There is a right way to pitch a book to an agent or editor.
And then there’s this:
There are so many things wrong in that video, I don’t even know where to start. How about with the fact that I used the phrase “really great” about 57 times?
But seriously, pitching a book can feel about as wonderful as taking a staple gun to your arm. However …
It is possible go into your pitch well-prepared and even confident. Snappy pitch line? Check. Enticing premise? Check. Practice, practice, practice? Check. Check. Check. Best hair day of your life?
Well, okay, you and your hairspray of choice are on your own with that last one. But for everything else, please, take this advice: Attend My Book Therapy’s Pitch and Promotion Scrimmage on Wednesday, September 21!
It only makes sense to learn how to pitch from seasoned veterans, right? And by veterans, we’re talking award-winning, best-selling author Susan May Warren and best-selling author and marketing guru Jim Rubart, as well as trained pitching coaches! The one-day scrimmage takes place the day before the annual ACFW conference (the largest Christian fiction conference in the country) begins in St. Louis
Now, I attended a weekend-long MBT pitching retreat with Susan May Warren a year and a half ago in Seattle
Not that I didn’t still feel a little like throwing up when the time came to do just that. But practice and determination overrode the nerves playing tilt-a-whirl in me. I can’t recommend My Book Therapy training enough!
So here are all the specs on the seminar:
Date: Wednesday, September 21
Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Hyatt Regency St. Louis
Cost: $65 (fee includes four hours of instruction, small-group pitching practice, hand-outs, snack)
Instruction includes:
- Difference between high concept and low concept novels
- How to find the dramatic irony of your story
- Tools for crafting a powerful pitch
- Small group pitching with trained coaches
- How to make an impact on agents/editors
- What to do after the conference
- Deciphering “agent-speak”
- Query letter and proposal overview
Need any further convincing? Just watch the video above once more, and fear alone should propel you to the Scrimmage! 🙂 See you there!
p.s. Check out more Pitch and Promotion Scrimmage talk with wonderful friend/writer Beth K. Vogt!
Comments 9
ROFL!!! Oh, so hilarious. I will miss meeting you at ACFW. I had to twitter this. I’ll be praying for you.
Hehe, thanks – I almost didn’t make it through the video without breaking out into laughter. But it was way fun to just ramble my way through it. Now it’s all out of my system so when I give the real thing in a month or so, hopefully there will be no mention of Hitler OR me liking boys! 🙂 Thanks for tweeting it!! And for the prayers!!
ROFLOL!!! “I like boys…most of them anyway…others not so much.”
Priceless.
I’m shocked God didn’t tell you to write this story. You must not be Christian enough….you know I’m kidding.
Haha, Lisa, oh yes, I totally forgot to include that God told me to write the story and that if the editor/agent declines it, he’ll probably lose his place in eternity… 🙂
Actually, I almost went totally over-the-top on the video and included every stereotypical thing you ever hear about what NOT to say. (i.e. this is the next The Shack.) But then I thought, no, it might actually be funnier if I do a rambling pitch that I can truly see myself giving…BEFORE the awesome training of Susan May Warren. I say that in complete sincerity – and it’s why I’m a huge fan of the pitching scrimmage!
Melissa, once again your humor brings forth laughter. 🙂 Don’t laugh, but I didn’t know you look for the irony to develop part of your pitch. Now, even though I can’t be there this year, I can be thinking about that for next year. You’ll do great! Oh, and when it’s my turn, I’ll study your video to remember what not to say when I’m pitching. 🙂
Thanks, Jeanne. Just so you know, I never would’ve known to look for the dramatic irony to craft a pitch with Susie’s coaching. Literally, I would’ve rambled exactly like I did in the video. But it’s so true…since we know all the ins and out of our stories, we’re tempted to just gush on about anything and everything. But we have to look for that one thing that will hook the editor/agent…and usually, that one thing is going to be the dramatic irony. It gives us direction, a good starting point. I’ll definitely miss seeing you at ACFW. Fingers crossed for next year!!
Hehe, oops…I mean, “without Susie’s coaching…” 🙂
Advances … yes, must ask about those right up front. Editors and agents love that!!
Exactly, Beth…it’s just too bad I also forgot to include a question about how much the agent/editor thinks I might make when I sell the movie rights… 🙂