Being ready with a pitch—a concise, compelling description of your book—is especially important at writing conferences because you will have opportunities, either spontaneous or scheduled, to talk about your book with publishing professionals. These opportunities might be casual; in fact, the best opportunities are always the organic ones. An editor might be sitting at your lunch table, or perhaps you meet an author who asks about your current project. Other opportunities are more formal, such as scheduled consultations. You might have a chance to pitch in a one-on-one appointment with a literary agent or editor, in a small-group setting, or in a large pitch contest.
At the James River Writers Conference, our pitch contest is called “Pitchapalooza.” It’s run by The Book Doctors, David Henry Sterry and Arielle Eckstut, who do Pitchapalooza events all over the country.
Whatever the circumstances of your pitching moment, preparation empowers you to shine. Start by familiarizing yourself with what a good pitch sounds like. It’s not a summary or a book report. “A pitch is like a movie trailer,” says David Henry Sterry. “Start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc close-up with intense specificity.” A pitch should give the listener a clear picture of the book’s premise, its main character, and what kind of book it is. It should “make us fall in love with your hero . . . [and] hate your villain,” says Sterry. (See David Henry Sterry’s Top Ten Tips for Making a Great Pitch.)
If you’ve never heard anyone pitch before, the first thing to do is watch a lot of pitches. Several Pitchapalooza events have been recorded and posted on YouTube. Search for “Pitchapalooza,” and start watching. Listen to the comments from the judges as well as the pitches themselves. After a few contestants stand up in front of the microphone, you’ll start to get a feel for it.
Once you have an idea of what a good pitch sounds like, start working on your own. It’s not easy to distill the essence of your book into one paragraph, but it can be done. It must be done in order to market your book. Go to a bookstore and spend an afternoon reading jacket copy from books that are similar to your own. There’s your proof. It is possible to condense your book into a paragraph or two. People do it all the time, and you can, too.
- Note: This article is an except from our new e-book, James River Writers’ Essential Guide to Writers Conferences. Download the book to get more tips on preparing for a writing conference. Topics include polishing your manuscript, what to bring, logistics, conference etiquette, literary networking and follow-up, and more. Proceeds from this book go to James River Writers Conference.