Honing Your Pitch

Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. I'm just back from my vacation trip with my 3 sisters and had a fabulous time. It was such fun to spend time with my sisters - we talked a lot, reminisced a lot and laughed a lot. Oh, and I managed to get 'rescued" by a group of very nice (and cute!) fireman - that may be going into a book some day :)

But on to the actual post for today.  We're moving into conference season so I thought it might be time to have a refresher on pitching to an agent or editor.  So here are a few notes taken from a workshop I give on the subject.

Pitching to an agent or editor has never been one of my favorite things to do.  Trying to summarize my masterpiece into a few sentences for this person who has the power to further (or not) my career is somewhat intimidating. 

The good news is that there is an art to the pitch, and anyone can master it.  While this doesn’t make it any more ‘fun’, feeling prepared does give one the confidence boost to get through the session with some measure of aplomb.

Once you’ve crafted your pitch (don’t worry, we’ll get to the how’s of that in a minute) - PRACTICE.  And this means saying it OUT LOUD, over and over, until it comes naturally.  

Grab anyone who will sit still long enough to listen, and pitch to them as if they were an agent or editor.  If you can’t find a willing vict-, uhm, volunteer, practice in front of a mirror.  Make sure the words flow naturally, that you aren't rushing it (my own biggest problem), and that the words you’ve chosen present your work in an active and interesting light.

If you want to write down your pitch, or just memory-jogging bullet points, use 3x5 index cards and bring them along. 

Ok, the big day arrives, and the moderator signals it’s your turn.  What do you do? 

·         Take a deep breath and try to relax.

·         Smile, introduce yourself, shake her/his hand.

·         Once introductions are out of the way, give your pitch.

·         Let your enthusiasm and excitement for your work show through - it’ll be contagious!

·         After you’ve delivered the opening pitch, sit back and give the editor/agent an opportunity to comment.  This is VERY important.  You need to get feedback on what you’ve presented so far, and you want to let the agent/editor ask questions.  Be prepared to provide information on:

°         additional details about the book you just pitched

°         details about yourself and your writing credits - this is a good time to mention contest wins, group affiliations, other writing credits, etc.

°         high concept information on any other works you have in progress or planned.

·         When time is up, shake hands, thank her for her time and consideration, and leave promptly.  DO NOT OVERSTAY YOUR WELCOME.

Now, on to crafting the pitch itself.  There are lots of different schools of thought on this.  What I’m going to give you here is my own slant, based on information I’ve garnered from other workshops, how-to articles, and (sometimes painful) personal experience.

First, I’ll give you the checklist and then we’ll go into more detail and look at an example (NOTE: this is for a romance. Tailor it as necessary for other genres)

The pitch should include:

·         genre/sub-genre  and, if appropriate, targeted line

·         approximate word count

·         setting

·         high concept or trope

·         Heroine: who she is, what she wants, what stands in her way

·         Hero: who he is, what he wants, what stands in his way

·         Romantic conflict: what attracts them to each other/keeps them physically together, what keeps them from committing/holds them emotionally apart.

Be concise - you should be able to pack all this info into 6-9 well crafted sentences.

The first part should be easy.  Simply open with something along the lines of:

THE LADY AND THE TIGER is a single title Regency-era historical of approx 95,000 words.

Now, what do I mean by High Concept or Trope? 

Well, there are two ways to approach this.  You can use one of the well-known tropes such as:

·         Marriage of Convenience

·         Secret Baby

·         Beauty and the Beast

·         Poor Little Rich Girl

By the way, your story may contain elements of more than one of these.  When pitching, however, I would stick to the one or two main themes.

The second technique is that of comparing your story to well-known characters, stories or movies.  This would look something like:

·         Elle Woods meets Mr. Spock

·         Sherlock Holmes meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer

·         Pride and Prejudice in Outer Space

Either approach gives the agent/editor an immediate image of what kind of story you will be pitching.

Next we define the heroine: who she is, what she wants and what stands in her way.

Part 1:  Who she is.  By this, I don’t mean her name.  Instead, paint a picture: 

• a single mother of triplets
• the only female in a prestigious law firm
• an ugly duckling who inherits a modeling agency

Don’t you immediately get a sense for what each of these women might be like?

Part 2:  What she wants.   This is the goal she is working toward and your description should hint at why. 

Part 3:  What stands in her way.  This is, of course, the obstacle (internal or external) that keeps her from achieving her goal. 

Once you’ve completed the above process for the heroine, do the same for the hero.

Now for the Romantic Conflict.

Part 1 - What attracts them to each other/keeps them together physically.

Even though they may not be initially attracted to one another, you must give them a reason to stay in close proximity for an extended period of time, allowing the attraction to develop. 

Examples of this would be:

·         their work/social circumstances throw them together often

·         they both seek the same prize/item and must work together to acquire it

·         they are stranded together

Part 2 - What keeps them from committing/holds them emotionally apart.  This explains why, once the attraction builds, they cannot achieve their happily ever after, at least not without significant cost.

Ok, so lets see an example of how this would work.  Here’s one based on one of my own books.

THE UNEXPECTED BRIDE is a single title Americana of approx  92,000 words.  It’s a Poor Little Rich Girl/Marriage of Convenience story set in 1892 NE Texas.

The heroine, a hopelessly inept, bookish heiress, sets out to prove she can make it on her own by taking a job as a governess, only to find she’s botched things yet again when she finds her new ‘boss’ thinks she’s come west to be his mail order bride.

The hero, a lone wolf who thinks himself unlovable, is dead set on adopting his recently orphaned nieces and nephews so the children can stay together as a family, even if it means he has to marry a snooty debutante who doesn’t want him.

The two strike an uneasy bargain to marry - agreeing to stay wed only long enough to finalize his adoption of the children.  Their plan is to get an annulment afterwards, allowing her to quietly return to her home ‘back east’.  This means, of course, they must treat the marriage as a purely platonic business arrangement.  Things get complicated in a hurry, however, as the attraction sizzles between them and threatens all their well-laid plans.

This pitch managed to cover every one of our bullet points in just 8 sentences - and hopefully grabbed your interest and made you want to learn more in the process.  And yes, I know it's a bit formal in tone - feel free to use whatever degree of formality/informality you are comfortable with.

As you can see, preparation is the key.  It's important to understand that this is not just make-work - it is your chance to sell yourself as a professional writer, and to sell your work as a marketable gem.

One last word of caution - don’t expect to actually strike a deal at the pitch session, no matter how good a job you do.  A conference appointment is just an opportunity to connect, an in-person query if you will.  But it could be the door that opens onto something absolutely wonderful. 

So prepare, practice, and when the time comes, you’ll be ready to wow  ‘em!


Now it's your turn. What do you think - did this resonate with you? Do you have a checklist of your own that you use when pitching? How is it different or the same as this one?

How to Survive A Pitch Appointment

It's time for a full confession.

I. Do. Not. Like. Pitching. There, I said it.

As a veteran of getting on for twenty writing conferences and many pitch appointments, I can say with some authority that I do not enjoy the process. I am awkward and nervous and tongue-tied to a ridiculous degree.

So why am I posting here on the intricacies of pitch appointments and how to excel at them?

Well, if you re-read the title of the post, you'll note that I'm not telling you how to hit a home run in a pitch appointment, I'm telling you how to SURVIVE one. :)

Follow me into the labyrinth, if you please.

First, what is a pitch appointment?

At writing conferences, you often have the opportunity to secure one-on-one appointments with mentors, agents, editors, and other industry professionals. This is your chance to talk about your work and yourself with a view to selling both at some later date.

For some of us, the idea of sitting down with an agent or editor and talking up our story is torturous. But it's a necessary part, and even a good part, of becoming a professional author. (There are a select few who THRIVE on these appointments, but they're the outliers, so we're going to ignore them. The weirdos.)

So, if pitch appointments are something we should do, and yet we don't like doing them, and they do, in fact, scare us, how can we strategize to at least survive them, even if we don't exactly THRIVE?

Here are my tips:

1) Do your research. There's nothing that will add to the awkwardness of a face-to-face pitch meeting than if you bring in something that the agent or editor isn't looking for, doesn't represent, and perhaps doesn't even like. Most conferences will have a website that lists the faculty, and in their bios, if they are taking appointments, they will list the things they are looking for, and the things they are not wanting to see. Don't assume that you've written such a heartbreaking work of staggering genius that the editor will abandon the entire publishing history of their house and champion your cause and yours alone at the next publication board meeting. Start out on a good note by scheduling pitch appointments with people who rep what you write.

2) Manage your expectations. This one is key. You are NOT going to walk out of a 15 minute appointment with a contract. These meetings are for getting your foot in the door, not for signing the mortgage and calling the movers. The hope from this meeting is that you will receive a request for a proposal, that you've interested the agent or editor enough in yourself and your project for them to want to see a bit more. HOWEVER, if you do not receive a proposal request, the meeting was NOT a failure. You will have learned a bunch, and your name and face will now be familiar to the person you pitched to, so that next time you see them or pitch to them, you've got a bit of a connection.

3) Prepare a One Sheet: I blogged about this last month, so no need to go over it again here. You can read about how to prepare a One Sheet HERE:  https://seekerville.blogspot.com/2018/06/what-goes-on-one-sheet.html

4) Do your homework. (This isn't the same as doing you research.) This one requires that you practice your elevator pitch (We'll talk about how to write an elevator pitch a bit next month.) Doing your homework requires that you be able to distill your story down to 30-50 words. Who it is about, what they want, and the major conflict that is keeping them from getting what they want. This needs to be succinct, pithy, and interesting.

‘A police chief, with a phobia for open water, battles a gigantic shark with an appetite for swimmers and boat captains, in spite of a greedy town council who demands that the beach stay open .’

And there, ladies and gentlemen, you have the perfect elevator pitch. (JAWS: A very good book, but an even better movie!) 

You need to know your story inside and out to be able to talk intelligently about it in a concise way. We can all ramble for days about our plot and characters, but I guarantee that if you do this in your pitch appointment, the agent or editor's eyes will glaze over and they will start wondering when it will be time for lunch.

Once you have your 30-50 word pitch written, you need to practice saying it aloud. Start alone, looking in the mirror, then try it out on your family or a writing buddy. Be able to speak slowly, succinctly, and coherently about your story and to be able to answer questions posed by the listener. You might think this is a dorky thing to do, but trust me, you'll thank me later. 

5) Do a Quick Reconnaissance: When you get your pitch appointment info, do a quick recce and locate where the appointments are going to take place so you can find it again when you need to. The last thing you want as your meeting time approaches is to be wandering the halls of a giant hotel or conference center hollering "Marco!"  Find out where they appointment desk is, where the "Kiss and Cry" area is. (That waiting room where folks about to go into an appointment sit and wipe nervous sweat, and where those just exiting appointments can gracefully subside into a chair and pray in thanksgiving that they survived....Just kidding, but there usually is a 'holding pen' sort of area near the appointment desk where writers are herded to patiently wait for their appointment. 

6) Pray About It: Spend a little time in prayer beforehand, reminding God (and thus yourself) that your entire writing future does not hinge on the 10-15 minutes you will be with EditorX or AgentY. Also spend a little time praying for that agent or editor, and consider how you might be a blessing to them during that time. Thank the Lord for the opportunity, and then use it to the best of your ability.

So, what can you expect from your pitch appointment?

Get to the appointment desk with 10-15 minutes to spare, (make sure you've visited the facilities before you arrive, nerves and coffee, you know...) have your materials in order, and say a quick prayer. When your appointment time is called, you can expect to be ushered into a room with up to 20 different tables where pitches will be taking place simultaneous to yours. Don't let this daunt you, you won't be listening to other people pitch, and they won't be listening to you. Everything is done in quiet orderly fashion, not a free-for-all. Sit down across from the agent or editor and smile, offer your hand, and introduce yourself. Hand them your one-sheet. Remember that this is not their first rodeo, and give them a moment to scan your paper and perhaps ask you to tell them about your story. This is where you launch into your elevator pitch. Don't talk too fast, and try to have a pleasant expression on your face. Its' okay to be a bit nervous. They're used to that. As pros, they will often have a few pithy questions for you. I always find it easier to answer questions about my work than just talk about it off the cuff, so I welcome the questions. They may ask for a little of your writing background, what you've published before (It's okay if you're unpublished! Just say so!) and if the manuscript is complete or not. 

When time is called, (it will go faster than you think!) stand, offer your hand again, and thank the agent or editor for his or her time. Don't start sobbing if they don't ask to see more of your work or if they return the one-sheet you labored over so long. Be gracious, and be kind. 

Oh, and one more thing!

7) Follow Through Afterwards: If you've received a request for a proposal or full manuscript, then by all means, send it in! You don't have to hit send on the airplane ride back home, but do follow through and deliver what has been requested. A month or six weeks is a good time frame if you're polishing a proposal or manuscript. If you didn't receive a request for a proposal, it's still nice manners to send a thank-you note to that person for meeting with you. This will be remembered.

Q4U: Have you done any pitch appointments? What's the BEST pitch story you've heard? What's the WORST pitch appointment story you've heard. No names (unless it's yours and you don't mind sharing.) Also, do you LIKE pitch appointments? Or are you normal? LOL!

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can learn about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!