On a completely unrelated note, there’s a discussion of the value (or lack thereof) of pitch sessions over at Making Light. Still thinking about this–it seems pitch sessions might theoretically still be useful in cases where one is unagented and the publisher won’t even read at unagented queries (meaning a “sure, send it to me” actually is better than one would hope for if querying cold), but otherwise, it seems to me there’s much sense here. Especially the comment that points out that all a pitch session normally does is introduce the possibility of getting rejected on the basis of what one says about a book, rather than on the basis of the book itself. Submissions that arise out of actual critique sessions at conferences, on the other hand–I have found some of those contacts more valuable.
On a mostly unrelated note, jillykat asked me to mention that Tucson’s RWA chapter is holding a writing bootcamp on Plotting Through Characterization, early this May. I plot largely through character, so this makes some sense to me–if it makes sense to you too, or if you’re in the area or nearby and looking for a one-day writing workshop this spring, consider checking it out.