Name: Heather Sweeney
Title: Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage
NFAA: Tell our members a bit about your experience at last year’s Nonfiction Writers Conference, held in May. Was it your first NFWC conference? What were some of the most helpful or interesting aspects of it?
HS: I can’t remember how I heard about the Nonfiction Writers Conference, but as soon as I found myself scrolling through the event’s website, I knew I needed to go. I had never attended before, but it was perfect timing as I was actively querying agents for my memoir and not getting any bites.
Of course, the highlight of the conference for me was the Pitch-the-Agents session because that’s where I met my agent. But even if I didn’t sign with my agent as a result, I learned so much from listening to the other writers who pitched alongside me as well as the agents’ comments, and I could have taken those insights with me back into the query trenches if I needed to.
I also loved my Ask-the-Pro sessions. They allowed me one-on-one time with industry experts to ask specific questions related to my book and my goals. Thanks to those 15-minute consultations, I improved my book pitch, updated my website, got tips for public speaking and even learned the best positioning of a ring light so it won’t reflect in my glasses!
Overall, the conference was incredibly helpful and lots of fun too. The presentations and handouts provided a wealth of information, and the breakout room introduced me to other writers I still keep in touch with. I had never live-pitched my memoir before, and despite how nervous I was and how many people I knew were watching me, I felt like everyone was cheering me on thanks to the way Stephanie Chandler created an environment that truly felt like writers supporting writers.
NFAA: How did you approach the pitch-the-agents session? Did you research the agents or prepare in any particular way for your pitches?
HS: As soon as I learned I was chosen to participate in the pitch-the-agents session, I worked on my pitch, practicing it aloud and timing it to make sure I didn’t go over the time allotment. I kept it to the recommended three minutes to allow two minutes for the agents to respond. I also signed up for an Ask-a-Pro consultation with Stephanie Chandler prior to the pitch, and after telling her a little about myself and the background of my writing experiences that led to writing my memoir, she gave me excellent advice about something to work into my pitch that would grab the attention of the agents, something that never occurred to me to include.
I did look up the agents before the conference, mainly to feel a sense of familiarity while I was pitching, but I focused more on the presentation of my pitch than who I was pitching to. I was also happy to have the recording of the session to rewatch it later and take better notes of their feedback and the questions they asked me.
NFAA: Tell our members what it was like working with your agent, Najla Mamou, of Savvy Literary. What was the most valuable thing you learned in the experience of working with an agent?
HS: I think I knew Najla would be my agent the second she introduced herself at the conference and said she was looking for military-related books, which my memoir is. It’s been wonderful working with her, between her sharp revision suggestions for my manuscript to her passion about my book when we went on submission. I think the most valuable thing I learned from working with Najla is how important it is to find an agent who shares your vision and loves your book as much as you do. I remember hearing back from one agent I queried, who said he wasn’t offering me representation because he didn’t feel passionate about my book and didn’t think he could sell it without feeling that spark. I’ve never doubted that Najla felt that spark, and I know that her belief in my book helped me land a publishing deal. I feel so lucky that the conference brought us together!
NFAA: Spoiler alert: Your book was picked up by a publisher and it’s coming out in 2025. Congratulations! Tell us about your book, and about the process of working alongside your agent and publisher to get your book to publication.
HS: Thank you! Yes, my memoir CAMOUFLAGE: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage will be out in the world in fall 2025 with Post Hill Press. It’s about my journey from being overshadowed by my husband’s military career to rediscovering myself as a single mother approaching middle age. It illustrates many of the hardships military spouses face and how I realized those hardships I endured had actually prepared me to cope with life after divorce.
When I first signed with my agent, I had a completed draft of the manuscript, but we did another round of revisions, which really tightened up the manuscript to get it ready to go out on submission to publishers. Najla sent it out to some amazing publishers, and although many rejections hit our inboxes, her positivity and optimism never wavered. I only recently signed with Post Hill Press so it’s still early in my publishing process, but Najla is there every step of the way to answer my questions and share my excitement. It’s almost shocking how much has happened in less than a year since it all started at last year’s conference!
NFAA: Were there any surprises along the writing or publishing journey for you?
HS: I think I’m most surprised by how naive I was when I first started writing the memoir. I wasn’t a member of any writing communities. I didn’t know what a query letter was. I had no idea whatsoever how to sign with an agent. I genuinely believed I would write one draft and suddenly I’d figure out how to publish it. But even though I’ve been working on this for years – since I first started jotting down notes for it in 2018 – I’m almost glad it took so long because it allowed me time to learn not only about the craft of writing a memoir but also the complicated world of publishing. I took classes, joined writing groups, read craft books, and practiced patience. Publishing a book is a marathon, not a sprint, and as I look back and reflect on that starting line, it’s even more thrilling to see the finish line approaching.
NFAA: What’s next for you as an author?
HS: I’m always coming up with new ideas for essays, so I’ll continue my freelance work writing essays and creative nonfiction for mainstream outlets and literary journals. I’m also working on a novel, which has been both fun and frustrating. I’ve always been a nonfiction writer so fiction isn’t coming as naturally to me. But I love a new challenge so I’ll just keep going and see where it takes me.
NFAA: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
HS: I’m so grateful to the Nonfiction Writers Conference for introducing me to my agent and for all the wisdom I walked away with. I highly recommend it to any nonfiction writer at any stage of their publishing journey!
Website: https://www.heatherlsweeney.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writersweeney
Substack: https://heathersweeney.substack.com/
Did you know we’ve hosted an annual Nonfiction Writers Conference since 2010? We deliver the traditional writers’ conference experience entirely online so participants from around the globe can attend. Join us for our next event! The NFWC starts May 7th, 2025.
