Katie Bartlett, Author

The 2010 Rutgers One on One Conference took place four weeks ago.  It was my first time attending, and I would love to go again.   The biggest distinction between this event and others was the number of agents and editors participating.  I met more industry professionals during that day than I have in my past two years of events.  My only regret is for every professional I met, there were a handful of others I never even saw.  I did my best to approach people in the hallway, in the lunch line, at the lunch table, in the conference hall, and so on.  But there were some people “on my list” that never crossed my path. 

My enthusiasm for the event was dampened somewhat by this disappointment.  It’s a long enough day as it is, and more time isn’t necessarily the solution.  But there might be a way to rework the day where more time is spent bringing small groups of writers and professionals together.

That being said, all the professionals I met were wonderful.  Everyone was approachable, generous with their time, and so helpful.  If you have the chance to work with any of the following people, don’t hesitate!  My mentor was Kathleen Ortiz of Lowenstein Associates.   My round table consisted of Brianne Mulligan (Razorbill), Molly Jaffa ( Folio Literary), and Allison MacDonald (Dutton).  Lunchtime I chatted with Beth Fleisher (Barry Goldblatt), Jennifer Arena (Random House), Noa Wheeler (Henry Holt).  My hallway encounters included Holly Root (Waxman), Chris Richman (Upstart Crow), Gail Levine (author, Ella Enchanted).