If you’re a student, or a writer at the start of the career, London Book Fair can be intimidating. Major publishers and authors are all gathered in one place and it’s surprisingly easy to make a fool of yourself… Suffice it to say that it’s best not to invite them to write their email address onto your Enotes (if you’ve forgotten that your notes are also on the same page as last week’s shopping list…) So, you’ve got that down, but what do you actually use the Book Fair for? Authors are seated with publishers by appointment through agents only. Then, one company after another informs you their editorial team are not in attendance at the fair. In this blog I’d like to share what I learned when I was there.

It’s helpful to use the fair for two opportunities: to make contacts, and as a chance to find out what is topical.

1. Be specific

The mistake I made was to introduce myself and then, not knowing what to say next, the conversation fizzled out.

Come to the Fair having predetermined which publishers interest you, with questions to which you can’t find the answer on the internet. This way you will be portraying yourself hopefully as an interesting and informed new author who is getting their name out there.

To give an example, as a poet, you may know that there will not be many poetry publishers at the Fair in comparison with prose. So, target the few that are and ask what percentage of acquisitions are debut collections. (It is a good idea to target smaller presses because, being less frequented, they often have more time to engage).

2. Self-presentation

Think about how you want to come across and speak and dress accordingly.

Which aspects of your character and writing are interesting? How can you make these come across in a memorable way? For example, if you write comedy, you may want to think about how you use this and what kind of register is best for each person you meet.

3. Promote your work

If you have any published work, it helps to have links to it on your phone, or copies that you can show, because they might want to see samples. This would be the time to share details of your blog too.

4. Find out what is topical

Take advantage of the talks on offer. Research them beforehand so that you don’t have to spend time flicking through the Insights Guide, and make sure you know where they are so that you can get to them on time.

It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how disorientating the space can be. I went to Joanna Penn’s talk on how to get more readers, which was all about self-publishing and digital media. She gave fantastic advice on everything from blogging to mailing lists. For more info, see her blog http://www.thecreativepenn.com/blog/.

5.  Follow up on contacts

Write to say thank you for the time and advice someone has given you. It’s courteous. Follow them on Twitter and spark new conversations. You never know, it may also prove a helpful contact to have in the future.

6. You’re a writer: write something

You can plug your account of the day, or something you’ve seen in London which has inspired a poem, on social media and get people to share it…

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On my way back from London I had an off-peak return and time to kill. 2 hours in fact. (Not a seasoned tube traveller, me.)  I bought an extortionate sandwich and sat on the upper floor of Liverpool Street watching the commuters, wondering how anyone affords to live here.

Then I saw a man, sticking out among the other passengers. He was delving his way roughly between them, moving even faster than the general surge. Just before gate 6 he stooped over, as if his gut was caught in spasm.

A pile-up developed, bodies arcing in sudden angles—

Have your ticket ready!— The voice, at the lack of response, became increasingly panicked, reached a higher timbre joining the mass of things in the air.

Suddenly lunging for the ground, the man kicked out, head first, his hands for the ground. A phone fell out of his pocket, bottle-spinning.

The florescent jacket had the radio out.

The man held himself steady, upside down. For a moment, before the racing footsteps, he created stillness, a small tiled space around himself. He stared up at the clamorous elegance of this glass house, missed calls treading staves on the ceiling.