A Juicy Sample...Chapter?

I went to the farmer's market today. Tented tables lined the blazing asphalt. Guys in straw hats offered samples of succulent summer fruit cut with pocket knives right in their hands.  They talked about their groves and gardens. Where they find the best fertilizer and how they know it's ready to harvest.

One guy sold the most amazing salsa made out of tomatillos and packaged in the town he grows them. I had a taste, thought it awesome, and bought a jar.  Never would have pulled it off a grocery shelf...I really don't fancy salsa all that much. But he seemed so proud and had a sample right there, so I gave it a whirl and BOOM! I was sold.

Why can't writers have these types of gatherings?  Wouldn't it be great if we could have a set gathering place, put out our wares, and talk face to face with agents as they meaner by?  I'm not talking about writer's conferences...those are for writers.  We flock to them, scramble for a time slot with an agent, and babble through a 60 second pitch...one of many they've already sat through.  We're nervous, they're tired, and the time is rushed.

No, I'm talking about proud writers showing off great selections of our finest work and shooting the breeze with the casual confidence of the nectarine dude - I bought two pounds. I guess the closest we come to that is our blogs. We fine tune, color tweak, and background change to help pass the days as we wait for our queries or proposals to render results.

If only a pretty table cloth, a juicy slice of a great story, and the twinkling smile of the one who wrote it were the way we got our novels sold.  Like the tomatillo sauce guy says..."I guarantee, if you try it, you'll love it."