Pitching Your Novel in Person: How It Differs from the Email Query
Pitching Your Novel in Person: How It Differs from the Email Query
Sandi Ward
Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, Senior Editor at Writer’s Digest, has a presentation called Pitch Perfect that lays out terrific suggestions on how to prepare for a live pitch. I was asked to join her in presenting Pitch Perfect at the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference last year because the Pitch Slam is where I met my own agent (the amazing Stacy Testa of Writers House). So I’ve “been there, done that”! Here, I’ll summarize some of the highlights of our presentation.
Several writing conferences across the country offer the opportunity to pitch your book idea to agents and sometimes an editor or two. It often has a cute name; at the WD Annual Conference it’s called the Pitch Slam; the San Francisco Writers Conference calls it Speed Dating. Generally, you’re offered a short amount of time (for example, 3 minutes) to pique the interest of a literary agent, and then you move on to the next agent.
Pros and cons of live pitching
When you hit send on an email query, you don’t always know if it’s going to end up in the right place and if it has been received. Email queries are sometimes rejected with a form reply, and some receive no reply at all. Your email query might be tossed out by an assistant before your email ever makes it to a literary agent; your query might get rejected because you didn’t follow the specific directions of that agency; or your email might get read on a busy day when an agent is exhausted from reading 100 other queries.
The pros of live pitching are that rather than having to stand out from a crowded email slush pile, you are guaranteed to have an agent’s undivided attention for a short amount of time. You’ll get immediate feedback—which is always a good thing, because even if your pitch falls short, 1) maybe the agent will give you some tips on how to improve it; or 2) you’ll learn where the weaknesses of your pitch are if an agent gets confused; or 3) you’ll know to cross that particular agent off your list.
The cons of live pitching are, of course, that you have to get your courage up and actually talk to a literary agent. (Many writers are introverts! I can relate!) It’s hard for some authors to stay focused in “marketing mode” and present with energy and enthusiasm when they’re used to writing in a solitary room in pajamas with a warm cat as an emotional cheerleader. The thought of possibly having your book rejected in person is scary to contemplate.
How is live pitching different from a written query?
The essence of your pitch will be the same in any format: concise and compelling. Keep it dramatic and intense. The stakes must be high—what does your character want, and why does she want it? What’s the major conflict? Don’t try to squeeze in secondary characters or plot points. Many live pitches are just a few minutes long, so you don’t have time to go off on any tangents. If there is “voice” in your pitch, and you’re comfortable with it, go ahead and describe your story with a bit of emotion and excitement. After all, you’re there as a storyteller.
Prepare good comps (comparable recent titles in your genre) so the agent can immediately see where your book would fit on a bookstore shelf. Again, you usually have just a few minutes and you want to make it easy for an agent (who will hear many other pitches after yours) to remember your concept. Simplify. Clarify.
The main difference to keep in mind is that when you show up in person, you aren’t just selling your story—you’re selling you! You’re meeting with busy professionals who are looking for their next big hit or inspiring tale. So be prepared. Rehearse. Read your pitch out loud to anyone who will listen, and tweak accordingly. You don’t have to memorize your pitch; I had mine printed out on a piece of paper which I consulted if I lost my place, and handed to each agent once our 3 minutes concluded.
To prepare, I also chose an outfit that I thought would help me look professional yet creative (my lucky blue dress!) and tried my best to relax and smile. Present yourself as someone who is easy to work with. An agent isn’t just looking to buy a book; they’re hoping to forge a long-term relationship with an author.
Also, as Jeanne Bowerman said at our session, “Don’t be weird!” That line got a big laugh—a nervous laugh, because everyone in the room knew what she meant. Writers can be quirky (which is okay!) but stay focused.
Finally, study the list of available agents and look them up online ahead of time. You are wasting your own time if you pitch to an agent who doesn’t represent your genre. Check out each literary agency ahead of time and make sure it’s one you’d want to partner with. Another one of Jeanne’s excellent tips at our session was: if you’ll have the chance to meet with multiple agents, don’t run to your “dream agent” first. Rather, wait until you’ve practiced with one or two other agents.
If an agent requests pages, don’t walk away from the table until you’ve made note of exactly what the request is for: 10 pages? 50 pages? The entire manuscript? Do you need to write something specific in the email subject line? Make sure you have everything you need and don’t lose any business cards!
Other considerations
These events sometimes sell out quickly. It can be helpful to plan ahead and keep track of dates and times, and don’t hesitate to register if you definitely want to attend.
The primary barrier to these events can be the cost. Usually you must first be a conference attendee, and then there is an additional fee to pitch. There is also distance to consider; unless you live in a big city hosting one of these events, you must also travel to get there. It can get expensive. Sometimes conferences and organizations offer scholarships, so that’s something to look into. If attendance is out of reach, don’t forget there are other non-traditional ways to reach agents, like various online pitch events on social media and contests. (But that’s a topic for a different blog post!)
Finally, I recommend waiting until your manuscript is complete and polished before pitching it live. Agents will assume you have a book ready to share with them if you pitch it, and it’s smart to send your manuscript (or requested pages) within a week of the event while your story is still fresh in an agent’s mind.
Live pitching in 2020
Below is a list of a few annual live pitching events happening in 2020 with information I found on their respective web sites, but there are many more. Please feel free to add events, corrections or recommendations in the comments!
San Francisco Writers Conference with Speed Dating
Feb 13-16, 2020
Pitch to as many agents as you can in an hour; each pitch gets 3 minutes.
Muse and the Marketplace (Boston)
April 3-5, 2020
This conference offers Manuscript Mart, a 20-minute, one-on-one session with an agent and/or editor; and Shop Talk Happy Hour, where you can reserve a spot at a table with groups of 2-3 agents and up to 4 attendees.
Rutgers Writers’ Conference New Brunswick (New Jersey)
June 5-7, 2020
They advertise Pitchapalooza (a contest where you get selected at random to make a 1-minute pitch) as well as 10-minute meetings with agents, editors, and publishers.
Writers Digest Annual Conference with Pitch Slam (NYC)
Aug 13-16, 2020
Meet as many agents as you can from a pool of about 50 agents in 60 minutes; each pitch lasts about 3 minutes. (I met with 7 agents the year I attended.)
Chuck Sambuchino Writers Conferences
This web site lists 25+ conferences being held in 2020 in everywhere from Pittsburgh, PA; Indianapolis, IN; Nashville, TN, to many other locations. It appears every event has at least 4 agents and sometimes more.
chucksambuchino.com (and click on Writing Conferences & Events)
About the author
Sandi Ward writes novels about love, family, forgiveness—and cats. Her stories, written with “empathy and hope” (Booklist), focus on troubled families trying to cope with extraordinary stress. She’s the author of The Astonishing Thing, Something Worth Saving, and her latest, What Holds Us Together (Kensington Books).
Sandi invites you to visit her web site: www.sandiwardbooks.com. You can email her at: sandi@sandiwardbooks.com. Connect with her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @sandiwardbooks.
WHAT HOLDS US TOGETHER, Sandi Ward
From the author of The Astonishing Thing and Something Worth Saving comes a tender, wise, and insightful novel of a family cat, a second chance, and the love that persists through the deepest heartache . . .
They say that cats don’t like change. But Luna, an imaginative tabby, understands that sometimes it’s necessary. When her owner, Annika, moved back to her small New England hometown six months ago along with her sixteen-year-old twins, Luna knew it was for the best. Ever since Annika’s husband, Peter, died suddenly, the family has been floundering. Luna, too, is guilt-ridden, sure she could have done more to save her favorite person. Luna also knows something the others don’t know. Peter’s spirit is still with them, and Luna believes there is something he needs her help to do . . .
Annika has been struggling to move on. It doesn’t help that her son, Donovan, blames her for his father’s death. Peter always told Annika that they had the best love story going, yet the fact is that much of their story has been hidden away, even from their children. When Annika’s first love, Sam, arrives to plow them out during an intensifying storm, the truth begins to emerge at last. And Luna—watchful and unwavering in her affection—may be her family’s best hope of learning how to forgive and to heal . . .
Praise for Sandi Ward’s Something Worth Saving
“Told with empathy and hope, this would be a perfect gift for cat lovers or anyone who enjoys a fresh take on the family drama.”
—Booklist
BUY THE BOOK HERE
Category: How To and Tips
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