As the most stressful part of Pitch Wars approaches — wait, you didn’t think the other parts were stressful, did you? Huh. Well, carry on, I guess. Nothing to see here.

Of course I’m talking about the agent showcase. A lot of you are going to stress about it, regardless of what I tell you.

Since I can’t do anything about that, I thought I’d talk about some things that you *don’t* need to stress about. With all of this, understand that it’s just one man’s opinion (based on some experience). As always, you should listen to your mentor, even if it directly contradicts when I’m saying here. Because your mentor knows your specific situation. I’m just talking in general.

With that said, away we go:

DON’T STRESS: The title of your book. Sure, a great title can grab attention. But I have some bad news for you about that title that you spent a week obsessing over…it might change, and you might not have much to say about it. At this point in the publishing process, titles are more of an idea than a reality. Your agent may want to change it. Your editor may want to change it. Or, more likely, the marketing department at your publisher might demand that you change it. Consider your title a placeholder, and don’t worry too much if it’s not exactly perfect right now.

DO STRESS: Your agent research. Pitch Wars only minimally vets agents. Think of that what you will, but I promise that the committee has spent years thinking about this and has made the best decision for all involved. I’m not going to explain it, but you can trust that I believe what I’m saying. Regardless, it’s not changing, so you need to act accordingly. You don’t have to send your material to any agent you don’t want to. Not all agents are created equal. Talk to your mentor and do your research. You’ll share information among yourselves, but I would offer that there is no single answer about any agent (okay, there are a couple bad actors…so maybe there is a single answer about them). But an agent that might not be the right fit for one person might be a solid choice for another. Establish your own criteria and make your own decisions. Listen to other mentees, listen to your mentor, but also trust your own instincts.

DON’T STRESS: Whether you want to use a penname or not. Obviously apply your own situation to this one for personal reasons. If you need to protect your name for business or family or relationship reasons, do that. But if the question is about whether it will help you sell books or not, don’t worry about it. You can make that decision with your agent later. You will give both your agent and your future publisher your legal name, regardless, for tax reasons, and they’ll help you through the rest of it.

DO STRESS: Relationships. The agent showcase will end. Pitch Wars will end. Some of you will go on to publishing success. Some of you won’t. People–friends, contacts, unindicted co-conspirators–those will go on regardless. Update: It’s 2022. I still talk to many people from my Pitch Wars class of 2015 on a regular basis. I read their books, they read mine. We raised money for one of our own who had a family crisis. We had a virtual group hangout for new years. We give each other advice. We support each other.

DON’T STRESS: The timing or speed of things. Some people are going to get offers really fast. Some people are going to get book deals really fast. Who gets there first is not an indicator of future success. Some age categories and genres take longer than others, regardless of the quality of the book. I was the 34th person in my Pitch Wars class to get an agent offer (we kept track of all the offers as they came in). I would suggest that I’m not the 34th most successful writer from that class. Publishing is a long game. It will not comply with the timelines that you want it to. Try not to worry about it (but I know it’s hard).

DO STRESS: Your own self care. Seriously, take a break. No agent who is interested in your book is going to drop their offer if you don’t respond immediately. Have a plan. Schedule activities where you’re not online. Turn off your phone. Everything will be there when you get back, and you refreshing constantly to see if your mentor emailed you about a request isn’t going to change anything. (Note: I know you’re going to ignore this. But I felt like I had to say it, and I needed a third do stress to balance the don’t stress. I’m weird like that).