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Fashion Plates Not Necessary

Happy Thursday Everybody,

I hope you're having a good week so far. (Mine's been okay).

I was just watching something on my Yahoo homepage called Hollywood's Top 5 Fashionable Moms and well, it got me thinking...

You see, I've never been real big on fashion. I like looking at some of the clothes and determining if it's something I'd wear or not, but generally it's something that isn't my style.

I'm about comfort, modesty, and being presentable. I tend towards things like cotton shorts or Capri pants comfy short-sleeved tops, sandals or sneakers. In the winter, cotton pants, comfy big shirts, sweatshirts or sweaters (or my cloak--thing that reminds me of a blanket with sleeves and a hood in black). When I dress up I get fancier, obviously.

As writers, though, no matter our style, we must remember for certain things we have to be professional. This means dressing professionally. I don't think you necessarily have to wear a suit for everything, but wear something that shows you are serious and understand the publishing world is a business.

I actually have a gray skirt with white pinstripes that I could wear with a black or white blouse and black flats (I used to own closed toed black heels, but they got old and fell apart).

When I was in business school, they told us women should wear closed toed shoes and either a knee-length skirt (or longer) skirt or an another appropriate length dress. Men were to wear shirts, ties and dress pants with dress shoes.

So, for me, if I was to go into a pitch session or meeting, I'd probably be wearing something like I wore when I was interviewing in the corporate world. (I'm a stay-at-home wife/mom, now so I don't worry as much about corporations, unless it has to do with my husband's job, or the book publishing world or if I'm involved with that corporation somehow--like the Grocery store). Or at least something relative to it that was at least some type of professional clothing.

You want to make regular eye contact.

Have a firm, but not too tight, hand shake.

Hide your nerves as best you can. Don't fidget. Don't ramble.

Sell yourself, but be smart about it.

These are actually some of the other things Agent Scott Eagan talked about.

It's nice to know all those things that were drilled into me at business school will come in handy in the publishing world. Makes me feel like I'm using what I learned, which is always cool.

So yeah, you don't have to be a Fashionista or fashion plate, but you do have to be professional.

Have A Triumphant Thursday!

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