 12PM EST on August 12, 2015), you can expect a response in due course.

If Jenny has requested a manuscript from you (from a previous submission or during a conference) or if you were referred to her from a client or someone she knows, she's happy to hear from you. 

If you attended the SCBWI conference in LA, please send your query with “SCBWI LA” in the subject line, and your work will be considered. 

Unfortunately, all other queries will receive an auto-response notifying the sender that she is closed to queries and the message will be deleted.

Jenny looks forward to receiving your submissions when she reopens at noon EST on September 12, 2015.

Until then!

[CLOSED] YA/MG Remote Internships Available!

[Update 8/19/2015: We are no longer accepting applications for this position.]


Yup! It's that time again!

We are looking for several Young Adult/Middle Grade fiction readers. You do not need to have any kind of publishing experience, but you should love to read and be familiar with all sorts of fiction in these categories, particularly with Young Adult and MG books on the New York Times bestseller list. The internship is a great way to learn more about an agent’s work and decision-making process. Past interns have been writers for children, children’s librarians, elementary school teachers, MFA students, and passionate readers. You do not need to live in New York—this is a remote internship. We ask for a ten-hours-a-week commitment. Please note that it is unpaid. 

The agency runs a monthly educational chat for all of our interns, led by a different agent/on a different topic each time. (Past and upcoming topics include: How publishers create marketing plans, Do we need literary agents anymore?, Digital and social publishing, Literary scouts: What do they do? What are the entry-level jobs in publishing?we try to make them as useful as we can.) These are optional, and the days/times vary because all the interns have different 'day job' schedules.

There are positions open for adult fiction readers as well! A post will follow shortly. 

Interested?

1. Send an email to tbakids.reader@gmail.com and put "YA/MG intern" in the subject line. 

2. Tell us why you want the internship and something about yourself, and include a resume if you have one (although it's not necessary). 

3. Include two lists: the last ten YA/MG books you've read and your top ten favorite YA/MG books of all time.

If you've applied in the past, you're welcome to apply again. We usually get a great many applicants and the application period will close fairly quickly; watch this space and @beth_phelan on Twitter for details! 

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Marketing: the Basics

As we continue our discussion on marketing, we wanted to put the focus on the basics -- simple things that most everyone can do to get the word out about your books.  If you're overwhelmed by marketing and all that it entails -- start here!  Our TBA agents have all contributed one marketing tip.  If you've got others to share, or questions, please leave in the comments.  Enjoy!

Tweets with pictures often have more impact than just text, so always take every opportunity to share your book cover on twitter for maximum recognition. Attach it to tweets as well as adding links, or take photos of it at local bookstores - adding the bookstore handle and thanking them. Also, use your twitter header to show off your covers. It's very simple and easy to do, look here. – Gemma Cooper

Remember to make it easy for agents, publishers, and other writers to find you online. Include links to your website, blog, and/or Twitter handle in queries, and all your social media platforms should point back to your website or blog!  – Brooks Sherman

Don't forget to make buy links (Amazon, B&N and Indiebound) prominent on every page of your website including most of all the home page. The reader shouldn't have to hunt to find them.  – Jenny Bent

Don’t be shy about asking bookstores if you can sign stock; most booksellers want to support local authors.  – Molly Ker Hawn

Embrace variety: don’t tweet just about your own book.  Mix it up, and engage.  – Beth Phelan

We discussed this on the blog last month (see posts here and here), but if you’re writing for children, don’t forget to make school appearances a part of your plan.  They can really help grow your readership!  – Susan Hawk

Be interested in who your readers are! Hear them when they say hello at a book signing and chat back, listen to what they like and don't like, reply to their positive posts with grace and fun. Enjoy your readership, and be interested in them... they are interested in you.  – Heather Flaherty 

Join the writer community because writers are readers!  Support other author’s work, be a fan – your excitement about books will come back to you, when your own work is published. – Victoria Lowes

Things change very fast and what works today might not work tomorrow, so follow the successful authors and smart marketing blogs/twitter accounts. One such site is Bookbub, they have a great blog. One fantastic blog post is 10 Simple Marketing Tools Every Author Should Know About. – Louise Fury

Monday, August 3, 2015

Interview with TBA Agent, Beth Phelan

It's time for our monthly interview with a member of Team Bent! Up this month, the marvelous Beth Phelan...

How did you decide that you wanted to become an agent? 
I knew I wanted to work, in some way, bringing books to readers. Especially with YA lit. I originally started with an agency, as a foot in the door more than anything else, on my way to becoming an editor at a big house. But the more time I spent in agencies, the more I liked. When the time came to move on, I looked for positions at an agency. I figured out that it was where I really wanted to be.

What’s your favorite part of being an agent? 
The control. I can be a control freak and I’m really independent and self-motivated. I like to be in charge in a lot of ways. So the editor dream never would have panned out for me. I want to be able to take on the projects I love and decide to spend my time on stories and authors that I believe in. That freedom is really important to me because I love being the first on scene to really fall in love with a book and champion it to shelves.

What are you very hungry to find in your query pile? 
More of everything! I want literary YA and also big YA fantasy. I like things that are ambitious and maybe a little weird. Some kind of speculative contemporary would be great, and laugh-out-loud YA too. For adult, I’d love to add another adult thriller writer to my roster, as well as a writer of diverse contemporary romance.

Tell us about some of your projects – what’s going to hit bookstores shelves this fall or next year? 
I’m really excited to see Kathryn Ormsbee’s LUCKY FEW (Simon & Schuster Children’s) hit shelves in summer 2016. There’s homeschooling, fake near-death experiences, REAL near-death experiences… very black humor, very Harold & Maude. I love it. But this fall, I’m also really eager to see THE DEVIL’S DREAMCATCHER (Holiday House) make its way to readers who loved the first book, THE DEVIL’S INTERN by Donna Hosie, which—ahem—was a Kirkus Best Teen Book and also an ALA YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults book.

Children's books are not easy to write, but they have that reputation. Why do you think people think of them as "easy," and what is it about them that actually makes them very difficult? 
I think people underestimate kids and teens. They understand, appreciate, and remember things as well as adults do, but I think people forget that or just think the bar is lower because they aren’t as “matured” or experienced. But what’s actually difficult about writing for them, I think, aside from there just being so much more competition these days, is that they are so well-informed and they are better, more engaged learners than adults. But it’s hard to capture that authentic teen voice and be able to speak and relate to a generation that’s really just a blip in your life. It’s one of the most important blips, but it happens so fast and is so big that it’s hard to catch.

If you could see any one genre of children's books gain exponentially in strength, what would it be? 
I’d really love to see alternate history really take off!

Do you recall the first book you read and loved? (Or perhaps a major favorite as a child). 
I think the first time I was truly OBSESSED with a book was when I started Cate Tiernan’s Sweep series in high school. I couldn't read them fast enough and I felt so completely swept away from my life and my world that for a while I could have been convinced that my world wasn't real and that Morgan and Hunter and Cal were the real ones!

The natural talent you would most like to have? 
Photographic memory. That’s the dream, isn’t it?

What is the worst job you’ve ever had? 
I spent one summer in my teen years working at a toy store in my hometown. It was a small local chain, located in this semi-deserted outlet mall and we never needed more than one person there at a time, as not many people came in. Most of my shift would be spent trying to make our limited supply of toys and games look like they actually filled up the shelves, or else “demonstrating” the toys on the sidewalk in front (I played with a lot of bubble guns). I would occasionally get to chase kids out of the store, but they always got away with fistfuls of Yu-Gi-Oh playing cards stuffed in their pants.

What did you want to be when you grow up? 
I always wanted to be a veterinarian, until I found out that they had to euthanize pets. Sad face.

Where would you go in a time machine? 
I wouldn’t. For all the time travel I represent, the idea freaks me out!

What are some of your favorite movies? 
Ahh, favorite movies. Well, I really loved The Fall. And I love the Mighty Ducks and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Also the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost trilogy. Love me some Simon Pegg!

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done? 
I might sound like a dork here but I think the scariest thing I’ve ever done – or at least the most scared I’ve ever been to do something that I did anyway – was agreeing to go to my first conference. I’m terrible in social situations and the idea of a conference with speed-dating pitch appointments and speaking on panels alongside well-seasoned agents had me freaked out. I also have a very real fear of public speaking. So agreeing to go wasn't easy and once I said yes, my stomach was in knots until it was over. I’ve been to many conferences since then, and it’s still a little scary every time, but definitely less so the more I do!

Pie or cake? 

Oh, cake, for sure. 

You can find more Beth here: Twitter, Tumblr, and what she's looking for.