Once again, I'm not going to a SCBWI conference, despite being a member. Our Arizona regional folks have worked hard to set up this year's conference, and it's sold out, but I am a firm believer of not going to a conference with a rough draft, or even a half-finished or several-times-edited, draft. You go with a finished, final product -- to pitch! At whoever, whenever, wherever, however you can.
You have to feel confident in your story so you can do the 1-sentence pitch in the elevator, by the pool, in the taxi, at the table, etc. and not be -- well, putting it politely, stretching the truth.
Because -- horror of horrors! -- what if an agent were interested -- and I'm not finished!? Like they have time to wait around for me to type or dictate or make edits? Not likely.
I prefer to have what I'm selling ready -- really, honestly ready and in final draft -- before I go. Because writing is hard and exacting (at least for me), and I don't want to pitch something I can't deliver -- or I can only deliver the first half, and need to still work on the back-end, or still really want to change up a scene, etc.
I'll shoot for next year -- maybe.
